Beowulf - Chapter 03

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
visit LibriVox dot org. Read by Karen Savage, Waco, Texas,
August two thousand six. Beowulf, translated by Francis Barton Gummere,
Section three. Then Rothgar went with his hero trained defense

(00:26):
of Sildings. Forth from hall Fain. Would the war lord
Wilvou seek couch of his queen, the king of glory.
Against this Grendel, a guard had set. So heroes heard
a whole defender, who warded the monarch and watched for
the monster. In truth, the Gheet's prince gladly trusted his metal,
his might, the mercy of God cast off. Then his

(00:47):
corselet of iron helmet from head to his henchmen, gave
choicest of weapons, the well chased sword, bidding him guard
the gear of battle spake. Then his vaunt, the valiant
man Beowulf gate e're the bed be sought O force
in fight. No feebler I count me in grim war
deeds than Grendel deems him not with the sword. Then

(01:07):
to sleep of death his life will I give, though
it lie in my power. No skill is his to
strike against me. My shield to hue. Though he hardy
be bold in battle, we both this knight shall spurn
the sword if he seek me here unweaponed for war.
Let wisest God, Sacred Lord, on which side, soever doomed
decree as he deemeth right reclined. Then the chieftain and

(01:29):
cheek pillows held the head of the Earl, while all
about him seamen hardy on ball beds sank. None of
them thought that, thence their steps to the folk and
fastness that fostered them to the land they loved, would
lead them back full well. They wist that on warrior's
many battle death seized in the banquet hall of Danish clan.
But comfort and help war weal weaving to wade of folk,

(01:51):
the master gave that by might have won over their enemy.
All prevailed by single strength in sooth, tis told that
highest God o'er human kind wielded ever through one night,
striding came the walker in shadow warriors slept, whose hest
was to guard the gabled hall. All save one. Twas
widely known that against God's will, the ghostly ravager hymn

(02:14):
could not hurl to haunts of darkness. Wakeful, ready with
warrior's wrath, bold, he bided the battle's issue. Then from
the moorland by misty crags, with God's wrath laden, Grendel came.
The monster was minded of mankind, now sundry to seize
in the stately house under welcome, he walked till the

(02:34):
wine palace. There gold hall of men he gladly discerned,
flashing with fretwork. Not first time this that he the
home of Rothcar sought, yet ne'er in his life, day
late or early, such hardy heroes such hall Thanes found
to the house. The warrior walked apace, parted from peace.
The portal opened it, though with forged bolts, fast when

(02:57):
his fist had struck it, and baleful, he burst in
his blatant rage the house's mouth all hastily, Then o'er
fair paved floor. The fiend trod on ireful. He strode there,
streamed from his eyes fearful flashes like flame to see
he spied in hall the hero band kin and clansmen
clustered asleep, hardy liegemen. Then laughed his heart, for the

(03:20):
monster was minded ere morn should dawn savage to sever
the soul of each life from body, since lustful banquet
waited his will, but weird forbade him to seize any
more of men on earth. After that evening eagerly watched
Heglack's clansman, his cursed foe, how he would fare in
fell attack, Not that the monster was minded to pause.

(03:41):
Straight away, he seized a sleeping warrior for the first
and tore him fiercely asunder the bone frame, bit drank
blood in streams, swallowed him piecemeal swiftly. Thus the lifeless
course was clear, devoured e'en feet and hands. Then farther
he hied for the hardy hero. With hand he grasped,
felt for the foe with fiendish claw, for the hero reclining,

(04:01):
who clutched it boldly, prompt to answer, propped on his arm.
Soon then saw that shepherd of evils that never he
met in this middle world in the ways of earth,
another white with heavier hand, gripe at heart. He feared,
sorrowed in soul, none the sooner escaped. Fain would he
flee his fastness, seek the den of devils. No doings

(04:23):
now such as oft he had done in days of old.
Then bethought him the hardy higlock fane of his boasted evening.
Up he bounded, grasped firm his foe, whose fingers cracked.
The fiend made off, but the earl close followed. The
monster meant if he might at all to fling himself
free and far away, fly to the fens. Knew his
fingers power in the gripe of the grim one, gruesome

