{Unferth, a thane of Hrothgar, is jealous of Beowulf, and undertakes to
twit him.}
Unferth spoke up, Ecglaf his son,
Who sat at the feet of the lord of the Scyldings,
Opened the jousting (the journey[1] of Beowulf,
Sea-farer doughty, gave sorrow to Unferth
5 And greatest chagrin, too, for granted he never
That any man else on earth should attain to,
Gain under heaven, more glory than he):
{Did you take part in a swimming-match with Breca?}
"Art thou that Beowulf with Breca did struggle,
On the wide sea-currents at swimming contended,
10 Where to humor your pride the ocean ye tried,
{'Twas mere folly that actuated you both to risk your lives on the ocean.}
From vainest vaunting adventured your bodies
In care of the waters? And no one was able
Nor lief nor loth one, in the least to dissuade you
Your difficult voyage; then ye ventured a-swimming,
15 Where your arms outstretching the streams ye did cover,
The mere-ways measured, mixing and stirring them,
Glided the ocean; angry the waves were,
With the weltering of winter. In the water's possession,
Ye toiled for a seven-night; he at swimming outdid thee,
20 In strength excelled thee. Then early at morning
On the Heathoremes' shore the holm-currents tossed him,
Sought he thenceward the home of his fathers,
Beloved of his liegemen, the land of the Brondings,
The peace-castle pleasant, where a people he wielded,
[20] 25 Had borough and jewels. The pledge that he made thee
{Breca outdid you entirely.}
The son of Beanstan hath soothly accomplished.
Then I ween thou wilt find thee less fortunate issue,
{Much more will Grendel outdo you, if you vie with him in prowess.}
Though ever triumphant in onset of battle,
A grim grappling, if Grendel thou darest
30 For the space of a night near-by to wait for!"
{Beowulf retaliates.}
Beowulf answered, offspring of Ecgtheow:
"My good friend Unferth, sure freely and wildly,
{O friend Unferth, you are fuddled with beer, and cannot talk coherently.}
Thou fuddled with beer of Breca hast spoken,
Hast told of his journey! A fact I allege it,
35 That greater strength in the waters I had then,
Ills in the ocean, than any man else had.
We made agreement as the merest of striplings
Promised each other (both of us then were
{We simply kept an engagement made in early life.}
Younkers in years) that we yet would adventure
40 Out on the ocean; it all we accomplished.
While swimming the sea-floods, sword-blade unscabbarded
Boldly we brandished, our bodies expected
To shield from the sharks. He sure was unable
{He _could_ not excel me, and I _would_ not excel him.}
To swim on the waters further than I could,
45 More swift on the waves, nor _would_ I from him go.
Then we two companions stayed in the ocean
{After five days the currents separated us.}
Five nights together, till the currents did part us,
The weltering waters, weathers the bleakest,
And nethermost night, and the north-wind whistled
50 Fierce in our faces; fell were the billows.
The mere fishes' mood was mightily ruffled:
And there against foemen my firm-knotted corslet,
Hand-jointed, hardy, help did afford me;
My battle-sark braided, brilliantly gilded,
{A horrible sea-beast attacked me, but I slew him.}
55 Lay on my bosom. To the bottom then dragged me,
A hateful fiend-scather, seized me and held me,
Grim in his grapple: 'twas granted me, nathless,
To pierce the monster with the point of my weapon,
My obedient blade; battle offcarried
60 The mighty mere-creature by means of my hand-blow.
[1] It has been plausibly suggested that 'síð' (in 501 and in 353)
means 'arrival.' If so, translate the bracket: _(the arrival of
Beowulf, the brave seafarer, was a source of great chagrin to Unferth,
etc.)_.
Return to the Beowulf Summary Return to the Anonymous Library