Drake – en in die geval van Smaug, sy skat – het beslis hulle plek in die stories oor Middle-Earth. Deur gebruik te maak van elemente uit literatuur soos die Nibelungenlied en Beowulf, skep Tolkien meesterlik nuwe stories wat – en ek glo steeds sal – die toets van tyd deurstaan. In baie gevalle – soos met my – het hierdie verwysings na ou verhale en gedigte mense gelei om weer die literatuur van die Middeleeue, wat byna uit algemene kennis verdwyn het, te ontdek.
Tolkien het ook ’n pragtige gedig oor ’n skat geskryf wat mens tot trane kan dryf. Ek het hierdie opname van Tolkien wat die gedig lees op YouTube gevind!
In The Hobbit steel Bilbo ’n beker wat met juwele versier is uit die draak se skat. ’n Soortgelyke episode word in die Angel-Saksiese gedig Beowulfgevind. In Beowulf waak ‘n draak ook oor ‘n ou skat. Iemand vind ’n manier om by hierdie skat uit te kom deur ‘n versteekte tonnel en steel ook ’n “gem-studded goblet” (Heaney 1999:71). Alhoewel hy dit steel terwyl die draak slap, kom dié agter dat die beker weg is wanneer hy wakker word en val die Geats (waaroor Beowulf in hierdie jare heers) aan. Die dief in Beowulf word simpatiek beskryf:
The intruder who broached the dragon’s treasure
and moved him to wrath had never meant to.
It was desperation on the part of a slave
fleeing the heavy hand of some master,
guilt-ridden and on the run,
going to ground.
(Heaney 1999:71)
Eerder as om ’n groot hoeveelheid van die skat te steel, neem hy slegs een beker en sou nooit kon raai dat hierdie daad die dood van baie onskuldige Geats en ook hulle heroïese leier sou beteken nie. Dié leier wat in sy jonger dae die monster Grendel en dié se ma doodgemaak het nie.
My gunsteling vertaling van die gedig is dié deur Seamus Heaney, maar veskeie ander vertalings ka nook op die internet gevind word. Hieronder is deel van die beskrywing van die draak, sy skat en die verwoesting wat hy saai. Hierdie vertaling deur Lesslie Hall, kan by Project Gutenberg gevind word.
Seamus Heaney se vertaling van die gedig is in 1999 deur Faber and Fabergepubliseer en kan hier gevind word.
THE HOARD AND THE DRAGON.
10 He a gem-vessel saw there: many of suchlike
Ancient ornaments in the earth-cave were lying,
As in days of yore some one of men of
Illustrious lineage, as a legacy monstrous,
There had secreted them, careful and thoughtful,
15 Dear-valued jewels. Death had offsnatched them,
In the days of the past, and the one man moreover
Of the flower of the folk who fared there the longest,
Was fain to defer it, friend-mourning warder,
A little longer to be left in enjoyment
20 Of long-lasting treasure.[1] A barrow all-ready
Stood on the plain the stream-currents nigh to,
New by the ness-edge, unnethe of approaching:
The keeper of rings carried within a
Ponderous deal of the treasure of nobles,
25 Of gold that was beaten, briefly he spake then:[3]
{The ring-giver bewails the loss of retainers.}
"Hold thou, O Earth, now heroes no more may,
The earnings of earlmen. Lo! erst in thy bosom
Worthy men won them; war-death hath ravished,
Perilous life-bale, all my warriors,
30 Liegemen belovèd, who this life have forsaken,
Who hall-pleasures saw. No sword-bearer have I,
And no one to burnish the gold-plated vessel,
The high-valued beaker: my heroes are vanished.
The hardy helmet behung with gilding
35 Shall be reaved of its riches: the ring-cleansers slumber
Who were charged to have ready visors-for-battle,
And the burnie that bided in battle-encounter
[77] O'er breaking of war-shields the bite of the edges
Moulds with the hero. The ring-twisted armor,
40 Its lord being lifeless, no longer may journey
Hanging by heroes; harp-joy is vanished,
The rapture of glee-wood, no excellent falcon
Swoops through the building, no swift-footed charger
Grindeth the gravel. A grievous destruction
45 No few of the world-folk widely hath scattered!"
So, woful of spirit one after all
Lamented mournfully, moaning in sadness
By day and by night, till death with its billow
{The fire-dragon}
Dashed on his spirit. Then the ancient dusk-scather
50 Found the great treasure standing all open,
He who flaming and fiery flies to the barrows,
Naked war-dragon, nightly escapeth
Encompassed with fire; men under heaven
Widely beheld him. 'Tis said that he looks for
55 The hoard in the earth, where old he is guarding
The heathenish treasure; he'll be nowise the better.
{The dragon meets his match.}
So three-hundred winters the waster of peoples
Held upon earth that excellent hoard-hall,
Till the forementioned earlman angered him bitterly:
60 The beat-plated beaker he bare to his chieftain
And fullest remission for all his remissness
Begged of his liegelord. Then the hoard[5] was discovered,
The treasure was taken, his petition was granted
{The hero plunders the dragon's den}
The lorn-mooded liegeman. His lord regarded
65 The old-work of earth-folk--'twas the earliest occasion.
When the dragon awoke, the strife was renewed there;
He snuffed 'long the stone then, stout-hearted found he
[78] The footprint of foeman; too far had he gone
With cunning craftiness close to the head of
70 The fire-spewing dragon. So undoomed he may 'scape from
Anguish and exile with ease whopossesseth
The favor of Heaven. The hoard-warden eagerly
Searched o'er the ground then, would meet with the person
That caused him sorrow while in slumber reclining:
75 Gleaming and wild he oft went round the cavern,
All of it outward; not any of earthmen
Was seen in that desert.[6] Yet he joyed in the battle,
Rejoiced in the conflict: oft he turned to the barrow,
Sought for the gem-cup;[7] this he soon perceived then
{The dragon perceives that some one has disturbed his treasure.}
80 That some man or other had discovered the gold,
The famous folk-treasure. Not fain did the hoard-ward
Wait until evening; then the ward of the barrow
Was angry in spirit, the loathèd one wished to
Pay for the dear-valued drink-cup with fire.
85 Then the day was done as the dragon would have it,
He no longer would wait on the wall, but departed
{The dragon is infuriated.}
Fire-impelled, flaming. Fearful the start was
To earls in the land, as it early thereafter
To their giver-of-gold was grievously ended.
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