Beowulf 53That some man or other had discovered the gold
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Literature · Religion
Beowulf 53
That some man or other had discovered the gold
HallEnglish
The famous folk-treasure. Not fain did the hoard-ward
Wait until evening; then the ward of the barrow
Was angry in spirit, the loathèd one wished to
Pay for the dear-valued drink-cup with fire.
85 Then the day was done as the dragon would have it,
He no longer would wait on the wall, but departed
{The dragon is infuriated.}
Fire-impelled, flaming. Fearful the start was
To earls in the land, as it early thereafter
To their giver-of-gold was grievously ended.
For 'long-gestréona,' B. suggests 'láengestréona,' and renders,
Of fleeting treasures. S. accepts H.'s 'long-gestréona,' but
renders, The treasure long in accumulating.
For 'hard-fyrdne' (2246), B. first suggested 'hard-fyndne,'
rendering: _A heap of treasures ... so great that its equal would be
hard to find. The same scholar suggests later 'hord-wynne dæl' = A
deal of treasure-joy_.
Some read 'fec-word' (2247), and render: Banning words uttered.
An earlier reading of H.'s gave the following meaning to this
passage: _He is said to inhabit a mound under the earth, where he,
etc._ The translation in the text is more authentic.
The repetition of 'hord' in this passage has led some scholars to
suggest new readings to avoid the second 'hord.' This, however, is not
under the main stress, and, it seems to me, might easily be accepted.
The reading of H.-So. is well defended in the notes to that
volume. B. emends and renders: _Nor was there any man in that desert
who rejoiced in conflict, in battle-work._ That is, the hoard-ward
could not find any one who had disturbed his slumbers, for no warrior
was there, t.B.'s emendation would give substantially the same
translation.
'Sinc-fæt' (2301): this word both here and in v. 2232, t.B.
renders 'treasure.'
XXXIII.
BRAVE THOUGH AGED.--REMINISCENCES.
{The dragon spits fire.}
The stranger began then to vomit forth fire,
To burn the great manor; the blaze then glimmered
For anguish to earlmen, not anything living
Was the hateful air-goer willing to leave there.
5 The war of the worm widely was noticed,
The feud of the foeman afar and anear,
How the enemy injured the earls of the Geatmen,
Harried with hatred: back he hied to the treasure,
To the well-hidden cavern ere the coming of daylight.
10 He had circled with fire the folk of those regions,
With brand and burning; in the barrow he trusted,
In the wall and his war-might: the weening deceived him.
{Beowulf hears of the havoc wrought by the dragon.}
Then straight was the horror to Beowulf published,
Early forsooth, that his own native homestead,
15 The best of buildings, was burning and melting,
Gift-seat of Geatmen. 'Twas a grief to the spirit
Of the good-mooded hero, the greatest of sorrows:
{He fears that Heaven is punishing him for some crime.}
The wise one weened then that wielding his kingdom
'Gainst the ancient commandments, he had bitterly angered
20 The Lord everlasting: with lorn meditations
His bosom welled inward, as was nowise his custom.
The fire-spewing dragon fully had wasted
The fastness of warriors, the water-land outward,
The manor with fire. The folk-ruling hero,
25 Prince of the Weders, was planning to wreak him.
The warmen's defender bade them to make him,
Earlmen's atheling, an excellent war-shield
{He orders an iron shield to be made from him, wood is useless.}
Wholly of iron: fully he knew then
That wood from the forest was helpless to aid him,
30 Shield against fire. The long-worthy ruler
Must live the last of his limited earth-days,
Of life in the world and the worm along with him,
Though he long had been holding hoard-wealth in plenty.
{He determines to fight alone.}
Then the ring-prince disdained to seek with a war-band,
35 With army extensive, the air-going ranger;
He felt no fear of the foeman's assaults and
He counted for little the might of the dragon,
His power and prowess: for previously dared he
{Beowulf's early triumphs referred to}
A heap of hostility, hazarded dangers,
40 War-thane, when Hrothgar's palace he cleansèd,
Conquering combatant, clutched in the battle
The kinsmen of Grendel, of kindred detested.
