XVI
1050And the lord of earls, to each that came
with Beowulf over the briny ways,
an heirloom there at the ale-bench gave,
precious gift; and the price[1] bade pay
in gold for him whom Grendel erst
1055murdered,—and fain of them more had killed,
had not wisest God their Wyrd averted,
and the man’s[2] brave mood. The Maker then
ruled human kind, as here and now.
Therefore is insight always best,
1060and forethought of mind. How much awaits him
of lief and of loath, who long time here,
through days of warfare this world endures!
Then song and music mingled sounds
in the presence of Healfdene’s head-of-armies[3]
1065and harping was heard with the hero-lay[4]
as Hrothgar’s singer the hall-joy woke
along the mead-seats, making his song
of that sudden raid on the sons of Finn.[5]
Healfdene’s hero, Hnæf the Scylding,
- ↑ Man-price, wergild.
- ↑ Beowulf’s. The same combination of fate and courage as above, v. 573.
- ↑ Hrothgar.
- ↑ Literally, “glee-wood was greeted (stirred, touched) and lay was sung.”
- ↑ There is no need to assume a gap in the Ms. As before about Sigemund and Heremod, so now, though at greater length, about Finn and his feud, a lay is chanted or recited; and the epic poet, counting on his readers’ familiarity with the story,—a fragment of it still exists, and is printed in this volume,—simply gives the headings.
- ↑ The exact story to which this episode refers in summary is not to be determined, but the following account of it is reasonable and has good
