That battle-toil bade he at burg to announce,
at the fort on the cliff, where, full of sorrow, all
the morning earls had sat, daring shieldsmen, in doubt
of twain: would they wail as dead, or welcome
home, their lord beloved? Little {38a} kept back
of the tidings new, but told them all, the herald
that up the headland rode. — “Now
the willing-giver to Weder folk in death-bed lies;
the Lord of Geats on the slaughter-bed sleeps by the
serpent’s deed! And beside him is stretched
that slayer-of-men with knife-wounds sick: {38b}
no sword availed on the awesome thing in any wise
to work a wound. There Wiglaf sitteth, Weohstan’s
bairn, by Beowulf’s side, the living earl by
the other dead, and heavy of heart a head-watch {38c}
keeps o’er friend and foe. — Now
our folk may look for waging of war when once unhidden
to Frisian and Frank the fall of the king is spread
afar. — The strife began when hot on the
Hugas {38d} Hygelac fell and fared with his fleet
to the Frisian land. Him there the Hetwaras humbled
in war, plied with such prowess their power o’erwhelming
that the bold-in-battle bowed beneath it and fell
in fight. To his friends no wise could that earl
give treasure! And ever since the Merowings’
favor has failed us wholly. Nor aught expect
I of peace and faith from Swedish folk. ’Twas
spread afar how Ongentheow reft at Ravenswood Haethcyn
Hrethling of hope and life, when the folk of Geats
for the first time sought in wanton pride the Warlike-Scylfings.
Soon the sage old sire {38e} of Ohtere, ancient and
awful, gave answering blow; the sea-king {38f} he
slew, and his spouse redeemed, his good wife rescued,
though robbed of her gold, mother of Ohtere and Onela.
Then he followed his foes, who fled before him sore
beset and stole their way, bereft of a ruler, to Ravenswood.
With his host he besieged there what swords had left,
the weary and wounded; woes he threatened the whole
night through to that hard-pressed throng: some
with the morrow his sword should kill, some should
go to the gallows-tree for rapture of ravens.
But rescue came with dawn of day for those desperate
men when they heard the horn of Hygelac sound, tones
of his trumpet; the trusty king had followed their
trail with faithful band.
XXXIX
“The bloody swath of Swedes and Geats
and the storm of their strife, were seen afar, how
folk against folk the fight had wakened. The
ancient king with his atheling band sought his citadel,
sorrowing much: Ongentheow earl went up to his
burg. He had tested Hygelac’s hardihood,
the proud one’s prowess, would prove it no longer,
defied no more those fighting-wanderers nor hoped
from the seamen to save his hoard, his bairn and his
bride: so he bent him again, old, to his earth-walls.
Yet after him came with slaughter for Swedes the standards
of Hygelac o’er peaceful plains in pride advancing,
till Hrethelings fought in the fenced town. {39a}
