Beowulf (Hall translation) — Chapters XXXI - XXXIII
GIFT-GIVING IS MUTUAL.
"So the belovèd land-prince lived in decorum;
I had missed no rewards, no meeds of my prowess, But he gave me jewels, regarding my wishes, Healfdene his bairn; I'll bring them to thee, then, {All my gifts I lay at thy feet.
} 5 Atheling of earlmen, offer them gladly.
And still unto thee is all my affection:[1] But few of my folk-kin find I surviving But thee, dear Higelac!"
Bade he in then to carry[2] The boar-image, banner, battle-high helmet, 10 Iron-gray armor, the excellent weapon, {This armor I have belonged of yore to Heregar.
} In song-measures said: "This suit-for-the-battle Hrothgar presented me, bade me expressly, Wise-mooded atheling, thereafter to tell thee[3] The whole of its history, said King Heregar owned it, 15 Dane-prince for long: yet he wished not to give then [74] The mail to his son, though dearly he loved him, Hereward the hardy.
Hold all in joyance!"
I heard that there followed hard on the jewels Two braces of stallions of striking resemblance, 20 Dappled and yellow; he granted him usance Of horses and treasures.
So a kinsman should bear him, No web of treachery weave for another, Nor by cunning craftiness cause the destruction {Higelac loves his nephew Beowulf.
} Of trusty companion.
Most precious to Higelac, 25 The bold one in battle, was the bairn of his sister, And each unto other mindful of favors.
{Beowulf gives Hygd the necklace that Wealhtheow had given him.
} I am told that to Hygd he proffered the necklace, Wonder-gem rare that Wealhtheow gave him, The troop-leader's daughter, a trio of horses 30 Slender and saddle-bright; soon did the jewel Embellish her bosom, when the beer-feast was over.
So Ecgtheow's bairn brave did prove him, {Beowulf is famous.
} War-famous man, by deeds that were valiant, He lived in honor, belovèd companions 35 Slew not carousing; his mood was not cruel, But by hand-strength hugest of heroes then living The brave one retained the bountiful gift that The Lord had allowed him.
Long was he wretched, So that sons of the Geatmen accounted him worthless, 40 And the lord of the liegemen loth was to do him Mickle of honor, when mead-cups were passing;
They fully believed him idle and sluggish, {He is requited for the slights suffered in earlier days.
} An indolent atheling: to the honor-blest man there Came requital for the cuts he had suffered.
45 The folk-troop's defender bade fetch to the building The heirloom of Hrethel, embellished with gold, {Higelac overwhelms the conqueror with gifts.
} So the brave one enjoined it; there was jewel no richer In the form of a weapon 'mong Geats of that era;
In Beowulf's keeping he placed it and gave him 50 Seven of thousands, manor and lordship.
Common to both was land 'mong the people, [75] Estate and inherited rights and possessions, To the second one specially spacious dominions, To the one who was better.
It afterward happened 55 In days that followed, befell the battle-thanes, {After Heardred's death, Beowulf becomes king.
} After Higelac's death, and when Heardred was murdered With weapons of warfare 'neath well-covered targets, When valiant battlemen in victor-band sought him, War-Scylfing heroes harassed the nephew 60 Of Hereric in battle.
To Beowulf's keeping Turned there in time extensive dominions: {He rules the Geats fifty years.
} He fittingly ruled them a fifty of winters (He a man-ruler wise was, manor-ward old) till A certain one 'gan, on gloom-darkening nights, a {The fire-drake.
} 65 Dragon, to govern, who guarded a treasure, A high-rising stone-cliff, on heath that was grayish: A path 'neath it lay, unknown unto mortals.
Some one of earthmen entered the mountain, The heathenish hoard laid hold of with ardor;
70 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [1] This verse B. renders, '_Now serve I again thee alone as my gracious king_.'
[2] For 'eafor' (2153), Kl.
suggests 'ealdor.'
Translate then: _Bade the prince then to bear in the banner, battle-high helmet, etc_.
On the other hand, W. takes 'eaforhéafodsegn' as a compound, meaning 'helmet': _He bade them bear in the helmet, battle-high helm, gray armor, etc_.
[3] The H. -So.
rendering (ærest = _history, origin_; 'eft' for 'est'), though liable to objection, is perhaps the best offered.
'That I should very early tell thee of his favor, kindness' sounds well; but 'his' is badly placed to limit 'ést.' --Perhaps, 'eft' with verbs of saying may have the force of Lat.
prefix 're,' and the H. -So.
reading mean, 'that I should its origin rehearse to thee.'
XXXII. THE HOARD AND THE DRAGON.
* * * * * * * He sought of himself who sorely did harm him, But, for need very pressing, the servant of one of The sons of the heroes hate-blows evaded, 5 Seeking for shelter and the sin-driven warrior Took refuge within there.
He early looked in it, * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [76] * * * * * * when the onset surprised him, {The hoard.
