by Beowulf
in fiend’s gripe fast. I am firm to do
an earl’s brave deed, or end the days
of this life of mine in the mead-hall here.”
Well these words to the woman seemed,
640 Beowulf’s battle-boast. — Bright with gold
gilp-cwide Gēates; ēode gold-hroden
frēolīcu folc-cwēn tō hire frēan sittan.
Þā wæs eft swā ǣr inne on healle
þry¯ð-word sprecen, þēod on sǣlum,
645 sige-folca swēg, oð þæt semninga
the stately dame by her spouse sat down.
Again, as erst, began in hall
warriors’ wassail and words of power,
the proud-band’s revel, till presently
645 the son of Healfdene hastened to seek
sunu Healfdenes sēcean wolde
ǣfen-ræste; wiste æt þǣm āhlǣcan
tō þǣm hēah-sele hilde geþinged,
siððan hīe sunnan lēoht gesēon ne meahton,
650 oððe nīpende niht ofer ealle,
rest for the night; he knew there waited
fight for the fiend in that festal hall,
when the sheen of the sun they saw no more,
and dusk of night sank darkling nigh,
650 and shadowy shapes came striding on,
scadu-helma gesceapu scrīðan cwōman,
wan under wolcnum. Werod eall ārās.
Grētte þā giddum guma ōðerne,
Hrōðgār Bēowulf, and him hǣl ābēad,
655 wīn-ærnes geweald and þæt word ācwæð:
wan under welkin. The warriors rose.
Man to man, he made harangue,
Hrothgar to Beowulf, bade him hail,
let him wield the wine hall: a word he added: —
655 “Never to any man erst I trusted,
“Nǣfre ic ǣnegum men ǣr āly¯fde,
“siððan ic hond and rond hebban mihte,
“þry¯ð-ærn Dena būton þē nū þā.
“Hafa nū and geheald hūsa sēlest;
660 “gemyne mǣrðo, mægen-ellen cy¯ð,
since I could heave up hand and shield,
this noble Dane-Hall, till now to thee.
Have now and hold this house unpeered;
remember thy glory; thy might declare;
660 watch for the foe! No wish shall fail thee
“waca wið wrāðum! Ne bið þē wilna gād,
“gif þū þæt ellen-weorc aldre gedīgest.”
if thou bidest the battle with bold-won life.”
XI. THE WATCH FOR GRENDEL.
Þā him Hrōðgār gewāt mid his hæleða gedryht,
eodur Scyldinga ūt of healle;
665 wolde wīg-fruma Wealhþēo sēcan,
Then Hrothgar went with his hero-train,
defence-of-Scyldings, forth from hall;
fain would the war-lord Wealhtheow seek,
665 couch of his queen. The King-of-Glory
cwēn tō gebeddan Hæfde kyninga wuldor
Grendle tō-gēanes, swā guman gefrungon,
sele-weard āseted, sundor-nytte behēold
ymb aldor Dena, eoton weard ābēad;
670 hūru Gēata lēod georne truwode
against this Grendel a guard had set,
so heroes heard, a hall-defender,
who warded the monarch and watched for the monster.
In truth, the Geats’ prince gladly trusted
670 his mettle, his might, the mercy of God!
mōdgan mægnes, metodes hyldo.
Þā hē him of dyde īsern-byrnan,
helm of hafelan, sealde his hyrsted sweord,
īrena cyst ombiht-þegne,
675 and gehealdan hēt hilde-geatwe.
Cast off then his corselet of iron,
helmet from head; to his henchman gave, —
choicest of weapons, — the well-chased sword,
bidding him guard the gear of battle.
675 Spake then his Vaunt the valiant man,
Gespræc þā se gōda gylp-worda sum
Bēowulf Gēata, ǣr hē on bed stige:
“Nō ic mē an here-wǣsmum hnāgran talige
“gūð-geweorca, þonne Grendel hine;
680 “forþan ic hine sweorde swebban nelle,
Beowulf Geat, ere the bed he sought: —
“Of force in fight no feebler I count me,
in grim war-deeds, than Grendel deems him.
Not with the sword, then, to sleep of death
680 his life will I give, though it lie in my power.
“aldre benēotan, þēah ic eal mǣge.
