Though thou in the war-race wert everywhere doughty,

In the grim war, if thou herein Grendel darest

Night-long for a while of time nigh to abide.

Then Beowulf spake out, the Ecgtheow's bairn:

What! thou no few of things, O Unferth my friend,

And thou drunken with beer, about Breca hast spoken,

Saidest out of his journey; so the sooth now I tell:

To wit, that the more might ever I owned,

Hard wearing on wave more than any man else.

We twain then, we quoth it, while yet we were younglings,