140 tabernacles, in prayers implored the slayer of souls to afford
them help against the sufferings of the people. Such was their
wont, the hope of heathens; they were mindful in their hearts
of hell, (nor knew they the Creator, the Judge of deeds, nor
had heard of the Lord God, nor verily had learned to praise
145 the Guardian of the heavens and the King of glory. Woe shall
be to him that through fiendish malice shall thrust down his
soul into the fire’s embrace, to look for no comfort, in no
wise to change his lot! Blessed shall be he that may after his
death-day go unto the lord and seek peace in the bosom of
150 the Father!)
Even thus over the sorrows of that time did the son of
Healfdene brood unceasingly, nor could that wise prince put
aside his grief; too strong was that strife, too dire and weary
to endure, that had come upon that folk, torment fierce and
155 cruel that they needs must bear, the greatest of miseries that
came by night.
Of this, of Grendel’s deeds, the knight of Hygelac,
esteemed among the Geats, heard in his home afar; in that
day of man’s life here in might the strongest of mankind was
160 he, noble and of stature beyond man’s measure. He bade men
prepare for him a good craft upon the waves, saying that over
the waters where the swan rides he would seek the warriorking,
that prince renowned, since he had need of men. With
that voyage little fault did wise men find, dear though he
165 were to them; they encouraged his valiant heart, and they
observed the omens.
Champions of the people of the Geats that good man had
chosen from the boldest that he could find, and fifteen in
ail they sought now their timbered ship, while that warrior,
170 skilled in the ways of the sea, led them to the margins of the
land. Time passed on. Afloat upon the waves was the boat
beneath the cliffs. Eagerly the warriors mounted the prow,
and the streaming seas swirled upon the sand. Men-at-arms
bore to the bosom of the ship their bright harness, their cunning
175 gear of war; they then, men on a glad voyage, thrust her
forth with her well-joined timbers. Over the waves of the
deep she went sped by the wind, sailing with foam at throat
most like unto a bird, until in due hour upon the second day
her curving beak had made such way that those sailors saw
180 the land, the cliffs beside the ocean gleaming, and sheer
headlands and capes thrust far to sea. Then for that sailing ship the
journey was at an end. Thence the men of the Windloving
folk climbed swiftly up upon the beach, and made fast the
sea-borne timbers of their ship; their mail-shirts they shook,
185 their raiment of war. They gave thanks to God that the
passage of the waves had been made easy for them.
Then from the high shore the watchman of the Scyldings,
who of duty guarded the cliffs by the sea, saw them bearing
over the gangway bright shields and gallant harness; anxiety
190 smote him in his heart to learn what these men might be.
He went then to the strand riding on his horse, Hrothgar’s
knight, and mightily he brandished in his hands his stout
spear-shaft, and in words of parley he asked: ‘What warriors
are ye, clad in corslets, that have come thus steering your
195 tall ship over the streets of the sea, hither over deep waters?
Lo! I long while have dwelt at the ends of the land, keeping
watch over the water, that in the land of the Danes no foeman
might come harrying with raiding fleet. Never have armed
men more openly here essayed to land, knowing not at all
200 the pass-word of men in array of war, nor having the consent
of kinsmen. Never have I seen on earth a greater among men
than is one of you, a warrior in arms; no hall-servant is he in
brave show of weapons, if his fair countenance lie not and
his peerless mien. Now must I learn of what people you are
205 sprung, rather than ye should pass on hence, false spies, into
the land of the Danes. Come now, ye dwellers afar, voyagers
of the sea, hear my thought plainly spoken: in haste it is best
that ye declare whence your ways have led!’
To him then the chief made answer, the leader of the
210 company, opened his store of words: ‘We are by race men
of the Geats and hearth-comrades of Hygelac. Famed among
peoples was my father, a noble warrior in the forefront of
battle; Ecgtheow was he called. Many a winter he endured
ere in age he departed from his courts; full well doth every
215 wise man remember him far and wide over the earth. With
friendly purpose are we now come seeking thy master, the
son of Healfdene, defender of his people. Be thou kindly in
counsel to us! A mighty errand have we to him renowned,
the lord of the Danes; and there a certain matter shall not be
220 kept secret, as I think. Thou knowest if so it be, as in truth
we have heard tell, that among the Scyldings I know not what
deadly thing, a doer of deeds of secret hatred, on dark nights
in dreadful wise makes plain his monstrous malice, shame of
men, and felling of the dead. Concerning that with ungrudging
225 heart I can give counsel to Hrothgar how he, wise and
good, will overcome his enemy - should there ever come
change or betterment in the torment of his woes - how those
burning griefs will be assuaged; or else for ever after he will
endure a time of tribulation and dire need, while there in its
230 high place abides the best of houses.’
