Beowulf

And coats of mail. The massed treasure 40

Was loaded on top of him: it would travel far
Translation by Seamus Heaney On out into the ocean’s sway.
Words in gray are not in the abridged audiobook and may They decked his body no less bountifully
be skipped. With offerings than those first ones did
Who cast him away when he was a child
PART I And launched him alone out over the waves.
And they set a gold standard up
So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by High above his head and let him drift
And the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness. To wind and tide, bewailing him
We have heard of those princes’ heroic campaigns. And mourning their loss. No man can tell, 50
There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes, No wise man in hall or weathered veteran
A wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging among foes. Knows for certain who salvaged that load.
This terror of the hall-troops had come far. Then it fell to Beow to keep the forts.
A foundling to start with, he would flourish later on He was well regarded and ruled the Danes
As his powers waxed and his worth was proved. For a long time after his father took leave
In the end each clan on the outlying coasts Of his life on earth. And then his heir,
Beyond the whale-road had to yield to him 10 The great Halfdane, held sway
And begin to pay tribute. That was one good king. For as long as he lived, their elder and warlord.
He was four times a father, this fighter prince:
Afterwards a boy-child was born to Shield, One by one they entered the world, 60
A cub in the yard, a comfort sent Heorogar, Hrothgar, the good Halga
By God to that nation. He knew what they had tholed, And a daughter, I have heard, who was Onela’s queen,
The long times and troubles they’d come through A balm in bed to the battle-scarred Swede.
Without a leader; so the Lord of Life, The fortunes of war favored Hrothgar.
The glorious Almighty, made this man renowned. Friends and kinsmen flocked to his ranks,
Shield had fathered a famous son: Young followers, a force that grew
Beow’s name was known through the north. To be a mighty army. So his mind turned
And a young prince must be prudent like that, 20 To hall-building: he handed down orders
Giving freely while his father lives For men to work on a great mead-hall
So that afterwards in age when fighting starts Meant to be a wonder of the world forever; 70
Steadfast companions will stand beside him It would be his throne-room and there he would dispense
And hold the line. Behavior that’s admired His God-given goods to young and old---
Is the path to power among people everywhere. But not the common land or people’s lives.
Shield was still thriving when his time came Far and wide through the world, I have heard,
And he crossed over into the Lord’s keeping. Orders for work to adorn that wall stead
His warrior band did what he bade them Were sent to many peoples. And soon it stood there,
When he laid down the law among the Danes: Finished and ready, in full view,
They shouldered him out to the sea’s flood, 30 The hall of halls. Heorot was the name
The chief they revered who had long ruled them. He had settled on it, whose utterance was law.
A ring-whorled prow rode in the harbour, Nor did he renege, but doled out rings 80
Ice-clad, outbound, a craft for a prince. And torques at the table. The hall towered,
They stretched their beloved lord in his boat, Its gables wide and high and awaiting
Laid out by the mast, amidships, A barbarous burning. That doom abided,
The great ring-giver. Far-fetched treasures But in time it would come: the killer instinct
Were piled upon him, and precious gear. Unleashed among in-laws, the blood-lust rampant.
I never heard before of a ship so well furbished Then a powerful demon, a prowler through the dark,
With battle tackle, bladed weapons Nursed a hard grievance. It harrowed him
To hear the din of the loud banquet

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Every day in the hall, the harp being struck It was easy then to meet with a man
And the clear song of a skilled poet 90 Shifting himself to a safer distance
Telling with mastery of man’s beginnings, To bed in the bothies, for who could be blind 140
How the Almighty had made the earth To the evidence of his eyes, the obviousness
A gleaming plain girdled with waters; Of that hall-watcher’s hate? Whoever escaped
In His splendour He set the sun and moon Kept a weather-eye open and moved away.
To be earth’s lamplight, lanterns for men, So Grendel ruled in defiance of right,
And filled the broad lap of the world One against all, until the greatest house
With branches and leaves; and quickened life In the world stood empty, a deserted wall stead.
In every other thing that moved. For twelve winters, seasons of woe,
So times were pleasant for the people there The lord of the Shieldings suffered under
Until finally one, a fiend out of Hell, 100 His load of sorrow; and so, before long,
Began to work his evil in the world. The news was known over the whole world. 150
Grendel was the name of this grim demon Sad lays were sung about the beset king,
Haunting the marches, marauding round the heath The vicious raids of Grendel,
And the desolate fens; he had dwelt for a time His long and unrelenting feud,
In misery among the banished monsters, Nothing but war; how he would never
Cain’s clan, whom the creator had outlawed Parley or make peace with any Dane
And condemned as outcasts. For the killing of Abel Nor stop his death-dealing nor pay the death-price.
The Eternal Lord had exacted a price: No counsellor could ever expect
Cain got no good from committing that murder Fair reparation from those rabid hands.
Because the Almighty made him anathema 110 All were endangered; young and old
And out of the curse of his exile there sprang Were hunted down by that dark death-shadow 160
Ogres and elves and evil phantoms Who lurked and swooped in the long nights
And the giants too who strove with God On the misty moors; nobody knows
Time and again until He gave them their final reward. Where these reavers from Hell roam on their errands.
So, after nightfall, Grendel set out So Grendel waged his lonely war,
For the lofty house, to see how the Ring-Danes Inflicting constant cruelties on the people,
Were settling into it after their drink, Atrocious hurt. He took over Heorot,
And there he came upon them, a company of the best Haunted the glittering hall after dark,
Asleep from their feasting, insensible to pain But the throne itself, the treasure-seat,
And human sorrow. Suddenly then 120 He was kept from approaching; he was the Lord’s outcast.
The God-cursed brute was creating havoc: These were hard times, heart-breaking 170
Greedy and grim, he grabbed thirty men For the prince of the Shieldings; powerful counselors,
From their resting places and rushed to his lair, The highest in the land, would lend advice,
Flushed up and inflamed from the raid, Plotting how best the bold defenders
Blundering back with the butchered corpses. Might resist and beat off sudden attacks.
Then as dawn brightened and the day broke Sometimes at pagan shrines they vowed
Grendel’s powers of destruction were plain: Offering to idols, swore oaths
Their wassail was over, they wept to heaven That the killer of souls might come to their aid
And mourned under morning. Their mighty prince, And save the people. That was their way,
The storied leader, sat stricken and helpless, 130 Their heathenish hope; deep in their hearts
Humiliated by the loss of his guard, They remembered Hell. The Almighty Judge 180
Bewildered and stunned, staring aghast Of good deeds and bad, the Lord God,
And the demon’s trail, in deep distress. Head of the Heavens and High King of the World,
He was numb with grief, but got no respite Was unknown to them. Oh, cursed is he
For one night later the merciless Grendel Who in time of trouble had to thrust his soul
Struck again with more gruesome murders. In the fire’s embrace, forfeiting help;
Malignant by nature, he never showed remorse. He has nowhere to turn. But blessed is he

