English: The first folio of the heroic epic poem Beowulf, written primarily in the West Saxon dialect of Old English. Part of the Cotton MS Vitellius A XV manuscript currently located within the British Library. This is a digital photographic copy of the folio.

Text shown according to https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43521/beowulf-old-english-version:

HWæT. WE GARDE
na in geardagum, þeodcyninga, [129]
þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen 
fremedon. Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena 
þreatum,monegum mægþum, meodosetla
ofteah, egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð
feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad,
weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,
oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra
ofer hronrade hyran scolde, gomban 
gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning. ðæm eafera wæs 
æfter cenned, geong in geardum, þone god 
sende folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe on
geat þe hie ær drugon aldorlease lange 
hwile. Him þæs liffrea, wuldres wealdend, 
woroldare forgeaf; Beowulf wæs breme 
blæd wide sprang, Scyldes eafera Scede
landum in. Swa sceal geong guma gode
gewyrcean, fromum feohgiftum on fæder