Beowulf · J. Lesslie (John Lesslie) Hall translation

Note 2
XVI. HROTHGAR LAVISHES GIFTS UPON HIS DELIVERER.

The passage 1005-1009 seems to be hopeless. One difficult point is to find a subject for ‘gesacan.’ Some say ‘he’; others supply ‘each,’ i.e., every soul-bearer … must gain the inevitable place. The genitives in this case are partitive.—If ‘he’ be subj., the genitives are dependent on ‘gearwe’ (= prepared).—The ‘he’ itself is disputed, some referring it to Grendel; but B. takes it as involved in the parenthesis.

ITS PLACE IN THE BOOK

(Whoever will do it!); but he doubtless must come to2

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