Chương Chương 40 · THE MESSENGER OF DEATH.

. THE MESSENGER OF DEATH.

{Wiglaf sends the news of Beowulf's death to liegemen near by.}

Then he charged that the battle be announced at the hedge

Up o'er the cliff-edge, where the earl-troopers bided

The whole of the morning, mood-wretched sat them,

Bearers of battle-shields, both things expecting,

5 The end of his lifetime and the coming again of

The liegelord belovèd. Little reserved he

Of news that was known, who the ness-cliff did travel,

But he truly discoursed to all that could hear him:

[98]

{The messenger speaks.}

"Now the free-giving friend-lord of the folk of the Weders,

10 The folk-prince of Geatmen, is fast in his death-bed,

By the deeds of the dragon in death-bed abideth;

Along with him lieth his life-taking foeman

Slain with knife-wounds: he was wholly unable

To injure at all the ill-planning monster

{Wiglaf sits by our dead lord.}

15 With bite of his sword-edge. Wiglaf is sitting,

Offspring of Wihstan, up over Beowulf,

Earl o'er another whose end-day hath reached him,

Head-watch holdeth o'er heroes unliving,[1]

{Our lord's death will lead to attacks from our old foes.}

For friend and for foeman. The folk now expecteth

20 A season of strife when the death of the folk-king

To Frankmen and Frisians in far-lands is published.

The war-hatred waxed warm 'gainst the Hugmen,

{Higelac's death recalled.}

When Higelac came with an army of vessels

Faring to Friesland, where the Frankmen in battle

25 Humbled him and bravely with overmight 'complished

That the mail-clad warrior must sink in the battle,

Fell 'mid his folk-troop: no fret-gems presented

The atheling to earlmen; aye was denied us

Merewing's mercy. The men of the Swedelands

30 For truce or for truth trust I but little;

But widely 'twas known that near Ravenswood Ongentheow

{Hæthcyn's fall referred to.}

Sundered Hæthcyn the Hrethling from life-joys,

When for pride overweening the War-Scylfings first did

Seek the Geatmen with savage intentions.

35 Early did Ohthere's age-laden father,

Old and terrible, give blow in requital,

Killing the sea-king, the queen-mother rescued,

The old one his consort deprived of her gold,

Onela's mother and Ohthere's also,

[99] 40 And then followed the feud-nursing foemen till hardly,

Reaved of their ruler, they Ravenswood entered.

Then with vast-numbered forces he assaulted the remnant,

Weary with wounds, woe often promised

The livelong night to the sad-hearted war-troop:

45 Said he at morning would kill them with edges of weapons,

Some on the gallows for glee to the fowls.

Aid came after to the anxious-in-spirit

At dawn of the day, after Higelac's bugle

And trumpet-sound heard they, when the good one proceeded

50 And faring followed the flower of the troopers.

[1] 'Hige-méðum' (2910) is glossed by H. as dat. plu. (= for the

dead). S. proposes 'hige-méðe,' nom. sing. limiting Wigláf; i.e. _W.,

mood-weary, holds head-watch o'er friend and foe_.--B. suggests taking

the word as dat. inst. plu. of an abstract noun in -'u.' The

translation would be substantially the same as S.'s.