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                                         Cōm on wanre niht
                                         Came in wan night

scrīðan sceadugenga.  Scēotend swǣfon,
striding shadow-goer.   Shooters slept,

þā þæt hornreced       healdan scoldon,
those that horned hall   hold should,

ealle būton ānum.   Þæt wæs yldum cūþ
all but one.                It was from old known

þæt hīe ne mōste,        þā Metod nolde,
that to them not must,   when [the] Maker not would,
                 [might not]                              [willed it not]

se scynscaþa     under sceadu bregdan;--
that sin-scather   under shadow braid [them];--
      [sinful killer]                       [shred]

ac hē wæccende                 wrāþum on andan
but he [Beowulf] waking    [for the] wrathly [one] in anger
                            [waiting]               [Grendel]

bād bolgenmōd        beadwa geþinges.
abade bulging-mood  battle's yet-things.
[waited] [enraged]                 [outcome]

     Ðā cōm of mōre                under misthleoþum
     Then came off [the] moor   under misty hills
                                                          [cover of misty dark]

Grendel gongan,  Godes yrre bær;
Grendel going,      God's ire bore;

mynte se mānscaða       manna cynnes
meant the man-scather    [of] men's kind

sumne besyrwan      in sele þām hēan.
some [one] to entrap  in hall that high.
                                             [so]

Wōd under wolcnum   tō þæs þe hē wīnreced
Strode under welkin       to that that he [the] wine-hall,
                      [sky]         [until] [he reached]

goldsele gumena    gearwost wisse
gold-hall [of] men   gear-iest wised
                               [readiest] [recognized]

fǣttum fāhne.                     Ne wæs þæt forma sið,
[with] gold plate decorated.  Not was that [the] first time,

þæt hē Hrōþgāres   hām gesōhte;
that he Hrothgar's     home [had] sought;

nǣfre hē on aldordagum  ǣr nē siþðan
never he in life-days             ere nor since

heardran hæle,   healðegnas fand!
harder hale,          hallthanes found!
           [hero]        [loyal warriors]

Cōm þā tō recede   rinc sīðian
Came then to hall     warrior moving

drēamum bedǣled.                   Duru sōna onarn
[of] dreams be-dealed                  [The] Door soon gave way
       [joys]   [dealt out, deprived]

fȳrbendum fæst,              syþðan hē hire folmum (æthr)ān;
[with] fire-bands fastened, when he [with] his hands touched [it]
           [forged iron strips]

onbrǣd þā bealohȳdig,                            ðā (hē ge)bolgen wæs,
unbraided then [the] baleful-minded [one], since he be-bulged was,
[shredded(the door)]                                                 [bulging with anger]

recedes mūþan.  Raþe æfter þon
hall's mouth.         Quickly after that

on fāgne flōr          fēond treddode,
on variegated floor  fiend trod,

ēode yrreōmod;  him of ēagum stōd
went ire-mooded; him off eyes stood
                             [from his eyes shone]

ligge gelīcost  lēoht unfǣger.
fire likest,        light unfair.
[most like a flame, a fearful light]

Geseah hē in recede  rinca manige,
Saw he in hall             warriors many,

swefan sibbegedriht  samod ætgædere,
sleeping sibling-drift,   all together,
              [band of brothers in arms]

magorinca hēap.               Þā his mōd āhlōg;
[of] kin-warriors [a] heap.  Then his mood laughed;

mynte þæt hē gedǣlde,  ǣr þon dæg cwōme,
meant that he [would] deal out,  ere that day came,
[he meant to tear apart,]

atol āglǣca          ānra gehwylces
horrible monster,  [of] one any-which
                             [anyone and everyone, at random]

līf wið līce,          þā him ālumpen wæs
life with body,     then [to] him befallen was
[life from body,]  [when]

wistfylle wēn.
feast-full expectation.