The Oldest English Epic/Chapter 1/Beowulf 25

by Unknown

XXV

1745“Under harness his heart then is hit indeed
by sharpest shafts; and no shelter avails
from foul behest of the hellish fiend.^[1]
Him seems too little what long he possessed.
Greedy and grim, no golden rings
1750he gives for his pride; the promised future
forgets he and spurns, with all God has sent him,
Wonder-Wielder, of wealth and fame.
Yet in the end it ever comes
that the frame of the body fragile yields,
1755fatéd falls; and there follows another
who joyously the jewels divides,^[2]
the royal riches, nor recks of his forebear.
Ban, then, such baleful thoughts, Beowulf dearest,
best of men, and the better part choose,
1760profit eternal; and temper thy pride,
warrior famous! The flower of thy might
lasts now a while: but erelong it shall be
that sickness or sword thy strength shall minish,
or fang of fire, or flooding billow,
1765or bite of blade, or brandished spear,
or odious age; or the eyes’ clear beam
wax dull and darken: Death even thee
in haste shall o’erwhelm, thou hero of war!
So the Ring-Danes these half-years a hundred I ruled,
1770wielded ’neath welkin, and warded them bravely
from mighty-ones many o’er middle-earth,
from spear and sword, till it seemed for me
no foe could be found under fold of the sky.
Lo, sudden the shift! To me seated secure
1775came grief for joy when Grendel began
to harry my home, the hellish foe;
for those ruthless raids, unresting I suffered
heart-sorrow heavy. Heaven be thanked,
Lord Eternal, for life extended
1780that I on this head all hewn and bloody,
after long evil, with eyes may gaze!
—Go to the bench now! Be glad at banquet,
warrior worthy! A wealth of treasure
at dawn of day, be dealt between us!”
1785⁠Glad was the Geats’ lord, going betimes
to seek his seat, as the Sage commanded.
Afresh, as before, for the famed-in-battle,
for the band of the hall, was a banquet dight
nobly anew. The Night-Helm darkened
1790dusk o’er the drinkers.
⁠The doughty ones rose:
for the hoary-headed would hasten to rest,
agéd Scylding; and eager the Geat,
shield-fighter sturdy, for sleeping yearned.
Him wander-weary, warrior-guest
1795from far, a hall-thane heralded forth,
who by custom courtly cared for all
needs of a thane as in those old days
warrior-wanderers wont to have.
So slumbered the stout-heart. Stately the hall
1800rose gabled and gilt where the guest slept on
till a raven black the rapture-of-heaven^[3]
blithe-heart boded. Bright came flying
shine after shadow. The swordsmen hastened,
athelings all were eager homeward
1805forth to fare; and far from thence
the great-hearted guest would guide his keel.
⁠Bade then the hardy-one Hrunting be brought
to the son of Ecglaf, the sword bade him take,
excellent iron, and uttered his thanks for it,
1810quoth that he counted it keen in battle,
“war-friend” winsome: with words he slandered not
edge of the blade: ’twas a big-hearted man!^[4]
Now eager for parting and armed at point
warriors waited, while went to his host
1815that Darling of Danes. The doughty atheling
to high-seat hastened and Hrothgar greeted.

1. That is, he is now undefended by conscience from the temptations (shafts) of the devil. This “sermon” of Hrothgar may be “of forty-parson power,” as some one says; but one likes to know what sort of sermon those English of the seventh century preferred. This one would have pleased Dr. Johnson. The same allegory is found in the Middle-English Sawles Warde,—that is, conscience,—and in many other places, times, and authors.
2. Note the absumet heres Cæcuba dignior as partly a division of treasure, the right Germanic thing to do, and the hint of revel and profusion in Horace’s vein.
3. Kenning for the sun.—This is a strange rôle for the raven. He is the warrior’s bird of battle, exults in slaughter and carnage; his joy here is a compliment to the sunrise.
4. This is the simplest way to render a disputed passage; but it may not be the right way. The “hardy-one” here is Beowulf; he returns “Hrunting” in a formal speech, and praises its merits, laying no stress (properly, for enchantment was at work) on its failure to “bite” in the battle with Grendel’s mother. So the Geat’s courtesy is put in strong relief, and the parting from Unferth is contrasted with the meeting. Probably there were favorite songs once about Beowulf’s flyting with Unferth, and our amiable Christian poet, who has doubtless softened many of its asperities, now lays stress on the reconciliation. Klaeber, however, has shown that the philological ways of this interpretation are not smooth. Moreover, the present to a parting guest was inexorable custom in Germania; and Unferth is only doing his duty when (the passage can so be read) he, “the hardy-one,” the son of Ecglaf, orders “Hrunting” to be brought to Beowulf, who accepts it in his customary polite fashion. Of course, one must suppose that “Hrunting” has been already handed back to its owner, and is now finally presented.