The Homeward Journey—The Two Queens
Then the band of very valiant retainers Came to the current; they were clad all in armor, In link-woven burnies. The land-warder noticed The return of the earlmen, as he erstwhile had seen them; Nowise with insult he greeted the strangers From the naze of the cliff, but rode on to meet them; Said the bright-armored visitors vesselward traveled Welcome to Weders. The wide-bosomed craft then Lay on the sand, laden with armor, With horses and jewels, the ring-stemmèd sailer: The mast uptowered o’er the treasure of Hrothgar. To the boat-ward a gold-bound brand he presented, That he was afterwards honored on the ale-bench more highly As the heirloom’s owner. Set he out on his vessel, To drive on the deep, Dane-country left he. Along by the mast then a sea-garment fluttered, A rope-fastened sail. The sea-boat resounded, The wind o’er the waters the wave-floater nowise Kept from its journey; the sea-goer traveled, The foamy-necked floated forth o’er the currents, The well-fashioned vessel o’er the ways of the ocean, Till they came within sight of the cliffs of the Geatmen, The well-known headlands. The wave-goer hastened Driven by breezes, stood on the shore. Prompt at the ocean, the port-ward was ready, Who long in the past outlooked in the distance, At water’s-edge waiting well-lovèd heroes; He bound to the bank then the broad-bosomed vessel Fast in its fetters, lest the force of the waters Should be able to injure the ocean-wood winsome. Bade he up then take the treasure of princes, Plate-gold and fretwork; not far was it thence To go off in search of the giver of jewels: Hrethel’s son Higelac at home there remaineth, Himself with his comrades close to the sea-coast. The building was splendid, the king heroic, Great in his hall, Hygd very young was, Fine-mooded, clever, though few were the winters That the daughter of Haereth had dwelt in the borough; But she nowise was