Part XVII
THEN hastened those heroes their home to see,friendless, to find the Frisian land,houses and high burg. Hengest stillthrough the death-dyed winter dwelt with Finn,holding pact, yet of home he minded,though powerless his ring-decked prow to driveover the waters, now waves rolled fiercelashed by the winds, or winter locked themin icy fetters. Then fared anotheryear to men's dwellings, as yet they do,the sunbright skies, that their season everduly await. Far off winter was driven;fair lay earth's breast; and fain was the rover,the guest, to depart, though more gladly he ponderedon wreaking his vengeance than roaming the deep,and how to hasten the hot encounterwhere sons of the Frisians were sure to be.So he escaped not the common doom,when Hun with "Lafing," the light-of-battle,best of blades, his bosom pierced:its edge was famed with the Frisian earls.On fierce-heart Finn there fell likewise,on himself at home, the horrid sword-death;for Guthlaf and Oslaf of grim attackhad sorrowing told, from sea-ways landed,mourning their woes. Finn's wavering spiritbode not in breast. The burg was reddenedwith blood of foemen, and Finn was slain,king amid clansmen; the queen was taken.To their ship the Scylding warriors boreall the chattels the chieftain owned,whatever they found in Finn's domainof gems and jewels. The gentle wifeo'er paths of the deep to the Danes they bore,led to her land.The lay was finished,the gleeman's song. Then glad rose the revel;bench-joy brightened. Bearers drawfrom their "wonder-vats" wine. Comes Wealhtheow forth,under gold-crown goes where the good pair sit,uncle and nephew, true each to the other one,kindred in amity. Unferth the spokesmanat the Scylding lord's feet sat: men had faith in his spirit,his keenness of courage, though kinsmen had found himunsure at the sword-play. The Scylding queen spoke:"Quaff of this cup, my king and lord,breaker of rings, and blithe be thou,gold-friend of men; to the Geats here speaksuch words of mildness as man should use.Be glad with thy Geats; of those gifts be mindful,or near or far, which now thou hast.
Men say to me, as son thou wishestyon hero to hold. Thy Heorot purged,jewel-hall brightest, enjoy while thou canst,with many a largess; and leave to thy kinfolk and realm when forth thou goestto greet thy doom. For gracious I deemmy Hrothulf, willing to hold and rulenobly our youths, if thou yield up first,prince of Scyldings, thy part in the world.I ween with good he will well requiteoffspring of ours, when all he mindsthat for him we did in his helpless daysof gift and grace to gain him honor!"Then she turned to the seat where her sons wereplaced,Hrethric and Hrothmund, with heroes' bairns,young men together: the Geat, too, sat there,Beowulf brave, the brothers between.
Words in this poem 28
- friendless a.
- Destitute of friends; forsaken. [AS. freóndleás.]
- frisian a.
- Of or pertaining to Friesland, a province of the Netherlands; Friesic.
- burg n.
- A fortified town. [AS. burh, burg, cf. LL. burgus. See 1st Borough.]
- finn a.
- A native of Finland; one of the FinnFinns.
- pact n.
- An agreement; a league; a compact; a covenant. [L. pactum, fr. paciscere to make a bargain or contract, fr. pacere to settle, or agree upon; cf. pangere to fasten, Gr. paca bond, and E. fang: cf. F. pacie. Cf]
- await v. t.
- To watch for; to look out for. [OF. awaitier, agaitier; (L. ad) + waitier, gaitier to watch, F. guetter. See Wait.]
- fain v. t.
- To be glad ; to wish or desire.
- rover n.
- One who practices robbery on the seas; a pirate. [D. roover a robber. See Rove, v. i.]
- depart v. i.
- To part; to divide; to separate. [OE. departen to divide, part, depart, F. départir to divide, distribute, se départir to separate one's self, depart; pref. dé- (L. de) + partir to part, depart,]
- gladly adv.
- Preferably; by choice. [From Glad, a.]
- horrid a.
- Rough; rugged; bristling. [L. horridus. See Horror, and cf. Ordure.]
- bode n.
- An omen; a foreshadowing.
- amid prep.
- In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among. [OE. amidde, amiddes, on midden, AS. on middan, in the middle, fr. midde the middle. The s is an adverbial ending, originally marking the genitive; the t is a la]
- nephew n.
