Beowulf Read online

  of land and goldrings—no good hall-thane

  could envy that treasure earned with heartstrength—

  and to Eofor gave his only daughter

  a princess for valor and a pledge of favor.

  For that we will pay those proud survivors

  3000

  for slaughter of kin killed in their homeland

  when young Swede-warriors strike once again

  learn that Beowulf our beloved warleader

  lies lifeless now his last breath-moment

  vanished into time a tale for mead-benches

  songs for a king who crushed hell-monsters

  stepped up to a throne served his people there

  held high his promise. Now haste will be best

  that we go to find him guide him at last

  from that fire-black field where he fell deathwards

  3010

  to his final bedrest. Those fine gold-treasures

  will melt with his heart that mighty dragon-hoard

  shall all go with him grimly purchased

  with his own lifeblood—for the last time now

  he has paid for goldrings. Pyre-flames shall eat them

  flame-roof shall thatch them no thane shall wear them

  treasures so dear no dressed hall-maidens

  shall wear on their bosoms wound-gold necklaces

  but grief will adorn them of gold-love bereft

  as they wander in exile through alien domains

  3020

  now that our lord has laid down his laughter

  songs and hall-joys. Now spears will be lifted

  grim and morning-cold gripped in anguish

  with frost-numbing hands. No harp’s sweet sounding

  will waken bench-warriors but the black-gleaming raven

  circling with fate will say many things

  describe to the eagle ample corpse-banquets

  how he shared with the wolf wondrous slaughter-meals.”

  So that grim messenger gave his report

  his unfrivolous news nor did he lie much

  3030

  in words or warnings. Warriors all rose

  uneagerly shuffled under Earnanaes

  lagging with sorrow to look upon death.

  They found on the sand their soulless gift-lord

  still and wordless there who served and ruled them

  for fifty winters—the final life-day

  had come for the good one—the Geats’ hall-master

  dear warrior-king died a wonder-death.

  There they discovered that cooling fire-snake

  stretched upon the earth, seething no more

  3040

  with foul flame-death flying no longer

  with burning bellows, blackened with death.

  Fifty long feet was his full length-measure

  stretched on the fire-field. He flew in hate-joy

  seared through the nights then soared at daybreak

  to his grayrock den—now death stilled him

  ended his slumber in that stony barrow.

  By him were heaped bracelets and gem-cups

  jeweled gold-dishes great treasure-swords

  darkened with rust from their deep earth-home

  3050

  a thousand winters walled against light.

  Those ancient heirlooms earned much curse-power

  old gold-treasure gripped in a spell—

  no one might touch them those nameless stone-riches

  no good or bad man unless God himself

  the great Glory-King might give to someone

  to open that hoard that heap of treasures,

  a certain warrior as seemed meet to him.

  They found no happiness who first buried there

  wealth in the ground—again it was hidden

  3060

  by an only survivor till an angered serpent

  singed for a cup till swords cooled him

  sent him deathwards. Strange are the ways

  how the king of a country will come to the end

  of his loaned life-span when at last he vanishes

  gone from the meadhall his gold and his kin.

  So it was with Beowulf when he bore his shield

  to that roaring night-flyer. He could not foretell

  how his great throne-days would gutter to darkness.

  Those ancient sorcerers swore a greed-spell

  3070

  baneful warriors who buried their treasure

  so that all plunderers would be punished with misery

  confined in an idol-grove fast in hell-bonds

  scourged with torture who tread on that ground—

  unless for gold-need he was granted in fee

  the gold-owner’s favor with full pardon.

  Wiglaf spoke then son of Weohstan:

  “Oft shall warriors through the will of one

  come to heartgrief heavy mind-sorrow.

  Our eldest wisemen could not win with speech

  3080

  convince with their words the ward of our kingdom

  to give to destiny that goldhoard’s keeper

  leave him coiled there where he long had slumbered

  wrapped in that barrow till the world’s end-day.

  He held to his name—the hoard is opened

  grimly purchased—too great was that fate

  that brought our hall-king to that baleful place.

  I stepped inside there saw all around me

  the wealth of that hoard walled by cliffrock—

  the price for that entrance was paid heavily

  3090

  by monster and man. From that mound I gathered

  grabbed with my hands a great treasure-pile

  bright gold and gemstones bore them out then

  to my suffering king. Still quick I found him

  proud of his winnings wavering in thought.

  Old and weakening he offered you greetings

  asked that you build in honor of his deeds

  over the balefire an arching barrow-mound

  high above the sea hailing his name there

  greatest of warriors through this wide earthyard

  3100

  landlord of our hearts homestead and glory.

  Now comes the time to tame this gold-curse

  open and plunder that ancient treasure-pile

  wonders under wall-stone—the way is clear now,

  come to gaze at it curious jewel-cups

  rings and broad-gold. Let the bier be lifted

  raised and flame-ready for ritual of death.

  We will fetch our hall-lord to that final gift-throne

  our beloved people-king where he long shall rest

  fast in the Wielder’s wonderful embrace.”

  3110

  He sent word then that son of Weohstan

  man of command now to many a homestead

  Geats from everywhere to gather up bale-wood

  fetch from afar funeral branch-logs

  for that final departure: “Now the fire shall rise

  dark flames roaring with our dear gift-lord

  who held against war-hail hard iron-showers

  when storms of arrows angrily impelled

  shot over shieldwall when shafts of ash-wood

  straight with feather-gear followed the arrowheads.”