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Who after death can approach the Lord The arrivals were. So he rode to the shore,
And find friendship in the Father’s embrace. This horseman of Hrothgar’s, and challenged them
So that troubled time continued, woe In formal terms, flourishing his spear:
That never stopped, steady affliction 190 “What kind of men are you who arrive
For Halfdane’s son, too hard an ordeal. Rigged out for combat in coats of mail,
There was panic after dark, people endured Sailing here over the sea lanes
Raids in the night, riven by terror. In your steep-hulled boat? I have been stationed 240
When he heard about Grendel, Hygelac’s thane As lookout on this coast for a long time.
Was on home ground, over in Geatland. My job is to watch the waves for raiders,
There was no one else like him alive. And danger to the Danish shore.
In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth, Never before has a force under arms
High-born and powerful. He ordered a boat Disembarked so openly---not bothering to ask
That would ply the waves. He announced his plan: If the sentries allowed them safe passage
To sail the swan’s roads and search out that king, 200 Or the clan had consented. Nor have I seen
The famous prince who needed defenders. A mightier man-at-arms on this earth
Nobody tried to keep him from going, Than the one standing here: unless I am mistaken,
No elder denied him, dear as he was to them. He is truly noble. This is no mere 250
Instead, they inspected omens and spurred Hanger-on in a hero’s armour.
His ambition to go, whilst he moved about So now, before you fare inland
Like the leader he was, enlisting men, As interlopers, I have to be informed
The best he could find; with fourteen others About who you are and where you hail from.
The warrior boarded the boat as captain, Outsiders from across the water,
A canny pilot along coast and currents. I say it again: the sooner you tell
Where you come from and why, the better.”
Time went by, the boat was on water, 210
In close under the cliffs. (mark: 14m 59s on Audiobook)
Men climbed eagerly up the gangplank, The leader of the troop unlocked his word-hoard;
Sand churned in surf, shining war-gear The distinguished one delivered this answer:
In the vessel’s hold, then heaved out, “We belong by birth to the Geat people 260
Away with a will in their wood-wreathed ship. And owe allegiance to Lord Hygelac.
Over the waves, with the wind behind her In my day, my father was a famous man,
And foam at her neck, she flew like a bird A noble warrior lord Ecgtheow.
Until her curved prow had covered the distance He outlasted many a long winter
And on the following day, at the due hour, 220 And went on his way. All over the world
Those seafarers sighted land, Wise men in council continue to remember him.
Sunlit cliffs, sheer crags We come in good faith to find your lord
And looming headlands, the landfall they sought. And nation’s shield, the son of Halfdane.
Give us the right to advise and direction.
It was the end of their voyage and the Geats vaulted We have arrived here on a great errand 270
Over the side, out on to the sand, To the lord of the Danes, and I believe therefore
And moored their ship. There was a clash of mail There should be nothing hidden or withheld between us.
And a thresh of gear. They thanked God So tell us if what we have heard is true
For that easy crossing on a calm sea. About this threat, whatever it is,
This danger abroad in the dark nights,
When the watchman on the wall, the Shieldings’ lookout This corpse-maker mongering death
Whose job it was to guard the sea-cliffs, 230 In the Shieldings’ country. I come to proffer
Saw shields glittering on the gangplank My wholehearted help and counsel.
And battle-equipment being unloaded I can show the wise Hrothgar a way
He had to find out who and what To defeat his enemy and find respite--- 280

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If any respite is to reach him, ever. And weapons clashed. They collected their spears
I can calm the turmoil and terror in his mind. In a seafarer’s stook, a stand of grayish
Otherwise, he must endure woes Tapering ash. And the troops themselves 330
And live with grief for as long as his hall Were as good as their weapons.
Stands at the horizon, on its high ground.” Then a proud warrior
Questioned the men concerning their origins:
Undaunted, sitting astride his horse, “Where do you come from, carrying these
The coast-guard answered, “Anyone with gumption Decorated shields and shirts of mail,
And a sharp mind will take the measure These cheek-hinged helmets and javelins?
Of two things: what’s said and what’s done. I am Hrothgar’s herald and officer.
I believe what you have told me: that you are a troop 290 I have never seen so impressive or large
Loyal to our king. So come ahead An assembly of strangers. Stoutness of heart,
With your arms and your gear, and I will guide you. Bravery not banishment, must have brought you to
What’s more, I’ll order my own comrades Hrothgar.”
On their word of honor to watch your boat The man whose name was known for courage, 340
Down there on the strand---keep her safe The Geat leader, resolute in his helmet,
In her fresh tar, until the time comes Answered in return: “We are retainers
For her curved prow to preen on the waves From Hygelac’s band. Beowulf is my name.
And bear this hero back to Geatland. If your lord and master, the most renowned
May one so valiant and venturesome Son of Halfdane, will hear me out
Come unharmed through the clash of battle.” 300 And graciously allow me to greet him in person,
So they went on their way. The ship rode the water, I am ready and willing to report my errand.”
Broad-beamed, bound by its hawser Wulfgar replied, a Wendel chief
And anchored fast. Boar-shapes flashed Renowned as a warrior, well known for his wisdom
Above their cheek-guards, the brightly forged And the temper of his mind: “I will take this message, 350
Work of goldsmiths, watching over In accordance with your wish, to our noble king,
Those stern-faced men. They marched in step, Our dear lord, friend of the Danes,
Hurrying on till the timbered hall The giver of rings. I will go and ask him
Rose before them, radiant with gold. About your coming here, then hurry back
Nobody on earth knew of another With whatever reply it pleases him to give.”
Building like it. Majesty lodged there, 310
And its light shone over many lands. With that he turned to where Hrothgar sat,
So their gallant escort guided them An old man among retainers;
To that dazzling stronghold and indicated The valiant follower stood four-square
The shortest way to it; then the noble warrior In front of his king: he knew the courtesies.
Wheeled on his horse and spoke these words: Wulfgar addressed his dear lord: 360
“It is time for me to go. May the Almighty “People from Geatland have put ashore.
Father keep you and in His kindness They have sailed far over the wide sea.
Watch over your exploits. I’m away to the sea, They call the chief in charge of their band
Back on alert against enemy raiders.” By the name of Beowulf. They beg, my lord,
An audience with you, exchange of words
It was a paved track, a path that kept them 320 And formal greeting. Most gracious Hrothgar,
In marching order. Their mail-shirts glinted, Do not refuse them, but grant them a reply.
Hard and hand-linked; the high-gloss iron From their arms and appointment, they appear well-born
Of their armour rang. So they duly arrived And worthy of respect, especially the one
In their grim war-graith and gear at the hall, Who has led them this far: he is formidable indeed.” 370
And, weary from the sea, stacked wide shields
Of the toughest hardwood against the wall, Hrothgar, protector of Shieldings, replied:
Then collapsed on the benches; battle-dress “I used to know him when I was a young boy.

