THAT battle-toil bade he at burg to announce,

at the fort on the cliff, where, full of sorrow,

all the morning earls had sat,

daring shieldsmen, in doubt of twain:

would they wail as dead, or welcome home,

their lord beloved? Little 108 kept back

of the tidings new, but told them all,

the herald that up the headland rode. —

“Now the willing-giver to Weder folk

in death-bed lies; the Lord of Geats

on the slaughter-bed sleeps by the serpent’s deed!

And beside him is stretched that slayer-of-men

with knife-wounds sick: 109 no sword availed

on the awesome thing in any wise

to work a wound. There Wiglaf sitteth,

Weohstan’s bairn, by Beowulf’s side,

the living earl by the other dead,

and heavy of heart a head-watch 110 keeps

o’er friend and foe. — Now our folk may look

for waging of war when once unhidden

to Frisian and Frank the fall of the king

is spread afar. — The strife began

when hot on the Hugas 111 Hygelac fell

and fared with his fleet to the Frisian land.

Him there the Hetwaras humbled in war,

plied with such prowess their power o’erwhelming

that the bold-in-battle bowed beneath i............