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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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98 CHAPTER XLI The Scop chants the rest of the Herald’s speech about the old wars; and he strikes some melancholy music on his harp, and goes on to tell how the warsmen in tears went to look upon their dead Leader and saw too the dead Beast of Evil and the Treasure. [The bloody swath of Swedes and Geats the fighters’ slaughter-storm Was seen afar, how either folk waked alike the harm. So he went, did Ongentheow, with his armed men, This Aged, sorely sorrowful, to seek his fastness then; Yes, Ongentheow turned round to go up to his burg again. He’d learned about the hardihood of Geatman Hygelac, The war- craft of the Proud One; he dared no counter-strife, He knew not his the ablesse these sea-men to attack, Or ‘gainst these sailor-foes to fend hoard and bairns and wife. And so unto his earth-wall the Old One bent him back,The Geatfolk chased the Swedefolk and flags of Hygelac O’er their fended refuge forward forged along, After his Victor-Hrethlings did to the ramparts throng. But in that battle Ongentheow, the King with locks of gray, By the edges of the swords was brought at last to bay; And forced to dree the sole doom that Eofor’s wrath did will: Wulf, the son of Wonred, had strook the King with bill, Even so that under blow sprang from veins the blood, Out beneath his hair then. But fearlessly he stood, And paid anon with better one for the slaughter-wound, As he, the King, the old Scylfing, had turned on him around. And the swift Wonreding no counter-buffet gave Before the Jarl, that ancient carl, his head and helmet clave. So Wulf, the son of Wonred, must bow, with gore bewet; He tottered to the greensward, but fey was he not yet; And well he waxed thereafter, albeit the wound was grave. ‘T was then the hardy Eofor, thane of Hygelac, E’en where his brother, lay, over shield did hack The giant helm of Ongentheow, with his broad glaive, His old sword of ettins. The King he bowed in strife; The Shepherd of his people was smitten to the life. And then were there many the brother’s wounds to bind, And him to lift with speedy shift, when ‘t was theirs to find Themselves the masters of the field. And in the meanwhile now One warrior reaved the other-Eofor Ongentheow. He took the iron byrnie, helm and hilted sword, And bare the Hoar One’s harness to Hygelac, his Lord. |
