Beowulf | Page 4

king of Danes,
the Scyldings' friend, I fain will tell,
the
Breaker-of-Rings, as the boon thou askest,
the famed prince, of thy faring hither,
and,
swiftly after, such answer bring
as the doughty monarch may deign to give."
Hied
then in haste to where Hrothgar sat
white-haired and old, his earls about him,
till the
stout thane stood at the shoulder there
of the Danish king: good courtier he!
Wulfgar
spake to his winsome lord: --
"Hither have fared to thee far-come men
o'er the paths
of ocean, people of Geatland;
and the stateliest there by his sturdy band
is Beowulf
named. This boon they seek,
that they, my master, may with thee
have speech at will:
nor spurn their prayer
to give them hearing, gracious Hrothgar!
In weeds of the
warrior worthy they,
methinks, of our liking; their leader most surely,
a hero that
hither his henchmen has led."
VI
HROTHGAR answered, helmet of Scyldings: --
"I knew him of yore in his youthful
days;
his aged father was Ecgtheow named,
to whom, at home, gave Hrethel the Geat

his only daughter. Their offspring bold
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,
the
bold-in-battle. Blessed 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.
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
Wulfgar went] and the word declared: --
"To you this message my
master sends,
East-Danes' king, that your kin he knows,
hardy heroes, and hails you
all
welcome hither o'er waves of the sea!
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,
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.
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
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.
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
blood-flecked from foes, where five I
bound,
and that wild brood worsted. I' the waves I slew
nicors {6a} by night, in need
and peril
avenging the Weders, {6b} whose woe they sought, --
crushing the grim
ones. Grendel now,
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,
O Warriors'-shield, now I'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;
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,
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, --
my noblest thanes. Nor need'st thou then
to hide my head; {6c} for
his shall I be,
dyed in gore, if death must take me;
and my blood-covered body he'll
bear as prey,
ruthless devour it, the roamer-lonely,
with my life-blood redden his lair
in the fen:
no further for me need'st food prepare!
To Hygelac send, if Hild {6d}
should take me,
best of war-weeds, warding my breast,
armor excellent, heirloom of
Hrethel
and work of Wayland. {6e} Fares Wyrd {6f} as she must."
VII
HROTHGAR spake, the Scyldings'-helmet: --
"For fight defensive, Friend my Beowulf,

to succor and save, thou hast sought us here.
Thy father's combat {7a} a feud
enkindled
when Heatholaf with hand he slew
among the Wylfings; his Weder kin

for horror of fighting feared to hold him.
Fleeing, he sought our South-Dane folk,

over surge of ocean the Honor-Scyldings,
when first I was ruling the folk of Danes,

wielded, youthful, this widespread realm,
this hoard-hold of heroes. Heorogar was dead,

my elder brother, had breathed his last,
Healfdene's bairn: he was better than I!

Straightway the feud with fee {7b} I settled,
to the Wylfings sent, o'er watery ridges,

treasures olden: oaths he {7c} swore me.
Sore is my soul to say to any
of the race of
man what ruth for me
in Heorot Grendel with hate hath wrought,
what sudden
harryings. Hall-folk fail me,
my warriors wane;