Saga Six Pack (Annotated)

XXVIII. THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY.—THE TWO QUEENS.

XXVIII. THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY.—THE TWO QUEENS.––––––––

Then the band of very valiant retainers

Came to the current; they were clad all in armor,

The coast-guard again.

In link-woven burnies. The land-warder noticed

The return of the earlmen, as he erstwhile had seen them;

No wise with insult he greeted the strangers

From the naze of the cliff, but rode on to meet them;

Said the bright-armored visitors vesselward traveled

Welcome to Weders. The wide-bosomed craft then

Lay on the sand, laden with armor,

With horses and jewels, the ring-stemmèd sailer:

The mast uptowered o’er the treasure of Hrothgar.

Beowulf gives the guard a handsome sword.

To the boat-ward a gold-bound brand he presented,

That he was afterwards honored on the ale-bench more highly

As the heirloom’s owner. Set he out on his vessel,

To drive on the deep, Dane-country left he.

Along by the mast then a sea-garment fluttered,

A rope-fastened sail. The sea-boat resounded,

The wind o’er the waters the wave-floater nowise

Kept from its journey; the sea-goer traveled,

The foamy-necked floated forth o’er the currents,

The well-fashioned vessel o’er the ways of the ocean,

The Geats see their own land again.

Till they came within sight of the cliffs of the Geatmen,

The well-known headlands. The wave-goer hastened

Driven by breezes, stood on the shore.

The port-warden is anxiously looking for them.

Prompt at the ocean, the port-ward was ready,

Who long in the past outlooked in the distance,

At water’s-edge waiting well-lovèd heroes;

He bound to the bank then the broad-bosomed vessel

Fast in its fetters, lest the force of the waters

Should be able to injure the ocean-wood winsome.

Bade he up then take the treasure of princes,

Plate-gold and fretwork; not far was it thence

To go off in search of the giver of jewels:

Hrethel’s son Higelac at home there remaineth,

Himself with his comrades close to the sea-coast.

The building was splendid, the king heroic,

Great in his hall, Hygd very young was,

Hygd, the noble queen of Higelac, lavish of gifts.

Fine-mooded, clever, though few were the winters

That the daughter of Hæreth had dwelt in the borough;

But she nowise was cringing nor niggard of presents,

Of ornaments rare, to the race of the Geatmen.

Offa’s consort, Thrytho, is contrasted with Hygd.

Thrytho nursed anger, excellent folk-queen,

Hot-burning hatred: no hero whatever

’Mong household companions, her husband excepted

She is a terror to all save her husband.

Dared to adventure to look at the woman

With eyes in the daytime; but he knew that death-chains

Hand-wreathed were wrought him: early thereafter,

When the hand-strife was over, edges were ready,

That fierce-raging sword-point had to force a decision,

Murder-bale show. Such no womanly custom

For a lady to practise, though lovely her person,

That a weaver-of-peace, on pretence of anger

A belovèd liegeman of life should deprive.

Soothly this hindered Heming’s kinsman;

Other ale-drinking earlmen asserted

That fearful folk-sorrows fewer she wrought them,

Treacherous doings, since first she was given

Adorned with gold to the war-hero youthful,

For her origin honored, when Offa’s great palace

O’er the fallow flood by her father’s instructions

She sought on her journey, where she afterwards fully,

Famed for her virtue, her fate on the king’s-seat

Enjoyed in her lifetime, love did she hold with

The ruler of heroes, the best, it is told me,

Of all of the earthmen that oceans encompass,

Of earl-kindreds endless; hence Offa was famous

Far and widely, by gifts and by battles,

Spear-valiant hero; the home of his fathers

He governed with wisdom, whence Eomær did issue

For help unto heroes, Heming’s kinsman,

Grandson of Garmund, great in encounters.