| |
| THAT battle-toil bade he at burg to announce, | |
| at the fort on the cliff, where, full of sorrow, | |
| all the morning earls had sat, | |
| daring shieldsmen, in doubt of twain: | |
| would they wail as dead, or welcome home, | 5 |
| their lord belovéd? Little 1 kept back | |
| of the tidings new, but told them all, | |
| the herald that up the headland rode.— | |
| “Now the willing-giver to Weder folk | |
| in death-bed lies, the Lord of Geats | 10 |
| on the slaughter-bed sleeps by the serpent’s deed! | |
| And beside him is stretched that slayer-of-men | |
| with knife-wounds sick: 2 no sword availed | |
| on the awesome thing in any wise | |
| to work a wound. There Wiglaf sitteth, | 15 |
| Weohstan’s bairn, by Beowulf’s side, | |
| the living earl by the other dead, | |
| and heavy of heart a head-watch 3 keeps | |
| o’er friend and foe.—Now our folk may look | |
| for waging of war when once unhidden | 20 |
| to Frisian and Frank the fall of the king | |
| is spread afar.—The strife began | |
| when hot on the Hugas 4 Hygelac fell | |
| and fared with his fleet to the Frisian land. | |
| Him there the Hetwaras humbled in war, | 25 |
| plied with such prowess their power o’erwhelming | |
| that the bold-in-battle bowed beneath it | |
| and fell in fight. To his friends no wise | |
| could that earl give treasure! And ever since | |
| the Merowings’ favor has failed us wholly. | 30 |
| Nor aught expect I of peace and faith | |
| from Swedish folk. ’Twas spread afar | |
| how Ongentheow reft at Ravenswood | |
| Hæthcyn Hrethling of hope and life, | |
| when the folk of Geats for the first time sought | 35 |
| in wanton pride the Warlike-Scylfings. | |
| Soon the sage old sire 5 of Ohtere, | |
| ancient and awful, gave answering blow; | |
| the sea-king 6 he slew, and his spouse redeemed, | |
| his good wife rescued, though robbed of her gold, | 40 |
| mother of Ohtere and Onela. | |
| Then he followed his foes, who fled before him | |
| sore beset and stole their way, | |
| bereft of a ruler, to Ravenswood. | |
| With his host he besieged there what swords had left, | 45 |
| the weary and wounded; woes he threatened | |
| the whole night through to that hard-pressed throng: | |
| some with the morrow his sword should kill, | |
| some should go to the gallows-tree | |
| for rapture of ravens. But rescue came | 50 |
| with dawn of day for those desperate men | |
| when they heard the horn of Hygelac sound, | |
| tones of his trumpet; the trusty king | |
| had followed their trail with faithful band. | |
