The old lord gazed sadly at the gold.
‘To the everlasting Lord of All,
to the King of Glory, I give thanks
that I behold this treasure here in front of me,
that I have been allowed to leave my people
so well endowed on the day I die.’
– Beowulf, Seamus Heaney (trans.)
Lines 2793-2798: The dying Beowulf appears conflicted about the treasure he won from the dragon. He is happy to be leaving wealth to the Geat people. But he gazes sadly on the gold, suggesting he feels doubts about whether the sacrifice of his life for it was worth it.