You'll notice that something seems odd in the numbering of the folia. This, however, is how it goes in the EETS version I'm using:
- p.119, fol.188r
- p.120, fol.188v
- p.121, fol.197r
- p.122, fol.197v
- p.123, fol.189r
- p.124, fol.189v
ÐA ic æt þearfe gefrægn þeodcyninges andlongne eorl ellen cyðan cræft ond cenðu swa him gecynde wæs ne hedde he þæs heafolan ac sio hand gebarn modiges mannes þær he his mæges healp þæt he þone niðgæst nioðor hwene sloh – secg on searwum þæt ðæt sweord gedeaf fah ond fæted þæt ðæt fŷr ongon sweðrian syððan þa gen sylf cyning – geweold his gewitte wællseaxe gebræd biter ond beaduscearp þæt he on byrnan wæg forwrat wedra *helm wyrm on middan feond gefyldan ferh ellen wræc ond hi hyne þa begen abroten hæfdon sibæðelingas swylc sceolde secg wesan – þegn æt ðearfe þæt ðam þeodne wæs siðast sigehwila sylfes dædum worlde geweorces – ða sio wund ongon þe him se eorðdraca ær geworhte swelan ond swellan he þæt sona onfand þæt him on breostum bealoniðe weoll attor on innan ða se æðeling giong þæt he bi wealle wîshycgende gesæt on sesse seah on enta geweorc hu ða stanbogan stapulum fæste ece eorðreced innan healde hyne þa mid handa heorodreorigne þeoden mærne þegn ungemete till winedryhten his wætere gelafede hilde sædne ond his hel[m] onspeon – biowulf maþelode he ofer benne spræc wunde wælbleate wisse he gearwe þæt he dæghwila gedrogen hæfde eorðan wynn[e] ða wæs eall sceacen dogorgerimes deað ungemete neah nu ic suna minum syllan wolde guðgewædu þær me gifeðe swa ænig yrfe-*weard æfter wurde lice gelenge ic ðas leode heold – fiftig wintra næs se folccyning ymbesittendra ænig ðara 2735 þe mec guðwinum gretan dorste egesan ðeon ic on earde bâd mælgesceafta heold min tela ne sohte searoniðas ne me swor fela aða on unriht ic ðæs ealles mæg feorhbennum seoc gefean habban for ðam me witan ne ðearf waldend fira morðorbealo maga þonne min sceaceð lîf of lice nu ðu lungre geong hord sceawian under harne stan – wiglaf leofa nu se wyrm ligeð swefeð sare wund since bereafod bio nu on ofoste þæt ic ærwelan goldæht ongite gearo sceawige swegle searogimmas þæt ic ðy seft mæge æfter maððumwelan min alætan lîf ond leodscipe þone ic longe heold:—
XXXVIII.
ÐA ic snude gefrægn sunu wihstanes æfter wordcwydum wundum dryhtne – hyran heaðosiocum hringnet beran brogdne beadusercean under beorges hrof – geseah ða sigehreðig þa he bi sesse geong – magoþegn *modig maððumsigla fealo gold glitinian grunde getenge wundur on wealle ond þæs wyrmes denn ealdes uhtflogan orcas stondan fyrnmanna fatu feormendlease hyrstum behrorene þær wæs helm monig eald ond omig earmbeaga fela searwum gesæled sinc eaðe mæg gold on grund[e] gumcynnes gehwone oferhigian hyde se ðe wylle swylce he siomian geseah segn eallgylden heah ofer horde hondwundra mæst gelocen leoðocræftum of ðam leoma stôd þæt he þone grundwong ongitan meahte wræte giondwlitan næs ðæs wyrmes þær onsyn ænig ac hyne ecg fornam ða ic on hlæwe gefrægn hord reafian eald enta geweorc anne mannan him on bearm hladon bunan ond discas sylfes dome segn eac genom beacna beorhtost bill ær gescod ecg wæs iren ealdhlafordes þam ðara maðma mundbora wæs longe hwile ligegesan wæg hatne for horde hioroweallende middelnihtum *oðþæt he morðre swealt ar wæs on ofoste eftsiðes georn frætwum gefyrðred hyne fyrwet bræc hwæðer collenferð cwicne gemette in ðam wongstede wedra þeoden ellensiocne þær he hine ær forlet – he ða mid þam maðmum mærne þioden dryhten sinne driorigne fand ealdres æt ende he hine eft ongon wæteres weorpan oðþæt wordes ord breosthord þurhbræc – gomel on giohðe gold sceawode.
