Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem. Anonymous

      Fell and frantic, and forced from their slumbers

      Thirty of thanemen; thence he departed

      10

      Leaping and laughing, his lair to return to,

      With surfeit of slaughter sallying homeward.

      In the dusk of the dawning, as the day was just breaking,

      Was Grendel’s prowess revealed to the warriors:

      A cry of agony goes up, when Grendel’s horrible deed is fully realized.

      Then, his meal-taking finished, a moan was uplifted,

      15

      Morning-cry mighty. The man-ruler famous,

      The long-worthy atheling, sat very woful,

      Suffered great sorrow, sighed for his liegemen,

      When they had seen the track of the hateful pursuer,

      The spirit accursèd: too crushing that sorrow,

      The monster returns the next night. 20

      Too loathsome and lasting. Not longer he tarried,

      But one night after continued his slaughter

      Shameless and shocking, shrinking but little

      From malice and murder; they mastered him fully.

      He was easy to find then who otherwhere looked for

      25

      A pleasanter place of repose in the lodges,

      A bed in the bowers. Then was brought to his notice

      Told him truly by token apparent

      The hall-thane’s hatred: he held himself after

      Further and faster who the foeman did baffle.

      30

      ²So ruled he and strongly strove against justice

      Lone against all men, till empty uptowered

      King Hrothgar’s agony and suspense last twelve years.

      The choicest of houses. Long was the season:

      Twelve-winters’ time torture suffered

      The friend of the Scyldings, every affliction,

      35

      Endless agony; hence it after³ became

      Certainly known to the children of men

      Sadly in measures, that long against Hrothgar

      Grendel struggled:—his grudges he cherished,

      Murderous malice, many a winter,

      40

      Strife unremitting, and peacefully wished he

      ⁴Life-woe to lift from no liegeman at all of

      The men of the Dane-folk, for money to settle,

      No counsellor needed count for a moment

      On handsome amends at the hands of the murderer;

      Grendel is unremitting in his persecutions. 45

      The monster of evil fiercely did harass,

      The ill-planning death-shade, both elder and younger,

      Trapping and tricking them. He trod every night then

      The mist-covered moor-fens; men do not know where

      Witches and wizards wander and ramble.

      50

      So the foe of mankind many of evils

      Grievous injuries, often accomplished,

      Horrible hermit; Heort he frequented,

      Gem-bedecked palace, when night-shades had fallen

      God is against the monster.

      (Since God did oppose him, not the throne could he touch,⁵

      55

      The light-flashing jewel, love of Him knew not).

      ’Twas a fearful affliction to the friend of the Scyldings

      The king and his council deliberate in vain.

      Soul-crushing sorrow. Not seldom in private

      Sat the king in his council; conference held they

      What the braves should determine ’gainst terrors unlooked for.

      They invoke the aid of their gods. 60

      At the shrines of their idols often they promised

      Gifts and offerings, earnestly prayed they

      The devil from hell would help them to lighten

      Their people’s oppression. Such practice they used then,

      Hope of the heathen; hell they remembered

      65

      In innermost spirit, God they knew not,

      The true God they do not know.

      Judge of their actions, All-wielding Ruler,

      No praise could they give the Guardian of Heaven,

      The Wielder of Glory. Woe will be his who

      Through furious hatred his spirit shall drive to

      70

      The clutch of the fire, no comfort shall look for,

      Wax no wiser; well for the man who,

      Living his life-days, his Lord may face

      And find defence in his Father’s embrace!

      [1] The translation is based on ‘weras,’ adopted by H.-So.—K. and Th. read ‘wera’ and, arranging differently, render 119(2)-120: They knew not sorrow, the wretchedness of man, aught of misfortune.—For ‘unhælo’ (120) R. suggests ‘unfælo’: The uncanny creature, greedy and cruel, etc.

      [2] S. rearranges and translates: So he ruled and struggled unjustly, one against all, till the noblest of buildings stood useless (it was a long while) twelve years’ time: the friend of the Scyldings suffered distress, every woe, great sorrows, etc.

      [3] For ‘syððan,’ B. suggests ‘sárcwidum’: Hence in mournful words it became well known, etc. Various other words beginning with ‘s’ have been conjectured.

      [4] The H.-So. glossary is very inconsistent in referring to this passage.—‘Sibbe’ (154), which H.-So. regards as an instr., B. takes as accus., obj. of ‘wolde.’ Putting a comma after Deniga, he renders: He did not desire peace with any of the Danes, nor did he wish to remove their life-woe, nor to settle for money.

      [5] Of this difficult passage the following interpretations among others are given: (1) Though Grendel has frequented Heorot as a demon, he could not become ruler of the Danes, on account of his hostility to God. (2) Hrothgar was much grieved that Grendel had not appeared before his throne to receive presents. (3) He was not permitted to devastate the hall, on account of the Creator; i.e. God wished to make his visit fatal to him.—Ne … wisse (169) W. renders: Nor had he any desire to do so; ‘his’ being obj. gen. = danach.

IV.

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BEOWULF GOES TO HROTHGAR’S