Beowulf | Page 5

for Wyrd hath swept them
into

Grendel's grasp. But God is able
this deadly foe from his deeds to turn!
Boasted full
oft, as my beer they drank,
earls o'er the ale-cup, armed men,
that they would bide in
the beer-hall here,
Grendel's attack with terror of blades.
Then was this mead-house at
morning tide
dyed with gore, when the daylight broke,
all the boards of the benches
blood-besprinkled,
gory the hall: I had heroes the less,
doughty dear-ones that death
had reft.
-- But sit to the banquet, unbind thy words,
hardy hero, as heart shall prompt
thee."
Gathered together, the Geatish men
in the banquet-hall on bench assigned,

sturdy-spirited, sat them down,
hardy-hearted. A henchman attended,
carried the
carven cup in hand,
served the clear mead. Oft minstrels sang
blithe in Heorot.
Heroes revelled,
no dearth of warriors, Weder and Dane.
VIII
UNFERTH spake, the son of Ecglaf,
who sat at the feet of the Scyldings' lord,

unbound the battle-runes. {8a} -- Beowulf's quest,
sturdy seafarer's, sorely galled him;

ever he envied that other men
should more achieve in middle-earth
of fame under
heaven than he himself. --
"Art thou that Beowulf, Breca's rival,
who emulous swam
on the open sea,
when for pride the pair of you proved the floods,
and wantonly dared
in waters deep
to risk your lives? No living man,
or lief or loath, from your labor dire

could you dissuade, from swimming the main.
Ocean-tides with your arms ye
covered,
with strenuous hands the sea-streets measured,
swam o'er the waters.
Winter's storm
rolled the rough waves. In realm of sea
a sennight strove ye. In
swimming he topped thee,
had more of main! Him at morning-tide
billows bore to the
Battling Reamas,

whence he hied to his home so dear
beloved of his liegemen, to land
of Brondings,
fastness fair, where his folk he ruled,
town and treasure. In triumph o'er
thee
Beanstan's bairn {8b} his boast achieved.
So ween I for thee a worse adventure

-- though in buffet of battle thou brave hast been,
in struggle grim, -- if Grendel's
approach
thou darst await through the watch of night!"
Beowulf spake, bairn of Ecgtheow: --
"What a deal hast uttered, dear my Unferth,

drunken with beer, of Breca now,
told of his triumph! Truth I claim it,
that I had more
of might in the sea
than any man else, more ocean-endurance.
We twain had talked, in
time of youth,
and made our boast, -- we were merely boys,
striplings still, -- to stake
our lives
far at sea: and so we performed it.
Naked swords, as we swam along,
we
held in hand, with hope to guard us
against the whales. Not a whit from me
could he
float afar o'er the flood of waves,
haste o'er the billows; nor him I abandoned.

Together we twain on the tides abode
five nights full till the flood divided us,

churning waves and chillest weather,
darkling night, and the northern wind
ruthless
rushed on us: rough was the surge.
Now the wrath of the sea-fish rose apace;
yet me
'gainst the monsters my mailed coat,
hard and hand-linked, help afforded, --


battle-sark braided my breast to ward,
garnished with gold. There grasped me firm

and haled me to bottom the hated foe,
with grimmest gripe. 'Twas granted me, though,

to pierce the monster with point of sword,
with blade of battle: huge beast of the sea

was whelmed by the hurly through hand of mine.
IX
ME thus often the evil monsters
thronging threatened. With thrust of my sword,
the
darling, I dealt them due return!
Nowise had they bliss from their booty then
to
devour their victim, vengeful creatures,
seated to banquet at bottom of sea;
but at
break of day, by my brand sore hurt,
on the edge of ocean up they lay,
put to sleep by
the sword. And since, by them
on the fathomless sea-ways sailor-folk
are never
molested. -- Light from east,
came bright God's beacon; the billows sank,
so that I
saw the sea-cliffs high,
windy walls. For Wyrd oft saveth
earl undoomed if he
doughty be!
And so it came that I killed with my sword
nine of the nicors. Of
night-fought battles
ne'er heard I a harder 'neath heaven's dome,
nor adrift on the deep
a more desolate man!
Yet I came unharmed from that hostile clutch,
though spent
with swimming. The sea upbore me,
flood of the tide, on Finnish land,
the welling
waters. No wise of thee
have I heard men tell such terror of falchions,
bitter battle.
Breca ne'er yet,
not one of you pair, in the play of war
such daring deed has done at
all
with bloody brand, -- I boast not of it! --
though thou wast the bane {9a} of thy
brethren dear,
thy closest kin, whence curse of hell
awaits thee, well as thy wit may
serve!
For I say in sooth, thou son of Ecglaf,
never had Grendel these grim deeds
wrought,

monster dire, on thy master dear,
in Heorot such havoc, if heart of thine

were as battle-bold as thy boast is loud!
But he has found no feud will happen;
from
sword-clash dread of your Danish clan
he vaunts him safe, from the Victor-Scyldings.

He forces pledges, favors none
of the land of Danes, but lustily murders,
fights and
feasts, nor feud he dreads
from Spear-Dane men. But speedily now
shall I prove him
the prowess and pride of the Geats,
shall bid him battle. Blithe