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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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60 Saying they ween the Aetheling no more will come to seek, In the pride of victory, their glorious Overlord, Since him it seemed to many the Sea-Wolf had devoured. Then came the day’s ninth hour; the Scyldings left the ness; The Gold-Friend of clansman, Hrothgar, hied him home; Only the Geatish strangers sate in their distress, Sick at heart with longing, and stared upon the foam. They wished but never weened to see their dear Lord’s self again. Then the sword, the war-bill, ‘gan wondrously to wane In icicles of battle, by goblin-gore accurst: Likest to ice it melted, when God, the Father, first The bands of frost doth loosen, unfettering stream and pool, He’s Lord of times and seasons, and very sooth his rule! The Chieftain of the Weder-Geats he took not from the lair Not any goods of treasure (though saw he many there), Except the head of Grendel and hilt so bravely dight: The fretted blade had burnt away, the sword had melted quite So hot had been the blood of her, so poison-fierce withal Had been this eldritch Ogress that died there in the hall. But he who in the combat did bide the demon-slaughter Soon was at his swimming, up-diving through the water. Cleansed were surge and stretches wide, where the grim Mere- Wife Had left this fleeting world of ours and her days of life. The sea-farer’s Safe-guard, this Stout-Heart of toil, Came striking out to landward, fain of his sea-spoil, Fain of his booty-burden. Went to meet him then His staunch troop of tribesmen, thanked the God of men, Rejoiced in him their Leader to see him sound again. Helm and mail of Hero they loosened with a will; The waters under welkin, the bloody pool, was still; Forth they fared in foot- prints, these happy aethelings; The earth-way, the known road, they measured, bold as kings. They bare the head from sea-cliff, a load for each, though stout, And four upon the spear-pole scarce lifted it about Onward to the Gold-Hall, till into hall bedene They came, these brave-in-battle, these Geatmen, the fourteen. Their Chieftain in a mighty mood amid them trod the mead, Till he, as first of clansmen, this Man so keen of deed, Hero, battle- hardy, with glory honored, Came to greet his Hrothgar. And now is Grendel’s head Borne by hair where warriors drink,- to jarls and Lady there A gruesome vision wondrous. The Danes upon it stare. |
