Beowulf 54Gave me treasure and feasting, our kinship remembered
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Literature · Poetry
Beowulf 54
Gave me treasure and feasting, our kinship remembered
HallEnglish
Not ever was I any less dear to him
{He treated me as a son.}
Knight in the boroughs, than the bairns of his household,
Herebald and Hæthcyn and Higelac mine.
To the eldest unjustly by acts of a kinsman
45 Was murder-bed strewn, since him Hæthcyn from horn-bow
{One of the brothers accidentally kills another.}
His sheltering chieftain shot with an arrow,
Erred in his aim and injured his kinsman,
One brother the other, with blood-sprinkled spear:
{No fee could compound for such a calamity.}
'Twas a feeless fight, finished in malice,
50 Sad to his spirit; the folk-prince however
Had to part from existence with vengeance untaken.
{[A parallel case is supposed.]}
So to hoar-headed hero 'tis heavily crushing
To live to see his son as he rideth
Young on the gallows: then measures he chanteth,
55 A song of sorrow, when his son is hanging
For the raven's delight, and aged and hoary
He is unable to offer any assistance.
Every morning his offspring's departure
Is constant recalled: he cares not to wait for
60 The birth of an heir in his borough-enclosures,
Since that one through death-pain the deeds hath experienced.
He heart-grieved beholds in the house of his son the
Wine-building wasted, the wind-lodging places
Reaved of their roaring; the riders are sleeping,
65 The knights in the grave; there's no sound of the harp-wood,
Joy in the yards, as of yore were familiar.
'Gomelum ceorle' (2445).--H. takes these words as referring to
Hrethel; but the translator here departs from his editor by
understanding the poet to refer to a hypothetical old man, introduced
as an illustration of a father's sorrow.
Hrethrel had certainly never seen a son of his ride on the gallows to
feed the crows.
The passage beginning 'swá bið géomorlic' seems to be an effort to
reach a full simile, 'as ... so.' 'As it is mournful for an old man,
etc. ... so the defence of the Weders (2463) bore heart-sorrow, etc.'
The verses 2451 to 2463-1/2 would be parenthetical, the poet's feelings
being so strong as to interrupt the simile. The punctuation of the
fourth edition would be better--a comma after 'galgan' (2447). The
translation may be indicated as follows: _(Just) as it is sad for an
old man to see his son ride young on the gallows when he himself is
uttering mournful measures, a sorrowful song, while his son hangs for a
comfort to the raven, and he, old and infirm, cannot render him any
kelp--(he is constantly reminded, etc., 2451-2463)--so the defence of
the Weders, etc._
XXXV.
REMINISCENCES (continued).--BEOWULF'S LAST BATTLE.
"He seeks then his chamber, singeth a woe-song
One for the other; all too extensive
Seemed homesteads and plains. So the helm of the Weders
{Hrethel grieves for Herebald.}
Mindful of Herebald heart-sorrow carried,
5 Stirred with emotion, nowise was able
To wreak his ruin on the ruthless destroyer:
He was unable to follow the warrior with hatred,
With deeds that were direful, though dear he not held him.
Then pressed by the pang this pain occasioned him,
10 He gave up glee, God-light elected;
He left to his sons, as the man that is rich does,
His land and fortress, when from life he departed.
{Strife between Swedes and Geats.}
Then was crime and hostility 'twixt Swedes and Geatmen,
O'er wide-stretching water warring was mutual,
15 Burdensome hatred, when Hrethel had perished,
And Ongentheow's offspring were active and valiant,
Wished not to hold to peace oversea, but
Round Hreosna-beorh often accomplished
Cruelest massacre. This my kinsman avengèd,
20 The feud and fury, as 'tis found on inquiry,
Though one of them paid it with forfeit of life-joys,
{Hæthcyn's fall at Ravenswood.}
With price that was hard: the struggle became then
Fatal to Hæthcyn, lord of the Geatmen.
Then I heard that at morning one brother the other
25 With edges of irons egged on to murder,
Where Ongentheow maketh onset on Eofor:
The helmet crashed, the hoary-haired Scylfing
Sword-smitten fell, his hand then remembered
Feud-hate sufficient, refused not the death-blow.
