| |
| HROTHGAR answered, helmet of Scyldings:— | |
| “I knew him of yore in his youthful days; | |
| his agéd father was Ecgtheow named, | |
| to whom, at home, gave Hrethel the Geat | |
| his only daughter. Their offspring bold | 5 |
| fares hither to seek the steadfast friend. | |
| And seamen, too, have said me this,— | |
| who carried my gifts to the Geatish court, | |
| thither for thanks,—he has thirty men’s | |
| heft of grasp in the gripe of his hand, | 10 |
| the bold-in-battle. Blesséd God | |
| out of his mercy this man hath sent | |
| to Danes of the West, as I ween indeed, | |
| against horror of Grendel. I hope to give | |
| the good youth gold for his gallant thought. | 15 |
| Be thou in haste, and bid them hither, | |
| clan of kinsmen, to come before me; | |
| and add this word,—they are welcome guests | |
| to folk of the Danes.” | |
| [To the door of the hall | 20 |
| Wulfgar went] and the word declared:— | |
| “To you this message my master sends, | |
| East-Dane’s king, that your kin he knows, | |
| hardy heroes, and hails you all | |
| welcome hither o’er waves of the sea! | 25 |
| Ye may wend your way in war-attire, | |
| and under helmets Hrothgar greet; | |
| but let here the battle-shields bide your parley, | |
| and wooden war-shafts wait its end.” | |
| Uprose the mighty one, ringed with his men, | 30 |
| brave band of thanes: some bode without, | |
| battle-gear guarding, as bade the chief. | |
| Then hied that troop where the herald led them, | |
| under Heorot’s roof: [the hero strode,] | |
| hardy ’neath helm, till the hearth he neared. | 35 |
| Beowulf spake,—his breastplate gleamed, | |
| war-net woven by wit of the smith:— | |
| “Thou Hrothgar, hail! Hygelac’s I, | |
| kinsman and follower. Fame a plenty | |
| have I gained in youth! These Grendel-deeds | 40 |
| I heard in my home-land heralded clear. | |
| Seafarers say how stands this hall, | |
| of buildings best, for your band of thanes | |
| empty and idle, when evening sun | |
| in the harbor of heaven is hidden away. | 45 |
| So my vassals advised me well,— | |
| brave and wise, the best of men,— | |
| O sovran Hrothgar, to seek thee here, | |
| for my nerve and my might they knew full well. | |
| Themselves had seen me from slaughter come | 50 |
| blood-flecked from foes, where five I bound, | |
| and that wild brood worsted. I’ the waves I slew | |
| nicors 1 by night, in need and peril | |
| avenging the Weders, 2 whose woe they sought,— | |
| crushing the grim ones. Grendel now, | 55 |
| monster cruel, be mine to quell | |
| in single battle! So, from thee, | |
| thou sovran of the Shining-Danes, | |
| Scyldings’-bulwark, a boon I seek,— | |
| and, Friend-of-the-folk, refuse it not, | 60 |
| O Warriors’-shield, now Is’ve wandered far,— | |
| that I alone with my liegemen here, | |
| this hardy band, may Heorot purge! | |
| More I hear, that the monster dire, | |
| in his wanton mood, of weapons recks not; | 65 |
| hence shall I scorn—so Hygelac stay, | |
| king of my kindred, kind to me!— | |
| brand or buckler to bear in the fight, | |
| gold-colored targe: but with gripe alone | |
| must I front the fiend and fight for life, | 70 |
| foe against foe. Then faith be his | |
| in the doom of the Lord whom death shall take. | |
| Fain, I ween, if the fight he win, | |
| in this hall of gold my Geatish band | |
| will he fearless eat,—as oft before,— | 75 |
| my noblest thanes. Nor need’t thou then | |
| to hide my head; 3 for his shall I be, | |
| dyed in gore, if death must take me; | |
| and my blood-covered body hes’ll bear as prey, | |
| ruthless devour it, the roamer-lonely, | 80 |
| with my life-blood redden his lair in the fen: | |
| no further for me need’t food prepare! | |
| To Hygelac send, if Hild 4 should take me, | |
| best of war-weeds, warding my breast, | |
| armor excellent, heirloom of Hrethel | 85 |
| and work of Wayland. 5 Fares Wyrd 6 as she must.” | |
