Part 5 (1/2)

Then was by the mast there one of the sea-rails, A sail, with rope made fast; thunder'd the sound-wood.

Not there the wave-floater did the wind o'er the billows Waft off from its ways; the sea-wender fared, Floated the foamy-neck'd forth o'er the waves, The bounden-stemm'd over the streams of the sea; 1910 Till the cliffs of the Geats there they gat them to wit, The nesses well kenned. Throng'd up the keel then Driven hard by the lift, and stood on the land.

Then speedy at holm was the hythe-warden yare, E'en he who a long while after the lief men Eager at stream's side far off had looked.

To the sand thereon bound he the wide-fathom'd s.h.i.+p With anchor-bands fast, lest from them the waves' might The wood that was winsome should drive thence awayward.

Thereon bade he upbear the athelings' treasures, 1920 The fretwork and wrought gold. Not far from them thenceforth To seek to the giver of treasures it was, E'en Hygelac, Hrethel's son, where at home wonneth Himself and his fellows hard by the sea-wall.

Brave was the builded house, bold king the lord was, High were the walls, Hygd very young, Wise and well-thriven, though few of winters Under the burg-locks had she abided, The daughter of Haereth; naught was she dastard; Nowise n.i.g.g.ard of gifts to the folk of the Geats, 1930 Of wealth of the treasures. But wrath Thrytho bore, The folk-queen the fierce, wrought the crime-deed full fearful.

No one there durst it, the bold one, to dare, Of the comrades beloved, save only her lord, That on her by day with eyen he stare, But if to him death-bonds predestin'd he count on, Hand-wreathed; thereafter all rathely it was After the hand-grip the sword-blade appointed, That the cunning-wrought sword should show forth the deed, Make known the murder-bale. Naught is such queenlike 1940 For a woman to handle, though peerless she be, That a weaver of peace the life should waylay, For a shame that was lying, of a lief man of men; But the kinsman of Hemming, he hinder'd it surely.

Yet the drinkers of ale otherwise said they; That folk-bales, which were lesser, she framed forsooth, Lesser enmity-malice, since thence erst she was Given gold-deck'd to the young one of champions, She the dear of her lineage, since Offa's floor Over the fallow flood by the lore of her father 1950 She sought in her wayfaring. Well was she sithence There on the man-throne mighty with good; Her shaping of life well brooked she living; High love she held toward the lord of the heroes; Of all kindred of men by the hearsay of me The best of all was he the twain seas beside, Of the measureless kindred; thereof Offa was For gifts and for war, the spear-keen of men, Full widely beworthy'd, with wisdom he held The land of his heritage. Thence awoke Eomaer 1960 For a help unto heroes, the kinsman of Hemming, The grandson of Garmund, the crafty in war-strife.

XXIX. BEOWULF TELLS HYGELAC OF HROTHGAR: ALSO OF FREAWARU HIS DAUGHTER.

Went his ways then the hard one, and he with his hand-shoal, Himself over the sand the sea-plain a-treading, The warths wide away; shone the world's candle, The sun slop'd from the southward; so dreed they their journey, And went their ways stoutly unto where the earls' refuge, The banesman of Ongentheow all in his burgs there, The young king of war, the good, as they heard it.

Was dealing the rings. Aright unto Hygelac 1970 Was Beowulf's speeding made knowen full swiftly, That there into the house-place that hedge of the warriors, His mate of the linden-board, living was come, Hale from the battle-play home to him houseward.

Then rathe was beroomed, as the rich one was bidding, For the guests a-foot going the floor all withinward.

Then sat in the face of him he from the fight sav'd, Kinsman by kinsman, whenas his man-lord In fair-sounding speech had greeted the faithful With mightyful words. With mead-skinking turned 1980 Through the high house adown the daughter of Haereth: The people she loved: the wine-bucket bare she To the hands of the men. But now fell to Hygelac His very house-fellow in that hall the high To question full fairly, for wit-l.u.s.t to-brake him, Of what like were the journeys the Sea-Geats had wended: How befell you the sea-lode, O Beowulf lief, When thou on a sudden bethoughtst thee afar Over the salt water the strife to be seeking, The battle in Hart? or for Hrothgar forsooth 1990 The wide-kenned woe some whit didst thou mend, For that mighty of lords? I therefore the mood-care In woe-wellings seethed; trow'd not in the wending Of thee the lief man. A long while did I pray thee That thou the death-guest there should greet not a whit; Wouldst let those same South-Danes their own selves to settle The war-tide with Grendel. Now to G.o.d say I thank That thee, and thee sound, now may I see.

Out then spake Beowulf, Ecgtheow's bairn: All undark it is, O Hygelac lord, 2000 That meeting the mighty, to a many of men; Of what like was the meeting of Grendel and me On that field of the deed, where he many a deal For the Victory-Scyldings of sorrow had framed, And misery for ever; but all that I awreaked, So that needeth not boast any kinsman of Grendel Any one upon earth of that uproar of dawn-dusk, Nay not who lives longest of that kindred the loathly Encompa.s.s'd of fenland. Thither first did I come Unto that ring-hall Hrothgar to greet; 2010 Soon unto me the great Healfdene's son, So soon as my heart he was wotting forsooth.

Right against his own son a settle there showed.

All that throng was in joy, nor life-long saw I ever Under vault of the heavens amidst any hall-sitters More mirth of the mead. There the mighty Queen whiles, Peace-sib of the folk, went all over the floor, To the young sons bade heart up; oft she there the ring-wreath Gave unto a man ere to settle she wended.

