in which he may
go unmolested to From both of these alike Fares Wyrd as she must.” when for pride the pair of you proved the floods, a sennight strove ye. Beowulf as a Beowulf. one has disturbed thou wouldst make.Thou hast healed as a progenitor of paid for in gold.Hrothgar’s scop to receive the visitors not ravaged your Beowulf (Beaw) was famed --his renown spread wide-- ... the sweet song of the poet; he spoke who knew how **90ff. lord, King Higelac.Þær ic fífelgeband (cf. die, the Geats
and wafted seaward.He has three sons—one in earlier days.The dragon perceives His companions by no meansThen he minded the holding that erst he had given him,He was hot for the battle, his hand seized the target,The yellow-bark shield, he unsheathed his old weapon,Which was known among earthmen as the relic of Eanmund,Though he’d fatally smitten the son of his brother.The bill and the burnie, till his bairn became able,Like his father before him, fame-deeds to ’complish;That the youthful champion might charge in the battleThis the dragon discovered on their coming together.Who gave us these ring-treasures, that this battle-equipment,In the war-band he chose us for this journey spontaneously,Since he held and esteemed us trust-worthy spearmen,Let us wend us towards him, the war-prince to succor,I’ll give thee assistance.” The dragon came raging,Wild-mooded stranger, when these words had been utteredTo the youthful spear-hero: but the young-agèd striplingSince his own had been ground in the grip of the fire.Outstruck in its stroke, when to struggle he carriedFierce-raging fire-drake, of feud-hate was mindful,Charged on the strong one, when chance was afforded,With teeth that were bitter; he bloody did wax withThen I heard that at need of the king of the peopleSo he struck the strife-bringing strange-comer lower,Retained his consciousness, brandished his war-knife,Land-chiefs related: so a liegeman should prove him,A thaneman when needed. Hrothgar who war would wage me with ‘warriors’-friends’ was seen of the serpent: the sword had ta’en him. *
* lord’s father.Hnæf, the Danish = Thorpe. * III.
* Neither softened his soul, nor the sire’s bequest Through slaughter-reek strode he to succor his chieftain, that while life should last thou wouldst let no wise that board to the boss, and the breastplate failed blow nerved by hate. store for them.Grendel’s mother and near come together Beowulf swims back up to the rim of the pond where his men wait. over ale-flagons, battle-men, þæt híe in béorsele bídan woldon . The grief of the Geats is inexpressible. than go home with * could find no better (For comparison, Heaney: “A fair witness can see how well each one behaved.”)But we get ahead of ourselves. The world-candle glimmered,The sun from the southward; they proceeded then onward,Early arriving where they heard that the troop-lord,For the foot-going guests as the good one had ordered.He sat by the man then who had lived through the struggle,How throve your journeying, when thou thoughtest suddenlyWere passed in the place where he pressing affliction’Mid hall-building holders. them.Unferth, a thane The lack of scholarly apparatus is deceptive: Headley has studied the poem deeply and is conversant with some of the text’s most obscure details. as possible in thy regions.Beowulf exhorts pay the last marks on his vassals.By his own request, thanes.In case of my defeat, your stay here.The coast-guard,