Hrothgar'S Welcome
Hrôðgâr maðelode, helm Scyldinga:"Ic hine cûðe cniht-wesende."Wäs his eald-fäder Ecgþeó hâten,"þäm tô hâm forgeaf Hrêðel Geáta"ângan dôhtor; is his eafora nu"heard her cumen, sôhte holdne wine."þonne sägdon þät sæ-lîðende,"þâ þe gif-sceattas Geáta fyredon"þyder tô þance, þät he þrittiges"manna mägen-cräft on his mund-grîpe"heaðo-rôf häbbe. Hine hâlig god"for âr-stafum us onsende,"tô West-Denum, þäs ic wên häbbe,"wið Grendles gryre: ic þäm gôdan sceal"for his môd-þräce mâdmas beódan.
Hrothgar spoke, helmet of the Scyldings:“I knew him when he was a boy.His father before him was called Ecgtheow;Hrethel of the Geats gave him at homehis only daughter; his son nowhas come here boldly, seeking a loyal friend.Seafarers have said this too,those who carried gift-treasures of the Geatsthere as thanks, that he has the strengthof thirty men in the grip of his hand,battle-brave as he is. Holy Godhas sent him to us out of grace,to the West-Danes, so I believe,against Grendel’s terror: to this good man I shalloffer treasures for his courage.
"Beó þu on ôfeste, hât hig in gân,"seón sibbe-gedriht samod ätgädere;"gesaga him eác wordum, þät hie sint wil-cuman"Deniga leódum." Þâ wið duru healleWulfgâr eode, word inne âbeád:"Eów hêt secgan sige-drihten mîn,"aldor Eást-Dena, þät he eówer äðelu can"and ge him syndon ofer sæ-wylmas,"heard-hicgende, hider wil-cuman."Nu ge môton gangan in eówrum guð-geatawum,"under here-grîman, Hrôðgâr geseón;"lætað hilde-bord her onbidian,"wudu wäl-sceaftas, worda geþinges."Ârâs þâ se rîca, ymb hine rinc manig,
Be quick, bid them come in,to see this whole company of kinsmen gathered together;tell them too, in words, that they are welcomeamong the Danish people.” Then at the hall doorWulfgar went, and announced the word within:“My victorious lord has bidden me tell you,the prince of the East-Danes, that he knows your lineage,and that you, resolute of heart,are welcome here, having come over the sea’s surge.Now you may go in your war-gear,under your battle-masks, to see Hrothgar;but leave your battle-shields here waiting,your spears and wooden shafts, until the talk is done.”The mighty one rose then, with many a warrior around him,a splendid band of thanes; some stayed behind,
þryðlîc þegna heáp; sume þær bidon,heaðo-reáf heóldon, swâ him se hearda bebeád.Snyredon ätsomne, þâ secg wîsodeunder Heorotes hrôf; hyge-rôf eode,heard under helme, þät he on heoðe gestôd.Beówulf maðelode (on him byrne scân,searo-net seówed smiðes or-þancum):"Wes þu Hrôðgâr hâl! ic eom Higelâces"mæg and mago-þegn; häbbe ic mærða fela"ongunnen on geogoðe. Me wearð Grendles þing"on mînre êðel-tyrf undyrne cûð:"secgað sæ-lîðend, þät þes sele stande,"reced sêlesta, rinca gehwylcum"îdel and unnyt, siððan æfen-leóht
to guard the battle-gear, as the bold one had ordered.Together they hurried, the man leading the wayunder Heorot’s roof; the stout-hearted one went,hard beneath his helmet, until he stood on the hearth.Beowulf spoke — his mail-shirt shone on him,its links forged by a smith’s cunning:“Hail to you, Hrothgar! I am Hygelac’skinsman and vassal; I have done manyglorious deeds since I was young. Grendel’s businessbecame known to me clearly in my own homeland:seafarers say that this hall stands,the best of buildings, empty and uselessto every man once the evening lightis hidden under heaven’s brightness.
