Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem
And mighty war-spear. 'Twas the wont of that people
55 To constantly keep them equipped for the battle,[4]
At home or marching--in either condition--
At seasons just such as necessity ordered
As best for their ruler; that people was worthy.
[1] C. suggests a semicolon after 'city,' with 'he' as supplied
subject of 'fled' and 'chose.'
[2] For 'feorh' S. suggests 'feoh': 'corpse' in the translation would
then be changed to '_possessions_,' '_belongings_.' This is a better
reading than one joining, in such intimate syntactical relations,
things so unlike as 'corpse' and 'jewels.'
[3] S. suggests '_wine-joyous heroes_,' '_warriors elated with wine_.'
[4] I believe this translation brings out the meaning of the poet,
without departing seriously from the H.-So. text. 'Oft' frequently
means 'constantly,' 'continually,' not always 'often.'--Why 'an (on)
wíg gearwe' should be written 'ánwíg-gearwe' (= ready for single
combat), I cannot see. 'Gearwe' occurs quite frequently with 'on'; cf.
B. 1110 (_ready for the pyre_), El. 222 (_ready for the glad
journey_). Moreover, what has the idea of single combat to do with B.
1247 ff.? The poet is giving an inventory of the arms and armor which
they lay aside on retiring, and he closes his narration by saying that
they were _always prepared for battle both at home and on the march_.
[44]
XX.
THE MOTHER OF GRENDEL.
They sank then to slumber. With sorrow one paid for
His evening repose, as often betid them
While Grendel was holding[1] the gold-bedecked palace,
Ill-deeds performing, till his end overtook him,
5 Death for his sins. 'Twas seen very clearly,
{Grendel's mother is known to be thirsting for revenge.}
Known unto earth-folk, that still an avenger
Outlived the loathed one, long since the sorrow
Caused by the struggle; the mother of Grendel,
Devil-shaped woman, her woe ever minded,
10 Who was held to inhabit the horrible waters,
{[Grendel's progenitor, Cain, is again referred to.]}
The cold-flowing currents, after Cain had become a
Slayer-with-edges to his one only brother,
The son of his sire; he set out then banished,
Marked as a murderer, man-joys avoiding,
15 Lived in the desert. Thence demons unnumbered
{The poet again magnifies Beowulf's valor.}
Fate-sent awoke; one of them Grendel,
Sword-cursèd, hateful, who at Heorot met with
A man that was watching, waiting the struggle,
Where a horrid one held him with hand-grapple sturdy;
20 Nathless he minded the might of his body,
The glorious gift God had allowed him,
And folk-ruling Father's favor relied on,
His help and His comfort: so he conquered the foeman,
The hell-spirit humbled: he unhappy departed then,
25 Reaved of his joyance, journeying to death-haunts,
Foeman of man. His mother moreover
{Grendel's mother comes to avenge her son.}
Eager and gloomy was anxious to go on
Her mournful mission, mindful of vengeance
For the death of her son. She came then to Heorot
[45] 30 Where the Armor-Dane earlmen all through the building
Were lying in slumber. Soon there became then
Return[2] to the nobles, when the mother of Grendel
Entered the folk-hall; the fear was less grievous
By even so much as the vigor of maidens,
35 War-strength of women, by warrior is reckoned,
When well-carved weapon, worked with the hammer,
Blade very bloody, brave with its edges,
Strikes down the boar-sign that stands on the helmet.
Then the hard-edgèd weapon was heaved in the building,[3]
40 The brand o'er the benches, broad-lindens many
Hand-fast were lifted; for helmet he recked not,
For armor-net broad, whom terror laid hold of.
She went then hastily, outward would get her
Her life for to save, when some one did spy her;
{She seizes a favorite liegemen of Hrothgar's.}
45 Soon she had grappled one of the athelings
Fast and firmly, when fenward she hied her;
That one to Hrothgar was liefest of heroes
In rank of retainer where waters encircle,
A mighty shield-warrior, whom she murdered at slumber,
50 A broadly-famed battle-knight. Beowulf was absent,
{Beowulf was asleep in another part of the palace.}
But another apartment was erstwhile devoted
To the glory-decked Geatman when gold was distributed.
There was hubbub in Heorot. The hand that was famous
She grasped in its gore;[4] grief was renewed then
[46] 55 In homes and houses: 'twas no happy arrangement
In both of the quarters to barter and purchase
With lives of their friends. Then the well-agèd ruler,
The gray-headed war-thane, was woful in spirit,
When his long-trusted liegeman lifeless he knew of,
{Beowulf is sent for.}
60 His dearest one gone. Quick from a room was
Beowulf brought, brave and triumphant.
As day was dawning in the dusk of the morning,
{He comes at Hrothgar's summons.}
Went then that earlman, champion noble,
Came with comrades, where the clever one bided
65 Whether God all gracious would grant him a respite
After the woe he had suffered. The war-worthy hero
With a troop of retainers trod then the pavement
(The hall-building groaned), till he greeted the wise one,
{Beowulf inquires how Hrothgar had enjoyed his night's rest.}
The earl of the Ingwins;[5] asked if the night had
70 Fully refreshed him, as fain he would have it.
[1] Several eminent authorities either read or emend the MS. so as to
make this verse read, _While Grendel was wasting the gold-bedecked
palace_. So 20_15 below: _ravaged the desert_.
