XVIII + 

The Finn Episode (Continued)⁠—The Banquet Continues + 

“Then the warriors departed to go to their dwellings, + 

Reaved of their friends, Friesland to visit, + 

Their homes and high-city. Hengest continued + 

Biding with Finn the blood-tainted winter, + 

Wholly unsundered; of fatherland thought he + 

Though unable to drive the ring-stemmèd vessel + 

O’er the ways of the waters; the wave-deeps were tossing, + 

Fought with the wind; winter in ice-bonds + 

Closed up the currents, till there came to the dwelling + 

A year in its course, as yet it revolveth, + 

If season propitious one alway regardeth, + 

World-cheering weathers. Then winter was gone, + 

Earth’s bosom was lovely; the exile would get him, + 

The guest from the palace; on gruesomest vengeance + 

He brooded more eager than on oversea journeys, + 

Whe’r onset-of-anger he were able to ’complish, + 

The bairns of the Jutemen therein to remember. + 

Nowise refused he the duties of liegeman + 

When Hun of the Frisians the battle-sword Láfing, + 

Fairest of falchions, friendly did give him: + 

Its edges were famous in folk-talk of Jutland. + 

And savage sword-fury seized in its clutches + 

Bold-mooded Finn where he bode in his palace, + 

When the gruesome grapple Guthlaf and Oslaf + 

Had mournfully mentioned, the mere-journey over, + 

For sorrows half-blamed him; the flickering spirit + 

Could not bide in his bosom. Then the building was covered + 

With corpses of foemen, and Finn too was slaughtered, + 

The king with his comrades, and the queen made a prisoner. + 

The troops of the Scyldings bore to their vessels + 

All that the land-king had in his palace, + 

Such trinkets and treasures they took as, on searching, + 

At Finn’s they could find. They ferried to Daneland + 

The excellent woman on oversea journey, + 

Led her to their land-folk.” The lay was concluded, + 

The gleeman’s recital. Shouts again rose then, + 

Bench-glee resounded, bearers then offered + 

Wine from wonder-vats. Wealhtheo advanced then + 

Going ’neath gold-crown, where the good ones were seated + 

Uncle and nephew; their peace was yet mutual, + 

True each to the other. And Unferth the spokesman + 

Sat at the feet of the lord of the Scyldings: + 

Each trusted his spirit that his mood was courageous, + 

Though at fight he had failed in faith to his kinsmen. + 

Said the queen of the Scyldings: “My lord and protector, + 

Treasure-bestower, take thou this beaker; + 

Joyance attend thee, gold-friend of heroes, + 

And greet thou the Geatmen with gracious responses! + 

So ought one to do. Be kind to the Geatmen, + 

In gifts not niggardly; anear and afar now + 

Peace thou enjoyest. Report hath informed me + 

Thou’lt have for a bairn the battle-brave hero. + 

Now is Heorot cleansèd, ring-palace gleaming; + 

Give while thou mayest many rewards, + 

And bequeath to thy kinsmen kingdom and people, + 

On wending thy way to the Wielder’s splendor. + 

I know good Hrothulf, that the noble young troopers + 

He’ll care for and honor, lord of the Scyldings, + 

If earth-joys thou endest earlier than he doth; + 

I reckon that recompense he’ll render with kindness + 

Our offspring and issue, if that all he remember, + 

What favors of yore, when he yet was an infant, + 

We awarded to him for his worship and pleasure.” + 

Then she turned by the bench where her sons were carousing, + 

Hrethric and Hrothmund, and the heroes’ offspring, + 

The war-youth together; there the good one was sitting + 

’Twixt the brothers twain, Beowulf Geatman. + 