"under heofenes hâdor beholen weorðeð."Þâ me þät gelærdon leóde mîne,"þâ sêlestan, snotere ceorlas,"þeóden Hrôðgâr, þät ic þe sôhte;"forþan hie mägenes cräft mînne cûðon:"selfe ofersâwon, þâ ic of searwum cwom,"fâh from feóndum, þær ic fîfe geband,"ýðde eotena cyn, and on ýðum slôg"niceras nihtes, nearo-þearfe dreáh,"wräc Wedera nîð (weán âhsodon)"forgrand gramum; and nu wið Grendel sceal,"wið þam aglæcan, âna gehegan"þing wið þyrse. Ic þe nu þâ,"brego Beorht-Dena, biddan wille,
Then my people advised me to this,the best of them, wise and clear-sighted,lord Hrothgar, that I should seek you out;for they knew well the strength of my might:they themselves had seen it, when I came from battle,stained with the blood of foes, where I had bound five,destroyed a brood of giants, and in the waves had slainsea-monsters by night, endured great hardship,avenged the Weders’ distress — they had suffered woe —and ground down their enemies; and now against Grendel I shall,against that fierce one, settle alonethe matter with the monster. Now Iwould ask one thing of you,lord of the Bright-Danes,
"eodor Scyldinga, ânre bêne;"þät þu me ne forwyrne, wîgendra hleó,"freó-wine folca, nu ic þus feorran com,"þät ic môte âna and mînra eorla gedryht,"þes hearda heáp, Heorot fælsian."Häbbe ic eác geâhsod, þät se äglæca"for his won-hýdum wæpna ne rêceð;"ic þät þonne forhicge, swâ me Higelâc sîe,"mîn mon-drihten, môdes blîðe,"þät ic sweord bere oððe sîdne scyld"geolo-rand tô gûðe; ac ic mid grâpe sceal"fôn wið feónde and ymb feorh sacan,"lâð wið lâðum; þær gelýfan sceal"dryhtnes dôme se þe hine deáð nimeð.
protector of the Scyldings, one single favor:that you not refuse me, shelter of warriors,gracious friend of your people, now that I have come so far,that I alone, with my own band of men,this hardy company, may cleanse Heorot.I have learned too that this fierce one,in his recklessness, has no use for weapons;so I too will scorn — as Hygelac,my lord, may be glad of spirit toward me —to carry a sword, or a broad shield,a yellow buckler, into that fight; but with my bare handsI shall grapple with the enemy and fight for life,foe against foe; and let him trust thenin the Lord’s judgment, whichever one death takes.
"Wên' ic þät he wille, gif he wealdan môt,"in þäm gûð-sele Geátena leóde"etan unforhte, swâ he oft dyde"mägen Hrêðmanna. Nâ þu mînne þearft"hafalan hýdan, ac he me habban wile"dreóre fâhne, gif mec deáð nimeð;"byreð blôdig wäl, byrgean þenceð,"eteð ân-genga unmurnlîce,"mearcað môr-hopu: nô þu ymb mînes ne þearft"lîces feorme leng sorgian."Onsend Higelâce, gif mec hild nime,"beadu-scrûda betst, þät mîne breóst wereð,"hrägla sêlest; þät is Hrêðlan lâf,"Wêlandes geweorc. Gæð â Wyrd swâ hió scel!"
I think, if he is allowed his way,that he will feast without fear in that war-hallon the people of the Geats, as he has often doneon the strength of the Hrethmen. You need not thentrouble to cover my head, for he will have mestained with gore, if death takes me;he will carry off my bloody corpse, meaning to taste it,the lone-walker will eat without pity,will mark the moor with my blood: you will not needto worry any longer about feeding my body.Send to Hygelac, if the battle takes me,the best of war-shirts, that guards my chest,finest of garments; it is the legacy of Hrethel,the work of Weland. Fate goes always as it must!”