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 ‘sieth’ (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.).

[21]

X.

BEOWULF SILENCES UNFERTH.—­GLEE IS HIGH.

          “So ill-meaning enemies often did cause me
          Sorrow the sorest.  I served them, in quittance,

{My dear sword always served me faithfully.}

          With my dear-loved sword, as in sooth it was fitting;
          They missed the pleasure of feasting abundantly,
        5 Ill-doers evil, of eating my body,
          Of surrounding the banquet deep in the ocean;
          But wounded with edges early at morning
          They were stretched a-high on the strand of the ocean,

{I put a stop to the outrages of the sea-monsters.}