To see King Hrothgar. Here let your battle-boards, Wood-spears and war-shafts, await your conferring.” The mighty one rose then, with many a liegeman, An excellent thane-group; some there did await them, And as bid of the brave one the battle-gear guarded. Together they hied them, while the hero did guide them, ’Neath Heorot’s roof; the high-minded went then Sturdy ’neath helmet till he stood in the building. Beowulf spake (his burnie did glisten, His armor seamed over by the art of the craftsman): “Hail thou, Hrothgar! I am Higelac’s kinsman And vassal forsooth; many a wonder I dared as a stripling. The doings of Grendel, In far-off fatherland I fully did know of: Sea-farers tell us, this hall-building standeth, Excellent edifice, empty and useless To all the earlmen after evenlight’s glimmer ’Neath heaven’s bright hues hath hidden its glory. This my earls then urged me, the most excellent of them, Carles very clever, to come and assist thee, Folk-leader Hrothgar; fully they knew of The strength of my body. Themselves they beheld me When I came from the contest, when covered with gore