(04:45):
marsh to herod, this monster of harm had made Din
filled the room. The Danes were bereft, castle dwellers and clansmen,
all earls of their ale angry were both so savage
hall guards. The house resounded wonder it was the the
wine hall firm, in the strain of their struggle, stood
to earth. The fair house fell not too fast, It

(05:06):
was within and without by its iron bands, craftily clamped,
though there crashed from sill. Many a mead bench men
have told me, gay with gold, where the grim foes
wrestled so well had weened the wisest suldings, that not
ever at all might any man that bone decked brave
house break asunder crushed by craft, unless clasp of fire

(05:28):
and smoke engulfed it again up rose din redoubled Danes
of the north with fear and frenzy were filled each
one who from the war that wailing heard God's foe,
sounding his grisly song, cry of the conquered, clamorous pain
from captive of hell too closely held him, he who
of men in might was strongest in that same day
of this our life. Not in any wise would the

(05:53):
Earl's defense suffer that slaughterous stranger to live, unless dealing
his days and years to men on earth. Now many
an earth, All of Beowulf, brandished blade ancestral, feigned the
life of their lord to shield their praised prince. If
power were theirs. Never they knew as they neared the foe,
hardy hearted heroes of war, aiming their swords on every
side the accursed to kill. No keenest blade, no fairest

(06:16):
of faucians fashioned on earth, could harm or hurt that
hideous fiend. He was safe by his spells, from sword
of battle, from edge of iron. Yet his end and
parting on that same day of this our life woeful
should be, and his wandering soul far off flit to
the fiend's domain. Soon he found who in former days,
harmful in heart and hated of God. On many a

(06:37):
man such murder wrought that the frame of his body
failed him. Now for him, the keen souled kinsman of
Higlac held in hand, hateful alive was to each other,
the outlawed dire took mortal hurt. A mighty wound showed
on his shoulder, and sinews cracked, and the bone frame burst.
To Beowulf, now the glory was given, and Grendel, thence death, sick,

(06:59):
his denier in the dark moor, sought noisome abode. He
knew too well that here was the last of life,
an end of his days on earth. To all the Danes.
By that bloody battle the boon had come from Ravage,
had rescued the roving stranger Rothgar's hall. The hardy and
wise one had perched it anew. His night work pleased him,
his deed and its honor to eastern Danes. Had the

(07:22):
valiant geat his vaunt made good. All their sorrow and
ills are swaged, their bale of battle borne so long,
and all the dole they erst endured pain a plenty
twas proof of this, When the hardy in fight a
hand laid down, arm and shoulder, all indeed of Grendel's
gripe neath the gabled roof. Many at morning, as men

(07:44):
have told me, warriors gathered the gift hall round folk
leaders faring from far and near o'er wide stretched ways
the wonder to view traces of the traitor. Not troublous
seemed the enemy's end to any man who saw by
the gait of the graceless foe. How the weary hearted
away from thence baffled in battle, and band his steps
death marked, dragged to the devil's mere. Bloody, the billows

(08:07):
were boiling there, turbid of a tide, of tumbling waves,
horribly seething with sword blood hot by that doomed one died, who,
in den of the moor, laid forlorn his life, adown
his heathen soul, and hell received it home. Then rode
the hoary clansmen from that merry journey, and many a
youth on horses white the hardy warrior's back from the mere.

(08:28):
Then Beowulf's glory. Eager they echoed, and all averred that
from sea to sea, or south or north, there was
no other in earth stoemain under vault of heaven more
valiant found of warriors none more worthy to rule on
their lord beloved. They laid no slight gracious rofka a
good king. He From time to time the tried in
battle their gray steeds, set to gallop a main, and

(08:50):
ran a race when the road seemed fair. From time
to time a thane of the king, who had made
many vaunts, was mindful of verses stored with saggers and
songs of old, bound word to word in well knit rhyme,
wielded his lay. This warrior, soon of Beowulf's quest, right
cleverly sang and artfully added an excellent tale in well
ranged words of the warlike deeds he had heard in

(09:12):
Saga of Sigamund. Strange the story, he said it, all
the walesings, wanderings wide, his struggles, which never were told
to tribes of men, the feuds and the frauds, save
to Foretella. Only when of these doings he deigned to
speak uncle to nephew. As ever, the twain stood side
by side in stress of war and multitude of the
monster kind they had felled with their swords of Sigamund

