Throughout the poem thus far, it seems that words like ac and ic tend to be relatively common after a point. After I finish my first pass through the text, I'll have to take some stats on these things. Also, in fitt 25 notice all the oððes (or). What's up with that?
Beowulf maþelode bearn ecgþeowes hwæt we þe þas sâelac sunu healfdenes leod scyldinga lustum brohton tires to tacne þe þu her to locast – ic þæt unsofte ealdre gedigde wigge under wætere weorc geneþde earfoðlice ætrihte wæs guð getwæfed nymðe mec god scylde.
Ne meahte ic æt hilde mid hruntinge wiht gewyrcan þeah þæt wæpen duge – ac me geuðe ylda waldend þæt ic on wage geseah wlitig *hangian eald sweord eacen oftost wisode winigea leasum þæt ic ðy wæpne gebræd – ofsloh ða æt þære sæcce þa me sæl ageald huses hyrdas þa þæt hildebil forbarn brogdenmæl – swa þæt blod gesprang hatost heaþoswata ic þæt hilt þanan feondum ætferede fyrendæda wræc deaðcwealm denigea swa hit gedefe wæs – ic hit þe þonne gehate þæt þu on heorote most sorhleas swefan mid þinra secga gedryht ond þegna gehwylc þinra leoda duguðe ond iogoþe þæt þu him ondrædan ne þearft þeoden scyldinga on þa healfe aldorbealu eorlum swa þu ær dydest – ða wæs gylden hilt gamelum rince harum hildfruman on hand gyfen enta ærgeweorc hit on æht gehwearf æfter deofla hryre denigea frean wundorsmiþa geweorc ond þa þas worold ofgeaf gromheort guma godes ondsaca morðres scyldig ond his modor eac on geweald gehwearf woroldcyninga ðæm selestan be *sæm tweonum ðara þe on scedenigge sceattas dælde – hroðgar maðelode hylt sceawode ealde lafe on ðæm wæs or writen fyrngewinnes – syðþan flod ofsloh gifen geotende giganta cyn frecne geferdon þæt wæs fremde þeod ecean dryhtne him þæs endelean þurh wæteres wylm waldend sealed.
Swa wæs on ðæm scennum sciran goldes þurh runstafas rihte gemearcod geseted ond gesæd hwam þæt sweord geworht irena cyst ærest wære wreoþenhilt ond wyrmfah ða se wisa spræc sunu healfdenes swigedon ealle – þæt la mæg secgan se þe soð ond riht fremeð on folce feor eal gemon eald – eðel – weard þæt ðes eorl wære geboren betera blæd is aræred geond widwegas wine min beowulf ðin ofer þeoda gehwylce eal þu hit geþyldum healdest mægen mid modes snyttrum ic þe sceal mine gelæstan freode swa wit furðum spræcon ðu scealt to frofre weorþan eal langtwidig leodum þinum *hæleðum to helpe ne wearð heremod swa eaforum ecgwelan arscyldingum.
Ne geweox he him to willan ac to wælfealle ond to deaðcwalum deniga leodum breat bolgenmod beodgeneatas eaxlgesteallan oþþæt he ana hwearf mære þeoden – mondreamum from ðeah þe hine mihtig god mægenes wynnum eafeþum stepte ofer ealle men forð gefremede hwæþere him on ferhþe greow breosthord blodreow nallas beagas geaf – denum æfter dome dreamleas gebad þæt he þæs gewinnes weorc þrowade leodbealo longsum ðu þe lær be þon gumcyste ongit – ic þis gid be þe awræc wintrum frod wundor is to secganne hu mihtig god manna cynne þurh sidne sefan snyttru bryttað eard ond eorlscipe he ah ealra geweald – hwilum he on lufan læteð hworfan monnes modgeþonc mæran cynnes.
Seleð him on eþle eorþan wynne to healdanne hleoburh wera *gedeð him swa gewealdene worolde dælas side rice þæt he his selfa ne mæg for his unsnyttrum ende geþencean – wunað he on wiste no hine wiht dweleð adl ne yldo ne him inwitsorh on sefa[n] sweorceð ne gesacu ohwær ecghete eoweð ac him eal worold wendeð on willan he þæt wyrse ne con.
.XXV.
Oðþæt him on innan oferhygda dæl weaxeð ond wridað þonne se weard swefeð sawele hyrde bið se slæp to fæst bisgum gebunden bona swiðe neah se þe of flanbogan fyrenum sceoteð þonne bið on hreþre under helm drepen biteran stræle him bebeorgan ne con wom wundorbebodum wergan gastes þinceð him to lytel þæt he lange heold gytsað gromhydig nallas on gylp seleð fædde beagas ond he þa forðgesceaft forgyteð ond forgymeð þæs þe him ær god sealde wuldres *waldend weorðmynda dæl – hit on endestæf eft gelimpeð þæt se lichoma læne gedreoseð fæge gefealleð fehð oþer to se þe unmurnlice madmas dæleþ eorles ærgestreon egesan ne gymeð – bebeorh þe ðone bealonið beowulf leofa secg betsta ond þe þæt selre geceos ece rædas oferhyda ne gym mære cempa nu is þines mægnes blæd ane hwile eft sona bið þæt þec adl oððe ecg eafoþes getwæfeð oððe fyres feng oððe flodes wylm oððe gripe meces oððe gares fliht oððe atol yldo oððe eagena bearhtm forsiteð ond forsworceð semninga bið – þæt ðec dryhtguma deað oferswyðeð swa ic hringdena hund missera weold under wolcnum ond hig wigge beleac manigum mægþa geond þysne middangeard æscum ond ecgum þæt ic me ænigne under swegles begong gesacan ne tealde hwæt me þæs on eþle edwenden cwom gyrn æfter gomene seoþðan grendel wearð ealdgewinna ingenga min.
Ic þære socne singales wæg modceare micle þæs sig metode þanc ecean dryhtne þæs ðe ic on aldre gebad þæt ic on þone hafelan heorodreorigne ofer ealdgewin eagum starige – ga nu to setle symbelwynne dreoh wigge weorþad unc sceal worn fela maþma gemænra siþðan morgen bið – geat wæs glædmod geong sona to setles neosan swa se snottra heht – þa wæs eft swa ær ellenrofum fletsittendum fægere gereorded niowan stefne nihthelm geswearc deorc ofer dryhtgumum duguð eal aras wolde blondenfeax beddes neosan gamela scylding geat unigmetes wel – rofne randwigan restan lyste sona him seleþegn siðes wergum feorrancundum forð wisade se for andrysnum ealle beweotede þegnes þearfe swylce þy dogore heaþoliðende habban scoldon – reste hine þa rumheort reced hliuade geap ond goldfah gæst inne swæf oþþæt hrefn blaca heofones wynne bliðheort bodode *ða com beorht scacan scaþan onetton wæron æþelingas eft to leodum fuse to farenne wolde feor þanon cuma collenferhð ceoles neosan.
Heht þa se hearda hrunting beran sunu ecglafes heht his sweord niman leoflic iren sægde him þæs leanes þanc cwæð he þone guðwine godne tealde – wigcræftigne nales wordum log meces ecge þæt wæs modig secg ond þa siðfrome searwum gearwe wigend wæron.
Eode weorð denum æþeling to yppan þær se oþer wæs hæle hildedeor hroðgar grette.