Beowulf Part 15

75 Novel enough; on the North Danes fastened A terror of anguish, on all of the men there Who heard from the wall the weeping and plaining, The song of defeat from the foeman of heaven, Heard him hymns of horror howl, and his sorrow 80 h.e.l.l-bound bewailing. He held him too firmly Who was strongest of main-strength of men of that era.

[1] B. and t.B. emend so as to make lines 9 and 10 read: _Never in his life, earlier or later, had he, the h.e.l.l-thane, found a braver hero_.--They argue that Beowulf's companions had done nothing to merit such encomiums as the usual readings allow them.

[2] For 'ree ren-weardas' (771), t.B. suggests 'ree, renhearde.'

Translate: _They were both angry, raging and mighty_.

XIII.

GRENDEL IS VANQUISHED.

{Beowulf has no idea of letting Grendel live.}

For no cause whatever would the earlmen's defender Leave in life-joys the loathsome newcomer, He deemed his existence utterly useless To men under heaven. Many a n.o.ble 5 Of Beowulf brandished his battle-sword old, Would guard the life of his lord and protector, The far-famous chieftain, if able to do so; While waging the warfare, this wist they but little, Brave battle-thanes, while his body intending

{No weapon would harm Grendel; he bore a charmed life.}

10 To slit into slivers, and seeking his spirit: That the relentless foeman nor finest of weapons Of all on the earth, nor any of war-bills [29] Was willing to injure; but weapons of victory Swords and suchlike he had sworn to dispense with.

15 His death at that time must prove to be wretched, And the far-away spirit widely should journey Into enemies' power. This plainly he saw then Who with mirth[1] of mood malice no little Had wrought in the past on the race of the earthmen 20 (To G.o.d he was hostile), that his body would fail him, But Higelac's hardy henchman and kinsman Held him by the hand; hateful to other

{Grendel is sorely wounded.}

Was each one if living. A body-wound suffered The direful demon, damage incurable

{His body bursts.}

25 Was seen on his shoulder, his sinews were shivered, His body did burst. To Beowulf was given Glory in battle; Grendel from thenceward Must flee and hide him in the fen-cliffs and marshes, Sick unto death, his dwelling must look for 30 Unwinsome and woful; he wist the more fully

{The monster flees away to hide in the moors.}

The end of his earthly existence was nearing, His life-days' limits. At last for the Danemen, When the slaughter was over, their wish was accomplished.

The comer-from-far-land had cleansed then of evil, 35 Wise and valiant, the war-hall of Hrothgar, Saved it from violence. He joyed in the night-work, In repute for prowess; the prince of the Geatmen For the East-Danish people his boast had accomplished, Bettered their burdensome bale-sorrows fully, 40 The craft-begot evil they erstwhile had suffered And were forced to endure from crushing oppression, Their manifold misery. 'Twas a manifest token,

{Beowulf suspends Grendel's hand and arm in Heorot.}

When the hero-in-battle the hand suspended, The arm and the shoulder (there was all of the claw 45 Of Grendel together) 'neath great-stretching hall-roof.

[1] It has been proposed to translate 'myre' by _with sorrow_; but there seems no authority for such a rendering. To the present translator, the phrase 'modes myre' seems a mere padding for _gladly_; i.e., _he who gladly hara.s.sed mankind_.

[30]

XIV.

REJOICING OF THE DANES.

{At early dawn, warriors from far and near come together to hear of the night's adventures.}

In the mist of the morning many a warrior Stood round the gift-hall, as the story is told me: Folk-princes fared then from far and from near Through long-stretching journeys to look at the wonder, 5 The footprints of the foeman. Few of the warriors

{Few warriors lamented Grendel's destruction.}

Who gazed on the foot-tracks of the inglorious creature His parting from life pained very deeply, How, weary in spirit, off from those regions In combats conquered he carried his traces, 10 Fated and flying, to the flood of the nickers.

{Grendel's blood dyes the waters.}

There in b.l.o.o.d.y billows bubbled the currents, The angry eddy was everywhere mingled And seething with gore, welling with sword-blood;[1]

He death-doomed had hid him, when reaved of his joyance 15 He laid down his life in the lair he had fled to, His heathenish spirit, where h.e.l.l did receive him.

Thence the friends from of old backward turned them, And many a younker from merry adventure, Striding their stallions, stout from the seaward, 20 Heroes on horses. There were heard very often

{Beowulf is the hero of the hour.}

Beowulf's praises; many often a.s.serted That neither south nor north, in the circuit of waters,

{He is regarded as a probable successor to Hrothgar.}

O'er outstretching earth-plain, none other was better 'Mid bearers of war-shields, more worthy to govern, 25 'Neath the arch of the ether. Not any, however, 'Gainst the friend-lord muttered, mocking-words uttered

{But no word is uttered to derogate from the old king}

Of Hrothgar the gracious (a good king he).

Oft the famed ones permitted their fallow-skinned horses [31] To run in rivalry, racing and chasing, 30 Where the fieldways appeared to them fair and inviting, Known for their excellence; oft a thane of the folk-lord,[2]

{The gleeman sings the deeds of heroes.}

[3]A man of celebrity, mindful of rhythms, Who ancient traditions treasured in memory, New word-groups found properly bound: 35 The bard after 'gan then Beowulf's venture

{He sings in alliterative measures of Beowulf's prowess.}

Wisely to tell of, and words that were clever To utter skilfully, earnestly speaking, Everything told he that he heard as to Sigmund's

{Also of Sigemund, who has slain a great fire-dragon.}

Mighty achievements, many things hidden, 40 The strife of the Waelsing, the wide-going ventures The children of men knew of but little, The feud and the fury, but Fitela with him, When suchlike matters he minded to speak of, Uncle to nephew, as in every contention 45 Each to other was ever devoted: A numerous host of the race of the scathers They had slain with the sword-edge. To Sigmund accrued then No little of glory, when his life-days were over, Since he st.u.r.dy in struggle had destroyed the great dragon, 50 The h.o.a.rd-treasure's keeper; 'neath the h.o.a.r-grayish stone he, The son of the atheling, unaided adventured The perilous project; not present was Fitela, Yet the fortune befell him of forcing his weapon Through the marvellous dragon, that it stood in the wall, 55 Well-honored weapon; the worm was slaughtered.

The great one had gained then by his glorious achievement To reap from the ring-h.o.a.rd richest enjoyment, [32] As best it did please him: his vessel he loaded, Shining ornaments on the ship's bosom carried, 60 Kinsman of Waels: the drake in heat melted.

{Sigemund was widely famed.}

He was farthest famed of fugitive pilgrims, Mid wide-scattered world-folk, for works of great prowess, War-troopers' shelter: hence waxed he in honor.[4]

{Heremod, an unfortunate Danish king, is introduced by way of contrast.}