The watchman spake, sitting there upon his steed, fearless
servant of the king: ‘A man of keen wit who takes good
heed will discern the truth in both words and deeds: my ears
assure me that here is a company of friendly mind towards
235 the Lord of the Scyldings. Go ye forward bearing your
weapons and your armour! I will guide you! My young esquires,
moreover, I will command honourably to guard your ship,
your new-tarred vessel upon the sand, against every foe,
until with its timbers and its wreathéd prow it bears back
240 again over the streams of the sea its beloved master to the
Weather-mark. To such a doer of good deeds it shall surely
be granted that he will come sound and whole through this
onset of war!’
They went then marching forth. Their fleet vessel
245 remained now still, deep-bosomed ship it rode upon its
hawser fast to the anchor. Figures of the boar shone above
cheek-guards, adorned with gold, glittering, fire-tempered;
fierce and challenging war-mask kept guard over life. The
men hastened striding together until they could descry the
250 builded hall adorned bright with gold, foremost it was in
fame of all houses under heaven among the dwellers upon
earth, wherein the mighty one abode; the light of it shone
over many a land. Then that warrior bold pointed out to
them, clear to see, the court of proud men, that they might
255 march straight thither.
Then that warrior turned his horse,
and thereupon spake
these words: ‘Time it is for me to go. May the Almighty
Father in his grace keep you safe upon your quests! To the
sea will I go, against unfriendly hosts my watch to keep.’
260 The street was paved in stone patterns; the path guided
those men together. There shone corslet of war, hard, handlinked,
bright ring of iron rang in their harness, as in their
dread gear they went striding straight unto the hall. Weary
of the sea they set their tall shields, bucklers wondrous hard,
265 against the wall of the house, and sat then on the bench.
Corslets rang, war-harness of men. Their spears stood piled
together, seamen’s gear, ash-hafted, grey-tipped with steel.
Well furnished with weapons was the iron-mailed company.
There then a knight in proud array asked those men of battle
270 concerning their lineage: ‘Whence bear ye your plated shields,
your grey shirts of mail, your masked helms and throng of
warlike shafts? I am Hrothgar’s herald and servant. Never
have I seen so many men of outland folk more proud of bearing!
I deem that in pride, not in the ways of banished men,
275 nay, in greatness of heart ye have come seeking Hrothgar!’
To him then, strong and bold, the proud prince of the
Windloving folk replied, words he spake in answer, stern
beneath his helm: ‘We are companions of Hygelac’s table;
Beowulf is my name. To the son of Healfdene, glorious king,
280 I wish to tell mine errand, to thy lord, if he will vouchsafe
to us that we may approach him in his excellence.’ Wulfgar
spake – noble prince of the Wendels was he, his heart’s
temper, his prowess and wisdom, were known to many a
man: ‘This will I enquire of the Friend of the Danes, lord of
285 the Scyldings, giver of rings, concerning thy quest, even as
thou prayest, and such answer quickly declare to thee as he
in his goodness is minded to give.’
Then swiftly he returned to where Hrothgar sat, old and
hoar-headed, amid his company of knights; valiant he strode
290 until he stood by the shoulder of the lord of the Danes, well
he knew the customs of courtly men. Wulfgar spake to his
beloved lord: ‘Here are now landed, come from afar over the
encircling sea, noble men of the Geats; the chiefest of them
men of arms name Beowulf. They beg to exchange words with
295 thee, my king. Do not make denial to them of thy fair answer,
O gracious Hrothgar! In their harness of war they seem well
to merit the esteem of men; assuredly a man of worth is the
captain, who hath led these men of battle to this land.’
Hrothgar spake, protector of the Scyldings: ‘I knew him
300 while he was yet a boy. His sire of old was called Ecgtheow;
to him Hrethel of the Geats gave as bride his only daughter;
it is his son that has now here come dauntless seeking a friend
and patron. Voyagers by sea, such as have borne gifts and
treasures for the Geats thither in token of good will, have
305 since reported that he hath in the grasp of his hand the might
and power of thirty men, valiant in battle. Holy God hath
sent him to us in his mercy, even to the West Danes, as is
my hope, against the terror of Grendel. To this good knight
I shall offer precious gifts to reward the valour of his heart.
310 Make haste now! Bid them enter here and look upon the
proud company of our kin here gathered together; tell them
too in words of greeting that they are welcome to the people
of the Danes!’
