Beowulf 30Uncle and nephew; their peace was yet mutual
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Literature · Religion
Beowulf 30
Uncle and nephew; their peace was yet mutual
HallEnglish
True each to the other. And Unferth the spokesman
Sat at the feet of the lord of the Scyldings:
Each trusted his spirit that his mood was courageous,
Though at fight he had failed in faith to his kinsmen.
45 Said the queen of the Scyldings: "My lord and protector,
Treasure-bestower, take thou this beaker;
Joyance attend thee, gold-friend of heroes,
{Be generous to the Geats.}
And greet thou the Geatmen with gracious responses!
So ought one to do. Be kind to the Geatmen,
50 In gifts not niggardly; anear and afar now
Peace thou enjoyest. Report hath informed me
Thou'lt have for a bairn the battle-brave hero.
Now is Heorot cleansèd, ring-palace gleaming;
{Have as much joy as possible in thy hall, once more purified.}
Give while thou mayest many rewards,
55 And bequeath to thy kinsmen kingdom and people,
On wending thy way to the Wielder's splendor.
I know good Hrothulf, that the noble young troopers
{I know that Hrothulf will prove faithful if he survive thee.}
He'll care for and honor, lord of the Scyldings,
If earth-joys thou endest earlier than he doth;
60 I reckon that recompense he'll render with kindness
Our offspring and issue, if that all he remember,
What favors of yore, when he yet was an infant,
We awarded to him for his worship and pleasure."
Then she turned by the bench where her sons were carousing,
65 Hrethric and Hrothmund, and the heroes' offspring,
{Beowulf is sitting by the two royal sons.}
The war-youth together; there the good one was sitting
'Twixt the brothers twain, Beowulf Geatman.
For 1130 (1) R. and Gr. suggest 'elne unflitme' as 1098 (1) reads.
The latter verse is undisputed; and, for the former, 'elne' would be
as possible as 'ealles,' and 'unflitme' is well supported. Accepting
'elne unflitme' for both, I would suggest 'very peaceably' for both
places: (1) Finn to Hengest very peaceably vowed with oaths, etc.
(2) _Hengest then still the slaughter-stained winter remained there
with Finn very peaceably_. The two passages become thus correlatives,
the second a sequel of the first. 'Elne,' in the sense of very
(swíðe), needs no argument; and 'unflitme' (from 'flítan') can, it
seems to me, be more plausibly rendered 'peaceful,' 'peaceable,' than
'contestable,' or 'conquerable.'
Some scholars have proposed 'roden'; the line would then read:
Then the building was reddened, etc., instead of 'covered.' The 'h'
may have been carried over from the three alliterating 'h's.'
XIX.
BEOWULF RECEIVES FURTHER HONOR.
{More gifts are offered Beowulf.}
A beaker was borne him, and bidding to quaff it
Graciously given, and gold that was twisted
Pleasantly proffered, a pair of arm-jewels,
Rings and corslet, of collars the greatest
5 I've heard of 'neath heaven. Of heroes not any
More splendid from jewels have I heard 'neath the welkin,
{A famous necklace is referred to, in comparison with the gems presented
to Beowulf.}
Since Hama off bore the Brosingmen's necklace,
The bracteates and jewels, from the bright-shining city,
Eormenric's cunning craftiness fled from,
10 Chose gain everlasting. Geatish Higelac,
Grandson of Swerting, last had this jewel
When tramping 'neath banner the treasure he guarded,
The field-spoil defended; Fate offcarried him
When for deeds of daring he endured tribulation,
15 Hate from the Frisians; the ornaments bare he
O'er the cup of the currents, costly gem-treasures,
Mighty folk-leader, he fell 'neath his target;
The corpse of the king then came into charge of
The race of the Frankmen, the mail-shirt and collar:
20 Warmen less noble plundered the fallen,
When the fight was finished; the folk of the Geatmen
The field of the dead held in possession.
The choicest of mead-halls with cheering resounded.
Wealhtheo discoursed, the war-troop addressed she:
25 "This collar enjoy thou, Beowulf worthy,
Young man, in safety, and use thou this armor,
Gems of the people, and prosper thou fully,
Show thyself sturdy and be to these liegemen
Mild with instruction! I'll mind thy requital.
30 Thou hast brought it to pass that far and near
Forever and ever earthmen shall honor thee,
Even so widely as ocean surroundeth
The blustering bluffs. Be, while thou livest,
A wealth-blessèd atheling. I wish thee most truly
{May gifts never fail thee.}
35 Jewels and treasure. Be kind to my son, thou
Living in joyance! Here each of the nobles
Is true unto other, gentle in spirit,
Loyal to leader. The liegemen are peaceful,
The war-troops ready: well-drunken heroes,
40 Do as I bid ye." Then she went to the settle.
There was choicest of banquets, wine drank the heroes:
{They little know of the sorrow in store for them.}
Weird they knew not, destiny cruel,
As to many an earlman early it happened,
When evening had come and Hrothgar had parted
45 Off to his manor, the mighty to slumber.
Warriors unnumbered warded the building
As erst they did often: the ale-settle bared they,
'Twas covered all over with beds and pillows.
{A doomed thane is there with them.}
Doomed unto death, down to his slumber
50 Bowed then a beer-thane. Their battle-shields placed they,
Bright-shining targets, up by their heads then;
O'er the atheling on ale-bench 'twas easy to see there
Battle-high helmet, burnie of ring-mail,
{They were always ready for battle.}
And mighty war-spear. 'Twas the wont of that people
55 To constantly keep them equipped for the battle,
At home or marching--in either condition--
At seasons just such as necessity ordered
As best for their ruler; that people was worthy.
C. suggests a semicolon after 'city,' with 'he' as supplied
subject of 'fled' and 'chose.'
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.'
S. suggests 'wine-joyous heroes,' 'warriors elated with wine.'
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.
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 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
30 Where the Armor-Dane earlmen all through the building
Were lying in slumber. Soon there became then
Return 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,
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;
