beowulf-第17节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Hrethel's　offspring；　when　home　he　came；

to　Eofor　and　Wulf　a　wealth　of　treasure；

Each　of　them　had　a　hundred　thousand＇3＇

in　land　and　linked　rings；　nor　at　less　price　reckoned

mid…earth　men　such　mighty　deeds！

And　to　Eofor　he　gave　his　only　daughter

in　pledge　of　grace；　the　pride　of　his　home。



〃Such　is　the　feud；　the　foeman's　rage；

death…hate　of　men：　so　I　deem　it　sure

that　the　Swedish　folk　will　seek　us　home

for　this　fall　of　their　friends；　the　fighting…Scylfings；

when　once　they　learn　that　our　warrior　leader

lifeless　lies；　who　land　and　hoard

ever　defended　from　all　his　foes；

furthered　his　folk's　weal；　finished　his　course

a　hardy　hero。　　Now　haste　is　best；

that　we　go　to　gaze　on　our　Geatish　lord；

and　bear　the　bountiful　breaker…of…rings

to　the　funeral　pyre。　No　fragments　merely

shall　burn　with　the　warrior。　Wealth　of　jewels；

gold　untold　and　gained　in　terror；

treasure　at　last　with　his　life　obtained；

all　of　that　booty　the　brands　shall　take；

fire　shall　eat　it。　No　earl　must　carry

memorial　jewel。　No　maiden　fair

shall　wreathe　her　neck　with　noble　ring：

nay；　sad　in　spirit　and　shorn　of　her　gold；

oft　shall　she　pass　o'er　paths　of　exile

now　our　lord　all　laughter　has　laid　aside；

all　mirth　and　revel。　Many　a　spear

morning…cold　shall　be　clasped　amain；

lifted　aloft；　nor　shall　lilt　of　harp

those　warriors　wake；　but　the　wan…hued　raven；

fain　o'er　the　fallen；　his　feast　shall　praise

and　boast　to　the　eagle　how　bravely　he　ate

when　he　and　the　wolf　were　wasting　the　slain。〃



So　he　told　his　sorrowful　tidings；

and　little＇4＇　he　lied；　the　loyal　man

of　word　or　of　work。　The　warriors　rose；

sad；　they　climbed　to　the　Cliff…of…Eagles；

went；　welling　with　tears；　the　wonder　to　view。

Found　on　the　sand　there；　stretched　at　rest；

their　lifeless　lord；　who　had　lavished　rings

of　old　upon　them。　Ending…day

had　dawned　on　the　doughty…one；　death　had　seized

in　woful　slaughter　the　Weders'　king。

There　saw　they；　besides；　the　strangest　being；

loathsome；　lying　their　leader　near；

prone　on　the　field。　The　fiery　dragon；

fearful　fiend；　with　flame　was　scorched。

Reckoned　by　feet；　it　was　fifty　measures

in　length　as　it　lay。　Aloft　erewhile

it　had　revelled　by　night；　and　anon　come　back；

seeking　its　den；　now　in　death's　sure　clutch

it　had　come　to　the　end　of　its　earth…hall　joys。

By　it　there　stood　the　stoups　and　jars；

dishes　lay　there；　and　dear…decked　swords

eaten　with　rust；　as；　on　earth's　lap　resting；

a　thousand　winters　they　waited　there。

For　all　that　heritage　huge；　that　gold

of　bygone　men；　was　bound　by　a　spell；＇5＇

so　the　treasure…hall　could　be　touched　by　none

of　human　kind；　　save　that　Heaven's　King；

God　himself；　might　give　whom　he　would；

Helper　of　Heroes；　the　hoard　to　open；　

even　such　a　man　as　seemed　to　him　meet。



＇1＇　The　line　may　mean：　till　Hrethelings　stormed　on　the　hedged

shields；　　i。e。　the　shield…wall　or　hedge　of　defensive　war　

Hrethelings；　of　course；　are　Geats。　＇2＇　Eofor；　brother　to　Wulf