(09:35):
grew when he passed from life no little praise for
the doughty and combat. A dragon killed, that herd it
the horde under hoary rock. The atheling dared the deed
alone fearful quest, nor was foreteller there Yet so it
befell his fortune. Pierced that wondrous worm on the wall,
it struck best blade. The dragon died in its blood.
Thus had the dread one, by daring, achieved over the Ringhorde,

(09:58):
to rule at will himself, to pleasure. A sea boat
he loaded and bore on its bosom, the beaming gold
Son of Wales. The worm was consumed. He had, of
all heroes, the highest renown among races of men, this
refuge of warriors for deeds of daring that decked his name.
Since the hand and heart of Heremond grew slack in battle,
he swiftly banished to mingle with monsters at mercy of foes.

(10:20):
To death was betrayed, for torrents of sorrow had lamed
him too long. A bode of care to earls and athlings,
all he proved oft. Indeed, in earlier days for the
warrior's wayfaring, wise men mourned, who had hoped of him
help from harm and bail, and had thought their sovereign's
son would thrive follow his father his folk protect the
Horde and the stronghold hero's Land, home of Sildings. But here,

(10:42):
Faines said the kinsmen of Higlac kindess seemed to all
the other was urged to crime, and afresh to the
race the fallow roads by swift steeds measured the morning
sun was climbing higher. Clan's men hastened to the high
built wall. Those hearty minded the wonder to witness warden
of treasure crowned with glory. The king himself, with stately
band from the bride bower Strode, and with him the

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Queen and her crowd of maidens, measured the path to
the mead house. Fair Rothgar spake to the hall. He went,
stood by the steps the steep roof sore garnished with
gold in Grendel's hand for the sight I see, to
the sovereign ruler be speedy. Thanks a throng of sorrows
I have borne from Grendel. But God still works wonder

(11:26):
on wonder the warden of glory. It was but now
that I never more for woes that weighed on me
waited help long as I lived, When laved in blood,
stood sword gore stained this stateliest house, widespread woe for
wise men, all who had no hope to hinder ever foes,
infernal and fiendish sprites from havocan hall. This hero, now,

(11:47):
by the Wielder's might, a work has done that not
all of us erst could ever do by wilent wisdom.
Lo well can she say, whoso of women this warrior
bore among sons of men? If still she liveth that
the God of the ages was good to her in
the birth of her bairn. Now Beowulf, thee of Hero's best,
I shall heartily love as mine own my son. Preserve

(12:08):
thou ever this kinship knew, Thou shalt never lack wealth
of the world that I wield as mine full oft.
For less have I large as showered my precious hoard
on a punier man, less stout in struggle. Thyself hast
now fulfilled such deeds that thy fame shall endure through
all the ages as ever he did. Well, may the
wielder reward thee Still, Beowulf spake, Baron of Eck, Thou

(12:30):
this work of war most willingly we have fought this fight,
and fearlessly dared force of the foe. Fain too, were
I hadst thou but seen himself. What time the fiend,
in his trappings tottered to fall swiftly? I thought, in
strongest scripe on his bed of death, to bind him down,
that he, in the heart of this hand of mine,
should breathe his last. But he broke away. Here I

(12:52):
might not the maker, wild, not hinder from flight, and
firm enough hold the life destroyer. Too sturdy was he,
the ruthless, and running for rescue. However he left behind
him his hand in pledge, arm and shoulder. Nor aught
of help could the cursed one thus procure it all?
None the longer liveth he loathsome fiend sunk in his sins,

(13:12):
But sorrow holds him tightly, grasped in gripe of anguish,
in baleful bonds. Where abide he must evil outlaw such
awful doom as the mighty Maker shall meet him out
more silent seemed the son of eglaff emboastful speech of
his battle deeds, since Athling's all, through the Earl's great
prowess beheld that hand on the high roof, gazing foeman's fingers.

(13:33):
The fore part of each of the sturdy nails to
steel was likest heathen's hand, spear, hostile warrior's chlor uncanny.
Twas clear they said that him, no blade of the
brave could touch, how keen soever, or cut away that
battle hand, bloody from baneful foe. End of Section three.