XVII + 

Banquet (Continued)⁠—The Scop’s Song of Finn and Hnaef + 

And the atheling of earlmen to each of the heroes + 

Who the ways of the waters went with Beowulf, + 

A costly gift-token gave on the mead-bench, + 

Offered an heirloom, and ordered that that man + 

With gold should be paid for, whom Grendel had erstwhile + 

Wickedly slaughtered, as he more of them had done + 

Had far-seeing God and the mood of the hero + 

The fate not averted: the Father then governed + 

All of the earth-dwellers, as He ever is doing; + 

Hence insight for all men is everywhere fittest, + 

Forethought of spirit! much he shall suffer + 

Of lief and of loathsome who long in this present + 

Useth the world in this woeful existence. + 

There was music and merriment mingling together + 

Touching Healfdene’s leader; the joy-wood was fingered, + 

Measures recited, when the singer of Hrothgar + 

On mead-bench should mention the merry hall-joyance + 

Of the kinsmen of Finn, when onset surprised them: + 

“The Half-Danish hero, Hnaef of the Scyldings, + 

On the field of the Frisians was fated to perish. + 

Sure Hildeburg needed not mention approving + 

The faith of the Jutemen: though blameless entirely, + 

When shields were shivered she was shorn of her darlings, + 

Of bairns and brothers: they bent to their fate + 

With war-spear wounded; woe was that woman. + 

Not causeless lamented the daughter of Hoce + 

The decree of the Wielder when morning-light came and + 

She was able ’neath heaven to behold the destruction + 

Of brothers and bairns, where the brightest of earth-joys + 

She had hitherto had: all the henchmen of Finn + 

War had offtaken, save a handful remaining, + 

That he nowise was able to offer resistance + 

To the onset of Hengest in the parley of battle, + 

Nor the wretched remnant to rescue in war from + 

The earl of the atheling; but they offered conditions, + 

Another great building to fully make ready, + 

A hall and a high-seat, that half they might rule with + 

The sons of the Jutemen, and that Folcwalda’s son would + 

Day after day the Danemen honor + 

When gifts were giving, and grant of his ring-store + 

To Hengest’s earl-troop ever so freely, + 

Of his gold-plated jewels, as he encouraged the Frisians + 

On the bench of the beer-hall. On both sides they swore then + 

A fast-binding compact; Finn unto Hengest + 

With no thought of revoking vowed then most solemnly + 

The woe-begone remnant well to take charge of, + 

His Witan advising; the agreement should no one + 

By words or works weaken and shatter, + 

By artifice ever injure its value, + 

Though reaved of their ruler their ring-giver’s slayer + 

They followed as vassals, Fate so requiring: + 

Then if one of the Frisians the quarrel should speak of + 

In tones that were taunting, terrible edges + 

Should cut in requital. Accomplished the oath was, + 

And treasure of gold from the hoard was uplifted. + 

The best of the Scylding braves was then fully + 

Prepared for the pile; at the pyre was seen clearly + 

The blood-gory burnie, the boar with his gilding, + 

The iron-hard swine, athelings many + 

Fatally wounded; no few had been slaughtered. + 

Hildeburg bade then, at the burning of Hnaef, + 

The bairn of her bosom to bear to the fire, + 

That his body be burned and borne to the pyre. + 

The woe-stricken woman wept on his shoulder + 

In measures lamented; upmounted the hero. + 

The greatest of dead-fires curled to the welkin, + 

On the hill’s-front crackled; heads were a-melting, + 

Wound-doors bursting, while the blood was a-coursing + 

From body-bite fierce. The fire devoured them, + 

Greediest of spirits, whom war had offcarried + 

From both of the peoples; their bravest were fallen. + 