48
THE OLDEST ENGLISH EPIC
And so it came that I killed with my sword
575nine of the nicors. Of night-fought battles
ne’er heard I a harder ’neath heaven’s dome,
nor adrift on the deep a more desolate man!
Yet I came unharmed from that hostile clutch,
though spent with swimming. The sea upbore me,
580flood of the tide, on Finnish[1] land,
the welling waters. No wise of thee[2]
have I heard men tell such terror of falchions,
bitter battle. Breca ne’er yet,
not one of you pair, in the play of war
585such daring deed has done at all
with bloody brand,—I boast not of it!—
- ↑ The Finnish folk, as Gering points out, we now call Laplanders.
- ↑ This speech of Beowulf’s is admirable. He has defended his own reputation, shrugs his shoulders at the necessity of referring to his prowess, and makes a home-thrust at Unferth. The climax of his invective is imputation to Unferth of the two supreme sins in the Germanic list: murder of kin, and cowardice.—Below, v. 1167, Unferth is said to be courageous, but faithless to his kin.—Then the hero-orator proceeds to promise or “boast” what he himself will do; and with his cheerful “gab” the speech closes amid general applause.
“There’ll no man die but him that’s fee. . . .”
Si parcent animae fata superstiti.