  3120

  Then that young warrior Weohstan’s offspring

  picked from his men proud warrior-thanes

  seven of his best strong Geat-champions

  went one of eight under that rock-roof

  best of shield-bearers—one bore in his hand

  a pitch-bright pinetorch pushed back the darkness.

  There was no dawdling by that dragon’s greed-hoard

  when they found unguarded such gold and gemstones

  wondrous treasures waiting in that hall

  lying about them—little did they wait

  3130

  but hurried to
gather haul to daylight

  those dark wonderworks. The dragon they shoved

  over the cliffwall into cold wave-water

  let the sea mellow that miser of wealth.

  Then a wagon was loaded with wound goldrings

  numberless bracelets borne beside the warrior

  whose heart paid for them to Hronesnaes point.

  They raised skyward ready for their king

  a pyre on that point for their proud warleader

  hung it with helmets hard shield-bosses

  3140

  bright mesh-corselets as he bade them do.

  They laid in the middle their beloved gift-friend

  lifted with heartgrief the helm of their land.

  On the cliff they kindled a king’s balefire

  wavering death-flames—woodsmoke mounted

  rose up darkly over roaring pitch-flames

  wailing to the sky. The wind lay low

  till that fire had broken the body’s flesh-cover

  conquering that heart. With heavy memories

  they mourned their mind-care their manlord’s going.

  3150

  By the embers of grief an old Geat-woman

  with bound mourning-hair bowed down by years

  sang a sorrow-song said to the heavens

  that she dreaded from then days of misery

  dark war-slaughter wailing and death-tears

  heart-weary wandering. Heaven took the smoke.

  Then that king’s followers formed a mound there

  a huge barrow-grave high and broad-based

  sighted from afar by foam-borne sailors.

  They timbered on top in ten workdays

  3160

  a towering beacon on that balefire’s leavings

  wrapped it with a wall as worthiest craftsmen

  cleverest artisans could cause to be built.

  In that barrow they placed bracelets and gems

  ancient smith-work of old nameless ones

  brought from the rock-den—each beaker and dish

  went back to the earth bright gold and meadcups

  stored once again where they still lie waiting

  as useless to man as they ever had been.

  Around the barrow-base rode the lost ones

  3170

  twelve good spearmen circled the mound

  mourned their hall-lord hailed their good king

  spoke of his courage sang their word-songs

  praised his earlship and his proud throne-years

  as good men should when their shieldman has gone.

  A good wine-lord needs words of praise

  love from his people when he leaves this earth

  when breath is borne from his body at last.

  So the Geats went grieving gathered by the mound.

  Hearth-companions praised their lost one

  3180

  named him the ablest of all world-kings

  mildest of men and most compassionate

  most lithe to his people most loving of praise.

  Genealogies

  Selected Proper Names

  Members of the royal families, other important names, and names appearing more than once

  AESCHERE: Hrothgar’s beloved counselor, carried away by Grendel’s mother.

  BEAW: Son of Scyld Scefing; father of Healfdene.

  BEOWULF: Hero of the poem; both a Waegmunding and a Geat by birth (see genealogies).

  BRECA: Beowulf’s companion in a daring youthful swimming contest described by both Unferth and Beowulf.

  CAIN: Biblical son of Adam and slayer of his brother, Abel; begetter of monsters.

  DAEGHREFN: A warrior of the Hugas killed by Beowulf during Hygelac’s fatal expedition to the Rhine; Beowulf apparently took his sword, Naegling, and used it until his death day.

  EADGILS: Swedish prince, son of Ohthere; later Swedish king.

  EANMUND: Brother of Eadgils; slain by Wiglaf’s father, Weohstan, who served Eanmund’s uncle, Onela, for a time.

  ECGLAF: Father of Unferth.

  ECGTHEOW: Beowulf’s father, a Waegmunding who married Hygelac’s sister.

  EOFOR: Geatish warrior; slayer of Ongentheow; brother of Wulf.

  FINN: Frisian king, married to the Danish princess Hildeburh; initiated the Battle of Finnsburuh when Hildeburh’s brother Hnaef came to his court for a visit; later killed by Hengest.

  FITELA: In Beowulf, nephew of Sigemund the dragon slayer.

  FRANKS: Prominent West Germanic tribe.

  FREAWARU: Hrothgar’s daughter; betrothed to Ingeld, prince of the Heathobards.

  FRISIANS: Prominent West Germanic tribe.

  FRODA: King of the Heathobards; father of Ingeld.

  GRENDEL: Anthropomorphic monster who ravaged Heorot for twelve years; killed by Beowulf and avenged by Grendel’s Mother, also killed by Beowulf. Both were descendants of Cain by way of Noah’s son Ham, according to early medieval tradition.

  HAERETH: Father of Hygd.

  HAETHCYN: Elder brother of Hygelac; accidentally killed his brother Herebeald with an arrow, causing his father, Hrethel, to die of grief.

  HALGA: Younger brother of Hrothgar; father of Hrothulf; dead before Beowulf’s arrival at Heorot.

  HEALFDENE: Father of Hrothgar; son of Beaw.

  HEARDRED: Son of Hygelac; a young boy when Hygelac was killed, became king of the Geats under Beowulf’s protection; was later killed for harboring Swedish fugitives Eanmund and Eadgils.