XL

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.