{Higelac's death recalled.}
'Twas of hand-fights not least where Higelac was slaughtered,
When the king of the Geatmen with clashings of battle,
45 Friend-lord of folks in Frisian dominions,
Offspring of Hrethrel perished through sword-drink,
With battle-swords beaten; thence Beowulf came then
On self-help relying, swam through the waters;
He bare on his arm, lone-going, thirty
50 Outfits of armor, when the ocean he mounted.
The Hetwars by no means had need to be boastful
Of their fighting afoot, who forward to meet him
Carried their war-shields: not many returned from
The brave-mooded battle-knight back to their homesteads.
55 Ecgtheow's bairn o'er the bight-courses swam then,
Lone-goer lorn to his land-folk returning,
Where Hygd to him tendered treasure and kingdom,
{Heardred's lack of capacity to rule.}
Rings and dominion: her son she not trusted,
To be able to keep the kingdom devised him
60 'Gainst alien races, on the death of King Higelac.
{Beowulf's tact and delicacy recalled.}
Yet the sad ones succeeded not in persuading the atheling
In any way ever, to act as a suzerain
To Heardred, or promise to govern the kingdom;
Yet with friendly counsel in the folk he sustained him,
65 Gracious, with honor, till he grew to be older,
{Reference is here made to a visit which Beowulf receives from Eanmund and
Eadgils, why they come is not known.}
Wielded the Weders. Wide-fleeing outlaws,
Ohthere's sons, sought him o'er the waters:
They had stirred a revolt 'gainst the helm of the Scylfings,
The best of the sea-kings, who in Swedish dominions
70 Distributed treasure, distinguished folk-leader.
'Twas the end of his earth-days; injury fatal
By swing of the sword he received as a greeting,
Offspring of Higelac; Ongentheow's bairn
Later departed to visit his homestead,
75 When Heardred was dead; let Beowulf rule them,
Govern the Geatmen: good was that folk-king.
'Hám' (2326), the suggestion of B. is accepted by t.B. and other
scholars.
For 'láðan cynnes' (2355), t.B. suggests 'láðan cynne,' apposition
to 'mægum.' From syntactical and other considerations, this is a most
excellent emendation.
Gr. read 'on feorme' (2386), rendering: _He there at the banquet a
fatal wound received by blows of the sword._
XXXIV.
BEOWULF SEEKS THE DRAGON.--BEOWULF'S REMINISCENCES.
He planned requital for the folk-leader's ruin
In days thereafter, to Eadgils the wretched
Becoming an enemy. Ohthere's son then
Went with a war-troop o'er the wide-stretching currents
5 With warriors and weapons: with woe-journeys cold he
After avenged him, the king's life he took.
{Beowulf has been preserved through many perils.}
So he came off uninjured from all of his battles,
Perilous fights, offspring of Ecgtheow,
From his deeds of daring, till that day most momentous
10 When he fate-driven fared to fight with the dragon.
{With eleven comrades, he seeks the dragon.}
With eleven companions the prince of the Geatmen
Went lowering with fury to look at the fire-drake:
Inquiring he'd found how the feud had arisen,
Hate to his heroes; the highly-famed gem-vessel
15 Was brought to his keeping through the hand of th' informer.
{A guide leads the way, but}
That in the throng was thirteenth of heroes,
That caused the beginning of conflict so bitter,
Captive and wretched, must sad-mooded thenceward
{very reluctantly.}
Point out the place: he passed then unwillingly
20 To the spot where he knew of the notable cavern,
The cave under earth, not far from the ocean,
The anger of eddies, which inward was full of
Jewels and wires: a warden uncanny,
Warrior weaponed, wardered the treasure,
25 Old under earth; no easy possession
For any of earth-folk access to get to.
Then the battle-brave atheling sat on the naze-edge,
While the gold-friend of Geatmen gracious saluted
His fireside-companions: woe was his spirit,
30 Death-boding, wav'ring; Weird very near him,
Who must seize the old hero, his soul-treasure look for,
Dragging aloof his life from his body:
Not flesh-hidden long was the folk-leader's spirit.
Beowulf spake, Ecgtheow's son:
{Beowulf's retrospect.}
35 "I survived in my youth-days many a conflict,
Hours of onset: that all I remember.
I was seven-winters old when the jewel-prince took me,
High-lord of heroes, at the hands of my father,
Hrethel the hero-king had me in keeping,
