The Tale of Beowulf/Chapter 5
V. HERE BEOWULF MAKES ANSWER TO THE LAND-WARDEN, WHO SHOWETH HIM THE WAY TO THE KING'S ABODE.
HE then that was chiefest in thus wise he answer'd,The war-fellows' leader unlock'd he the word-hoard:We be a people of the Weder-Geats' man-kin260 And of Hygelac be we the hearth-fellows soothly.My father before me of folks was well-famedVan-leader and atheling, Ecgtheow he hight.Many winters abode he, and on the way wendedAn old man from the garths, and him well remembersEvery wise man well nigh wide yond o'er the earth.Through our lief mood and friendly the lord that is thine,Even Healfdene's son, are we now come a-seeking,Thy warder of folk. Learn us well with thy leading,For we have to the mighty an errand full mickle,To the lord of the Dane-folk: naught dark shall it be,271That ween I full surely. If it be so thou wottest,As soothly for our parts we now have heard say,That one midst of the Scyldings, who of scathers I wot not,A deed-hater secret, in the dark of the night-tideSetteth forth through the terror the malice untold of,The shame-wrong and slaughter. I therefore to HrothgarThrough my mind fashion'd roomsome the rede may now learn him, How he, old-wise and good, may get the fiend under,If once more from him awayward may turn280The business of bales, and the boot come again,And the weltering of care wax cooler once more;Or for ever sithence time of stress he shall thole,The need and the wronging, the while yet there abidethOn the high stead aloft the best of all houses.Then spake out the warden on steed there a-sitting,The servant all un-fear'd: It shall be of eitherThat the shield-warrior sharp the sundering wotteth,Of words and of works, if he think thereof well.I hear it thus said that this host here is friendly290To the lord of the Scyldings; forth fare ye then, bearingYour weed and your weapons, of the way will I wise you;Likewise mine own kinsmen I will now be biddingAgainst every foeman your floater before us,Your craft but new-tarred, the keel on the sand,With honour to hold, until back shall be bearingOver the lake-streams this one, the lief man,The wood of the wounden-neck back unto Wedermark. Unto such shall be granted amongst the good-doers299To win the way out all whole from the war-race.Then boun they to faring, the bark biding quiet;Hung upon hawser the wide-fathom'd shipFast at her anchor. Forth shone the boar-shapesOver the check-guards golden adorned,Fair-shifting, fire-hard; ward held the farrow.Snorted the war-moody, hasten'd the warriorsAnd trod down together until the hall timber'd,Stately and gold-bestain'd, gat they to look on,That was the all-mightiest unto earth's dwellersOf halls 'neath the heavens, wherein bode the mighty;310Glisten'd the gleam thereof o'er lands a many.Unto them then the war-deer the court of the proud oneFull clearly betaught it, that they therewithalMight wend their ways thither. Then he of the warriorsRound wended his steed, and spake a word backward:Time now for my faring; but the Father All-wielderMay He with all helping henceforward so hold youAll whole in your wayfaring. Will I to sea-sideAgainst the wroth folk to hold warding ever.