“Nāt hē þāra gōda, þæt hē mē on-gēan slēa,
“rand gehēawe, þēah þe hē rōf sīe
“nīð-geweorca; ac wit on niht sculon
685 “secge ofersittan, gif hē gesēcean dear
No skill is his to strike against me,
my shield to hew though he hardy be,
bold in battle; we both, this night,
shall spurn the sword, if he seek me here,
685 unweaponed, for war. Let wisest God,
“wīg ofer wǣpen, and siððan wītig god
“on swā hwæðere hond hālig dryhten
“mǣrðo dēme, swā him gemet þince.”
Hylde hine þā heaðo-dēor, hlēor-bolster onfēng
690 eorles andwlitan; and hine ymb monig
sacred Lord, on which side soever
doom decree as he deemeth right.”
Reclined then the chieftain, and cheek-pillows held
the head of the earl, while all about him
690 seamen hardy on hall-beds sank.
snellīc sǣ-rinc sele-reste gebēah.
Nǣnig heora þōhte þæt hē þanon scolde
eft eard-lufan ǣfre gesēcean,
folc oððe frēo-burh, þǣr hē āfēded wæs,
695 ac hīe hæfdon gefrūnen, þæt hīe ǣr tō fela micles
None of them thought that thence their steps
to the folk and fastness that fostered them,
to the land they loved, would lead them back!
Full well they wist that on warriors many
695 battle-death seized, in the banquet-hall,
in þǣm wīn-sele wæl-dēað fornam,
Denigea lēode. Ac him dryhten forgeaf
wīg-spēda gewiofu, Wedera lēodum
frōfor and fultum, þæt hīe fēond heora
700 þurh ānes cræft ealle ofercōmon,
of Danish clan. But comfort and help,
war-weal weaving, to Weder folk
the Master gave, that, by might of one,
over their enemy all prevailed,
700 by single strength. In sooth ’tis told
selfes mihtum: sōð is gecy¯ðed,
þæt mihtig god manna cynnes
wēold wīde-ferhð. Cōm on wanre niht
scrīðan sceadu-genga. Scēotend swǣfon,
705 þā þæt horn-reced healdan scoldon,
that highest God o’er human kind
hath wielded ever! — Thro’ wan night striding,
came the walker-in-shadow. Warriors slept
whose best was to guard the gabled hall, —
705 all save one. ’Twas widely known
ealle būton ānum. Þæt wæs yldum cūð,
þæt hīe ne mōste, þā metod nolde,
se syn-scaða under sceadu bregdan;
ac hē wæccende wrāðum on andan
710 bād bolgen-mōd beadwa geþinges.
that against God’s will the ghostly ravager
him could not hurl to haunts of darkness;
wakeful, ready, with warrior’s wrath,
bold he bided the battle’s issue.
XII. GRENDEL’S RAID.
Þā cōm of mōre under mist-hleoðum
Grendel gongan, godes yrre bær.
Mynte se mān-scaða manna cynnes
sumne besyrwan in sele þām hēan;
715 wōd under wolcnum, tō þæs þe hē wīn-reced,
710 Then from the moorland, by misty crags,
gold-sele gumena, gearwost wisse
fǣttum fāhne. Ne wæs þæt forma sīð,
þæt hē Hrōðgāres hām gesōhte:
nǣfre hē on aldor-dagum ǣr nē siððan
720 heardran hæle, heal-þegnas fand!
with God’s wrath laden, Grendel came.
The monster was minded of mankind now
sundry to seize in the stately house.
Under welkin he walked, till the wine-palace there,
715 gold-hall of men, he gladly discerned,
Cōm þā tō recede rinc sīðian
drēamum bedǣled. Duru sōna onarn
fy¯r-bendum fæst, syððan hē hire folmum hrān;
onbræd þā bealo-hy¯dig, þā hē ābolgen wæs,
725 recedes mūðan. Raðe æfter þon
flashing with fretwork. Not first time, this,
that he the home of Hrothgar sought, —
yet ne’er in his life-day, late or early,
such hardy heroes, such hall-thanes, found!
720 To the house the warrior walked apace,
on fāgne flōr fēond treddode,
ēode yrre-mōd; him of ēagum stōd
līge gelīcost lēoht unfǣger.
