Beowulf on Everything:
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Beowulf V
STONE-BRIGHT the street: (1) it showed the way
to the crowd of clansmen. Corselets glistened
hand-forged, hard; on their
harness bright
the steel ring sang, as they strode along
in mail of battle, and marched to the hall.
There, weary of ocean, the wall along
they set their bucklers, their
broad shields, down,
and bowed them to bench: the
breastplates clanged,
war-gear of men; their
weapons stacked,
spears of the seafarers stood together,
gray-tipped ash: that iron band
was
worthily weaponed! -- A warrior proud
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asked of the heroes their home and kin.
"Whence, now, bear ye burnished shields,
harness gray and
helmets grim,
spears in multitude? Messenger, I,
Hrothgar's
herald! Heroes so many
ne'er met I as strangers of mood so strong.
'Tis plain that for prowess, not plunged into exile,
for high-hearted valor, Hrothgar ye seek!"
Him the sturdy-in-war bespake with words,
proud earl of the Weders answer made,
hardy 'neath helmet: -- "
Hygelac's, we,
fellows at board; I am
Beowulf named.
I am seeking to say to the son of
Healfdene
this mission of mine, to thy master-lord,
the doughty prince, if he deign at all
grace that we greet him, the good one, now."
Wulfgar spake, the Wendles' chieftain,
whose might of mind to many was known,
his courage and counsel: "The king of
Danes,
the Scyldings' friend, I fain will tell,
the
Breaker-of-Rings, as the boon thou askest,
the famed prince, of thy faring hither,
and, swiftly after, such answer bring
as the doughty monarch may deign to give."
Hied then in haste to where Hrothgar sat
white-haired and old, his earls about him,
till the stout thane stood at the shoulder there
of the
Danish king: good courtier he!
Wulfgar spake to his winsome lord: --
"Hither have fared to thee far-come men
o'er the paths of ocean, people of Geatland;
and the stateliest there by his sturdy band
is Beowulf named. This boon they seek,
that they, my master, may with thee
have speech at will: nor spurn their prayer
to give them hearing, gracious Hrothgar!
In weeds of the warrior worthy they,
methinks, of our liking; their leader most surely,
a hero that hither his henchmen has led."
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(1) Either merely paved, the
strata via of the
Romans, or else thought of as a sort of mosaic, an extravagant touch like the reckless waste of gold on the walls and roofs of a hall.