} 10 He a gem-vessel saw there: many of suchlike Ancient ornaments in the earth-cave were lying, As in days of yore some one of men of Illustrious lineage, as a legacy monstrous, There had secreted them, careful and thoughtful, 15 Dear-valued jewels.
Death had offsnatched them, In the days of the past, and the one man moreover Of the flower of the folk who fared there the longest, Was fain to defer it, friend-mourning warder, A little longer to be left in enjoyment 20 Of long-lasting treasure.
[1] A barrow all-ready Stood on the plain the stream-currents nigh to, New by the ness-edge, unnethe of approaching: The keeper of rings carried within a [2]Ponderous deal of the treasure of nobles, 25 Of gold that was beaten, briefly he spake then:[3] {The ring-giver bewails the loss of retainers.
} "Hold thou, O Earth, now heroes no more may, The earnings of earlmen.
Lo!
erst in thy bosom Worthy men won them; war-death hath ravished, Perilous life-bale, all my warriors, 30 Liegemen belovèd, who this life have forsaken, Who hall-pleasures saw.
No sword-bearer have I, And no one to burnish the gold-plated vessel, The high-valued beaker: my heroes are vanished.
The hardy helmet behung with gilding 35 Shall be reaved of its riches: the ring-cleansers slumber Who were charged to have ready visors-for-battle, And the burnie that bided in battle-encounter [77] O'er breaking of war-shields the bite of the edges Moulds with the hero.
The ring-twisted armor, 40 Its lord being lifeless, no longer may journey Hanging by heroes; harp-joy is vanished, The rapture of glee-wood, no excellent falcon Swoops through the building, no swift-footed charger Grindeth the gravel.
A grievous destruction 45 No few of the world-folk widely hath scattered!"
So, woful of spirit one after all Lamented mournfully, moaning in sadness By day and by night, till death with its billows {The fire-dragon} Dashed on his spirit.
Then the ancient dusk-scather 50 Found the great treasure standing all open, He who flaming and fiery flies to the barrows, Naked war-dragon, nightly escapeth Encompassed with fire; men under heaven Widely beheld him.
'Tis said that he looks for[4] 55 The hoard in the earth, where old he is guarding The heathenish treasure; he'll be nowise the better.
{The dragon meets his match.
} So three-hundred winters the waster of peoples Held upon earth that excellent hoard-hall, Till the forementioned earlman angered him bitterly: 60 The beat-plated beaker he bare to his chieftain And fullest remission for all his remissness Begged of his liegelord.
Then the hoard[5] was discovered, The treasure was taken, his petition was granted {The hero plunders the dragon's den} The lorn-mooded liegeman.
His lord regarded 65 The old-work of earth-folk--'twas the earliest occasion.
When the dragon awoke, the strife was renewed there;
He snuffed 'long the stone then, stout-hearted found he [78] The footprint of foeman; too far had he gone With cunning craftiness close to the head of 70 The fire-spewing dragon.
So undoomed he may 'scape from Anguish and exile with ease who possesseth The favor of Heaven.
The hoard-warden eagerly Searched o'er the ground then, would meet with the person That caused him sorrow while in slumber reclining: 75 Gleaming and wild he oft went round the cavern, All of it outward; not any of earthmen Was seen in that desert.
[6] Yet he joyed in the battle, Rejoiced in the conflict: oft he turned to the barrow, Sought for the gem-cup;[7] this he soon perceived then {The dragon perceives that some one has disturbed his treasure.
} 80 That some man or other had discovered the gold, The famous folk-treasure.
Not fain did the hoard-ward Wait until evening; then the ward of the barrow Was angry in spirit, the loathèd one wished to Pay for the dear-valued drink-cup with fire.
85 Then the day was done as the dragon would have it, He no longer would wait on the wall, but departed {The dragon is infuriated.
} Fire-impelled, flaming.
Fearful the start was To earls in the land, as it early thereafter To their giver-of-gold was grievously ended.
[1] For 'long-gestréona,' B. suggests 'láengestréona,' and renders, _Of fleeting treasures_.
S.
accepts H.' s 'long-gestréona,' but renders, _The treasure long in accumulating_.
[2] For 'hard-fyrdne' (2246), B. first suggested 'hard-fyndne,' rendering: _A heap of treasures ...
so great that its equal would be hard to find_.
The same scholar suggests later 'hord-wynne dæl' = _A deal of treasure-joy_.
[3] Some read 'fec-word' (2247), and render: _Banning words uttered_.
[4] An earlier reading of H.' s gave the following meaning to this passage: _He is said to inhabit a mound under the earth, where he, etc. _ The translation in the text is more authentic.
[5] The repetition of 'hord' in this passage has led some scholars to suggest new readings to avoid the second 'hord.'
This, however, is not under the main stress, and, it seems to me, might easily be accepted.
[6] The reading of H. -So.
is well defended in the notes to that volume.
