{The gleeman sings}

40 And gleaming-drink poured. The gleeman sang whilom

{The heroes all rejoice together.}

Hearty in Heorot; there was heroes' rejoicing,
A numerous war-band of Weders and Danemen.

[1] B. and S. reject the reading given in H.-So., and suggested by
Grtvg. B. suggests for 457-458:

wáere-ryhtum Þú, wine mín Béowulf,
and for ár-stafum úsic sóhtest.

This means: _From the obligations of clientage, my friend Beowulf, and
for assistance thou hast sought us_.--This gives coherence to
Hrothgar's opening remarks in VIII., and also introduces a new motive
for Beowulf's coming to Hrothgar's aid.

[2] _Sit now at the feast, and disclose thy purposes to the victorious
heroes, as thy spirit urges_.--Kl. reaches the above translation by
erasing the comma after 'meoto' and reading 'sige-hrèðsecgum.'--There
are other and bolder emendations and suggestions. Of these the boldest
is to regard 'meoto' as a verb (imperative), and read 'on sæl': _Think
upon gayety, etc_.--All the renderings are unsatisfactory, the one
given in our translation involving a zeugma.