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His father before him was called Ecgtheow. Raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea
Hrethel the Greath gave Ecgtheow Slaughtered sea-brutes. I have suffered extremes
His daughter in marriage. This man is their son, And avenged the Geats (their enemies brought it
Here to follow up an old friendship. Upon themselves, I devastated them).
A crew of seamen who sailed for me once Now I mean to be a match for Grendel,
With a gift-cargo across to Geatland Settle the outcome in a single combat.
Returned with marvelous tales about him: And so, my request, O king of Bright-Danes,
A thane, they declared, with the strength of thirty 380 Dear prince pf the Shieldings, friend of the people
In the grip of each hand. Now Holy God And their ring of defense, my one request
Has, in His Goodness, guided him here Is that you won’t refuse me, who have come this far, 430
To the West-Danes, to defend us from Grendel. The privilege of purifying Heorot,
This is my hope; and for his heroism With my own men to help me, and nobody else.
I will recompense him with a rich treasure. I have heard moreover that the monster scorns
Go immediately, bid him and the Geats In his reckless way to use weapons;
He has is attendance to assemble and enter. Therefore, to heighten Hygelac’s fame
Say, moreover, when you speak to them, And gladden his heart, I hereby renounce
That they are welcome in Denmark.” Sword and the shelter of the broad shield,
At the door of the hall, The heavy war-board: hand-to-hand
Wulfgar duly delivered the message: 390 Is how it will be, a life-and-death
“My lord, the conquering king of the Danes, Fight with the fiend. Whichever one death fells 440
Bids me announce that he knows your ancestry; Must deem it a just judgment by God.
Also that he welcomes you here to Heorot If Grendel wins, it will be a gruesome day;
And salutes your arrival from across the sea. He will glut himself on the Geats in the war-hall,
You are free now to move forward Swoop without fear on that flower of manhood
To meet Hrothgar, in helmets and armor, As on others before. Then my face won’t be there
But shields must stay here and spears be stacked To be covered in death; he will carry me away
Until the outcome of the audience is clear.” As he goes to ground, gorged and bloodied;
The hero arose, surrounded closely He will run gloating with my raw corpse
By his powerful thanes. A party remained 400 And feed on it alone, in a cruel frenzy,
Under orders to keep watch on the arms; Fouling his moor-nest. No need then 450
The rest proceeded, lead by their prince To lament for long or lay out my body:
Under Heorot’s roof. And standing on the hearth If the battle takes me, send back
In webbed links that the smith had woven, This breast-webbing that Weland fashioned
The fine-forged mesh of his gleaming mail shirt, And Hrethel gave me, to Hygelac.
Resolute in his helmet, Beowulf spoke: Fate goes ever as fate must.”
“Greetings to Hrothgar. I am Hygelac’s kinsman, Hrothgar, the helmet of the Shieldings, spoke:
One of his hall-troop. When I was younger, “Beowulf, my friend, you have traveled here
I had great triumphs. Then news of Grendel, To favour us with help and fight for us.
Hard to ignore, reached me at home: 410 There was a feud one time, begun by your father.
Sailors brought stories of the plight you suffer With his own hands he had killed Heatholaf, 460
In this legendary hall, how it lies deserted, Who was a Wulfing; so war was looming
Empty and useless once the evening light And his people, in fear of it, forced him to leave.
Hides itself under Heaven’s dome. He came away then over rolling waves
So every elder and experienced councilman To the South Danes here, the sons of honor.
Among my people supported my resolve I was then in the full flush of kingship,
To come here to you, King Hrothgar, Establishing my sway over all the rich strongholds
Because all knew of my awesome strength. Of this heroic land. Heorogar,
They had seen me boltered in the blood of enemies My older brother and the better man,
When I battled and bound five beasts, 420 Also a son of Halfdane’s, had died.

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Finally I healed the feud by paying: 470 He was cast up safe and sound one morning
I shipped a treasure-trove to the Wulfings Among the Heathoreams, then made his way 520
And Ecgtheow acknowledged me with oaths of allegiance. To where he belonged in Bronding country,
“It bothers me to have to burden anyone Home again, sure of his ground
With all the grief Grendel has caused In strong room and bawn. So Breca made good
And the havoc he has wreaked upon us in Heorot, His boast upon you and was proved right.
Our humiliations. My household-guard No matter, therefore, how you may have fared
Are on the wane, fate sweeps them away In every bout and battle until now,
Into Grendel’s clutches---but God can easily This time you’ll be worsted; no one has ever
Halt these raids and harrowing attacks! Outlasted an entire night against Grendel.”
“Time and again, when the goblets passed 480 Beowulf, Ecgtheow’s son, replied:
And seasoned fighters got flushed with beer “Well, friend Unferth, you have had your say 530
They would pledge themselves to protect Heorot About Breca and me. But it was mostly beer
And wait for Grendel with whetted swords. That was doing the talking. The truth is this:
But when dawn broke and day crept in When the going was heavy in those high waves,
Over each empty, blood-spattered bench, I was the strongest swimmer of all.
The floor of the mead-hall where they had feasted We’d been children together and we grew up
Would be slick with slaughter. And so they died, Daring ourselves to outdo each other,
Faithful retainers, and my following dwindled. Boasting and urging each other to risk
Now take your place at the table, relish Our lives on the sea. And so it turned out.
The triumph of heroes to your heart’s content.” 490 Each of us swam holding a sword,
Then a bench was cleared in that banquet hall A naked, hard-proofed blade for protection 540
So the Geats could have room to be together Against the whale-beasts. But Breca could never
And the party sat, proud in their bearing, Move out farther or faster from me
Strong and stalwart. An attendant stood by Than I could manage to move from him.
With a decorated pitcher, pouring bright Shoulder to shoulder, we struggled on
Helpings of mead. And the minstrel sang, For five nights, until the long flow
Filling Heorot with his head-clearing voice, And pitch of the waves, the perishing cold,
Gladdening that great rally of Geats and Danes. Night falling and winds from the North
From where he crouched at the king’s feet, Drove us apart. The deep boiled up
Unferth, a son of Ecglaf’s, spoke 500 And its wallowing sent the sea-brutes wild.
Contrary words. Beowulf’s coming, My armor held me to hold out; 550
His sea-braving, made him sick with envy: My hard-ringed chain-mail, hand-forged and linked,
He could not brook or abide the fact A fine, close-fitting filigree of gold,
That anyone else alive under heaven Kept me safe when some ocean creature
Might enjoy greater regard than he did: Pulled me to the bottom. Pinioned fast
“Are you the Beowulf who took on Breca And swathed in its grip, I was granted one
In a swimming match on the open sea, Final chance: my sword plunged
Risking the water just to prove you could win? And the ordeal was over. Through my own hands
It was sheer vanity made you venture out The fury of battle had finished off the sea-beast.
On the main deep. And no matter who tried, 510 “Time and again, foul things attacked me,
Friend or foe, to deflect the pair of you, Lurking and stalking, but I lashed out, 560
Neither would back down: the sea-test obsessed you. Gave as good as I got with my sword.
You waded in, embracing water, My flesh was not for feasting on,
Taking its measure, mastering currents, There would be no monsters gnawing and gloating
Riding on the swell. The ocean swayed, Over their banquet at the bottom of the sea.
Winter went wild in the waves, but you vied Instead, in the morning, mangled and sleeping
For seven nights; and then he outswam you, The sleep of the sword, they slopped and floated
Came ashore the stronger contender. Like the ocean’s leavings. From now on

