2 - Heroic Poetry
Summary
BEOWULF (PART I)
Hey! We've heard of the glory
Of the good old days, how the worthy
Warriors of the warlike Danes
Wonders accomplished. You've heard
How Scyld Scefing, a destitute
Foundling, struck fear into enemies,
Ravaged and raided, plundered for
Prize. You must also have heard
How he thrived on that traffic,
Accumulating honour, waxing in wealth,
Till every last one of his neighbouring kings
To his power submitted, his tribute
Paid. Surely Scyld Scefing
Was the rarest of rulers! Later to him
A boy was born, a successor for Scyld,
A gift from God to console his kin
For the suffering they'd felt in their leaderless
Days. In exchange for those evils,
The God of Glory, the Lord of all life,
Granted abundance of honour to his heir:
So Beow, Scyld's son, became rich in renown
Among all those who dwelt
In the land of the Danes. Although still under
Paternal protection, a young man should always
Ensure by his actions, by the fair generosity
Of his freedom with gifts, that later he'll earn
The love and the loyalty of chosen
Companions, who'll hasten to help him
In the storm of strife. So everywhere men,
In all lands and all peoples, succeed and prosper
By praiseworthy deeds.
At the destined day, Scyld took ship,
Shaped his course, certain and sure,
And set his sail for the Lord's kingdom.
Faithful friends carried his corpse
To the ocean's edge, as he had asked them,
That loved and long-reigning lord of lands,
The shield of the Scyldings, while he himself
Could still wield words. Icy and eager,
The beaked boat bobbed on the white wave:
A hero's haulage heaved in the harbour.
There they laid down their cherished chief,
That generous giver, in the boat's bosom,
Mighty, though fallen, at the mast's foot.
Fortune afforded troves of treasure,
Travelled from afar, to embellish that bark:
I never heard of a vessel invested
With so many valuables, blades and byrnies
And weapons of war. The brightest and best
Of this warrior's wealth lay on his breast,
To pay for his passage on that vast voyage.
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- Anglo-Saxon Verse , pp. 18 - 38Publisher: Liverpool University PressPrint publication year: 2000