Beowulf Part 14

{They thought it very unlikely that they should ever see their homes again.}

That ever thereafter any should hope to Be happy at home, hero-friends visit Or the lordly troop-castle where he lived from his childhood; They had heard how slaughter had s.n.a.t.c.hed from the wine-hall, 35 Had recently ravished, of the race of the Scyldings

{But G.o.d raised up a deliverer.}

Too many by far. But the Lord to them granted The weaving of war-speed, to Wederish heroes Aid and comfort, that every opponent By one man's war-might they worsted and vanquished,

{G.o.d rules the world.}

40 By the might of himself; the truth is established That G.o.d Almighty hath governed for ages Kindreds and nations. A night very lurid

{Grendel comes to Heorot.}

The trav'ler-at-twilight came tramping and striding.

The warriors were sleeping who should watch the horned-building,

{Only one warrior is awake.}

45 One only excepted. 'Mid earthmen 'twas 'stablished, Th' implacable foeman was powerless to hurl them To the land of shadows, if the Lord were unwilling; But serving as warder, in terror to foemen, He angrily bided the issue of battle.[2]

[1] Gr. understood 'G.o.dra' as meaning 'advantages in battle.' This rendering H.-So. rejects. The latter takes the pa.s.sage as meaning that Grendel, though mighty and formidable, has no skill in the art of war.

[2] B. in his masterly articles on Beowulf (P. and B. XII.) rejects the division usually made at this point, 'pa.' (711), usually rendered 'then,' he translates 'when,' and connects its clause with the foregoing sentence. These changes he makes to reduce the number of 'com's' as princ.i.p.al verbs. (Cf. 703, 711, 721.) With all deference to this acute scholar, I must say that it seems to me that the poet is exhausting his resources to bring out clearly the supreme event on which the whole subsequent action turns. First, he (Grendel) came _in the wan night_; second, he came _from the moor_; third, he came _to the hall_. Time, place from which, place to which, are all given.

[26]

XII.

GRENDEL AND BEOWULF.

{Grendel comes from the fens.}

'Neath the cloudy cliffs came from the moor then Grendel going, G.o.d's anger bare he.

The monster intended some one of earthmen In the hall-building grand to entrap and make way with:

{He goes towards the joyous building.}

5 He went under welkin where well he knew of The wine-joyous building, brilliant with plating, Gold-hall of earthmen. Not the earliest occasion

{This was not his first visit there.}

He the home and manor of Hrothgar had sought: Ne'er found he in life-days later nor earlier 10 Hardier hero, hall-thanes[1] more st.u.r.dy!

Then came to the building the warrior marching,

{His horrid fingers tear the door open.}

Bereft of his joyance. The door quickly opened On fire-hinges fastened, when his fingers had touched it; The fell one had flung then--his fury so bitter-- 15 Open the entrance. Early thereafter The foeman trod the s.h.i.+ning hall-pavement,

{He strides furiously into the hall.}

Strode he angrily; from the eyes of him glimmered A l.u.s.tre unlovely likest to fire.

He beheld in the hall the heroes in numbers, 20 A circle of kinsmen sleeping together,

{He exults over his supposed prey.}

A throng of thanemen: then his thoughts were exultant, He minded to sunder from each of the thanemen The life from his body, horrible demon, Ere morning came, since fate had allowed him

{Fate has decreed that he shall devour no more heroes. Beowulf suffers from suspense.}

25 The prospect of plenty. Providence willed not To permit him any more of men under heaven To eat in the night-time. Higelac's kinsman Great sorrow endured how the dire-mooded creature [27] In unlooked-for a.s.saults were likely to bear him.

30 No thought had the monster of deferring the matter,

{Grendel immediately seizes a sleeping warrior, and devours him.}

But on earliest occasion he quickly laid hold of A soldier asleep, suddenly tore him, Bit his bone-prison, the blood drank in currents, Swallowed in mouthfuls: he soon had the dead man's 35 Feet and hands, too, eaten entirely.

Nearer he strode then, the stout-hearted warrior

{Beowulf and Grendel grapple.}

s.n.a.t.c.hed as he slumbered, seizing with hand-grip, Forward the foeman foined with his hand; Caught he quickly the cunning deviser, 40 On his elbow he rested. This early discovered The master of malice, that in middle-earth's regions, 'Neath the whole of the heavens, no hand-grapple greater

{The monster is amazed at Beowulf's strength.}

In any man else had he ever encountered: Fearful in spirit, faint-mooded waxed he, 45 Not off could betake him; death he was pondering,

{He is anxious to flee.}

Would fly to his covert, seek the devils' a.s.sembly: His calling no more was the same he had followed Long in his lifetime. The liege-kinsman worthy

{Beowulf recalls his boast of the evening, and determines to fulfil it.}

Of Higelac minded his speech of the evening, 50 Stood he up straight and stoutly did seize him.

His fingers crackled; the giant was outward, The earl stepped farther. The famous one minded To flee away farther, if he found an occasion, And off and away, avoiding delay, 55 To fly to the fen-moors; he fully was ware of The strength of his grapple in the grip of the foeman.

{'Twas a luckless day for Grendel.}

'Twas an ill-taken journey that the injury-bringing, Harrying harmer to Heorot wandered:

{The hall groans.}

The palace re-echoed; to all of the Danemen, 60 Dwellers in castles, to each of the bold ones, Earlmen, was terror. Angry they both were, Archwarders raging.[2] Rattled the building; [28] 'Twas a marvellous wonder that the wine-hall withstood then The bold-in-battle, bent not to earthward, 65 Excellent earth-hall; but within and without it Was fastened so firmly in fetters of iron, By the art of the armorer. Off from the sill there Bent mead-benches many, as men have informed me, Adorned with gold-work, where the grim ones did struggle.

70 The Scylding wise men weened ne'er before That by might and main-strength a man under heaven Might break it in pieces, bone-decked, resplendent, Crush it by cunning, unless clutch of the fire In smoke should consume it. The sound mounted upward

{Grendel's cries terrify the Danes.}