Beowulf | Page 6

to mead
go he that
listeth, when light of dawn
this morrow morning o'er men of earth,
ether-robed sun
from the south shall beam!"
Joyous then was the Jewel-giver,
hoar-haired, war-brave;
help awaited
the Bright-Danes' prince, from Beowulf hearing,
folk's good shepherd,
such firm resolve.
Then was laughter of liegemen loud resounding
with winsome
words. Came Wealhtheow forth,
queen of Hrothgar, heedful of courtesy,
gold-decked,
greeting the guests in hall;
and the high-born lady handed the cup
first to the
East-Danes' heir and warden,
bade him be blithe at the beer-carouse,
the land's
beloved one. Lustily took he
banquet and beaker, battle-famed king.
Through the hall then went the Helmings' Lady,
to younger and older everywhere

carried the cup, till come the moment
when the ring-graced queen, the royal-hearted,

to Beowulf bore the beaker of mead.
She greeted the Geats' lord, God she thanked,
in
wisdom's words, that her will was granted,
that at last on a hero her hope could lean


for comfort in terrors. The cup he took,
hardy-in-war, from Wealhtheow's hand,
and
answer uttered the eager-for-combat.
Beowulf spake, bairn of Ecgtheow: --
"This was
my thought, when my thanes and I
bent to the ocean and entered our boat,
that I
would work the will of your people
fully, or fighting fall in death,
in fiend's gripe fast.
I am firm to do
an earl's brave deed, or end the days
of this life of mine in the
mead-hall here."
Well these words to the woman seemed,
Beowulf's battle-boast. --
Bright with gold
the stately dame by her spouse sat down.
Again, as erst, began in
hall
warriors' wassail and words of power,
the proud-band's revel, till presently
the
son of Healfdene hastened to seek
rest for the night; he knew there waited
fight for
the fiend in that festal hall,
when the sheen of the sun they saw no more,
and dusk of
night sank darkling nigh,
and shadowy shapes came striding on,
wan under welkin.
The warriors rose.
Man to man, he made harangue,
Hrothgar to Beowulf, bade him
hail,
let him wield the wine hall: a word he added: --
"Never to any man erst I trusted,

since I could heave up hand and shield,
this noble Dane-Hall, till now to thee.
Have
now and hold this house unpeered;
remember thy glory; thy might declare;
watch for
the foe! No wish shall fail thee
if thou bidest the battle with bold-won life."
X
THEN Hrothgar went with his hero-train,
defence-of-Scyldings, forth from hall;
fain
would the war-lord Wealhtheow seek,
couch of his queen. The King-of-Glory
against
this Grendel a guard had set,
so heroes heard, a hall-defender,
who warded the
monarch and watched for the monster.

In truth, the Geats' prince gladly trusted
his
mettle, his might, the mercy of God!
Cast off then his corselet of iron,
helmet from
head; to his henchman gave, --
choicest of weapons, -- the well-chased sword,

bidding him guard the gear of battle.
Spake then his Vaunt the valiant man,
Beowulf
Geat, ere the bed be sought: --
"Of force in fight no feebler I count me,
in grim
war-deeds, than Grendel deems him.
Not with the sword, then, to sleep of death
his
life will I give, though it lie in my power.
No skill is his to strike against me,
my
shield to hew though he hardy be,
bold in battle; we both, this night,
shall spurn the
sword, if he seek me here,
unweaponed, for war. Let wisest God,
sacred Lord, on
which side soever
doom decree as he deemeth right."
Reclined then the chieftain, and
cheek-pillows held
the head of the earl, while all about him
seamen hardy on
hall-beds sank.
None of them thought that thence their steps
to the folk and fastness
that fostered them,
to the land they loved, would lead them back!
Full well they wist
that on warriors many
battle-death seized, in the banquet-hall,
of Danish clan. But
comfort and help,
war-weal weaving, to Weder folk
the Master gave, that, by might
of one,
over their enemy all prevailed,
by single strength. In sooth 'tis told
that
highest God o'er human kind
hath wielded ever! -- Thro' wan night striding,
came the
walker-in-shadow. Warriors slept
whose hest was to guard the gabled hall, --
all save
one. 'Twas widely known
that against God's will the ghostly ravager
him {10a} could
not hurl to haunts of darkness;
wakeful, ready, with warrior's wrath,

bold he bided the

battle's issue.
XI
THEN from the moorland, by misty crags,
with God's wrath laden, Grendel came.

The monster was minded of mankind now
sundry to seize in the stately house.
Under
welkin he walked, till the wine-palace there,
gold-hall of men, he gladly discerned,

flashing with fretwork. Not first time, this,
that he the home of Hrothgar sought, --
yet
ne'er in his life-day, late or early,
such hardy heroes, such hall-thanes, found!
To the
house the warrior walked apace,
parted from peace; {11a} the portal opended,
though
with forged bolts fast, when his fists had
struck it,
and baleful he burst in his blatant
rage,
the house's mouth. All hastily, then,
o'er fair-paved floor the fiend trod on,

ireful he strode; there streamed from his eyes
fearful flashes, like flame to see.
He spied in hall the hero-band,
kin and clansmen clustered asleep,
hardy liegemen.
Then laughed his heart;
for the monster was minded, ere morn should dawn,
savage,
to sever the soul of each,
life from body, since lusty banquet
waited his will! But
Wyrd forbade him
to seize any more