translation by erasing the comma after ‘meoto’
and reading ’sige-hreethsecgum.’—There
are other and bolder emendations and suggestions.
Of these the boldest is to regard ‘meoto’
as a verb (imperative), and read ‘on sael’:
Think upon gayety, etc.—All
the renderings are unsatisfactory, the one given
in our translation involving a zeugma.
UNFERTH TAUNTS BEOWULF.
{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.}