Geseah hē in recede rinca manige,
730 swefan sibbe-gedriht samod ætgædere,
parted from peace; the portal opened,
though with forged bolts fast, when his fists had struck it,
and baleful he burst in his blatant rage,
the house’s mouth. All hastily, then,
725 o’er fair-paved floor the fiend trod on,
mago-rinca hēap: þā his mōd āhlōg,
mynte þæt hē gedǣlde, ǣr þon dæg cwōme,
atol āglǣca, ānra gehwylces
līf wið līce, þā him ālumpen wæs
735 wist-fylle wēn. Ne wæs þæt wyrd þā gēn,
ireful he strode; there streamed from his eyes
fearful flashes, like flame to see.
He spied in hall the hero-band,
kin and clansmen clustered asleep,
730 hardy liegemen. Then laughed his heart;
þæt hē mā mōste manna cynnes
þicgean ofer þā niht. Þry¯ð-swy¯ð behēold
mǣg Higelāces, hū se mān-scaða
under fǣr-gripum gefaran wolde.
740 Nē þæt se āglǣca yldan þōhte,
for the monster was minded, ere morn should dawn,
savage, to sever the soul of each,
life from body, since lusty banquet
waited his will! But Wyrd forbade him
735 to seize any more of men on earth
ac hē gefēng hraðe forman siðe
slǣpendne rinc, slāt unwearnum,
bāt bān-locan, blōd ēdrum dranc,
syn-snǣdum swealh: sōna hæfde
745 unlyfigendes eal gefeormod
after that evening. Eagerly watched
Hygelac’s kinsman his cursed foe,
how he would fare in fell attack.
Not that the monster was minded to pause!
740 Straightway he seized a sleeping warrior
fēt and folma. Forð nēar ætstōp,
nam þā mid handa hige-þīhtigne
rinc on ræste; rǣhte ongēan
fēond mid folme, hē onfēng hraðe
750 inwit-þancum and wið earm gesæt.
for the first, and tore him fiercely asunder,
the bone-frame bit, drank blood in streams,
swallowed him piecemeal: swiftly thus
the lifeless corse was clear devoured,
745 e’en feet and hands. Then farther he hied;
Sōna þæt onfunde fyrena hyrde,
þæt hē ne mētte middan-geardes
eorðan scēata on elran men
mund-gripe māran: hē on mōde wearð
755 forht on ferhðe, nō þy¯ ǣr fram meahte;
for the hardy hero with hand he grasped,
felt for the foe with fiendish claw,
for the hero reclining, — who clutched it boldly,
prompt to answer, propped on his arm.
750 Soon then saw that shepherd-of-evils
hyge wæs him hin-fūs, wolde on heolster flēon,
sēcan dēofla gedræg: ne wæs his drohtoð þǣr,
swylce hē on ealder-dagum ǣr gemētte.
Gemunde þā se gōda mǣg Higelāces
760 ǣfen-sprǣce, up-lang āstōd
that never he met in this middle-world,
in the ways of earth, another wight
with heavier hand-gripe; at heart he feared,
sorrowed in soul, — none the sooner escaped!
755 Fain would he flee, his fastness seek,
and him fæste wiðfēng. Fingras burston;
eoten wæs ūt-weard, eorl furður stōp.
Mynte se mǣra, þǣr hē meahte swā,
wīdre gewindan and on weg þanon
765 flēon on fen-hopu; wiste his fingra geweald
the den of devils: no doings now
such as oft he had done in days of old!
Then bethought him the hardy Hygelac-thane
of his boast at evening: up he bounded,
760 grasped firm his foe, whose fingers cracked.
on grames grāpum. Þæt wæs gēocor sīð,
þæt se hearm-scaða tō Heorute ātēah:
dryht-sele dynede, Denum eallum wearð,
ceaster-būendum, cēnra gehwylcum,
770 eorlum ealu-scerwen. Yrre wǣron bēgen,
The fiend made off, but the earl close followed.
The monster meant — if he might at all —
to fling himself free, and far away
fly to the fens, — knew his fingers’ power
765 in the gripe of the grim one. Gruesome march
rēðe rēn-weardas. Reced hlynsode;
þā wæs wundor micel, þæt se wīn-sele
wiðhæfde heaðo-dēorum, þæt hē on hrūsan ne fēol,
fǣger fold-bold; ac hē þæs fæste wæs
775 innan and ūtan īren-bendum
to Heorot this monster of harm had made!
