When he lent that blade to the better swordsman,
Unferth, the strong-built son of Ecglaf,
could hardly have remembered the ranting speech
he had made in his cups. He was not man enough
to face the turmoil of a fight under water
and the risk to his life. So there he lost
fame and repute.
– Beowulf, Seamus Heaney (trans.)
Lines 1465-1471: Unferth gave away his honor and respect as a warrior when he gave his sword away.