Beowulf 7: Beowulf returns to Geat-land.

XXVIII.

THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY.

Then the band of very valiant retainers

Came to the current; they were clad all in armor,

[The coast-guard again.]

In link-woven burnies. The land-warder noticed

The return of the earlmen, as he erstwhile had seen them;

Nowise with insult he greeted the strangers

From the naze of the cliff, but rode on to meet them;

Said the bright-armored visitors vesselward traveled

Welcome to Weders. The wide-bosomed craft then

Lay on the sand, laden with armor,

With horses and jewels, the ring-stemmèd sailer:

The mast uptowered o’er the treasure of Hrothgar.

[Beowulf gives the guard a handsome sword.]

To the boat-ward a gold-bound brand he presented,

That he was afterwards honored on the ale-bench more highly

As the heirloom’s owner. Set he out on his vessel,

To drive on the deep, Dane-country left he.

Along by the mast then a sea-garment fluttered,

A rope-fastened sail. The sea-boat resounded,

The wind o’er the waters the wave-floater nowise

Kept from its journey; the sea-goer traveled,

The foamy-necked floated forth o’er the currents,

The well-fashioned vessel o’er the ways of the ocean,

[The Geats see their own land again.]

Till they came within sight of the cliffs of the Geatmen,

The well-known headlands. The wave-goer hastened

Driven by breezes, stood on the shore.

The port-warden is anxiously looking for them.

Prompt at the ocean, the port-ward was ready,

Who long in the past outlooked in the distance,

At water’s-edge waiting well-lovèd heroes;

He bound to the bank then the broad-bosomed vessel

Fast in its fetters, lest the force of the waters

Should be able to injure the ocean-wood winsome.

Bade he up then take the treasure of princes,

Plate-gold and fretwork; not far was it thence

To go off in search of the giver of jewels:

Hrethel’s son Higelac at home there remaineth,

Himself with his comrades close to the sea-coast.

The building was splendid, the king heroic,

Great in his hall, Hygd very young was,

[Hygd, the noble queen of Higelac, lavish of gifts.]

Fine-mooded, clever, though few were the winters

That the daughter of Hæreth had dwelt in the borough;

But she nowise was cringing nor niggard of presents,

Of ornaments rare, to the race of the Geatmen.

[Offa’s consort, Thrytho, is contrasted with Hygd, reduced].

GIFT-GIVING IS MUTUAL.

“So the belovèd land-prince lived in decorum;

I had missed no rewards, no meeds of my prowess,

But he gave me jewels, regarding my wishes,

Healfdene his bairn; I’ll bring them to thee, then,

[All my gifts I lay at thy feet.]

Atheling of earlmen, offer them gladly.

And still unto thee is all my affection:

But few of my folk-kin find I surviving

But thee, dear Higelac!” Bade he in then to carry

The boar-image, banner, battle-high helmet,

Dappled and yellow; he granted him usance

Of horses and treasures. So a kinsman should bear him,

No web of treachery weave for another,

Nor by cunning craftiness cause the destruction

[Higelac loves his nephew Beowulf.]

Of trusty companion. Most precious to Higelac,

The bold one in battle, was the bairn of his sister,

And each unto other mindful of favors.

[Beowulf gives Hygd the necklace that Wealhtheow had given him.]

I am told that to Hygd he proffered the necklace,

Wonder-gem rare that Wealhtheow gave him,

The troop-leader’s daughter, a trio of horses

Slender and saddle-bright; soon did the jewel

Embellish her bosom, when the beer-feast was over.

So Ecgtheow’s bairn brave did prove him,

[Beowulf is famous.]

War-famous man, by deeds that were valiant,

He lived in honor, belovèd companions

Slew not carousing; his mood was not cruel,

But by hand-strength hugest of heroes then living

The brave one retained the bountiful gift that

The Lord had allowed him. Long was he wretched,

So that sons of the Geatmen accounted him worthless,

And the lord of the liegemen loth was to do him

Mickle of honor, when mead-cups were passing;

They fully believed him idle and sluggish,

[He is requited for the slights suffered in earlier days.]

An indolent atheling: to the honor-blest man there

Came requital for the cuts he had suffered.

The folk-troop’s defender bade fetch to the building

The heirloom of Hrethel, embellished with gold,

[Higelac overwhelms the conqueror with gifts.]

So the brave one enjoined it; there was jewel no richer

In the form of a weapon ’mong Geats of that era;

In Beowulf’s keeping he placed it and gave him

Seven of thousands, manor and lordship.

Common to both was land ’mong the people,

Estate and inherited rights and possessions,

To the second one specially spacious dominions,

To the one who was better. It afterward happened

In days that followed, befell the battle-thanes,

[After Heardred’s death, Beowulf becomes king.]

After Higelac’s death, and when Heardred was murdered

With weapons of warfare ’neath well-covered targets,

When valiant battlemen in victor-band sought him,

War-Scylfing heroes harassed the nephew

Of Hereric in battle. To Beowulf’s keeping

Turned there in time extensive dominions:

[He rules the Geats fifty years.]

He fittingly ruled them a fifty of winters

(He a man-ruler wise was, manor-ward old) till

A certain one ’gan, on gloom-darkening nights, a

[The fire-drake]

Dragon, to govern, who guarded a treasure,

A high-rising stone-cliff, on heath that was grayish:

A path ’neath it lay, unknown unto mortals.

Some one of earthmen entered the mountain,

The heathenish hoard laid hold of with ardor;

* * * * * * *

[fire damaged portion of text]