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Sailors would the safe, the deep-sea raids First to Hrothgar, their homeland’s guardian,
Were over for good. Light came from the East, Urging him to drink deep and enjoy it,
Bright guarantee of God, and the waves 570 Because he was dear to them. And he drank it down
Went quiet; I could see the headlands Like the warlord he was, with festive cheer.
And buffeted cliffs. Often, for undaunted courage, So the Helming woman went on her rounds, 620
Fate spares the man it has not already marked. Queenly and dignified, decked out in rings,
However it had occurred, my sword had killed Offering the goblet to all ranks,
Nine sea monsters. Such night-dangers Treating the household and the assembled troop
And hard ordeals I have never heard of Until it was Beowulf’s turn to take it from her hand.
Nor of a man so desolate in surging waves. With measured words she welcomed the Geat
But worn out as I was, I survived, And thanked God for granting her wish
Came through with my life. The ocean lifted That a deliverer she could believe in would arrive
And laid me ashore, I landed safe 580 To ease their afflictions. He accepted the cup,
On the coast of Finland. A daunting man, dangerous in action
Now, I cannot recall And eager for it always. He addressed Wealhtheow; 630
any fight you entered, Unferth, Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, declared:
That bears comparison. I don’t boast when I say “I had a fixed purpose when I put out to sea.
That neither you nor Breca ever were much As I sat in the boat with my band of men,
Celebrated for swordsmanship I meant to perform to the uttermost
Or for facing danger in the battlefield. What your people wanted or perish in the attempt,
You killed your own kith and kin, In the fiend’s clutches. And I shall fulfill that purpose,
So for all your cleverness and quick tongue, Prove myself with a proud deed
You will suffer damnation in the pits of hell. Or meet my death here in the mead-hall.”
The fact it, Unferth, if you were truly 590 This formal boast by Beowulf the Geat
As keen or courageous as you claim to be Pleased the lady well and she went to sit 640
Grendel would never have got away with By Hrothgar, regal and arrayed with gold.
Such unchecked atrocity, attacks on your king, Then it was like old times in the echoing hall,
Havoc in Heorot and horrors everywhere. Proud talk and the people happy,
But he knows he need never be in dread Loud and excited; until soon enough
Of your blade making a mizzle of his blood Halfdane’s heir had to be away
Or of vengeance arriving ever from this quarter--- To his night’s rest. He realized
From the Victory-Shieldings, the shoulderers of the spear. That the demon was going to descend on the hall
He knows he can trample down you Danes That he had plotted all day, from dawn-light
To his heart’s content, humiliate and murder 600 Until darkness gathered again over the world
Without fear of reprisal. But he will find me different. And stealthy night-shapes came stealing forth 650
I will show him how Geats shape to kill Under the cloud-murk. The company stood
In the heat of battle. Then whoever wants to As the two leaders took leave of each other:
May go bravely to morning mead, when morning light, Hrothgar wished Beowulf health and good luck,
Scarfed in sun-dazzle, shines forth from the south Named him hall-warden and announced as follows:
And brings another daybreak to the world.” “Never, since my hand could hold a shield
Then the gray-haired treasure-giver was glad; Have I entrusted or given control
Far-famed in battle, the prince of Bright-Danes Of the Dane’s hall to anyone but you.
And keeper of his people counted on Beowulf, Ward and guard it, for it is the greatest of houses.
On the warrior’s steadfastness and his word. 610 Be on your mettle now, keep in mind your fame,
So the laughter started, the din got louder Beware of the enemy. There’s nothing you wish for 660
And the crowd was happy. Wealhtheow came in, That won’t be yours if you win through alive.”
Hrothgar’s queen, observing the courtesies. Hrothgar departed then with his house-guard.
Adorned in her gold, she graciously saluted The lord of the Shieldings, their shelter in war,
The men in the hall, then handed the cup Left the mead-hall to lie with Wealhtheow,

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His queen and bedmate. The King of Heaven Awake and on edge, spoiling for action.
(as people learned) had posted a lookout In off the moors, down through the mist-bands 710
Who was a match for Grendel, a guard against monsters, God-cursed Grendel came greedily loping.
Special protection to the Danish prince. The bane of the race of men roamed forth,
Hunting for a prey in the high hall.
The Geat placed complete trust Under the cloud-murk he moved towards it
In his strength of limb and the Lord’s favor. 670 Until it shone above him, a sheer keep
He began to remove his iron breast-mail, Of fortified gold. Nor was that the first time
Took off the helmet and handed his attendant He had scouted the grounds of Hrothgar’s dwelling---
The patterned sword, a smith’s masterpiece, Although never in his life, before or since,
Ordering him to keep the equipment guarded. Did he find harder fortune or hall-defenders.
Spurned and joyless, he journeyed on ahead 720
And before he bedded down, Beowulf, And arrived at the bawn. The iron-braced door
That prince of goodness, proudly asserted: Turned in its hinge when his hand touched it.
“When it comes to fighting, I count myself Then his rage boiled over, he ripped open
As dangerous any day as Grendel. The mouth of the building, maddening for blood,
So it won’t be a cutting edge I’ll wield Pacing the length of the patterned floor
To mow him down, easily as I might. 680 With his loathsome tread, while a baleful light,
He has no ideas of the arts of war, Flame more than light, flared from his eyes.
Of shield or sword-play, though he does possess He saw many men in the mansion, sleeping,
A wild strength. No weapons, therefore, A ranked company of kinsmen and warriors
For either this night: unarmed he shall face me Quartered together. And his glee was demonic, 730
If face me he dares. And may the Divine Lord Picturing the mayhem: before morning
In His wisdom grant victory He would rip life from limp and devour them,
To whichever side He sees fit.” Feed on their flesh: but his fate that night
Was due to change, his days of ravening
Then down the brave man lay with his bolster Had come to an end.
Under his head and his whole company Mighty and canny,
Of sea-rovers at rest beside him. 690 Hygelac’s kinsman was keenly watching
None of them expected he would ever see For the first move the monster would make.
His homeland again or get back Nor did the creature keep him waiting
To his native place and the people who reared him. But struck suddenly and started in;
They knew too well the way it was before, He grabbed and mauled a man on his bench, 740
How often the Danes had fallen prey Bit into his bone-lappings, bolted down his blood
To death in the mead-hall. But the Lord was weaving And gorged on him in lumps, leaving the body
A victory on his war-loom for the Weather-Geats. Utterly lifeless, eaten up
Through the strength of one they all prevailed; Hand and foot. Venturing closer,
They would crush their enemy and come through his talon was raised to attack Beowulf
In triumph and gladness. The truth is clear: 700 Where he lay on the bed; he was bearing in
Almighty God rules over mankind With open claw when the alert hero’s
And always has. Comeback and armlock forestalled him utterly.
The captain of evil discovered himself
Then out of the night In a handgrip harder than anything 750
Came the shadow-stalker, stealthy and swift; He had ever encountered in any man
The hall-guards were slack, asleep at their posts, On the face of the earth. Every bone in his body
All except one; it was widely understood Quailed and coiled, but he could not escape.
That as long as the Lord forbade it, He was desperate to flee to his den and hide
The fiend could not bear them to his shadow-bourne. With the devil’s litter, for in all his days
One man, however, was in a fighting mood, He had never been clamped or cornered like this.

8
 Beowulf
Then Hygelac’s trusty retainer recalled Of every weapon. But his going away
His bedtime speech, sprang to his feet Out of the world and the days of his life
And got a firm hold. Fingers were bursting, Would be agony to him, and his alien spirit
The monster back-tracking, the man overpowering. 760 would travel far into fiends’ keeping.
The dread of the land was desperate to escape, Then he who had harrowed the hearts of men
To take a roundabout road and flee With pain and affliction in former times
To his lair in the fens. The latching power And had given offense also to God 810
In his fingers weakened; it was the worst trip Found that his bodily powers had failed him.
The terror-monger had taken to Heorot. Hygelac’s kinsman kept him helplessly
And now the timber trembled and sang, Locked in a handgrip. As long as either lived
A hall-session that harrowed every Dane He was hateful to the other. The monster’s whole
Inside the stockade: stumbling in fury, Body was in pain, a tremendous wound
The two contenders crashed through the building. Appeared on his shoulder. Sinews split
The hall clattered and hammered, but somehow 770 And the bone-lappings burst. Beowulf was granted
Survived the onslaught and kept standing: The glory of winning; Grendel was driven
It was handsomely structured, a sturdy frame Under the fen banks, fatally hurt,
Braced with the best of blacksmith’s work To his desolate lair. His days were numbered, 820
Inside and out. The story goes The end of his life was coming over him,
That as the pair struggled, mead benches were smashed He knew it for certain; and one bloody clash
And sprung off the floor, gold fittings and all. Had fulfilled the dearest wishes of the Danes.