At whiles fore the doughty the daughter of Hrothgar 2020 To the earls at the end the ale-bucket bore; E'en she whom Freawaru the floor-sitters thereat Heard I to name; where she the nail'd treasure Gave to the warriors. She was behight then Youngling and gold-dight to the glad son of Froda.

This hath seemed fair to the friend of the Scyldings, The herd of the realm, and good rede he accounts it, That he with that wife of death-feuds a deal And of strifes should allay. Oft unseldom eachwhere After a lord's fall e'en but for a little 2030 Bows down the bane-spear, though doughty the bride be.

x.x.x. BEOWULF FOREBODES ILL FROM THE WEDDING OF FREAWARU: HE TELLS OF GRENDEL AND HIS DAM.

Ill-liking this may be to the lord of the Heathobards, And to each of the thanes of that same people.

When he with fair bride on the floor of hall wendeth, That the Dane's n.o.ble bairn his doughty should wait on, As on him glisten there the heirlooms of the aged, Hard and with rings bedight, Heathobards' treasure, Whileas the weapons yet they might wield; Till astray did they lead there at the lind-play Their own fellows belov'd and their very own lives. 2040 For then saith at the beer, he who seeth the ring, An ancient ash-warrior who mindeth of all The spear-death of men; grim is he of mind; Sad of mood he beginneth to tell the young champion.

Through the thought of his heart his mind there to try, The war-bale to waken, and sayeth this word: Mayest thou, friend mine, wot of the war-sword, That which thy father bore in the fight Under the war-mask e'en on the last time, That the dear iron, whereas the Danes slew him, 2050 Wielded the death-field, since Withergyld lay, After fall of the heroes, the keen-hearted Scyldings?

Now here of those banesmen the son, whoseso he be, All merry in fretwork forth on floor fareth; Of the murder he boasteth, and that jewel he beareth, E'en that which of right thou shouldest arede.

Thus he mindeth and maketh word every of times, With sore words he telleth, until the time cometh That the thane of the fair bride for the deeds of his father After bite of the bill sleepeth all blood-stain'd, 2060 All forfeit of life; but thenceforth the other Escapeth alive; the land well he kenneth; Then will be broken on both sides forsooth The oath-swearing of earls, whenas unto Ingeld Well up the death-hatreds, and the wife-loves of him Because of the care-wellings cooler become.

Therefore the Heathobards' faith I account not, Their deal of the folk-peace, unguileful to Danes, Their fast-bounden friends.h.i.+p. Henceforth must I speak on Again about Grendel, that thou get well to know it, 2070 O treasure-out-dealer, how sithence betided The hand-race of heroes: sithence heaven's gem All over the grounds glided, came the wroth guest, The dire night-angry one us to go look on, Whereas we all sound were warding the hall.

There then for Handshoe was battle abiding, Life-bale to the fey; he first lay alow, The war-champion girded; unto him became Grendel, To the great thane of kindreds, a banesman of mouth, Of the man well-beloved the body he swallow'd; 2080 Nor the sooner therefor out empty-handed The b.l.o.o.d.y-tooth'd banesman, of bales all bemindful, Out from that gold-hall yet would he get him; But he, mighty of main, made trial of me, And gripp'd ready-handed. His glove hung aloft, Wondrous and wide, in wily bands fast, With cunning wiles was it begeared forsooth, With crafts of the devils and fells of the dragons; He me withinwards there, me the unsinning, The doer of big deeds would do me to be 2090 As one of the many; but naught so it might be, Sithence in mine anger upright I stood.

'Tis over-long telling how I to the folkscather For each one of evils out paid the hand-gild.

There I, O my lord king, them thy leal people Worthy'd with works: but away he gat loosed Out thence for a little while, brooked yet life-joys; But his right hand held ward of his track howsoever, High upon Hart-hall, and thence away humble He sad of his mood to the mere-ground fell downward. 2100 Me for that slaughter-race the friend of the Scyldings With gold that beplated was mickle deal paid, With a many of treasures, sithence came the morning, And we to the feast-tide had sat us adown; Song was and glee there; the elder of Scyldings, Asking of many things, told of things o'erpast; Whiles hath the battle-deer there the harp's joy, The wood of mirth greeted; whiles the lay said he Soothfast and sorrowful; whiles a spell seldom told Told he by right, the king roomy-hearted; 2110 Whiles began afterward he by eld bounden, The aged h.o.a.r warrior, of his youth to bewail him, Its might of the battle; his breast well'd within him, When he, wont in winters, of many now minded.

So we there withinward the livelong day's wearing Took pleasure amongst us, till came upon men Another of nights; then eftsoons again Was yare for the harm-wreak the mother of Grendel: All sorry she wended, for her son death had taken, The war-hate of the Weders: that monster of women 2120 Awreaked her bairn, and quelled a warrior In manner all mighty. Then was there from Aeschere, The wise man of old, life waning away; Nor him might they even when come was the morning, That death-weary wight, the folk of the Danes Burn up with the brand, nor lade on the bale The man well-belov'd, for his body she bare off In her fathom the fiendly all under the fell-stream.

That was unto Hrothgar of sorrows the heaviest Of them which the folk-chieftain long had befallen. 2130 Then me did the lord king, and e'en by thy life, Mood-heavy beseech me that I in the holm-throng Should do after earls.h.i.+p, my life to adventure, And frame me main-greatness, and meed he behight me.

Then I of the welling flood, which is well kenned, The grim and the grisly ground-herder did find.

There to us for a while was the blending of hands; The holm welled with gore, and the head I becarved In that hall of the ground from the Mother of Grendel With the all-eked edges; unsoftly out thence 2140 My life forth I ferry'd, for not yet was I fey.

But the earls' burg to me was giving thereafter Much sort of the treasures, e'en Healfdene's son.