- A grandson or grandchild, or remoter lineal descendant. [OE. neveu, nevou, nevu, fr. F. neveu, OF. also, nevou, L. nepos; akin to AS. nefa, D. neef, G. neffe, OHG. nevo, Icel. nefi a kinsman, gr. nepat grandson, desce]
- amity n.
- Friendship, in a general sense, between individuals, societies, or nations; friendly relations; good understanding; as, a treaty of amity and commerce; the amity of the Whigs and Tories. [F. amitié, OF. amistié, amisté, fr. an assumed LL. amisitas, fr. L. amicus friendly, from amare to love. See Amiable.]
- spokesman n.
- One who speaks for another. [Speak, spoke + man.]
- spoke n.
- The radius or ray of a wheel; one of the small bars which are inserted in the hub, or nave, and which serve to support the rim or felly. [OE. spoke, spake, AS, spaca; akin to D. speek, LG. speke, OHG. speihha, G. speiche. sq. root170. Cf. Spike a nail.]
- quaff v. t.
- To drink with relish; to drink copiously of; to swallow in large draughts. [For quach, fr. Gael. & Ir. cuach a drinking cup; cf. L. caucus a drinking vessel. Cf. Quaigh.]
- breaker n.
- One who, or that which, breaks.
- blithe a.
- Gay; merry; sprightly; joyous; glad; cheerful; as, a blithe spirit. [AS. bli blithe, kind; akin to Goth. blei kind, Icel. bli mild, gentle, Dan. & Sw. blid gentle, D. blijd blithe, OHG. blidi kind, blithe.]
- mindful a.
- Bearing in mind; regardful; attentive; heedful; observant.
- hast
- , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
- largess n.
- Liberality; generosity; bounty. [F. largesse, fr. large. See Large, a.]
- folk n.
- In Anglo-Saxon times, the people of a group of townships or villages; a community; a tribe. [AS. folc; akin to D. volk, OS. & OHG. folk, G. volk, Icel. f, Sw. & Dan. folk, Lith. pulkas crowd, and perh. to E. follow.]
- deem v. t.
- To decide; to judge; to sentence; to condemn. [OE. demen to judge, condemn, AS. d, fr. d doom; akin to OFries. d, OS. ad, D. doemen, OHG. tuommen, Icel. dæma, Sw. dömma, Dan. dömme, Goth. d. See Doom, n., an]
- nobly adv.
- Of noble extraction; as, nobly born or descended.
- ween v. i.
- To think; to imagine; to fancy. [OE. wenen, AS. w, fr. w hope, expectation, opinion; akin to D. waan, OFries. w, OS. & OHG. wan, G. wahn delusion, Icel. van hope, expectation, Goth. w, and D. w]
- geat n.
- The channel or spout through which molten metal runs into a mold in casting. [See Gate a door.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Part XVII is in the public domain. This text is taken from Beowulf, Project Gutenberg ebook #981, the Francis B. Gummere translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Anonymous, Part XVII, in Beowulf (1910), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #981, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/beowulf/part-xvii.html, id L14205.
Form and metre
Part XVII is 68 lines in 2 stanzas. The metre is trochaic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 70%). 85% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 9.4 syllables. 20 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 38% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in trochaic pentameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 --------------------------ABB-AB-------CDDC-------- see · land · still · finn · minded · drive · fierce · them · another · do · ever · driven · rover · pondered · deep · encounter · be · doom · battle · pierced · earls · likewise · death · attack · landed · spirit · reddenedA · slainB · takenB · bore · ownedA · domainB · wife · bore · land · finished · revel · draw · forth · sitC · oneD · spokesmanD · spiritC · him · spoke · lord · thou · speak · use · mindful · hast
- 2 A---A--A--------- wishestA · purged · canst · kin · goestA · deem · rule · firstA · world · requite · minds · days · honor · wereplaced · bairns · there · between
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against trochaic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| THEN hastened those heroes their home to see, | 10 | ·/˘·/˘···· |
| friendless, to find the Frisian land, | 8 | /˘···/˘· |
| houses and high burg. Hengest still | 8 | /˘···/˘· |
| through the death-dyed winter dwelt with Finn, | 9 | ····/˘··· |
| holding pact, yet of home he minded, | 9 | /˘·····/˘ |
