“Hildeburh wailed for Hnaef, and her son as well,
Bidding his body be brought alongside,
That his bones might burn, and his body ascend,
Alongside his uncle, to the unfeeling sky”
Simple Courage
“His courage in combat never cowered or quailed;
He was daring and doughty when dead bodies fell”
Spears for Infighting
“Gigantic fingers grim, those gray-clawed spikes,
Like burnished steel, bent spikes, short spears for infighting”
That Wretch
“That wicked wretch ran wailing off
And won’t live long, that loathsome criminal,
Sunken in sin, with sorrow astride him”
The Severed Claw
“He ran and in running vain rescue he sought,
He left his curdled cruelty, his claw and shouldered arm,
Left behind, bleeding; my boast is nailed there”
Best of Men
“Now Beowulf, best of men, in battle triumphant,
As a son I laud and love you, lift your name high,
Keep this new kinship, carry it with you,
Acknowledge and nurture it, know that it’s yours”
A Bevy
“The king himself came from the queen’s quarters,
Regal and royal, the ring-treasure guardian,
Well-known and noble, knights and earls with him,
A column of comfort, the queen right beside him,
And beautiful, bountiful, a bevy of women”
Famed as a Fighter
“He was famed as a fighter, ferocity unmatched,
A baron of battle, the best in the business,
His great and good deeds, all gained by his courage”
The Whole Clan
“Conquering they killed a whole clan of giants,
Seeking with swords to signal their glory”
Singing the Story
“And song after song the stop would recount
From his storehouse of stories, singing with wisdom,
Glorying in good words, the great, ancient tales.
One after another he eagerly sang them,
Weaving in wisdom, old words with new ones”