Beowulf 28She had hitherto had: all the henchmen of Finn
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Literature · Religion
Beowulf 28
She had hitherto had: all the henchmen of Finn
HallEnglish
War had offtaken, save a handful remaining,
That he nowise was able to offer resistance
{Hengest succeeds Hnæf as Danish general.}
To the onset of Hengest in the parley of battle,
Nor the wretched remnant to rescue in war from
35 The earl of the atheling; but they offered conditions,
{Compact between the Frisians and the Danes.}
Another great building to fully make ready,
A hall and a high-seat, that half they might rule with
The sons of the Jutemen, and that Folcwalda's son would
Day after day the Danemen honor
40 When gifts were giving, and grant of his ring-store
To Hengest's earl-troop ever so freely,
Of his gold-plated jewels, as he encouraged the Frisians
{Equality of gifts agreed on.}
On the bench of the beer-hall. On both sides they swore then
A fast-binding compact; Finn unto Hengest
45 With no thought of revoking vowed then most solemnly
The woe-begone remnant well to take charge of,
His Witan advising; the agreement should no one
By words or works weaken and shatter,
By artifice ever injure its value,
50 Though reaved of their ruler their ring-giver's slayer
They followed as vassals, Fate so requiring:
{No one shall refer to old grudges.}
Then if one of the Frisians the quarrel should speak of
In tones that were taunting, terrible edges
Should cut in requital. Accomplished the oath was,
55 And treasure of gold from the hoard was uplifted.
{Danish warriors are burned on a funeral-pyre.}
The best of the Scylding braves was then fully
Prepared for the pile; at the pyre was seen clearly
The blood-gory burnie, the boar with his gilding,
The iron-hard swine, athelings many
60 Fatally wounded; no few had been slaughtered.
Hildeburg bade then, at the burning of Hnæf,
{Queen Hildeburg has her son burnt along with Hnæf.}
The bairn of her bosom to bear to the fire,
That his body be burned and borne to the pyre.
The woe-stricken woman wept on his shoulder,
65 In measures lamented; upmounted the hero.
The greatest of dead-fires curled to the welkin,
On the hill's-front crackled; heads were a-melting,
Wound-doors bursting, while the blood was a-coursing
From body-bite fierce. The fire devoured them,
70 Greediest of spirits, whom war had offcarried
From both of the peoples; their bravest were fallen.
For 1084, R. suggests 'wiht Hengeste wið gefeohtan.'--K. suggests
'wið Hengeste wiht gefeohtan.' Neither emendation would make any
essential change in the translation.
The separation of adjective and noun by a phrase (cf. v. 1118)
being very unusual, some scholars have put 'earme on eaxle' with the
foregoing lines, inserting a semicolon after 'eaxle.' In this case 'on
eaxe' (i.e., on the ashes, cinders) is sometimes read, and this
affords a parallel to 'on bæl.' Let us hope that a satisfactory
rendering shall yet be reached without resorting to any tampering with
the text, such as Lichtenheld proposed: 'earme ides on eaxle
gnornode.'
For 'gúð-rinc,' 'gúð-réc,' battle-smoke, has been suggested.
XVIII.
THE FINN EPISODE (continued).--THE BANQUET CONTINUES.
{The survivors go to Friesland, the home of Finn.}
"Then the warriors departed to go to their dwellings,
Reaved of their friends, Friesland to visit,
Their homes and high-city. Hengest continued
{Hengest remains there all winter, unable to get away.}
Biding with Finn the blood-tainted winter,
5 Wholly unsundered; of fatherland thought he
Though unable to drive the ring-stemmèd vessel
O'er the ways of the waters; the wave-deeps were tossing,
Fought with the wind; winter in ice-bonds
Closed up the currents, till there came to the dwelling
10 A year in its course, as yet it revolveth,
If season propitious one alway regardeth,
World-cheering weathers. Then winter was gone,
Earth's bosom was lovely; the exile would get him,
{He devises schemes of vengeance.}
The guest from the palace; on grewsomest vengeance
15 He brooded more eager than on oversea journeys,
Whe'r onset-of-anger he were able to 'complish,
The bairns of the Jutemen therein to remember.
Nowise refused he the duties of liegeman
When Hun of the Frisians the battle-sword Láfing,
20 Fairest of falchions, friendly did give him:
Its edges were famous in folk-talk of Jutland.
And savage sword-fury seized in its clutches
Bold-mooded Finn where he bode in his palace,
{Guthlaf and Oslaf revenge Hnæf's slaughter.}
When the grewsome grapple Guthlaf and Oslaf
25 Had mournfully mentioned, the mere-journey over,
For sorrows half-blamed him; the flickering spirit
Could not bide in his bosom. Then the building was covered
{Finn is slain.}
With corpses of foemen, and Finn too was slaughtered,
The king with his comrades, and the queen made a prisoner.
{The jewels of Finn, and his queen are carried away by the Danes.}
