XVII

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.