| though powerless his ring-decked prow to drive | 10 | ·/˘˘······ |
| over the waters, now waves rolled fierce | 9 | ···/˘···· |
| lashed by the winds, or winter locked them | 9 | ·····/˘·· |
| in icy fetters. Then fared another | 10 | ·/˘/˘··˘/˘ |
| year to men's dwellings, as yet they do, | 9 | ···/˘···· |
| the sunbright skies, that their season ever | 10 | ······/˘/˘ |
| duly await. Far off winter was driven; | 11 | /˘˘/··/˘·/˘ |
| fair lay earth's breast; and fain was the rover, | 10 | ········/˘ |
| the guest, to depart, though more gladly he pondered | 12 | ···˘/··/˘·/˘ |
| on wreaking his vengeance than roaming the deep, | 11 | ·/˘·/˘·/˘·· |
| and how to hasten the hot encounter | 10 | ···/˘··˘/˘ |
| where sons of the Frisians were sure to be. | 10 | ·········· |
| So he escaped not the common doom, | 9 | ··˘/··/˘· |
| when Hun with "Lafing," the light-of-battle, | 10 | ········/˘ |
| best of blades, his bosom pierced: | 7 | ····/˘· |
| its edge was famed with the Frisian earls. | 9 | ······/˘· |
| On fierce-heart Finn there fell likewise, | 8 | ······/· |
| on himself at home, the horrid sword-death; | 10 | ·˘/···/˘·· |
| for Guthlaf and Oslaf of grim attack | 10 | ········˘/ |
| had sorrowing told, from sea-ways landed, | 10 | ·/˘˘····/˘ |
| mourning their woes. Finn's wavering spirit | 10 | /˘···/˘˘/˘ |
| bode not in breast. The burg was reddened | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| with blood of foemen, and Finn was slain, | 9 | ········· |
| king amid clansmen; the queen was taken. | 10 | ·˘/·····/˘ |
| To their ship the Scylding warriors bore | 10 | ······/˘˘· |
| all the chattels the chieftain owned, | 8 | ··/˘·/˘· |
| whatever they found in Finn's domain | 9 | ·/˘····˘/ |
| of gems and jewels. The gentle wife | 9 | ···/˘·/˘· |
| o'er paths of the deep to the Danes they bore, | 10 | ·········· |
| led to her land. | 4 | ···· |
| The lay was finished, | 5 | ···/˘ |
| the gleeman's song. Then glad rose the revel; | 10 | ········/˘ |
| bench-joy brightened. Bearers draw | 7 | ··/˘/˘· |
| from their "wonder-vats" wine. Comes Wealhtheow forth, | 10 | ··/˘······ |
| under gold-crown goes where the good pair sit, | 10 | ·········· |
| uncle and nephew, true each to the other one, | 12 | /˘·/˘····/˘· |
| kindred in amity. Unferth the spokesman | 11 | /˘·/˘˘···/˘ |
| at the Scylding lord's feet sat: men had faith in his spirit, | 14 | ············/˘ |
| his keenness of courage, though kinsmen had found him | 12 | ·/˘·/˘······ |
| unsure at the sword-play. The Scylding queen spoke: | 11 | ˘/········· |
| "Quaff of this cup, my king and lord, | 8 | ········ |
| breaker of rings, and blithe be thou, | 8 | /˘······ |
| gold-friend of men; to the Geats here speak | 9 | ········· |
| such words of mildness as man should use. | 9 | ···/˘···· |
| Be glad with thy Geats; of those gifts be mindful, | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| or near or far, which now thou hast. | 8 | ········ |
| Men say to me, as son thou wishest | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| yon hero to hold. Thy Heorot purged, | 9 | ·/˘······ |
| jewel-hall brightest, enjoy while thou canst, | 10 | /˘·/˘˘/··· |
| with many a largess; and leave to thy kin | 11 | ·/˘·/˘····· |
| folk and realm when forth thou goest | 7 | ······· |
| to greet thy doom. For gracious I deem | 9 | ·····/˘·· |
| my Hrothulf, willing to hold and rule | 9 | ···/˘···· |
| nobly our youths, if thou yield up first, | 10 | /˘/˘······ |
| prince of Scyldings, thy part in the world. | 9 | ········· |
| I ween with good he will well requite | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| offspring of ours, when all he minds | 9 | /··/˘···· |
| that for him we did in his helpless days | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| of gift and grace to gain him honor!" | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Then she turned to the seat where her sons wereplaced, | 12 | ············ |
| Hrethric and Hrothmund, with heroes' bairns, | 9 | ······/˘· |
| young men together: the Geat, too, sat there, | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| Beowulf brave, the brothers between. | 9 | /˘···/˘·· |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.