The Tale of Beowulf | Page 3

first?Found bare and all-lacking; so solace he bided,?Wax'd under the welkin in worship to thrive,?Until it was so that the round-about sitters?All over the whale-road must hearken his will 10 And yield him the tribute. A good king was that,?By whom then thereafter a son was begotten,?A youngling in garth, whom the great God sent thither?To foster the folk; and their crime-need he felt?The load that lay on them while lordless they lived?For a long while and long. He therefore, the Life-lord,?The Wielder of glory, world's worship he gave him:?Brim Beowulf waxed, and wide the weal upsprang?Of the offspring of Scyld in the parts of the Scede-lands. Such wise shall a youngling with wealth be a-working 20 With goodly fee-gifts toward the friends of his father,?That after in eld-days shall ever bide with him,?Fair fellows well-willing when wendeth the war-tide,?Their lief lord a-serving. By praise-deeds it shall be?That in each and all kindreds a man shall have thriving.?Then went his ways Scyld when the shapen while was,?All hardy to wend him to the lord and his warding:?Out then did they bear him to the side of the sea-flood,?The dear fellows of him, as he himself pray'd them?While yet his word wielded the friend of the Scyldings, 30 The dear lord of the land; a long while had he own'd it.?With stem all be-ringed at the hythe stood the ship,?All icy and out-fain, the Atheling's ferry.?There then did they lay him, the lord well beloved,?The gold-rings' bestower, within the ship's barm,?The mighty by mast. Much there was the treasure,?From far ways forsooth had the fret-work been led:?Never heard I of keel that was comelier dighted?With weapons of war, and with weed of the battle,?With bills and with byrnies. There lay in his barm 40 Much wealth of the treasure that with him should be,?And he into the flood's might afar to depart.?No lesser a whit were the wealth-goods they dight him?Of the goods of the folk, than did they who aforetime,?When was the beginning, first sent him away?Alone o'er the billows, and he but a youngling.?Moreover they set him up there a sign golden?High up overhead, and let the holm bear him,?Gave all to the Spearman. Sad mind they had in them,?And mourning their mood was. Now never knew men, 50 For sooth how to say it, rede-masters in hall,?Or heroes 'neath heaven, to whose hands came the lading.
II. CONCERNING HROTHGAR,?AND HOW HE BUILT THE HOUSE CALLED HART.?ALSO GRENDEL IS TOLD OF.
In the burgs then was biding Beowulf the Scylding,?Dear King of the people, for long was he dwelling?Far-famed of folks (his father turn'd elsewhere,?From his stead the Chief wended) till awoke to him after?Healfdene the high, and long while he held it,?Ancient and war-eager, o'er the glad Scyldings:?Of his body four bairns are forth to him rimed;?Into the world woke the leader of war-hosts 60 Heorogar; eke Hrothgar, and Halga the good;?Heard I that Elan queen was she of Ongentheow,?That Scylding of battle, the bed-mate behalsed.?Then was unto Hrothgar the war-speed given,?Such worship of war that his kin and well-willers?Well hearken'd his will till the younglings were waxen,?A kin-host a many. Then into his mind ran?That he would be building for him now a hall-house,?That men should be making a mead-hall more mighty?Than the children of ages had ever heard tell of: 70 And there within eke should he be out-dealing?To young and to old all things God had given,?Save the share of the folk and the life-days of men.?Then heard I that widely the work was a-banning?To kindreds a many the Middle-garth over?To fret o'er that folk-stead. So befell to him timely?Right soon among men that made was it yarely?The most of hall-houses, and Hart its name shap'd he,?Who wielded his word full widely around.?His behest he belied not; it was he dealt the rings, 80 The wealth at the high-tide. Then up rose the hall-house, High up and horn-gabled. Hot surges it bided?Of fire-flame the loathly, nor long was it thenceforth?Ere sorely the edge-hate 'twixt Son and Wife's Father?After the slaughter-strife there should awaken.?Then the ghost heavy-strong bore with it hardly?E'en for a while of time, bider in darkness,?That there on each day of days heard he the mirth-tide?Loud in the hall-house. There was the harp's voice,?And clear song of shaper. Said he who could it 90 To tell the first fashion of men from aforetime;?Quoth how the Almighty One made the Earth's fashion,?The fair field and bright midst the bow of the Waters,?And with victory beglory'd set Sun and Moon,?Bright beams to enlighten the biders on land:?And how he adorned all parts of the earth?With limbs and with leaves; and life withal shaped?For the kindred of each thing that quick on earth wendeth. So liv'd on all happy the host of the kinsmen?In game and in glee,