Saga Six Pack (Annotated)

VII. HROTHGAR AND BEOWULF.

VII. HROTHGAR AND BEOWULF.––––––––

Hrothgar remembers Beowulf as a youth, and also remembers his father

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Hrothgar answered, helm of the Scyldings:

“I remember this man as the merest of striplings.

His father long dead now was Ecgtheow titled,

Him Hrethel the Geatman granted at home his

One only daughter; his battle-brave son

Is come but now, sought a trustworthy friend.

Seafaring sailors asserted it then,

Beowulf is reported to have the strength of thirty men.

Who valuable gift-gems of the Geatmen carried

As peace-offering thither, that he thirty men’s grapple

Has in his hand, the hero-in-battle.

God hath sent him to our rescue.

The holy Creator usward sent him,

To West-Dane warriors, I ween, for to render

’Gainst Grendel’s grimness gracious assistance:

I shall give to the good one gift-gems for courage.

Hasten to bid them hither to speed them,

To see assembled this circle of kinsmen;

Tell them expressly they’re welcome in sooth to

The men of the Danes.” To the door of the building

Wulfgar went then, this word-message shouted:

“My victorious liegelord bade me to tell you,

The East-Danes’ atheling, that your origin knows he,

And o’er wave-billows wafted ye welcome are hither,

Valiant of spirit. Ye straightway may enter

Clad in corslets, cased in your helmets,

To see King Hrothgar. Here let your battle-boards,

Wood-spears and war-shafts, await your conferring.”

The mighty one rose then, with many a liegeman,

An excellent thane-group; some there did await them,

And as bid of the brave one the battle-gear guarded.

Together they hied them, while the hero did guide them,

’Neath Heorot’s roof; the high-minded went then

Sturdy ’neath helmet till he stood in the building.

Beowulf spake (his burnie did glisten,

His armor seamed over by the art of the craftsman):

Beowulf salutes Hrothgar, and then proceeds to boast of his youthful achievements.

“Hail thou, Hrothgar! I am Higelac’s kinsman

And vassal forsooth; many a wonder

I dared as a stripling. The doings of Grendel,

In far-off fatherland I fully did know of:

Sea-farers tell us, this hall-building standeth,

Excellent edifice, empty and useless

To all the earlmen after evenlight’s glimmer

’Neath heaven’s bright hues hath hidden its glory.

This my earls then urged me, the most excellent of them,

Carles very clever, to come and assist thee,

Folk-leader Hrothgar; fully they knew of

His fight with the nickers.

The strength of my body. Themselves they beheld me

When I came from the contest, when covered with gore

Foes I escaped from, where five I had bound,

The giant-race wasted, in the waters destroying

The nickers by night, bore numberless sorrows,

The Weders avenged (woes had they suffered)

Enemies ravaged; alone now with Grendel

He intends to fight Grendel unaided.

I shall manage the matter, with the monster of evil,

The giant, decide it. Thee I would therefore

Beg of thy bounty, Bright-Danish chieftain,

Lord of the Scyldings, this single petition:

Not to refuse me, defender of warriors,

Friend-lord of folks, so far have I sought thee,

That I may unaided, my earlmen assisting me,

This brave-mooded war-band, purify Heorot.

I have heard on inquiry, the horrible creature

Since the monster uses no weapons,

From veriest rashness recks not for weapons;

I this do scorn then, so be Higelac gracious,

My liegelord belovèd, lenient of spirit,

To bear a blade or a broad-fashioned target,

A shield to the onset; only with hand-grip

I, too, shall disdain to use any.

The foe I must grapple, fight for my life then,

Foeman with foeman; he fain must rely on

The doom of the Lord whom death layeth hold of.

Should he crush me, he will eat my companions as he has eaten thy thanes.

I ween he will wish, if he win in the struggle,

To eat in the war-hall earls of the Geat-folk,

Boldly to swallow them, as of yore he did often

The best of the Hrethmen! Thou needest not trouble

A head-watch to give me; he will have me dripping

In case of my defeat, thou wilt not have the trouble of burying me.

And dreary with gore, if death overtake me,

Will bear me off bleeding, biting and mouthing me,

The hermit will eat me, heedless of pity,

Marking the moor-fens; no more wilt thou need then

Should I fall, send my armor to my lord, King Higelac.

Find me my food. If I fall in the battle,

Send to Higelac the armor that serveth

To shield my bosom, the best of equipments,

Richest of ring-mails; ’tis the relic of Hrethla,

Weird is supreme

The work of Wayland. Goes Weird as she must go!”