[2] For 'sóna' (1281), t.B. suggests 'sára,' limiting 'edhwyrft.' Read
then: _Return of sorrows to the nobles, etc_. This emendation supplies
the syntactical gap after 'edhwyrft.'
[3] Some authorities follow Grein's lexicon in treating 'heard ecg' as
an adj. limiting 'sweord': H.-So. renders it as a subst. (So v. 1491.)
The sense of the translation would be the same.
[4] B. suggests 'under hróf genam' (v. 1303). This emendation, as well
as an emendation with (?) to v. 739, he offers, because 'under'
baffles him in both passages. All we need is to take 'under' in its
secondary meaning of 'in,' which, though not given by Grein, occurs in
the literature. Cf. Chron. 876 (March's A.-S. Gram. § 355) and Oro.
Amaz. I. 10, where 'under' = _in the midst of_. Cf. modern Eng. 'in
such circumstances,' which interchanges in good usage with 'under such
circumstances.'
[5] For 'néod-laðu' (1321) C. suggests 'néad-láðum,' and translates:
_asked whether the night had been pleasant to him after
crushing-hostility_.
XXI.
HROTHGAR'S ACCOUNT OF THE MONSTERS.
{Hrothgar laments the death of Æschere, his shoulder-companion.}
Hrothgar rejoined, helm of the Scyldings:
"Ask not of joyance! Grief is renewed to
The folk of the Danemen. Dead is Æschere,
Yrmenlaf's brother, older than he,
5 My true-hearted counsellor, trusty adviser,
Shoulder-companion, when fighting in battle
Our heads we protected, when troopers were clashing,
{He was my ideal hero.}
And heroes were dashing; such an earl should be ever,
An erst-worthy atheling, as Æschere proved him.
10 The flickering death-spirit became in Heorot
His hand-to-hand murderer; I can not tell whither
The cruel one turned in the carcass exulting,
[47]
{This horrible creature came to avenge Grendel's death.}
By cramming discovered.[1] The quarrel she wreaked then,
That last night igone Grendel thou killedst
15 In grewsomest manner, with grim-holding clutches,
Since too long he had lessened my liege-troop and wasted
My folk-men so foully. He fell in the battle
With forfeit of life, and another has followed,
A mighty crime-worker, her kinsman avenging,
20 And henceforth hath 'stablished her hatred unyielding,[2]
As it well may appear to many a liegeman,
Who mourneth in spirit the treasure-bestower,
Her heavy heart-sorrow; the hand is now lifeless
Which[3] availed you in every wish that you cherished.
{I have heard my vassals speak of these two uncanny monsters who lived in
the moors.}
25 Land-people heard I, liegemen, this saying,
Dwellers in halls, they had seen very often
A pair of such mighty march-striding creatures,
Far-dwelling spirits, holding the moorlands:
One of them wore, as well they might notice,
30 The image of woman, the other one wretched
In guise of a man wandered in exile,
Except he was huger than any of earthmen;
Earth-dwelling people entitled him Grendel
In days of yore: they know not their father,
35 Whe'r ill-going spirits any were borne him
{The inhabit the most desolate and horrible places.}
Ever before. They guard the wolf-coverts,
Lands inaccessible, wind-beaten nesses,
Fearfullest fen-deeps, where a flood from the mountains
'Neath mists of the nesses netherward rattles,
40 The stream under earth: not far is it henceward
Measured by mile-lengths that the mere-water standeth,
Which forests hang over, with frost-whiting covered,[4]
[48] A firm-rooted forest, the floods overshadow.
There ever at night one an ill-meaning portent
45 A fire-flood may see; 'mong children of men
None liveth so wise that wot of the bottom;
Though harassed by hounds the heath-stepper seek for,
{Even the hounded deer will not seek refuge in these uncanny regions.}
Fly to the forest, firm-antlered he-deer,
Spurred from afar, his spirit he yieldeth,
50 His life on the shore, ere in he will venture
To cover his head. Uncanny the place is:
Thence upward ascendeth the surging of waters,
Wan to the welkin, when the wind is stirring
The weathers unpleasing, till the air groweth gloomy,
{To thee only can I look for assistance.}
55 And the heavens lower. Now is help to be gotten
From thee and thee only! The abode thou know'st not,
The dangerous place where thou'rt able to meet with
The sin-laden hero: seek if thou darest!
For the feud I will fully fee thee with money,
60 With old-time treasure, as erstwhile I did thee,
With well-twisted jewels, if away thou shalt get thee."
[1] For 'gefrægnod' (1334), K. and t.B. suggest 'gefægnod,' rendering
'_rejoicing in her fill_.' This gives a parallel to 'æse wlanc'
(1333).
[2] The line 'And ... yielding,' B. renders: _And she has performed a
deed of blood-vengeance whose effect is far-reaching_.
[3] 'Sé Þe' (1345) is an instance of masc. rel. with fem. antecedent.
So v. 1888, where 'sé Þe' refers to 'yldo.'
[4] For 'hrímge' in the H.-So. edition, Gr. and others read 'hrínde'
(=hrínende), and translate: _which rustling forests overhang_.
XXII.