Hwilum hie geheton æt hærgtrafum 175
wigweorþunga, wordum bædon,
þæt him gastbona geoce gefremede
wið þeodþreaum. Swylc wæs þeaw hyra,
Great sorrow. Therefore, it became well known
To men, to the offspring of human kind, 150
Through sadly sung tales, that Grendel had fought
Against Hrothgar for long, borne fierce hatred,
Perpetrated much crime and atrocity for many a year,
Continual conflict: he would not have peace
With anyone of the Danish host of men, 155
Remove his deadly evil, or settle with riches.
Nor there any wise man had good cause to expect
Slackening of the sore from the slayer’s hands;
But the fiend, the dark shadow of death, was
Relentless in his grip of the old and the young, 160
Hovered near and ambushed. In darkness he held
The misty moors; men do not know
Where the hellish demons move along, gliding.
In this way the enemy of mankind, the horrid monster,
Often committed a great mass of wicked crimes, 165
Severe injuries: he inhabited Heorot,
The richly decorated hall, in the dark nights;
He was never allowed to approach the gift-seat,
Treasure for God, nor did he know His love.
That was a great distress to the lord of the Danes, 170
Battering of spirit: many powerful often sat down
For consultation; they deliberated on the solution,
What would be the best that the brave ones
Could do to rid themselves of the awful horrors:
Now and again they promised sacrifices 175
At heathen temples, and entreated with words
To the soul-slayer* to bring about remedy
And rid them of distress. (Such was their practice,
hæþenra hyht; helle gemundon
in modsefan, Metod hie ne cuþon, 180
dæda Demend, ne wiston hie Drihten God,
ne hie huru heofena Helm herian ne cuþon,
wuldres Waldend. Wa bið þæm ðe sceal
þurh sliðne nið sawle bescufan
in fyres fæþm, frofre ne wenan, 185
wihte gewendan; wel bið þæm þe mot
æfter deaðdæge Drihten secean,
ond to Fæder fæþmum freoðo wilnian.
(III) Swa ða mælceare maga Healfdenes
singala seað; ne mihte snotor hæleð 190
wean onwendan; wæs þæt gewin to swyð,
laþ ond longsum, þe on ða leode becom,
nydwracu niþgrim, nihtbealwa mæst.
Þæt fram ham gefrægn Higelaces þegn,
god mid Geatum, Grendles dæda; 195
se wæs moncynnes mægenes strengest
on þæm dæge þysses lifes,
æþele ond eacen. Het him yðlidan
godne gegyrwan; cwæð, he guðcyning
ofer swanrade secean wolde, 200
mærne þeoden, þa him wæs manna þearf.
Đone siðfæt him snotere ceorlas
lythwon logon, þeah he him leof wære;
hwetton higerofne, hæl sceawedon.
Hæfde se goda Geata leoda 205
cempan gecorone þara þe he cenoste
findan mihte; fiftyna sum
sundwudu sohte; secg wisade,
Hope of the heathens; they thought of hell
In their mind; they did not know God, 180
The Judge of men’s doings, nor knew they God the Lord,
Nor indeed they knew how to praise the Protector of heavens,
The Lord of glory; woe is to him who must
Through dangerous hostility push a soul
Into the bosom of fire, not hope for solace, 185
Nor change at all! Blessed is he who may
After the death-day seek the Lord
And ask for peace in the Father’s bosom!)
(III) And so Healfdene’s son continually brooded over
The care of the time; no wise man could remove 190
The misery; the hardship that had come upon the people
Was too harsh, loathsome, and long lasting.
It was a grim, dire distress, and the greatest nightmare.
A thane of Hygelac, brave among the Geats,
Then heard at home of Grendel’s deeds. 195
He was the strongest in might of all men
In that time of this life, noble and mighty.
He ordered that a strong ship
Be built for him; he said that he would seek
The war-king, the famous prince, over the sea, 200
Now that for him there was need of men.
The prudent men did not find fault with
The adventure, though he was dear to them.
They urged the valiant one, studied omens.
He had the warriors chosen from the courageous 205
Men of the Geats, those he could find
Most brave. He sought the ship with
Fourteen others. The man skilled in seafaring
lagucræftig mon, landgemyrcu.
Fyrst forð gewat; flota wæs on yðum, 210
bat under beorge. Beornas gearwe
on stefn stigon; streamas wundon,
sund wið sande; secgas bæron
on bearm nacan beorhte frætwe,
guðsearo geatolic; guman ut scufon, 215
weras on wilsið, wudu bundenne.
Gewat þa ofer wægholm winde gefysed
flota fami-heals fugle gelicost,
oð þæt ymb antid oþres dogores
wundenstefna gewaden hæfde, 220
þæt ða liðende land gesawon,
brimclifu blican, beorgas steape,
side sænæssas; þa wæs sund liden,
eoletes æt ende. Þanon up hraðe
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