[Then Wulfgar went toward the door of the hall, and]
315 standing within he pronounced these words: ‘My victorious
lord, chieftain of the East Danes bade me say to you
that he knows your lineage, and that with your dauntless
hearts ye come as welcome guests to him over the surges of
the sea. Now may ye go in your harness of battle beneath
320 your masked helms to look upon Hrothgar. Leave here your
warlike shields and deadly shafted spears to await the issue
of your words.’ Then that lordly man arose, and about him
many a warrior, a valiant company of knights. Some remained
behind guarding their gear of war, even as the bold captain
325 commanded. They went with speed together, the knight guiding
them, beneath the roof of Heorot. Stern beneath his helm
[strode Beowulf] until he stood beside the hearth. Words he
spake – his mail gleamed upon him, woven like stuff in crafty
web by the cunning of smiths: ‘Hail to thee, Hrothgar! I am
330 Hygelac’s kinsman and vassal; on many a renowned deed I
ventured in my youth. To me on my native soil the matter of
Grendel became known and revealed; travellers upon the sea
report that this hall, fairest of houses, stands empty and to
all men useless, as soon as the light of evening is hid beneath
335 heaven’s pale. Thereupon the worthiest of my people and
wise men counselled me to come to thee, King Hrothgar; for
they had learned the power of my body’s strength; they had
themselves observed it, when I returned from the toils of my
foes, earning their enmity, where five I bound, making desolate
340 the race of monsters, and when I slew amid the waves by
night the water-demons, enduring bitter need, avenging the
afflictions of the windloving Geats, destroying those hostile
things - woe they had asked for. And now I shall with
Grendel, with that fierce slayer, hold debate alone with the
345 ogre. Now therefore will I ask of thee, prince of the glorious
Danes, defender of the Scyldings, this one boon, that thou
deny not to me, O protector of warriors, fair lord of peoples,
since I have come from so far away, that only I may, and
my proud company of men, this dauntless company, make
350 Heorot clean. I have learned, too, that this fierce slayer in his
savagery to weapons gives no heed. I too then will disdain
(so love me Hygelac, my liege lord!) to bear either sword,
or wide shield, yellow-bossed, to battle, nay, with my gripe
I shall seize upon the foe, and engage in mortal contest with
355 hate against hate – there to the judgement of the Lord shall
he resign himself whom death doth take. Methinks he will,
if he is permitted to have the mastery, in this hall of battle
devour without fear the Gothic knights, the strong band of
Hrethmen, as he oft hath done. No need wilt thou have in
360 burial to shroud my head, but he will hold me reddened with
gore, if death takes me; a bloody corse will bear, will think
to taste it, and departing alone will eat unpitying, staining the
hollows of the moors. No need wilt thou have any longer to
care for my body’s sustenance! Send back to Hygelac, should
365 battle take me, the mail-shirt most excellent that defends my
breast, fairest of raiment. Hrethel bequeathed it, the work of
Wayland. Fate goeth ever as she must!’
Hrothgar made answer, protector of the Scyldings: ‘My
friend Beowulf, for my deserts and for the grace that once
370 I showed thou hast now come to us. Thy father
with the
sword ended one of the greatest feuds: Heatholaf with his
own hands he slew among the Wylfings. Then the kindred
of the Wederas could no longer keep him for the dread of
war. Thence he sought the South-Danish folk over the surges
375 of the sea, even the glorious Scyldings, when first I ruled
the people of the Danes and in youth governed a spacious
realm, treasury and stronghold of mighty men. Heorogar
was then dead, mine elder brother, no longer lived the son of
Healfdene; better was he than I! Thereafter that feud I settled
380 with payment, sending [to the Wylfings] over the backs of
the sea ancient treasures; oaths he swore to me. Grievous to
my heart is it to recount to any among men what humiliations
in Heorot, what dreadful deeds of malice Grendel hath
wrought for me in the hatred of his heart. Diminished is the
385 company of my hall, the ranks of my warriors; Fate hath
swept them into the dire clutch of Grendel. God (alone)
may easily hinder from his deeds that savage foe! Full often
have champions of war flushed with drink over the goblets
of ale made vaunt that in the drinking hall they would meet
390 the warlike might of Grendel with the terror of their blades.
Thereafter was this mead-hall, my royal house, on the
morrow-tide red with dripping blood when day shone forth,
all the bench-boards drenched with blood and the hall with
dew of swords. The fewer loyal hearts and bold men tried
395 in war had I, for death had taken them. Sit now at the feast,
and when the time comes turn thy thought to victory for the
Hrethmen, as thy heart may urge thee.’
Then for the young Geatish knights together in company
a bench was made free in the drinking hall; there to their seats
400 went those stout of heart resplendent in their strength. An
esquire his office heeded, he that bore in hand the jewelled
ale-goblet and poured gleaming out the sweet drink. Ever
and anon the minstrel sang clear in Heorot. There was mirth
of mighty men, no little assembly of the tried valour of Danes
405 and Wederas.
Unferth spake, son of Ecglaf, who sat at the feet of the
lord of the Scyldings, a spell to bring forth strife he loosed
— the quest of Beowulf come thus boldly over the sea gave
to him great displeasure, for it was not to his liking that
Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, together with Sellic Spell Page 3