Spake then Unferth, the son of Eglaf, who sat at the feet of the
Lord of the Danes and opened a quarrel. (For the journey of Beowulf,
of the brave sea-farer, was vexation to him, for he could not brook
that ever any other man than he himself should obtain greater fame
in all the earth.)
'What!' said he, 'art thou that Beowulf who didst contend with Breca,
and strovest for the mastery in swimming o'er wide seas, when ye two
for pride were searching the waves and for foolish boasting risked
your lives in the deep waters? No man could dissuade you from that
sorrowful journey, neither friend nor foe, when ye two swam in the sea,
when ye two enfolded the waves with your arms and measured the sea-ways
and brandished your arms as you glided o'er the ocean. The sea boiled
with waves the wintry whelming. And for seven nights long ye were
toiling in the stress of seas. But he o'erpowered thee in swimming,
for greater strength had he. Then at the morning tide the sea bore him
up to the land of the Heathoremes. Thence he was seeking the friend of
his people his own dear country, the land of the Brondings, the fair
city of refuge, where he had his own folk, and a city and rings. The
son of Beanstan soothly fulfilled his boasting against thee. So do
I deem it a worse matter, though thou art everywhere doughty in the
rush of battle and grim warfare, if thou shalt be daring to bide near
Grendel a night-long space.'
Then Beowulf spake, the son of Ecgtheow: 'What! my friend Unferth,
drunken with beer, many things thou art saying about that Breca
and talkest of his journey. But soothly I tell thee that I had the
greater strength in that swimming, and endurance in the waves. We two
agreed when we were youngsters, and boasted (for we were both still
in the days of our youth) that we in the ocean would be risking our
lives. And so in deed we did. We had a naked sword hard in our hands
when we were swimming. We two were thinking to guard us 'gainst whale
fishes. Nor over the sea-waves might he be floating a whit far from
me, more quickly on the waters. Then we together were in the sea for
the space of five nights until the flood, the boiling waters drove
us asunder. And the coldest of weather, and the darkening night, and
a wind from the north battle-grim turned against us, and rough were
the waves. And the mind of the mere-fishes was stirred when my shirt
of mail that was hand-locked gave to me help against the foe. The
decorated battle-robe lay on my breast all adorned with gold, and
the doomèd and dire foe drew to the bottom, and fast he had me grim
in his grip. Still to me was granted that I reached to the monster
with the point of my sword. And the mighty sea-deer carried off the
battle-rush through my hand.'