Wonreding。　＇3＇　Sc。　〃value　in〃　hides　and　the　weight　of　the　gold。

＇4＇　Not　at　all。　＇5＇　Laid　on　it　when　it　was　put　in　the　barrow。

This　spell；　or　in　our　days　the　〃curse；〃　either　prevented

discovery　or　brought　dire　ills　on　the　finder　and　taker。







XLII



A　PERILOUS　path；　it　proved；　he＇1＇　trod

who　heinously　hid；　that　hall　within；

wealth　under　wall！　Its　watcher　had　killed

one　of　a　few；＇2＇　and　the　feud　was　avenged

in　woful　fashion。　Wondrous　seems　it；

what　manner　a　man　of　might　and　valor

oft　ends　his　life；　when　the　earl　no　longer

in　mead…hall　may　live　with　loving　friends。

So　Beowulf；　when　that　barrow's　warden

he　sought；　and　the　struggle；　himself　knew　not

in　what　wise　he　should　wend　from　the　world　at　last。

For＇3＇　princes　potent；　who　placed　the　gold；

with　a　curse　to　doomsday　covered　it　deep；

so　that　marked　with　sin　the　man　should　be；

hedged　with　horrors；　in　hell…bonds　fast；

racked　with　plagues；　who　should　rob　their　hoard。

Yet　no　greed　for　gold；　but　the　grace　of　heaven；

ever　the　king　had　kept　in　view。＇4＇

Wiglaf　spake；　the　son　of　Weohstan：　

〃At　the　mandate　of　one；　oft　warriors　many

sorrow　must　suffer；　and　so　must　we。

The　people's…shepherd　showed　not　aught

of　care　for　our　counsel；　king　beloved！

That　guardian　of　gold　he　should　grapple　not；　urged　we；

but　let　him　lie　where　he　long　had　been

in　his　earth…hall　waiting　the　end　of　the　world；

the　hest　of　heaven。　　This　hoard　is　ours

but　grievously　gotten；　too　grim　the　fate

which　thither　carried　our　king　and　lord。

I　was　within　there；　and　all　I　viewed；

the　chambered　treasure；　when　chance　allowed　me

（and　my　path　was　made　in　no　pleasant　wise）

under　the　earth…wall。　Eager；　I　seized

such　heap　from　the　hoard　as　hands　could　bear

and　hurriedly　carried　it　hither　back

to　my　liege　and　lord。　Alive　was　he　still；

still　wielding　his　wits。　The　wise　old　man

spake　much　in　his　sorrow；　and　sent　you　greetings

and　bade　that　ye　build；　when　he　breathed　no　more；

on　the　place　of　his　balefire　a　barrow　high；

memorial　mighty。　Of　men　was　he

worthiest　warrior　wide　earth　o'er

the　while　he　had　joy　of　his　jewels　and　burg。

Let　us　set　out　in　haste　now；　the　second　time

to　see　and　search　this　store　of　treasure；

these　wall…hid　wonders；　　the　way　I　show　you；　

where；　gathered　near；　ye　may　gaze　your　fill

at　broad…gold　and　rings。　Let　the　bier；　soon　made；

be　all　in　order　when　out　we　come；

our　king　and　captain　to　carry　thither

　man　beloved　　where　long　he　shall　bide

safe　in　the　shelter　of　sovran　God。〃

Then　the　bairn　of　Weohstan　bade　command；

hardy　chief；　to　heroes　many

that　owned　their　homesteads；　hither　to　bring

firewood　from　far　　o'er　the　folk　they　ruled　

for　the　famed…one's　funeral。　〃　Fire　shall　devour

and　wan　flames　feed　on　the　fearless　warrior

who　oft　stood　stout　in　the　iron…shower；

when；　sped　from　the　string；　a　storm　of　arrows

shot　o'er　the　shield…wall：　the　shaft　held　firm；

featly　feathered；　followed　the　barb。〃

And　now　the　sage　young　son　of　Weohstan