Ic ðara frætwa frean ealles ðanc wuldurcyninge wordum secge – ecum dryhtne þe ic her on starie þæs ðe ic moste minum leodum ær swyltdæge swylc gestrynan nu ic on maðma hord mine bebohte frode feorhlege fremmað gena leoda þearfe ne mæg ic her leng wesan – hatað heaðomære hlæw gewyrcean – beorhtne æfter bæle æt brimes nosan – se scel to gemyndum minum leodum heah hlifian on hronesnæsse þæt hit sæliðend syððan hatan biowulfes biorh ða ðe brentingas ofer *floda genipu feorran drifað dyde him of healse hring gyldenne þioden þristhydig þegne gesealde geongum garwigan goldfahne helm beah ond byrnan het hyne brucan well – þu eart endelaf usses cynnes wægmundinga ealle wyrd forsweop mine magas to metodsceafte eorlas on elne ic him æfter sceal þæt wæs þam gomelan gingæste word – breostgehygdum ær he bæl cure hate heaðowylmas him of hreðre gewat sawol secean soðfæstra dôm.
[XXXVIIII.]
Đa wæs gegongen guman unfrodum earfoðlice þæt he on eorðan geseah þone leofestan lifes æt ende bleate gebæran bona swylce læg egeslic eorðdraca ealdre bereafod bealwe gebæded beahhordum leng wyrm wohbogen wealdan ne moste ac hine irenna ecga fornamon hearde heaðoscearde homera lafe þæt se widfloga wundum stille hreas on hrusan hordærne neah nalles *æfter lyfte lacende – hwearf middelnihtum maðmæhta wlonc ansyn ywde ac he eorðan gefeoll for ðæs hildfruman hondgeweorce huru þæt on lande lyt manna ðah mægenagendra mine gefræge þeah ðe he dæda gehwæs dyrstig wære þæt he wið attorsceaðan oreðe geræsde oððe hringsele hondum styrede gif he wæccende weard onfunde buon on beorge biowulfe wearð dryhtmaðma dæl deaðe forgolden hæfde æghwæðer ende gefered lænan lifes næs ða lang to ðon þæt ða hildlatan holt ofgefan tydre treowlogan tyne ætsomne ða ne dorston ær dareðum lacan on hyra mandryhtnes miclan þearfe ac hy scamiende scyldas bæran guðgewædu þær se gomela læg wlitan on wilaf he gewergad sæt feðecempa frean eaxlum neah wehte hyne wætre him wiht ne speow ne meahte he on eorðan ðeah he uðe wel on ðam frumgare feorh gehealdan ne ðæs wealdendes wiht oncirran wolde dôm *godes dædum rædan gumena gehwylcum swa he nu gen deð þa wæs æt ðam geongan grim ondswaru eðbegete þam ðe ær his elne forleas – wiglaf maðelode weohstanes sunu sec sarigferð seah on unleofe þæt la mæg secgan se ðe wyle soð specan þæt se mondryhten se eow ða maðmas geaf eoredgeatwe þe ge þær on standað – þonne he on ealubence oft gesealde healsittendum helm ond byrnan þeoden his þegnum swylce he þrydlicost ower feor oððe neah findan meahte þæt he genunga guðgewædu wraðe forwurpe – ða hyne wig beget nealles folccyning fyrdgesteallum gylpan þorfte hwæðre him god uðe sigora waldend þæt he hyne sylfne gewræc ana mid ecge þa him wæs elnes þearf.
Ic him lifwraðe lytle meahte ætgifan æt guðe ond ongan swa þeah ofer min gemet mæges helpan.
Symle wæs þy sæmra þonne ic sweorde drep ferhðgeniðlan fyr unswiðor weoll of gewitte wergendra to lyt þrong ymbe þeoden þa hyne sio *þrag becwom – hu sceal sincþego ond swyrdgifu eall eðelwyn eowrum cynne – lufen alicgean londrihtes mot þære mægburge monna æghwylc idel hweorfan syððan æðelingas feorran gefricgean fleam eowerne domleasan dæd deað bið sella eorla gehwylcum þonne edwitlif.