Before then, no Shielding elder would believe The man who had lately landed among them,
There was any power or person on earth Proud and sure, had purged the hall,
Capable of wrecking their horn-rigged hall Kept it from harm; he was happy with his night-work
Unless the burning embrace of fire 780 And the courage he had shown. The Geat captain
Engulf it in flame. Then an extraordinary Had boldly fulfilled his boast to the Danes:
Wail arose, and bewildering fear He had healed and relieved a huge distress,
Came over the Danes. Everyone felt it Unremitting humiliations, 830
Who heard that cry as it echoed off the wall, The hard fate they’d been forced to undergo,
A God-cursed scream and strain of catastrophe, No small affliction. Clear proof of this
The howl of the loser, the lament of the hell-serf Could be seen in the hand the hero displayed
Keening his wound. He was overwhelmed, High up near the roof: the whole of Grendel’s
Manacled tight by the man who of all men Shoulder and arm, his awesome grasp.
Was foremost and strongest in the days of this life.
But the earl troop’s leader was not inclined 790 Then morning came and many a warrior
To allow his caller to depart alive: Gathered, as I have heard, around the gift-hall,
He did not consider that life of much account Clan-chiefs flocking from far and near
To anyone anywhere. Time and again, Down wide-ranging roads, wondering greatly
Beowulf’s warriors worked to defend At the monster’s footprint. His fatal departure 840
Their lord’s life, laying about them Was regretted by no one who witnessed his trail,
As best they could with their ancestral blades. The ignominious marks of his flight
Stalwart in action, they kept striking out Where he’d sulked away, exhausted in spirit
On every side, seeking to cut And beaten in battle, bloodying the path,
Straight to the soul. When they joined the struggle Hauling his doom to the demons’ mere.
There was something they could have not known at the The bloodshot water wallowed and surged,
time, 800 There were loathsome up throws and over turnings
That no blade on earth, no blacksmith’s art Of waves and gore and wound-slurry.
Could ever damage their demon opponent. With his death upon him, he had dived deep
He had conjured the harm from the cutting edge Into his marsh den, drowned out his life 850

9
 Beowulf
And his heathen soul: hell claimed him there.

Then away they rode, the old retainers
With many a young man following after,
A troop on horseback, in high spirits
On their bay steeds. Beowulf’s doings
Were praised over and over again.
Nowhere, they said, north or south
Between the two seas or under the tall sky
On the broad earth was there anyone better
To raise a shield or to rule a kingdom. 860
Yet there was no laying of blame on their lord,
The noble Hrothgar; he was a good king.

(40min 2sec)

END PART I

10
 Beowulf

PART II To those earlier times by experienced men,

Men who relied on his lordship for redress,
At times the war-band broke into a gallop, Who presumed that the part of a prince was to thrive
Letting their chestnut horses race On his father’s throne and protect the nation, 910
Wherever they found the going good The Shielding land where they lived and belonged,
On those well-known tracks. Meanwhile, a thane Its holdings and strongholds. Such was Beowulf
Of the king’s household, a carrier of tales, In the affection of his friends and of everyone alive.
A traditional singer deeply schooled But evil entered into Heremod.
In the lore of the past, linked a new theme Meanwhile, the Dane kept racing their mounts
To a strict metre. The man started 870 Down sandy lanes. The light of day
To recite with skill, rehearsing Beowulf’s Broke and kept brightening. Bands of retainers
Triumphs and feats in well-fashioned lines, Galloped in excitement to the gabled hall
Entwining his words. To see the marvel; and the king himself,
He told what he’d heard Guardian of the ring-hoard, goodness in person, 920
Repeated in songs of Sigemund’s exploits, Walked in majesty from the women’s quarters
All of those many feats and marvels, With a numerous train, attended by his queen
The struggles and wanderings of Wael’s son, And her crowd of maidens, across to the mead-hall.
Things unknown to anyone, When Hrothgar arrived at the hall, he spoke,
Except Fitela, feuds and foul doings Standing on the steps, under the steep eaves,
Confided from uncle to nephew when he felt Gazing at the roofwork and Grendel’s talon:
The urge to speak of them: always had they been 880 “First and foremost, let the Almighty Father
Partners in the fight, friends in need. Be thanked for this sight. I suffered a long
They killed giants, their conquering swords Harrowing by Grendel. But the Heavenly Shepherd
Had brought them down. Can work his wonders always and everywhere. 930
After his death Not long since, it seemed I would never
Sigemund’s glory grew and grew Be granted the slightest solace or relief
Because of his courage when he killed the dragon, From any of my burdens: the best of houses
The guardian of the hoard. Under gray stone Glittered and reeked and ran with blood.
He had dared to enter all by himself This one worry outweighed all others---
To face the worst without Fitela. A constant distress to counselors entrusted
But nit came to pass that his sword plunged With defending the people’s forts from assault
Right through those radiant scales 890 By monsters and demons. But now a man,
And drove into the wall. The dragon died of it. With the Lord’s assistance, has accomplished something
His daring had given him total possession None of us could manage before now 940
Of the treasure hoard , his to dispose of For all our efforts. Whoever she was
However he liked. He loaded a boat: Who brought forth this flower of manhood,
Wael’s son weighted her hold If she is still alive, that woman can say
With dazzling spoils. The hot dragon melted. That in her labor the Lord of Ages
Sigemund’s name was known everywhere. Bestowed a grace on her. So now, Beowulf,
He was utterly valiant and venturesome, adopt you in my heart as a dear son.
A fence round his fighters and flourished therefore Nourish and maintain this new connection,
After King Heremond’s prowess declined 900 You noblest of men; there’ll be nothing you want for,
And his campaigns slowed down. The king was betrayed, No worldly good that won’t be yours.
Ambushed in Jutland, overpowered I have often honored smaller achievements, 950
And done away with. The waves of his grief Recognized warriors not nearly as worthy,
Had beaten him down, made him a burden, Lavished rewards on the less deserving.
A source of anxiety to his own nobles: But you have made yourself immortal
That expedition was often condemned By your glorious action. May the God of Ages
Continue to keep and requite you well.”

11
 Beowulf
And children of men, must make our way
Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, spoke: To a destination already ordained
“We have gone through a glorious endeavor Where the body, after the banqueting,
And been much favored in this fight we dared Sleeps on its deathbed.
Against the unknown. Nevertheless, Then the due time arrived
If you could have seen the monster himself 960 For Halfdane’s son to proceed to the hall.
Where he lay beaten, I would have been better pleased. The king himself would sit down to feast.
My plan was to pounce, pin him down No group ever gathered in greater numbers 1010
In a tight grip and grapple him to death--- Or better order around their ring-giver.
Have him panting for life, powerless and clasped The benches filled with famous men
In my bare hands, his body in thrall. Who fell to with relish; round upon round
But I couldn’t stop him from slipping my hold. Of mead was passed; those powerful kinsmen,
The Lord allowed it, my lock on him Hrothgar and Hrothulf, were in high spirits
Wasn’t strong enough, he struggled fiercely In the raftered hall. Inside Heorot
And broke and ran. Yet he bought his freedom There was nothing but friendship. The Shielding nation
At a high price, for he left his hand 970 Was not yet familiar with feud and betrayal.
And arm and shoulder to show he had been here,
A cold comfort for having come among us. Then Halfdane’s son presented Beowulf
And now he won’t be long for this world. With gold standards as a victory gift, 1020
He has done his worst but the wound will end him. An embroidered banner; also breast-mail
He is hasped and hooped and hirpling with pain, And a helmet; and a sword carried high,
Limped and looped in it. Like a man outlawed That was both precious object and a token of honor.
For wickedness, he mush await
The mighty judgment of God in majesty.” So Beowulf drank his drink, at ease;
There was less tampering and big talk then It was hardly a shame to be showered with such gifts
From Unferth the boaster, less of his blather 980 In front of the hall-troops. There haven’t been many
As the hall-thanes eyed the awful proof Moments, I am sure, when men have exchanged
Of the hero’s prowess, the splayed hand Four such treasures at so friendly a sitting.
Up under the eaves. Every nail, An embossed ridge, a band lapped with wire
Claw-scale and spur, every spike Arched over the helmet: head-protection 1030
And welt on the hand of that heathen brute To keep the keen-ground cutting edge
Was like barbed steel. Everybody said From damaging it when danger threatened
There was no honed iron hard enough And the man was battling behind his shield.
To pierce him through, no time-proofed blade Next the king ordered eight horses
That could cut his brutal, blood-caked claw. With gold bridles to be brought through the yard
Then the order was given for all hands 990 Into the hall. The harness of one
To help refurbish Heorot immediately: Included a saddle of sumptuous design,
Men and women thronging the wine-hall, The battle-seat where the son of Halfdane
Getting it ready. Gold thread shone Rode when he wished to join the sword-play:
In the wall-hangings, woven scenes Wherever the killing and carnage were the worst, 1040
That attracted and held the eye’s attention. He would be to the fore, fighting hard.
But iron-braced as the inside of it had been, The Danish prince, descendent of Ing,
The bright room lay in ruins now. Handed over both the arms and the horses,
The very doors had been dragged from their hinges. Urging Beowulf to use them well.
Only the roof remained unscathed And so their leader, the lord and guard
By the time the guilt-fouled fiend turned tail 1000 Of coffer and strong room, with customary grace
In despair of his life. But death is not easily Bestowed upon Beowulf both sets of gifts.
Escaped from by anyone:
All of us with souls, earth-dwellers A fair witness can see how well each one behaved.

