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Chapter 26
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| | BEOWULF spake, bairn of Ecgtheow:— | |
| | "Lo, we seafarers say our will, | |
| | far-come men, that we fain would seek | |
| | Hygelac now. We here have found | |
| | hosts to our heart: thou hast harbored us well. | |
| | If ever on earth I am able to win me | |
| | more of thy love, O lord of men, | |
| | aught anew, than I now have done, | |
| | for work of war I am willing still! | |
| | If it come to me ever across the seas | |
| | that neighbor foemen annoy and fright thee,— | |
| | as they that hate thee erewhile have used,— | |
| | thousands then of thanes I shall bring, | |
| | heroes to help thee. Of Hygelac I know, | |
| | ward of his folk, that, though few his years, | |
| | the lord of the Geats will give me aid | |
| | by word and by work, that well I may serve thee, | |
| | wielding the war-wood to win thy triumph | |
| | and lending thee might when thou lackest men. | |
| | If thy Hrethric should come to court of Geats, | |
| | a sovran's son, he will surely there | |
| | find his friends. A far-off land | |
| | each man should visit who vaunts him brave." | |
| | Him then answering, Hrothgar spake:— | |
| | "These words of thine the wisest God | |
| | sent to thy soul! No sager counsel | |
| | from so young in years e'er yet have I heard. | |
| | Thou art strong of main and in mind art wary, | |
| | art wise in words! I ween indeed | |
| | if ever it hap that Hrethel's heir | |
| | by spear be seized, by sword-grim battle, | |
| | by illness or iron, thine elder and lord, | |
| | people's leader,—and life be thine,— | |
| | no seemlier man will the Sea-Geats find | |
| | at all to choose for their chief and king, | |
| | for hoard-guard of heroes, if hold thou wilt | |
| | thy kinsman's kingdom! Thy keen mind pleases me | |
| | the longer the better, Beowulf loved! | |
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| | Thou hast brought it about that both our peoples, | |
| | sons of the Geat and Spear-Dane folk, | |
| | shall have mutual peace, and from murderous strife, | |
| | such as once they waged, from war refrain. | |
| | Long as I rule this realm so wide, | |
| | let our hoards be common, let heroes with gold | |
| | each other greet o'er the gannet's-bath, | |
| | and the ringed-prow bear o'er rolling waves | |
| | tokens of love. I trow my landfolk | |
| | towards friend and foe are firmly joined, | |
| | and honor they keep in the olden way." | |
| | To him in the hall, then, Healfdene's son | |
| | gave treasures twelve, and the trust-of-earls | |
| | bade him fare with the gifts to his folk beloved, | |
| | hale to his home, and in haste return. | |
| | Then kissed the king of kin renowned, | |
| | Scyldings' chieftain, that choicest thane, | |
| | and fell on his neck. Fast flowed the tears | |
| | of the hoary-headed. Heavy with winters, | |
| | he had chances twain, but he clung to this,[1]— | |
| | that each should look on the other again, | |
| | and hear him in hall. Was this hero so dear to him. | |
| | his breast's wild billows he banned in vain; | |
| | safe in his soul a secret longing, | |
| | locked in his mind, for that loved man | |
| | burned in his blood. Then Beowulf strode, | |
| | glad of his gold-gifts, the grass-plot o'er, | |
| | warrior blithe. The wave-roamer bode | |
| | riding at anchor, its owner awaiting. | |
| | As they hastened onward, Hrothgar's gift | |
| | they lauded at length.—'Twas a lord unpeered, | |
| | every way blameless, till age had broken | |
| | —it spareth no mortal—his splendid might. | |
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| | [1] That is, he might or might not see Beowulf again. Old as he | |
| | was, the latter chance was likely; but he clung to the former, | |
| | hoping to see his young friend again "and exchange brave words in | |
| | the hall." | |
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