Beowulf Part 18

[39]

{Queen Hildeburg has her son burnt along with Hnaef.}

The bairn of her bosom to bear to the fire, That his body be burned and borne to the pyre.

The woe-stricken woman wept on his shoulder,[2]

65 In measures lamented; upmounted the hero.[3]

The greatest of dead-fires curled to the welkin, On the hill's-front crackled; heads were a-melting, Wound-doors bursting, while the blood was a-coursing From body-bite fierce. The fire devoured them, 70 Greediest of spirits, whom war had offcarried From both of the peoples; their bravest were fallen.

[1] For 1084, R. suggests 'wiht Hengeste wi gefeohtan.'--K. suggests 'wi Hengeste wiht gefeohtan.' Neither emendation would make any essential change in the translation.

[2] The separation of adjective and noun by a phrase (cf. v. 1118) being very unusual, some scholars have put 'earme on eaxle' with the foregoing lines, inserting a semicolon after 'eaxle.' In this case 'on eaxe' (_i.e._, on the ashes, cinders) is sometimes read, and this affords a parallel to 'on bael.' Let us hope that a satisfactory rendering shall yet be reached without resorting to any tampering with the text, such as Lichtenheld proposed: 'earme ides on eaxle gnornode.'

[3] For 'gu-rinc,' 'gu-rec,' _battle-smoke_, has been suggested.

XVIII.

THE FINN EPISODE (_continued_).--THE BANQUET CONTINUES.

{The survivors go to Friesland, the home of Finn.}

"Then the warriors departed to go to their dwellings, Reaved of their friends, Friesland to visit, Their homes and high-city. Hengest continued

{Hengest remains there all winter, unable to get away.}

Biding with Finn the blood-tainted winter, 5 Wholly unsundered;[1] of fatherland thought he Though unable to drive the ring-stemmed vessel [40] O'er the ways of the waters; the wave-deeps were tossing, Fought with the wind; winter in ice-bonds Closed up the currents, till there came to the dwelling 10 A year in its course, as yet it revolveth, If season propitious one alway regardeth, World-cheering weathers. Then winter was gone, Earth's bosom was lovely; the exile would get him,

{He devises schemes of vengeance.}

The guest from the palace; on grewsomest vengeance 15 He brooded more eager than on oversea journeys, Whe'r onset-of-anger he were able to 'complish, The bairns of the Jutemen therein to remember.

Nowise refused he the duties of liegeman When Hun of the Frisians the battle-sword Lafing, 20 Fairest of falchions, friendly did give him: Its edges were famous in folk-talk of Jutland.

And savage sword-fury seized in its clutches Bold-mooded Finn where he bode in his palace,

{Guthlaf and Oslaf revenge Hnaef's slaughter.}

When the grewsome grapple Guthlaf and Oslaf 25 Had mournfully mentioned, the mere-journey over, For sorrows half-blamed him; the flickering spirit Could not bide in his bosom. Then the building was covered[2]

{Finn is slain.}

With corpses of foemen, and Finn too was slaughtered, The king with his comrades, and the queen made a prisoner.

{The jewels of Finn, and his queen are carried away by the Danes.}

30 The troops of the Scyldings bore to their vessels All that the land-king had in his palace, Such trinkets and treasures they took as, on searching, At Finn's they could find. They ferried to Daneland The excellent woman on oversea journey,

{The lay is concluded, and the main story is resumed.}

35 Led her to their land-folk." The lay was concluded, The gleeman's recital. Shouts again rose then, Bench-glee resounded, bearers then offered

{Skinkers carry round the beaker.}

Wine from wonder-vats. Wealhtheo advanced then Going 'neath gold-crown, where the good ones were seated

[41]

{Queen Wealhtheow greets Hrothgar, as he sits beside Hrothulf, his nephew.}

40 Uncle and nephew; their peace was yet mutual, True each to the other. And Unferth the spokesman Sat at the feet of the lord of the Scyldings: Each trusted his spirit that his mood was courageous, Though at fight he had failed in faith to his kinsmen.

45 Said the queen of the Scyldings: "My lord and protector, Treasure-bestower, take thou this beaker; Joyance attend thee, gold-friend of heroes,

{Be generous to the Geats.}

And greet thou the Geatmen with gracious responses!

So ought one to do. Be kind to the Geatmen, 50 In gifts not n.i.g.g.ardly; anear and afar now Peace thou enjoyest. Report hath informed me Thou'lt have for a bairn the battle-brave hero.

Now is Heorot cleansed, ring-palace gleaming;

{Have as much joy as possible in thy hall, once more purified.}

Give while thou mayest many rewards, 55 And bequeath to thy kinsmen kingdom and people, On wending thy way to the Wielder's splendor.

I know good Hrothulf, that the n.o.ble young troopers

{I know that Hrothulf will prove faithful if he survive thee.}

He'll care for and honor, lord of the Scyldings, If earth-joys thou endest earlier than he doth; 60 I reckon that recompense he'll render with kindness Our offspring and issue, if that all he remember, What favors of yore, when he yet was an infant, We awarded to him for his worship and pleasure."

Then she turned by the bench where her sons were carousing, 65 Hrethric and Hrothmund, and the heroes' offspring,

{Beowulf is sitting by the two royal sons.}

The war-youth together; there the good one was sitting 'Twixt the brothers twain, Beowulf Geatman.

[1] For 1130 (1) R. and Gr. suggest 'elne unflitme' as 1098 (1) reads.

The latter verse is undisputed; and, for the former, 'elne' would be as possible as 'ealles,' and 'unflitme' is well supported. Accepting 'elne unflitme' for both, I would suggest '_very peaceably_' for both places: (1) _Finn to Hengest very peaceably vowed with oaths_, etc.

(2) _Hengest then still the slaughter-stained winter remained there with Finn very peaceably_. The two pa.s.sages become thus correlatives, the second a sequel of the first. 'Elne,' in the sense of very (swie), needs no argument; and 'unflitme' (from 'flitan') can, it seems to me, be more plausibly rendered 'peaceful,' 'peaceable,' than 'contestable,' or 'conquerable.'

[2] Some scholars have proposed 'roden'; the line would then read: _Then the building was reddened, etc._, instead of 'covered.' The 'h'

may have been carried over from the three alliterating 'h's.'

XIX.

BEOWULF RECEIVES FURTHER HONOR.

{More gifts are offered Beowulf.}