ORIGINAL BOAST

"Hail thou, Hrothgar! I am Higelac's kinsman
          And vassal forsooth; many a wonder
          I dared as a stripling. The doings of Grendel,
          In far-off fatherland I fully did know of:
          Sea-farers tell us, this hall-building standeth,
       40 Excellent edifice, empty and useless
          To all the earlmen after evenlight's glimmer
          'Neath heaven's bright hues hath hidden its glory.
          This my earls then urged me, the most excellent of them,
          Carles very clever, to come and assist thee,
       45 Folk-leader Hrothgar; fully they knew of

{His fight with the nickers.}

          The strength of my body. Themselves they beheld me
          When I came from the contest, when covered with gore
          Foes I escaped from, where five[3] I had bound,
[16]      The giant-race wasted, in the waters destroying
       50 The nickers by night, bore numberless sorrows,
          The Weders avenged (woes had they suffered)
          Enemies ravaged; alone now with Grendel

{He intends to fight Grendel unaided.}

          I shall manage the matter, with the monster of evil,
          The giant, decide it. Thee I would therefore
       55 Beg of thy bounty, Bright-Danish chieftain,
          Lord of the Scyldings, this single petition:
          Not to refuse me, defender of warriors,
          Friend-lord of folks, so far have I sought thee,
          That _I_ may unaided, my earlmen assisting me,
       60 This brave-mooded war-band, purify Heorot.
          I have heard on inquiry, the horrible creature

{Since the monster uses no weapons,}

          From veriest rashness recks not for weapons;
          I this do scorn then, so be Higelac gracious,
          My liegelord belov�d, lenient of spirit,
       65 To bear a blade or a broad-fashioned target,
          A shield to the onset; only with hand-grip

{I, too, shall disdain to use any.}

          The foe I must grapple, fight for my life then,
          Foeman with foeman; he fain must rely on
          The doom of the Lord whom death layeth hold of.

{Should he crush me, he will eat my companions as he has eaten thy
thanes.}

       70 I ween he will wish, if he win in the struggle,
          To eat in the war-hall earls of the Geat-folk,
          Boldly to swallow[4] them, as of yore he did often
          The best of the Hrethmen! Thou needest not trouble
          A head-watch to give me;[5] he will have me dripping

[17]

{In case of my defeat, thou wilt not have the trouble of burying me.}

       75 And dreary with gore, if death overtake me,[6]
          Will bear me off bleeding, biting and mouthing me,
          The hermit will eat me, heedless of pity,
          Marking the moor-fens; no more wilt thou need then

{Should I fall, send my armor to my lord, King Higelac.}

          Find me my food.[7] If I fall in the battle,
       80 Send to Higelac the armor that serveth
          To shield my bosom, the best of equipments,
          Richest of ring-mails; 'tis the relic of Hrethla,

{Weird is supreme}

          The work of Wayland. Goes Weird as she must go!"

    [1] Some render 'gif-sceattas' by 'tribute.'--'G�ata' B. and Th.
    emended to 'G�atum.' If this be accepted, change '_of_ the Geatmen' to
    '_to_ the Geatmen.'