Beowulf 48Needeth not boast of that cry-in-the-morning
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Literature · Religion
Beowulf 48
Needeth not boast of that cry-in-the-morning
HallEnglish
Who longest liveth of the loth-going kindred,
Encompassed by moorland. I came in my journey
To the royal ring-hall, Hrothgar to greet there:
{Hrothgar received me very cordially.}
Soon did the famous scion of Healfdene,
50 When he understood fully the spirit that led me,
Assign me a seat with the son of his bosom.
The troop was in joyance; mead-glee greater
'Neath arch of the ether not ever beheld I
{The queen also showed up no little honor.}
'Mid hall-building holders. The highly-famed queen,
55 Peace-tie of peoples, oft passed through the building,
Cheered the young troopers; she oft tendered a hero
A beautiful ring-band, ere she went to her sitting.
{Hrothgar's lovely daughter.}
Oft the daughter of Hrothgar in view of the courtiers
To the earls at the end the ale-vessel carried,
60 Whom Freaware I heard then hall-sitters title,
When nail-adorned jewels she gave to the heroes:
{She is betrothed to Ingeld, in order to unite the Danes and Heathobards.}
Gold-bedecked, youthful, to the glad son of Froda
Her faith has been plighted; the friend of the Scyldings,
The guard of the kingdom, hath given his sanction,
65 And counts it a vantage, for a part of the quarrels,
A portion of hatred, to pay with the woman.
Somewhere not rarely, when the ruler has fallen,
The life-taking lance relaxeth its fury
For a brief breathing-spell, though the bride be charming!
'Meodu-scencum' (1981) some would render 'with mead-pourers.'
Translate then: _The daughter of Hæreth went through the building
accompanied by mead-pourers_.
See my note to 1599, supra, and B. in P. and B. XII. 97.
For 'fenne,' supplied by Grdtvg., B. suggests 'fácne' (cf. Jul.
350). Accepting this, translate: _Who longest lives of the hated race,
steeped in treachery_.
See note to v. 1599 above.
This is perhaps the least understood sentence in the poem, almost
every word being open to dispute. (1) The 'nó' of our text is an
emendation, and is rejected by many scholars. (2) 'Seldan' is by some
taken as an adv. (= seldom), and by others as a noun (= page,
companion). (3) 'Léod-hryre,' some render 'fall of the people';
others, 'fall of the prince.' (4) 'Búgeð,' most scholars regard as
the intrans. verb meaning 'bend,' 'rest'; but one great scholar has
translated it 'shall kill.' (5) 'Hwær,' Very recently, has been
attacked, 'wære' being suggested. (6) As a corollary to the above, the
same critic proposes to drop 'oft' out of the text.--t.B. suggests: Oft
seldan wære after léodhryre: lýtle hwíle bongár búgeð, þéah séo brýd
duge = _often has a treaty been (thus) struck, after a prince had
fallen: (but only) a short time is the spear (then) wont to rest,
however excellent the bride may be_.
XXX.
BEOWULF NARRATES HIS ADVENTURES TO HIGELAC.
"It well may discomfit the prince of the Heathobards
And each of the thanemen of earls that attend him,
When he goes to the building escorting the woman,
That a noble-born Daneman the knights should be feasting:
5 There gleam on his person the leavings of elders
Hard and ring-bright, Heathobards' treasure,
While they wielded their arms, till they misled to the battle
Their own dear lives and belovèd companions.
He saith at the banquet who the collar beholdeth,
10 An ancient ash-warrior who earlmen's destruction
Clearly recalleth (cruel his spirit),
Sadly beginneth sounding the youthful
Thane-champion's spirit through the thoughts of his bosom,
War-grief to waken, and this word-answer speaketh:
{Ingeld is stirred up to break the truce.}
15 'Art thou able, my friend, to know when thou seest it
The brand which thy father bare to the conflict
In his latest adventure, 'neath visor of helmet,
The dearly-loved iron, where Danemen did slay him,
And brave-mooded Scyldings, on the fall of the heroes,
20 (When vengeance was sleeping) the slaughter-place wielded?
E'en now some man of the murderer's progeny
Exulting in ornaments enters the building,
Boasts of his blood-shedding, offbeareth the jewel
Which thou shouldst wholly hold in possession!'
25 So he urgeth and mindeth on every occasion
With woe-bringing words, till waxeth the season
When the woman's thane for the works of his father,
The bill having bitten, blood-gory sleepeth,
Fated to perish; the other one thenceward
30 'Scapeth alive, the land knoweth thoroughly.
Then the oaths of the earlmen on each side are broken,
When rancors unresting are raging in Ingeld
And his wife-love waxeth less warm after sorrow.
So the Heathobards' favor not faithful I reckon,
35 Their part in the treaty not true to the Danemen,
Their friendship not fast. I further shall tell thee
{Having made these preliminary statements, I will now tell thee of
Grendel, the monster.}
More about Grendel, that thou fully mayst hear,
Ornament-giver, what afterward came from
The hand-rush of heroes. When heaven's bright jewel
40 O'er earthfields had glided, the stranger came raging,
The horrible night-fiend, us for to visit,
Where wholly unharmed the hall we were guarding.
{Hondscio fell first}
To Hondscio happened a hopeless contention,
Death to the doomed one, dead he fell foremost,
45 Girded war-champion; to him Grendel became then,
To the vassal distinguished, a tooth-weaponed murderer,
The well-beloved henchman's body all swallowed.
Not the earlier off empty of hand did
The bloody-toothed murderer, mindful of evils,
50 Wish to escape from the gold-giver's palace,
But sturdy of strength he strove to outdo me,
Hand-ready grappled. A glove was suspended
Spacious and wondrous, in art-fetters fastened,
Which was fashioned entirely by touch of the craftman
55 From the dragon's skin by the devil's devices:
He down in its depths would do me unsadly
One among many, deed-doer raging,
Though sinless he saw me; not so could it happen
When I in my anger upright did stand.
60 'Tis too long to recount how requital I furnished
For every evil to the earlmen's destroyer;
{I reflected honor upon my people.}
'Twas there, my prince, that I proudly distinguished
Thy land with my labors. He left and retreated,
He lived his life a little while longer:
65 Yet his right-hand guarded his footstep in Heorot,
And sad-mooded thence to the sea-bottom fell he,
Mournful in mind. For the might-rush of battle
{King Hrothgar lavished gifts upon me.}
The friend of the Scyldings, with gold that was plated,
With ornaments many, much requited me,
70 When daylight had dawned, and down to the banquet
We had sat us together. There was chanting and joyance:
The age-stricken Scylding asked many questions
And of old-times related; oft light-ringing harp-strings,
Joy-telling wood, were touched by the brave one;
75 Now he uttered measures, mourning and truthful,
Then the large-hearted land-king a legend of wonder
Truthfully told us. Now troubled with years
{The old king is sad over the loss of his youthful vigor.}
The age-hoary warrior afterward began to
Mourn for the might that marked him in youth-days;
80 His breast within boiled, when burdened with winters
Much he remembered. From morning till night then
We joyed us therein as etiquette suffered,
Till the second night season came unto earth-folk.
Then early thereafter, the mother of Grendel
