Bade him safely seek with the presents
His well-beloved people, early returning.
{Hrothgar kisses Beowulf, and weeps.}
Then the noble-born king kissed the distinguished,
Dear-lovèd liegeman, the Dane-prince saluted him,
55 And claspèd his neck; tears from him fell,
From the gray-headed man: he two things expected,
Agèd and reverend, but rather the second,
That bold in council they'd meet thereafter.
The man was so dear that he failed to suppress the
60 Emotions that moved him, but in mood-fetters fastened
{The old king is deeply grieved to part with his benefactor.}
The long-famous hero longeth in secret
Deep in his spirit for the dear-beloved man
Though not a blood-kinsman. Beowulf thenceward,
Gold-splendid warrior, walked o'er the meadows
65 Exulting in treasure: the sea-going vessel
Riding at anchor awaited its owner.
As they pressed on their way then, the present of Hrothgar
{Giving liberally is the true proof of kingship.}
Was frequently referred to: a folk-king indeed that
Everyway blameless, till age did debar him
70 The joys of his might, which hath many oft injured.
For 'geworhte,' the crux of this passage, B. proposes 'geþóhte,'
rendering: _I know this people with firm thought every way blameless
towards foe and friends_.
S. and B. emend so as to negative the verb 'meet.' "Why should
Hrothgar weep if he expects to meet Beowulf again?" both these
scholars ask. But the weeping is mentioned before the 'expectations':
the tears may have been due to many emotions, especially gratitude,
struggling for expression.
XXVIII.
THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY.--THE TWO QUEENS.
Then the band of very valiant retainers
Came to the current; they were clad all in armor,
{The coast-guard again.}
In link-woven burnies. The land-warder noticed
The return of the earlmen, as he erstwhile had seen them;
5 Nowise with insult he greeted the strangers
From the naze of the cliff, but rode on to meet them;
Said the bright-armored visitors vesselward traveled
Welcome to Weders. The wide-bosomed craft then
Lay on the sand, laden with armor,
10 With horses and jewels, the ring-stemmèd sailer:
The mast uptowered o'er the treasure of Hrothgar.
{Beowulf gives the guard a handsome sword.}
To the boat-ward a gold-bound brand he presented,
That he was afterwards honored on the ale-bench more highly
As the heirloom's owner. Set he out on his vessel,
15 To drive on the deep, Dane-country left he.
Along by the mast then a sea-garment fluttered,
A rope-fastened sail. The sea-boat resounded,
The wind o'er the waters the wave-floater nowise
Kept from its journey; the sea-goer traveled,
20 The foamy-necked floated forth o'er the currents,
The well-fashioned vessel o'er the ways of the ocean,
{The Geats see their own land again.}
Till they came within sight of the cliffs of the Geatmen,
The well-known headlands. The wave-goer hastened
Driven by breezes, stood on the shore.