12
 Beowulf
The chieftain went on to reward the others: To the end with Hengest,
Each man on the bench who had sailed with Beowulf 1050 How save
And risked the voyage received a bounty, The rump of his force
Some treasured possession. And compensation, From that enemy chief?
A price in gold, was settled for the Geat So a truce was offered
Grendel had killed cruelly earlier-- As follows: first
As he would have killed more, had not mindful God Separate quarters
And one man’s daring prevented that doom. To be cleared for the Danes,
Hall and throne
Past and present, God’s will prevails. To be shared with the Frisians.
Hence, understanding is always best Then, second ;
And a prudent mind. Whoever remains Every day
For long here in this earthly life 1060 At the dole-out of gifts
Will enjoy and endure more than enough. Finn, son of Focwald,
Should honor the Danes, 1090
They sang then and played to please the hero, Bestow with an even
Words and music for their warrior prince, Hand to Hengest
Harp tunes and tales of adventure: And Hengest’s men
There were high times on the hall benches The wrought-gold rings,
And the king’s poet performed his part Bounty to match
With the saga of Finn and his sons, unfolding The measure he gave
The tale of the fierce attack in Friesland His own Frisians--
Where Hnaef, king of the Danes, met death. To keep morale
And his sister, Hildeburh suffered cruelly 1070 In the beer-hall high.
Had little cause Both sides then
To credit the Jutes: Sealed their agreement.
Son and brother, With oaths to Hengest
She lost them both Finn swore
On the battlefield. Openly, solemnly,
She, bereft That the battle survivors
And blameless, they Would be guaranteed
Foredoomed, cut down Honor and status.
And spear-gored. She, No infringement
The woman in shock, By word or deed,
Waylaid by grief, No provocation 1100
Hoc’s daughter-- Would be permitted.
How could she not Their own ring-giver
Lament her fate After all
When morning came Was dead and gone,
And the light broke They were leaderless
On her murdered dears? In forced allegiance
And so farewell To his murderer.
Delight on earth, So if any Frisian
War carried away 1080 Stirred up bad blood
Finn’s troop of thanes, With insinuations
All but a few. Or taunts about this,
How then could Finn The blade of the sword
Hold the line Will arbitrate it.
Or fight on A funeral pyre

13
 Beowulf
Was then prepared, And away on the sea.
Effulgent gold Wind and water
Brought out from the hoard. Raged with storms,
The pride and prince Wave and shingle
Of the Shieldings lay Were shackled in ice
Awaiting the flame. 1110 Until another year
Everywhere Appeared in the yard
There were blood-plastered As it does to this day,
Coats of mail. The seasons constant,
The pyre was heaped The wonder of light
With boar-shaped helmets Coming over us.
Forged in gold, Then winter was gone,
With the gashed corpses Earth’s lap grew lovely,
Of well-born Danes-- Longing woke
Many had fallen. In the cooped-up exile
Then Hildeburh For a voyage home--
Ordered her own But more for vengeance, 1140
Son’s body Some way of bringing
Be burnt with Hnaef’s, Things to a head:
The flesh on his bones His sword arm hankered
To sputter and blaze To greet the Jutes.
Beside his uncle’s. So he did not balk
The woman wailed Once Hunlafing
And sang keens, Placed on his lap
The warrior went up. Dazle-the -Duel,
Carcass flame 1120 The best sword of all,
Swirled and fumed, Whose edges Jutes
They stood round the burial Knew only too well.
Mound and howled Thus blood was spilled,
As heads melted, The gallant Finn
Crusted gashes Slain in his home
Spattered and ran After Guthlaf and Oslaf
Bloody matter. Back from their voyage
The glutton element Made old accusation:
Flamed and consumed The brutal ambush,
The dead of both sides. The fate they had suffered,
Their great days were gone. All blamed on Finn. 1150
Warriors scattered The wildness in them
To homes and forts Had to brim over.
All over Friesland, The hall ran red
Fewer now, feeling With blood of enemies.
Loss of friends. Finn was cut down,
Hengest stayed, The queen brought away
Lived out that whole And everything
Resentful, blood-sullen The Shieldings could find
Winter with Finn, 1130 Inside Finn’s walls--
Homesick and helpless. The Frisian king’s
No ring-whorled prow Gold collars and gemstones--
Could up then Swept off to the ship.

