Beowulf Part 12

{Unferth, a thane of Hrothgar, is jealous of Beowulf, and undertakes to twit him.}

Unferth spoke up, Ecglaf his son, Who sat at the feet of the lord of the Scyldings, Opened the jousting (the journey[1] of Beowulf, Sea-farer doughty, gave sorrow to Unferth 5 And greatest chagrin, too, for granted he never That any man else on earth should attain to, Gain under heaven, more glory than he):

{Did you take part in a swimming-match with Breca?}

"Art thou that Beowulf with Breca did struggle, On the wide sea-currents at swimming contended, 10 Where to humor your pride the ocean ye tried,

{'Twas mere folly that actuated you both to risk your lives on the ocean.}

From vainest vaunting adventured your bodies In care of the waters? And no one was able Nor lief nor loth one, in the least to dissuade you Your difficult voyage; then ye ventured a-swimming, 15 Where your arms outstretching the streams ye did cover, The mere-ways measured, mixing and stirring them, Glided the ocean; angry the waves were, With the weltering of winter. In the water's possession, Ye toiled for a seven-night; he at swimming outdid thee, 20 In strength excelled thee. Then early at morning On the Heath.o.r.emes' sh.o.r.e the holm-currents tossed him, Sought he thenceward the home of his fathers, Beloved of his liegemen, the land of the Brondings, The peace-castle pleasant, where a people he wielded, [20] 25 Had borough and jewels. The pledge that he made thee

{Breca outdid you entirely.}

The son of Beanstan hath soothly accomplished.

Then I ween thou wilt find thee less fortunate issue,

{Much more will Grendel outdo you, if you vie with him in prowess.}

Though ever triumphant in onset of battle, A grim grappling, if Grendel thou darest 30 For the s.p.a.ce of a night near-by to wait for!"

{Beowulf retaliates.}

Beowulf answered, offspring of Ecgtheow: "My good friend Unferth, sure freely and wildly,

{O friend Unferth, you are fuddled with beer, and cannot talk coherently.}

Thou fuddled with beer of Breca hast spoken, Hast told of his journey! A fact I allege it, 35 That greater strength in the waters I had then, Ills in the ocean, than any man else had.

We made agreement as the merest of striplings Promised each other (both of us then were

{We simply kept an engagement made in early life.}

Younkers in years) that we yet would adventure 40 Out on the ocean; it all we accomplished.

While swimming the sea-floods, sword-blade unscabbarded Boldly we brandished, our bodies expected To s.h.i.+eld from the sharks. He sure was unable

{He _could_ not excel me, and I _would_ not excel him.}

To swim on the waters further than I could, 45 More swift on the waves, nor _would_ I from him go.

Then we two companions stayed in the ocean

{After five days the currents separated us.}

Five nights together, till the currents did part us, The weltering waters, weathers the bleakest, And nethermost night, and the north-wind whistled 50 Fierce in our faces; fell were the billows.

The mere fishes' mood was mightily ruffled: And there against foemen my firm-knotted corslet, Hand-jointed, hardy, help did afford me; My battle-sark braided, brilliantly gilded,

{A horrible sea-beast attacked me, but I slew him.}

55 Lay on my bosom. To the bottom then dragged me, A hateful fiend-scather, seized me and held me, Grim in his grapple: 'twas granted me, nathless, To pierce the monster with the point of my weapon, My obedient blade; battle offcarried 60 The mighty mere-creature by means of my hand-blow.

[1] It has been plausibly suggested that 'si' (in 501 and in 353) means 'arrival.' If so, translate the bracket: _(the arrival of Beowulf, the brave seafarer, was a source of great chagrin to Unferth, etc.)_.

[21]

X.

BEOWULF SILENCES UNFERTH.--GLEE IS HIGH.

"So ill-meaning enemies often did cause me Sorrow the sorest. I served them, in quittance,

{My dear sword always served me faithfully.}

With my dear-loved sword, as in sooth it was fitting; They missed the pleasure of feasting abundantly, 5 Ill-doers evil, of eating my body, Of surrounding the banquet deep in the ocean; But wounded with edges early at morning They were stretched a-high on the strand of the ocean,

{I put a stop to the outrages of the sea-monsters.}

Put to sleep with the sword, that sea-going travelers 10 No longer thereafter were hindered from sailing The foam-das.h.i.+ng currents. Came a light from the east, G.o.d's beautiful beacon; the billows subsided, That well I could see the nesses projecting,

{Fortune helps the brave earl.}

The bl.u.s.tering crags. Weird often saveth 15 The undoomed hero if doughty his valor!

But me did it fortune[1] to fell with my weapon Nine of the nickers. Of night-struggle harder 'Neath dome of the heaven heard I but rarely, Nor of wight more woful in the waves of the ocean; 20 Yet I 'scaped with my life the grip of the monsters,

{After that escape I drifted to Finland.}

Weary from travel. Then the waters bare me To the land of the Finns, the flood with the current,

{I have never heard of your doing any such bold deeds.}

The weltering waves. Not a word hath been told me Of deeds so daring done by thee, Unferth, 25 And of sword-terror none; never hath Breca At the play of the battle, nor either of you two, Feat so fearless performed with weapons Glinting and gleaming ... ... ... ...

[22] ... ... ... ... I utter no boasting;

{You are a slayer of brothers, and will suffer d.a.m.nation, wise as you may be.}

30 Though with cold-blooded cruelty thou killedst thy brothers, Thy nearest of kin; thou needs must in h.e.l.l get Direful d.a.m.nation, though doughty thy wisdom.

I tell thee in earnest, offspring of Ecglaf, Never had Grendel such numberless horrors, 35 The direful demon, done to thy liegelord, Harrying in Heorot, if thy heart were as st.u.r.dy,

{Had your acts been as brave as your words, Grendel had not ravaged your land so long.}

Thy mood as ferocious as thou dost describe them.

He hath found out fully that the fierce-burning hatred, The edge-battle eager, of all of your kindred, 40 Of the Victory-Scyldings, need little dismay him: Oaths he exacteth, not any he spares

{The monster is not afraid of the Danes,}

Of the folk of the Danemen, but fighteth with pleasure, Killeth and feasteth, no contest expecteth

{but he will soon learn to dread the Geats.}