B.
emends and renders: _Nor was there any man in that desert who rejoiced in conflict, in battle-work.
_ That is, the hoard-ward could not find any one who had disturbed his slumbers, for no warrior was there, t. B.'
s emendation would give substantially the same translation.
[7] 'Sinc-fæt' (2301): this word both here and in v. 2232, t. B.
renders 'treasure.'
XXXIII. BRAVE THOUGH AGED.
--REMINISCENCES.
{The dragon spits fire.
} The stranger began then to vomit forth fire, To burn the great manor; the blaze then glimmered For anguish to earlmen, not anything living [79] Was the hateful air-goer willing to leave there.
5 The war of the worm widely was noticed, The feud of the foeman afar and anear, How the enemy injured the earls of the Geatmen, Harried with hatred: back he hied to the treasure, To the well-hidden cavern ere the coming of daylight.
10 He had circled with fire the folk of those regions, With brand and burning; in the barrow he trusted, In the wall and his war-might: the weening deceived him.
{Beowulf hears of the havoc wrought by the dragon.
} Then straight was the horror to Beowulf published, Early forsooth, that his own native homestead,[1] 15 The best of buildings, was burning and melting, Gift-seat of Geatmen.
'Twas a grief to the spirit Of the good-mooded hero, the greatest of sorrows: {He fears that Heaven is punishing him for some crime.
} The wise one weened then that wielding his kingdom 'Gainst the ancient commandments, he had bitterly angered 20 The Lord everlasting: with lorn meditations His bosom welled inward, as was nowise his custom.
The fire-spewing dragon fully had wasted The fastness of warriors, the water-land outward, The manor with fire.
The folk-ruling hero, 25 Prince of the Weders, was planning to wreak him.
The warmen's defender bade them to make him, Earlmen's atheling, an excellent war-shield {He orders an iron shield to be made from him, wood is useless.
} Wholly of iron: fully he knew then That wood from the forest was helpless to aid him, 30 Shield against fire.
The long-worthy ruler Must live the last of his limited earth-days, Of life in the world and the worm along with him, Though he long had been holding hoard-wealth in plenty.
{He determines to fight alone.
} Then the ring-prince disdained to seek with a war-band, 35 With army extensive, the air-going ranger;
He felt no fear of the foeman's assaults and He counted for little the might of the dragon, [80] His power and prowess: for previously dared he {Beowulf's early triumphs referred to} A heap of hostility, hazarded dangers, 40 War-thane, when Hrothgar's palace he cleansèd, Conquering combatant, clutched in the battle The kinsmen of Grendel, of kindred detested.
[2] {Higelac's death recalled.
} 'Twas of hand-fights not least where Higelac was slaughtered, When the king of the Geatmen with clashings of battle, 45 Friend-lord of folks in Frisian dominions, Offspring of Hrethrel perished through sword-drink, With battle-swords beaten; thence Beowulf came then On self-help relying, swam through the waters;
He bare on his arm, lone-going, thirty 50 Outfits of armor, when the ocean he mounted.
The Hetwars by no means had need to be boastful Of their fighting afoot, who forward to meet him Carried their war-shields: not many returned from The brave-mooded battle-knight back to their homesteads.
55 Ecgtheow's bairn o'er the bight-courses swam then, Lone-goer lorn to his land-folk returning, Where Hygd to him tendered treasure and kingdom, {Heardred's lack of capacity to rule.
} Rings and dominion: her son she not trusted, To be able to keep the kingdom devised him 60 'Gainst alien races, on the death of King Higelac.
{Beowulf's tact and delicacy recalled.
} Yet the sad ones succeeded not in persuading the atheling In any way ever, to act as a suzerain To Heardred, or promise to govern the kingdom;
Yet with friendly counsel in the folk he sustained him, 65 Gracious, with honor, till he grew to be older, {Reference is here made to a visit which Beowulf receives from Eanmund and Eadgils, why they come is not known.
} Wielded the Weders.
Wide-fleeing outlaws, Ohthere's sons, sought him o'er the waters: They had stirred a revolt 'gainst the helm of the Scylfings, The best of the sea-kings, who in Swedish dominions 70 Distributed treasure, distinguished folk-leader.
[81] 'Twas the end of his earth-days; injury fatal[3] By swing of the sword he received as a greeting, Offspring of Higelac; Ongentheow's bairn Later departed to visit his homestead, 75 When Heardred was dead; let Beowulf rule them, Govern the Geatmen: good was that folk-king.
[1] 'Hám' (2326), the suggestion of B. is accepted by t. B.
and other scholars.
[2] For 'láðan cynnes' (2355), t. B.
suggests 'láðan cynne,' apposition to 'mægum.'
From syntactical and other considerations, this is a most excellent emendation.
[3] Gr.
read 'on feorme' (2386), rendering: _He there at the banquet a fatal wound received by blows of the sword.
_ XXXIV.