14
 Beowulf
Over sea-lanes then And thereby ensured his eternal reward.
Back to Daneland Hygelac the Geat, grandson of Swerting,
The warrior troop Wore this neck-ring on his last raid;
Bore that lady home. At bay under his banner, he defended the booty,
Treasure he had won. Fate swept him away
The poem was over, Because of his proud need to provoke
The poet had performed, a pleasant murmur A feud with the Frisians. He fell beneath his shield,
Started on the benches, stewards did the rounds 1160 In the same gem-crusted , kingly gear
With wine in splendid jugs, and Wilhtheow came to sit He had worn when he crossed the frothing wave-vat.
In her gold crown between two good men, So the dead king fell into Frankish hands. 1210
Uncle and nephew, each of whom Hey took his breast-mail, also his neck-torque,
Still trusted the other; and the forthright Unferth, And punier warriors plundered the slain
Admired by all for his mind and courage When the carnage ended; Geat corpses
Although under a cloud for killing his brothers, Covered the field.
Reclined near the king. Applause filled the hall.
The queen spoke to Hrothgar: Then the queen pronounced in the presence of the
“Enjoy this drink, my most generous lord; company:
Raise up your goblet, entertain the Geats “Take delight in this torque, dear Beowulf,
Duly and gently, discourse with them, 1170 Wear it for luck and also wear this mail
Be open-handed, happy and fond. From our people’s armory: may you prosper in them!
Relish their company, but recollect as well Be acclaimed or strength, for kindly guidance
All of the boons that have been bestowed upon you. To these two boys, and your bounty will be sure. 1220
The bright court of Heorot has been cleansed You have won renown: you are known to all men
And now the word is that you want to adopt Far and near, now and forever.
This warrior as a son. So, while you may, Your sway is wide as the wind’s home,
Bask in your fortune, then bequeath As the sea around cliffs. So, my prince,
Kingdom and nation to your kith and kin, I wish you a lifetime’s luck and blessings
Before your decease. I am certain of Hrothulf. To enjoy this treasure. Treat my sons
He is noble and will use the young ones well. 1180 With tender care, be strong and kind.
He will not let you down. Should you die before him, Here each comrade is true to the other,
He will treat our children truly and fairly. Loyal to lord, loving in spirit.
He will honor, I am sure, our two sons, The thanes have one purpose, the people are ready: 1230
Repay them in kind when he recollects Having drunk and pledged, the ranks do as I bid.”
All the good things we gave him once,
The favor and respect he found in childhood.” She moved then to her place. Men were drinking wine
She turned then to the bench where her boys sat, At that rare feast; how could they know fate,
Hrethric and Hrothmond, with other nobles’ sons, The grim shape of things to come,
All the youth together; and that good man, The threat looming over many thanes
Beowulf the Geat, sat between the brothers. 1190 As night approached and king Hrothgar prepared
The cup was carried to him, kind words To retire to his quarters? Retainers in great numbers
Spoken in welcome and wealth of wrought gold Were posted on guard as so often in the past.
Graciously bestowed; two arm bangles, Benches were pushed back, bedding gear and bolsters
A mail shirt and rings, and the most resplendent Spread across the floor, and one man 1240
Torque of gold I have ever heard tell of Lay down to his rest, already marked for death.
Anywhere on earth or under heaven. At their heads they placed their polished timber
There was no hoard like it since Hama snatched Battle-shields; and on the bench above them,
The Brosings’ neck-chain and bore it away Each man’s kit was kept to hand:
With its gems and settings to his shinning fort, A towering war-helmet, webbed mail-shirt
Away from Eormenric’s wiles and hatred, 1200 And great-shafted spear. It was their habit

15
 Beowulf
Always and everywhere to be ready for action, She had pounced and taken one of the retainers
At home or in the camp, in whatever case In a tight hold, then headed for the fen.
And at whatever time the need arose
To rally round their lord. They were a right people. 1250 To Hrothgar, this man was the most beloved
Of the friends he trusted between the two seas.
They went to sleep. And one paid dearly She had done away with a great warrior,
For his night’s ease, as had happened to them often, Ambushed him at rest.
Ever since Grendel occupied the gold-hall, Beowulf was elsewhere.
Committing evil until the end came, Earlier, after the reward of the treasure, 1300
Death after his crimes. Then it became clear, The Geat had been given another lodging.
Obvious to everyone once the fight was over, There was an uproar in Heorot. She had snatched their
That an avenger lurked and was still alive, trophy,
Grimly biding time. Grendel’s mother, Grendel’s bloodied hand. It was a fresh blow
Monstrous hell-bride, brooded on her wrongs. To the afflicted bawn. The bargain was hard,
She had been forced down into fearful waters, 1260 Both parties having to pay
The cold depths, after Cain had killed With the lives of friends. And the old lord,
His father’s son, felled his own The gray-haired warrior, was heartsore and weary
Brother with the sword. Banished an outlaw, When he heard the news: his highest-placed advisor,
Marked by having murdered, he moved into the wilds, His dearest companion, was dead and gone.
Shunning company and joy. And from Cain there sprang
Misbegotten spirits, among them Grendel, Beowulf was quickly brought to the chamber: 1310
The banished and accursed, due to come to grips The winner of fights, the arch-warrior,
With that watcher in Heorot waiting to do battle. Came first-footing in with his fellow troops
The monster wrenched and wrestled with him To where the king in his wisdom waited,
But Beowulf was mindful of his mighty strength, 1270 Still wondering whether Almighty God
The wondrous gifts God had showered on him: Would even turn the tide of his misfortunes.
He relied for help on the Lord of All, So Beowulf entered with his band in attendance
On His care and favor. So he overcame the foe, And the wooden floor-boards banged and rang
Brought down the hell-brute. Broken and bowed, As he advanced, hurrying to address
Outcast from all sweetness, the enemy of mankind The prince of the Ingwins, asking if he’d rested
Made for his death-den. But now his mother Since the urgent summons had come as a surprise. 1320
Had sallied forth on a savage journey,
Grief-racked and ravenous, desperate for revenge. Then Hrothgar, the Shieldings’ helmet, spoke:
She came to Heorot. There, inside the hall, “Rest? What is rest? Sorrow has returned.
Danes lay asleep, earls who would soon endure 1280 Alas for the Danes! Aeschere is dead.
A great reversal once Grendel’s mother He was Yrmenlaf’s elder brother
Attacked and entered. Her onslaught was less And a soul mate to me, a true mentor,
Only by as much as an Amazon warrior’s My right-hand man when the ranks clashed
In less than an armored man’s And our boar-crests had to take a battering
When the hefted sword, its hammered edge In the line of action. Aechere was everything
And gleaming blade slathered in blood, The world admires in a wise man and a friend.
Razes the sturdy boar-ridge off a helmet. Then this roaming killer came in a fury 1330
Then in the hall, hard-honed swords And slaughtered him in Heorot. Where she is hiding,
Were grabbed from the bench, many a broad shield Glutting on the corpse and glorying in her escape,
Lifted and braced; there was little thought of helmets I cannot tell; she has taken up the feud
1290 Because of last night, when you killed Grendel,
Or woven mail when they woke in terror. Wrestled and racked him in ruinous combat
The hell-dam was in panic, desperate to get out, Since for too long he had terrorized us
In mortal terror the moment she was found. With his depredations. He died in battle,

16
 Beowulf
Paid with his life; and now this powerful “Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better
Other one arrives, this force for evil To avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning.
Driven to avenge her kinsman’s death. 1340 For every one of us, living in this world
Or so it seems to thanes in their grief, Means waiting for our end. Let whoever can
In the anguish every thane endures Win glory before death. When a warrior is gone,
At the loss of a ring-giver, now that the hand That will be his best and only bulwark.
That bestowed so richly has been stilled in death. So arise, my lord, and let us immediately 1390
“I have heard it said by my people in hall, Set forth on the trail of this troll-dam.
Counselors who live in the upland country, I guarantee you: she will not get away,
That they have seen two such creatures Not to dens underground nor upland groves
Prowling the moors, huge marauders Nor the ocean floor. She’ll have nowhere to flee to.
From some other world. One of these things, Endure your troubles today. Bear up
As far as anyone ever can discern, 1350 And be the man I expect you to be.”
Looks like a woman; the other, warped
In the shape of a man, moves beyond the pale With that the old lord sprung to his feet
Bigger than any man, an unnatural birth And praised God for Beowulf’s pledge.
Called Grendel by the country people Then a bit and halter were brought for his horse
In former days. They are fatherless creatures, With the plaited mane. The wise king mounted 1400
And their whole ancestry is hidden in a past The royal saddle and rode out in style
Of demons and ghosts. They dwell apart With a force of shield-bearers. The forest paths
Among wolves on hills, on windswept crags Were marked all over with the monster’s tracks,
And treacherous keshes, where cold streams Her trail on the ground wherever she had gone
Pour down the mountain and disappear 1360 Across the dark moors, dragging away
Under mist and moorland. The body of that thane, Hrothgar’s best
A few miles from here Counselor and overseer of the country.
A frost-stiffened wood waits and keeps watch So the noble prince proceeded undismayed
Above a mere; the overhanging bank Up fells and screes, along narrow footpaths
Is a maze of tree roots mirrored in its surface. And ways where they were forced into single file, 1410
At night there, something uncanny happens: Ledges on cliffs above lairs of water-monsters.
The water burns. And the mere bottom He went in front with a few men,
Has never been sounded by the sons of men. Good judges of the lie of the land,
On its bank, the heather-stepper halts: And suddenly discovered the dismal wood,
The hart in flight from pursuing hounds Mountain trees growing out at an angle
Will turn to face them with firm-set horns 1370 Above gray stones: the bloodshot water
And die in the wood rather than dive Surged underneath. It was a sore blow
Beneath its surface. That is no good place. To all of the Danes, friends of the Shieldings,
When the wind blows up and stormy weather A hurt to each and every one
Makes clouds scud and the skies weep, Of that noble company when they came upon 1420
Out of its depths a dirty surge Aechere’s head at the foot of the cliff.
Is pitched towards the heavens. Now help depends
Again on you and you alone. Everybody gazed as the hot gore
The gap of danger where the demon waits Kept wallowing up and an urgent war-horn
Is still unknown to you. Seek it if you dare. Repeated its notes: the whole party
Sat down to watch. The water was infested
I will compensate you for settling the feud 1380 With all kinds of reptiles. There were writhing sea-dragons
As I did last time with lavish wealth, And monsters slouching on slopes by the cliff,
Coffers of coiled gold, if you come back.” Serpents and wild things such as those that often
Surface at dawn to roam the sail-road
Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, spoke: And doom the voyage. Down they plunged, 1430

