Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem. Anonymous

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SCYLD’S SUCCESSORS.—HROTHGAR’S GREAT MEAD-HALL.

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      Beowulf succeeds his father Scyld

      In the boroughs then Beowulf, bairn of the Scyldings,

      Belovèd land-prince, for long-lasting season

      Was famed mid the folk (his father departed,

      The prince from his dwelling), till afterward sprang

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      Great-minded Healfdene; the Danes in his lifetime

      He graciously governed, grim-mooded, agèd.

      Healfdene’s birth.

      Four bairns of his body born in succession

      Woke in the world, war-troopers’ leader

      Heorogar, Hrothgar, and Halga the good;

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      Heard I that Elan was Ongentheow’s consort,

      He has three sons—one of them, Hrothgar—and a daughter named Elan. Hrothgar becomes a mighty king.

      The well-beloved bedmate of the War-Scylfing leader.

      Then glory in battle to Hrothgar was given,

      Waxing of war-fame, that willingly kinsmen

      Obeyed his bidding, till the boys grew to manhood,

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      A numerous band. It burned in his spirit

      To urge his folk to found a great building,

      A mead-hall grander than men of the era

      He is eager to build a great hall in which he may feast his retainers

      Ever had heard of, and in it to share

      With young and old all of the blessings

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      The Lord had allowed him, save life and retainers.

      Then the work I find afar was assigned

      To many races in middle-earth’s regions,

      To adorn the great folk-hall. In due time it happened

      Early ’mong men, that ’twas finished entirely,

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      The greatest of hall-buildings; Heorot he named it

      The hall is completed, and is called Heort, or Heorot.

      Who wide-reaching word-sway wielded ’mong earlmen.

      His promise he brake not, rings he lavished,

      Treasure at banquet. Towered the hall up

      High and horn-crested, huge between antlers:

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      It battle-waves bided, the blasting fire-demon;

      Ere long then from hottest hatred must sword-wrath

      Arise for a woman’s husband and father.

      Then the mighty war-spirit¹ endured for a season,

      The Monster Grendel is madly envious of the Danemen’s joy.

      Bore it bitterly, he who bided in darkness,

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      That light-hearted laughter loud in the building

      Greeted him daily; there was dulcet harp-music,

      Clear song of the singer. He said that was able

      [The course of the story is interrupted by a short reference to some old account of the creation.]

      To tell from of old earthmen’s beginnings,

      That Father Almighty earth had created,

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      The winsome wold that the water encircleth,

      Set exultingly the sun’s and the moon’s beams

      To lavish their lustre on land-folk and races,

      And earth He embellished in all her regions

      With limbs and leaves; life He bestowed too

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      On all the kindreds that live under heaven.

      The glee of the warriors is overcast by a horrible dread.

      So blessed with abundance, brimming with joyance,

      The warriors abided, till a certain one gan to

      Dog them with deeds of direfullest malice,

      A foe in the hall-building: this horrible stranger²

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      Was Grendel entitled, the march-stepper famous

      Who³ dwelt in the moor-fens, the marsh and the fastness;

      The wan-mooded being abode for a season

      In the land of the giants, when the Lord and Creator

      Had banned him and branded. For that bitter murder,

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      The killing of Abel, all-ruling Father

      Cain is referred to as a progenitor of Grendel, and of monsters in general.

      The kindred of Cain crushed with His vengeance;

      In the feud He rejoiced not, but far away drove him

      From kindred and kind, that crime to atone for,

      Meter of Justice. Thence ill-favored creatures,

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      Elves and giants, monsters of ocean,

      Came into being, and the giants that longtime

      Grappled with God; He gave them requital.

      [1] R. and t. B. prefer ‘ellor-gæst’ to ‘ellen-gæst’ (86): Then the stranger from afar endured, etc.

      [2] Some authorities would translate ‘demon’ instead of ‘stranger.’

      [3] Some authorities arrange differently, and render: Who dwelt in the moor-fens, the marsh and the fastness, the land of the giant-race.

       III.

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GRENDEL THE MURDERER.

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      Grendel attacks the sleeping heroes

      When the sun was sunken, he set out to visit

      The lofty hall-building, how the Ring-Danes had used it

      For beds and benches when the banquet was over.

      Then he found there reposing many a noble

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      Asleep after supper; sorrow the heroes,¹

      Misery knew not. The monster of evil

      Greedy and cruel tarried but little,

      He