Beowulf Part 20

[2] For 'sona' (1281), t.B. suggests 'sara,' limiting 'edhwyrft.' Read then: _Return of sorrows to the n.o.bles, etc_. This emendation supplies the syntactical gap after 'edhwyrft.'

[3] Some authorities follow Grein's lexicon in treating 'heard ecg' as an adj. limiting 'sweord': H.-So. renders it as a subst. (So v. 1491.) The sense of the translation would be the same.

[4] B. suggests 'under hrof genam' (v. 1303). This emendation, as well as an emendation with (?) to v. 739, he offers, because 'under'

baffles him in both pa.s.sages. All we need is to take 'under' in its secondary meaning of 'in,' which, though not given by Grein, occurs in the literature. Cf. Chron. 876 (March's A.-S. Gram. -- 355) and Oro.

Amaz. I. 10, where 'under' = _in the midst of_. Cf. modern Eng. 'in such circ.u.mstances,' which interchanges in good usage with 'under such circ.u.mstances.'

[5] For 'neod-lau' (1321) C. suggests 'nead-laum,' and translates: _asked whether the night had been pleasant to him after crus.h.i.+ng-hostility_.

XXI.

HROTHGAR'S ACCOUNT OF THE MONSTERS.

{Hrothgar laments the death of aeschere, his shoulder-companion.}

Hrothgar rejoined, helm of the Scyldings: "Ask not of joyance! Grief is renewed to The folk of the Danemen. Dead is aeschere, Yrmenlaf's brother, older than he, 5 My true-hearted counsellor, trusty adviser, Shoulder-companion, when fighting in battle Our heads we protected, when troopers were clas.h.i.+ng,

{He was my ideal hero.}

And heroes were das.h.i.+ng; such an earl should be ever, An erst-worthy atheling, as aeschere proved him.

10 The flickering death-spirit became in Heorot His hand-to-hand murderer; I can not tell whither The cruel one turned in the carca.s.s exulting,

[47]

{This horrible creature came to avenge Grendel's death.}

By cramming discovered.[1] The quarrel she wreaked then, That last night igone Grendel thou killedst 15 In grewsomest manner, with grim-holding clutches, Since too long he had lessened my liege-troop and wasted My folk-men so foully. He fell in the battle With forfeit of life, and another has followed, A mighty crime-worker, her kinsman avenging, 20 And henceforth hath 'stablished her hatred unyielding,[2]

As it well may appear to many a liegeman, Who mourneth in spirit the treasure-bestower, Her heavy heart-sorrow; the hand is now lifeless Which[3] availed you in every wish that you cherished.

{I have heard my va.s.sals speak of these two uncanny monsters who lived in the moors.}

25 Land-people heard I, liegemen, this saying, Dwellers in halls, they had seen very often A pair of such mighty march-striding creatures, Far-dwelling spirits, holding the moorlands: One of them wore, as well they might notice, 30 The image of woman, the other one wretched In guise of a man wandered in exile, Except he was huger than any of earthmen; Earth-dwelling people ent.i.tled him Grendel In days of yore: they know not their father, 35 Whe'r ill-going spirits any were borne him

{The inhabit the most desolate and horrible places.}

Ever before. They guard the wolf-coverts, Lands inaccessible, wind-beaten nesses, Fearfullest fen-deeps, where a flood from the mountains 'Neath mists of the nesses netherward rattles, 40 The stream under earth: not far is it henceward Measured by mile-lengths that the mere-water standeth, Which forests hang over, with frost-whiting covered,[4]

[48] A firm-rooted forest, the floods overshadow.

There ever at night one an ill-meaning portent 45 A fire-flood may see; 'mong children of men None liveth so wise that wot of the bottom; Though hara.s.sed by hounds the heath-stepper seek for,

{Even the hounded deer will not seek refuge in these uncanny regions.}

Fly to the forest, firm-antlered he-deer, Spurred from afar, his spirit he yieldeth, 50 His life on the sh.o.r.e, ere in he will venture To cover his head. Uncanny the place is: Thence upward ascendeth the surging of waters, Wan to the welkin, when the wind is stirring The weathers unpleasing, till the air groweth gloomy,

{To thee only can I look for a.s.sistance.}

55 And the heavens lower. Now is help to be gotten From thee and thee only! The abode thou know'st not, The dangerous place where thou'rt able to meet with The sin-laden hero: seek if thou darest!

For the feud I will fully fee thee with money, 60 With old-time treasure, as erstwhile I did thee, With well-twisted jewels, if away thou shalt get thee."

[1] For 'gefraegnod' (1334), K. and t.B. suggest 'gefaegnod,' rendering '_rejoicing in her fill_.' This gives a parallel to 'aese wlanc'

(1333).

[2] The line 'And ... yielding,' B. renders: _And she has performed a deed of blood-vengeance whose effect is far-reaching_.

[3] 'Se pe' (1345) is an instance of masc. rel. with fem. antecedent.

So v. 1888, where 'se pe' refers to 'yldo.'

[4] For 'hrimge' in the H.-So. edition, Gr. and others read 'hrinde'

(=hrinende), and translate: _which rustling forests overhang_.

XXII.

BEOWULF SEEKS GRENDEL'S MOTHER.

Beowulf answered, Ecgtheow's son:

{Beowulf exhorts the old king to arouse himself for action.}

"Grieve not, O wise one! for each it is better, His friend to avenge than with vehemence wail him; Each of us must the end-day abide of 5 His earthly existence; who is able accomplish Glory ere death! To battle-thane n.o.ble Lifeless lying, 'tis at last most fitting.

Arise, O king, quick let us hasten To look at the footprint of the kinsman of Grendel!

10 I promise thee this now: to his place he'll escape not, To embrace of the earth, nor to mountainous forest, Nor to depths of the ocean, wherever he wanders.

[49] Practice thou now patient endurance Of each of thy sorrows, as I hope for thee soothly!"

{Hrothgar rouses himself. His horse is brought.}

15 Then up sprang the old one, the All-Wielder thanked he, Ruler Almighty, that the man had outspoken.

Then for Hrothgar a war-horse was decked with a bridle, Curly-maned courser. The clever folk-leader

{They start on the track of the female monster.}

Stately proceeded: stepped then an earl-troop 20 Of linden-wood bearers. Her footprints were seen then Widely in wood-paths, her way o'er the bottoms, Where she faraway fared o'er fen-country murky, Bore away breathless the best of retainers Who pondered with Hrothgar the welfare of country.

25 The son of the athelings then went o'er the stony, Declivitous cliffs, the close-covered pa.s.ses, Narrow pa.s.sages, paths unfrequented, Nesses abrupt, nicker-haunts many; One of a few of wise-mooded heroes, 30 He onward advanced to view the surroundings, Till he found unawares woods of the mountain O'er h.o.a.r-stones hanging, holt-wood unjoyful; The water stood under, welling and gory.

'Twas irksome in spirit to all of the Danemen, 35 Friends of the Scyldings, to many a liegeman

{The sight of aeschere's head causes them great sorrow.}

Sad to be suffered, a sorrow unlittle To each of the earlmen, when to aeschere's head they Came on the cliff. The current was seething With blood and with gore (the troopers gazed on it).

40 The horn anon sang the battle-song ready.

The troop were all seated; they saw 'long the water then

{The water is filled with serpents and sea-dragons.}