Din filled the room; the Danes were bereft,
castle-dwellers and clansmen all,
earls, of their ale. Angry were both
770 those savage hall-guards: the house resounded.
searo-þoncum besmiðod. Þǣr fram sylle ābēag
medu-benc monig mīne gefrǣge,
golde geregnad, þǣr þā graman wunnon;
þæs ne wēndon ǣr witan Scyldinga,
780 þæt hit ā mid gemete manna ǣnig
Wonder it was the wine-hall firm
in the strain of their struggle stood, to earth
the fair house fell not; too fast it was
within and without by its iron bands
775 craftily clamped; though there crashed from sill
betlīc and bān-fāg tōbrecan meahte,
listum tōlūcan, nymðe līges fæðm
swulge on swaðule. Swēg up āstāg
nīwe geneahhe; Norð-Denum stōd
785 atelīc egesa ānra gehwylcum
many a mead-bench — men have told me —
gay with gold, where the grim foes wrestled.
So well had weened the wisest Scyldings
that not ever at all might any man
780 that bone-decked, brave house break asunder,
þāra þe of wealle wōp gehy¯rdon,
gryre-lēoð galan godes andsacan,
sige-lēasne sang, sār wānigean
helle hæftan. Hēold hine tō fæste
790 sē þe manna wæs mægene strengest
crush by craft, — unless clasp of fire
in smoke engulfed it. — Again uprose
din redoubled. Danes of the North
with fear and frenzy were filled, each one,
785 who from the wall that wailing heard,
on þǣm dæge þysses līfes.
God’s foe sounding his grisly song,
cry of the conquered, clamorous pain
from captive of hell. Too closely held him
he who of men in might was strongest
790 in that same day of this our life.
XIII. BĒOWULF TEARS OFF GRENDEL’S ARM.
Nolde eorla hlēo ǣnige þinga
þone cwealm-cuman cwicne forlǣtan,
nē his līf-dagas lēoda ǣnigum
795 nytte tealde. Þǣr genehost brægd
Not in any wise would the earls’-defence
suffer that slaughterous stranger to live,
useless deeming his days and years
to men on earth. Now many an earl
795 of Beowulf brandished blade ancestral,
eorl Bēowulfes ealde lāfe,
wolde frēa-drihtnes feorh ealgian
mǣres þēodnes, þǣr hīe meahton swā;
hīe þæt ne wiston, þā hīe gewin drugon,
800 heard-hicgende hilde-mecgas,
fain the life of their lord to shield,
their praiséd prince, if power were theirs;
never they knew, — as they neared the foe,
hardy-hearted heroes of war,
800 aiming their swords on every side
and on healfa gehwone hēawan þōhton,
sāwle sēcan, þæt þone syn-scaðan
ǣnig ofer eorðan īrenna cyst,
gūð-billa nān grētan nolde;
805 ac hē sige-wǣpnum forsworen hæfde,
the accursed to kill, — no keenest blade,
no fairest of falchions fashioned on earth,
could harm or hurt that hideous fiend!
He was safe, by his spells, from sword of battle,
805 from edge of iron. Yet his end and parting
ecga gehwylcre. Scolde his aldor-gedāl
on þǣm dæge þysses līfes
earmlīc wurðan and se ellor-gāst
on fēonda geweald feor sīðian.
810 Þā þæt onfunde sē þe fela ǣror
on that same day of this our life
woful should be, and his wandering soul
far off flit to the fiends’ domain.
Soon he found, who in former days,
810 harmful in heart and hated of God,
mōdes myrðe manna cynne
fyrene gefremede (hē wæs fāg wið god)
þæt him se līc-homa lǣstan nolde,
ac hine se mōdega mǣg Hygelāces
815 hæfde be honda; wæs gehwæðer ōðrum
on many a man such murder wrought,
that the frame of his body failed him now.
For him the keen-souled kinsman of Hygelac
held in hand; hateful alive
815 was each to other. The outlaw dire
lifigende lāð. Līc-sār gebād
atol ǣglǣca, him on eaxle wearð