Saga Six Pack (Annotated)

VIII. HROTHGAR AND BEOWULF.—Continued.

VIII. HROTHGAR AND BEOWULF.—Continued.––––––––

Hrothgar responds

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Hrothgar discoursed, helm of the Scyldings:

“To defend our folk and to furnish assistance,

Thou soughtest us hither, good friend Beowulf.

Reminiscences of Beowulf’s father, Ecgtheow.

The fiercest of feuds thy father engaged in,

Heatholaf killed he in hand-to-hand conflict

’Mid Wilfingish warriors; then the Wederish people

For fear of a feud were forced to disown him.

Thence flying he fled to the folk of the South-Danes,

The race of the Scyldings, o’er the roll of the waters;

I had lately begun then to govern the Danemen,

The hoard-seat of heroes held in my youth,

Rich in its jewels: dead was Heregar,

My kinsman and elder had earth-joys forsaken,

Healfdene his bairn. He was better than I am!

That feud thereafter for a fee I compounded;

O’er the weltering waters to the Wilfings I sent

Ornaments old; oaths did he swear me.

Hrothgar recounts to Beowulf the horrors of Grendel’s persecutions.

It pains me in spirit to any to tell it,

What grief in Heorot Grendel hath caused me,

What horror unlooked-for, by hatred unceasing.

Waned is my war-band, wasted my hall-troop;

Weird hath offcast them to the clutches of Grendel.

God can easily hinder the scather

From deeds so direful. Oft drunken with beer

My thanes have made many boasts, but have not executed them.

O’er the ale-vessel promised warriors in armor

They would willingly wait on the wassailing-benches

A grapple with Grendel, with grimmest of edges.

Then this mead-hall at morning with murder was reeking,

The building was bloody at breaking of daylight,

The bench-deals all flooded, dripping and bloodied,

The folk-hall was gory: I had fewer retainers,

Dear-beloved warriors, whom death had laid hold of.

Sit down to the feast, and give us comfort.

Sit at the feast now, thy intents unto heroes,

Thy victor-fame show, as thy spirit doth urge thee!”

A bench is made ready for Beowulf and his party.

For the men of the Geats then together assembled,

In the beer-hall blithesome a bench was made ready;

There warlike in spirit they went to be seated,

Proud and exultant. A liegeman did service,

Who a beaker embellished bore with decorum,

The gleeman sings

And gleaming-drink poured. The gleeman sang whilom

The heroes all rejoice together.

Hearty in Heorot; there was heroes’ rejoicing,

A numerous war-band of Weders and Danemen.