seven　chose　of　the　chieftain's　thanes；

the　best　he　found　that　band　within；

and　went　with　these　warriors；　one　of　eight；

under　hostile　roof。　In　hand　one　bore

a　lighted　torch　and　led　the　way。

No　lots　they　cast　for　keeping　the　hoard

when　once　the　warriors　saw　it　in　hall；

altogether　without　a　guardian；

lying　there　lost。　And　little　they　mourned

when　they　had　hastily　haled　it　out；

dear…bought　treasure！　The　dragon　they　cast；

the　worm；　o'er　the　wall　for　the　wave　to　take；

and　surges　swallowed　that　shepherd　of　gems。

Then　the　woven　gold　on　a　wain　was　laden　

countless　quite！　　and　the　king　was　borne；

hoary　hero；　to　Hrones…Ness。



＇1＇　Probably　the　fugitive　is　meant　who　discovered　the　hoard。　Ten

Brink　and　Gering　assume　that　the　dragon　is　meant。　〃Hid〃　may　well

mean　here　〃took　while　in　hiding。〃　＇2＇　That　is　〃one　and　a　few

others。〃　But　Beowulf　seems　to　be　indicated。　＇3＇　Ten　Brink　points

out　the　strongly　heathen　character　of　this　part　of　the　epic。

Beowulf's　end　came；　so　the　old　tradition　ran；　from　his　unwitting

interference　with　spell…bound　treasure。　＇4＇　A　hard　saying；

variously　interpreted。　In　any　case；　it　is　the　somewhat　clumsy

effort　of　the　Christian　poet　to　tone　down　the　heathenism　of　his

material　by　an　edifying　observation。







XLIII



THEN　fashioned　for　him　the　folk　of　Geats

firm　on　the　earth　a　funeral…pile；

and　hung　it　with　helmets　and　harness　of　war

and　breastplates　bright；　as　the　boon　he　asked；

and　they　laid　amid　it　the　mighty　chieftain；

heroes　mourning　their　master　dear。

Then　on　the　hill　that　hugest　of　balefires

the　warriors　wakened。　Wood…smoke　rose

black　over　blaze；　and　blent　was　the　roar

of　flame　with　weeping　（the　wind　was　still）；

till　the　fire　had　broken　the　frame　of　bones；

hot　at　the　heart。　In　heavy　mood

their　misery　moaned　they；　their　master's　death。

Wailing　her　woe；　the　widow＇1＇　old；

her　hair　upbound；　for　Beowulf's　death

sung　in　her　sorrow；　and　said　full　oft

she　dreaded　the　doleful　days　to　come；

deaths　enow；　and　doom　of　battle；

and　shame。　　The　smoke　by　the　sky　was　devoured。

The　folk　of　the　Weders　fashioned　there

on　the　headland　a　barrow　broad　and　high；

by　ocean…farers　far　descried：

in　ten　days'　time　their　toil　had　raised　it；

the　battle…brave's　beacon。　Round　brands　of　the　pyre

a　wall　they　built；　the　worthiest　ever

that　wit　could　prompt　in　their　wisest　men。

They　placed　in　the　barrow　that　precious　booty；

the　rounds　and　the　rings　they　had　reft　erewhile；

hardy　heroes；　from　hoard　in　cave；　

trusting　the　ground　with　treasure　of　earls；

gold　in　the　earth；　where　ever　it　lies

useless　to　men　as　of　yore　it　was。

Then　about　that　barrow　the　battle…keen　rode；

atheling…born；　a　band　of　twelve；

lament　to　make；　to　mourn　their　king；

chant　their　dirge；　and　their　chieftain　honor。

They　praised　his　earlship；　his　acts　of　prowess

worthily　witnessed：　and　well　it　is

that　men　their　master…friend　mightily　laud；

heartily　love；　when　hence　he　goes

from　life　in　the　body　forlorn　away。



Thus　made　their　mourning　the