看哪，人们对长矛的丹麦国王的英勇的赞美，在漫长的岁月里，我们听到了，他们赢得了多么大的荣誉!从成群结队的敌人那里，从许多部落那里，草席被撕下来，令伯爵们肃然起敬。自从他孤零零地躺在那儿，成了一个弃儿，命运就报应了他:因为他的财产越来越多，越来越多，直到在他面前，远近的住在捕鲸道边的人，听到他的命令，都给他礼物:他真是个好国王!后来，他的继承人出生了，他的儿子在他的大厅里，上天派他来眷顾人民，因为他们感到了他们长久以来缺乏伯爵领导的痛苦;上帝赋予了他，神奇的持有者，世界的名声。这个贝奥武夫是有名的:他的吹嘘，锡尔德的儿子，在加拿大的土地上飞得很远。一个年轻的伯爵，应以酬金和赠礼与他父亲的朋友们断绝来往，这样，在他年老的时候，当战争临近时，他就能以勇猛的战士和忠贞的臣民来帮助他。他在命中注定的时刻出发了，把坚固的锡基带到上帝的庇护下。然后他们把他抬到波涛汹涌的大海里去，敬爱的部族成员们，当他向他们冲锋时，他们挥舞着迷人的锡尔德，这位长久统治着我们的敬爱的领袖。船坞里摇晃着一艘摇着铃铛的船，那是阿特林的驳船，上面布满了冰斑。他们把他们的亲爱的主人放在那只破环船的船舷上，靠在那只强壮的桅杆旁边。 Many a treasure fetched from far was freighted with him. No ship have I known so nobly dight with weapons of war and weeds of battle, with breastplate and blade: on his bosom lay a heaped hoard that hence should go far o'er the flood with him floating away. No less these loaded the lordly gifts, thanes' huge treasure, than those had done who in former time forth had sent him sole on the seas, a suckling child. High o'er his head they hoist the standard, a gold-wove banner; let billows take him, gave him to ocean. Grave were their spirits, mournful their mood. No man is able to say in sooth, no son of the halls, no hero 'neath heaven, - who harbored that freight! I Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings, leader beloved, and long he ruled in fame with all folk, since his father had gone away from the world, till awoke an heir, haughty Healfdene, who held through life, sage and sturdy, the Scyldings glad. Then, one after one, there woke to him, to the chieftain of clansmen, children four: Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave; and I heard that - was -'s queen, the Heathoscylfing's helpmate dear. To Hrothgar was given such glory of war, such honor of combat, that all his kin obeyed him gladly till great grew his band of youthful comrades. It came in his mind to bid his henchmen a hall uprear, a master mead-house, mightier far than ever was seen by the sons of earth, and within it, then, to old and young he would all allot that the Lord had sent him, save only the land and the lives of his men. Wide, I heard, was the work commanded, for many a tribe this mid-earth round, to fashion the folkstead. It fell, as he ordered, in rapid achievement that ready it stood there, of halls the noblest: Heorot [1] he named it whose message had might in many a land. Not reckless of promise, the rings he dealt, treasure at banquet: there towered the hall, high, gabled wide, the hot surge waiting of furious flame. [2] Nor far was that day when father and son-in-law stood in feud for warfare and hatred that woke again. With envy and anger an evil spirit endured the dole in his dark abode, that he heard each day the din of revel high in the hall: there harps rang out, clear song of the singer. He sang who knew tales of the early time of man, how the Almighty made the earth, fairest fields enfolded by water, set, triumphant, sun and moon for a light to lighten the land-dwellers, and braided bright the breast of earth with limbs and leaves, made life for all of mortal beings that breathe and move. So lived the clansmen in cheer and revel a winsome life, till one began to fashion evils, that field of hell. Grendel this monster grim was called, march-riever [5] mighty, in moorland living, in fen and fastness; fief of the giants the hapless wight a while had kept since the Creator his exile doomed. On kin of Cain was the killing avenged by sovran God for slaughtered Abel. Ill fared his feud, [6] and far was he driven, for the slaughter's sake, from sight of men. Of Cain awoke all that woful breed, Etins [7] and elves and evil-spirits, as well as the giants that warred with God weary while: but their wage was paid them! II WENT he f