17
 Beowulf
Lashing in anger at the loud call Would act like a father to me afterwards.
Of the battle bugle. An arrow from the bow If this combat kills me, take care 1480
Of the Geat chief got one of them Of my young company, my comrades in arms.
As he surged to the surface: the seasoned shaft And be sure also, my beloved Hrothgar,
Stuck deep in his flank and his freedom in the water To send Hygelac the treasures I received.
Got less and less. It was his last swim. Let the lord of the Geats gaze on that gold,
He was swiftly overwhelmed in the shallows, Let Hrethel’s son take note of it and see
Prodded by barbed boar-spears, That I found a ring-giver of rare magnificence
Cornered, beaten, pulled up on the bank, And enjoyed the good of his generosity.
A strange lake-birth, a loathsome catch 1440 And Unferth is to have what I inherited:
Men gazed at in awe. To that far-famed man I bequeath my own
Beowulf got ready, Sharp-horned, wave-sheened wonder blade. 1490
Donned his war-gear, indifferent to death; With Hrunting I shall gain glory or die.
His mighty, hand-forged, fine-webbed mail
Would soon meet with the menace under water. After these words, the prince of the Weather-Geats
It would keep the bone-cage of his body safe: Was impatient to be away and plunged suddenly:
No enemy’s clasp could crush him in it, Without further ado, he dived in to the heaving
No vicious arm lock choke his life out. Depths of the lake. It was the best part of a day
To guard his head he had a glittering helmet Before he could see the solid bottom.
That was due to be muddied on the mere bottom Quickly the one who haunted those waters,
And blurred in the up swirl. It was of beaten gold, 1450 Who had scavenged and gone her gluttonous rounds
Princely headgear hooped and hasped For a hundred seasons, sensed a human
By a weapon-smith who had worked wonders Observing her outlandish lair from above. 1500
In days gone by and adorned it with boar-shapes; So she lunged and clutched and managed to catch him
Since then it had resisted every sword. In her brutal grip; but his body, for all that,
And another item lent by Unferth Remained unscathed: the mesh of the chain-mail
At that moment was of no small importance: Saved him on the outside. Her savage talons
The brehon handed him a hilted weapon, Failed to rip the web of his war shirt.
A rare and ancient sword named Hrunting. Then once she touched bottom, the wolfish swimmer
The iron blade with its ill-boding patterns Carried the ring-mailed prince to her court
Had been tempered in blood. It had never failed 1460 So that for all his courage he could never use
The hand of anyone who had hefted it in battle, The weapons he carried; and a bewildering horde
Anyone who had fought and faced the worst Came at him from the depths, droves of sea-beasts 1510
In the gap of danger. This was not the first time Who attacked with tusks and tore at his chain-mail
It had been called to perform heroic feats. In a ghastly onslaught. The gallant man
When he lent that blade to the better swordsman, Could see he had entered some hellish turn-hole
Unferth, the strong-built son of Ecglaf, And yet the water did not work against him
Could hardly have remember the ranting speech Because the hall-roofing held off
He had made in his cups. He was not man enough The force of the current; then he saw firelight,
To face the turmoil of a fight under water A gleam and flare-up, a glimmer of brightness.
And the risk to his life. So there he lost 1470 The hero observed that swamp-thing from hell,
fame and repute. It was different for the other The tarn-hag in all her terrible strength,
Rigged out in his gear, ready to do battle. Then heaved his war-sword and swung his arm: 1520
Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, spoke: The decorated blade came down ringing
“Wisest of kings, now that I have come And singing on her head. But he soon found
To the point of action, I ask you to recall His battle-torch extinguished: the shining blade
What we said earlier: that you, son of Halfdane Refused to bite. It spared her and failed
And gold-friend to retainers, that you, if I should fall The man in his need. It had gone through many
And suffer death while serving your cause, Hand-to-hand fights, had hewed the armor

18
 Beowulf
And helmets of the doomed, but here at last Scouted by the wall in Grendel’s wake.
The fabulous powers of that heirloom failed. Now the weapon was to prove its worth.
Hygelac’s kinsman kept thinking about The warrior determined to take revenge
His name and fame: he never lost heart. 1530 For every gross act Grendel had committed--
Then, in fury, he flung his sword away. And not only for that one occasion
The keen, inlaid, worm-looped-patterned steel When he’d come to slaughter the sleeping troops, 1580
Was hurled to the ground: he would have to rely Fifteen of Hrothgar’s house-guards
On the might of his arm. So must a man do Surprised on their benches and ruthlessly devoured,
Who intends to gain enduring glory And as many again carried away,
In a combat. Life doesn’t cost him a thought. A brutal plunderer. Beowulf in his fury
Now settled that score: he saw the monster
Then the prince of War-Geats, warming to his fight In his resting place, war-weary and wrecked,
With Grendel’s mother, gripped her shoulder A lifeless corpse, a casualty
And laid about him in a battle frenzy: Of the battle in Heorot. The body gaped
He pitched his killer opponent to the floor 1540 At the stroke dealt to it after death:
But she rose quickly and retaliated, Beowulf cut the corpse’s head off. 1590
Grappled him tightly in her grim embrace. Immediately the counselors keeping a lookout
The sure-footed fight felt suddenly daunted, With Hrothgar, watching the lake water,
The strongest of warriors stumbled and fell. Saw a heave-up and surge of waves
So she pounced upon him and pulled out And blood in the backwash. They bowed gray heads,
A broad, whetted knife: now she could avenge Spoke in their sage, experienced way
Her only child. But the mesh of chain-mail About the good warrior, how they never again
On Beowulf’s shoulder shielded his life, Expected to see that prince returning
Turned the edge and tip of the blade. In triumph to their king. It was clear to many
The son of Ecgtheow would surely have perished 1550 That the wolf of the deep had destroyed him forever.
And the Geats lost their warrior under the wide earth The ninth hour of the day arrived. 1600
Had the strong links and locks of his war-gear The brave Shieldings abandoned their cliff-top
Not helped to save him: Holy God And the king went home; but sick at heart,
Decided the victory. It was easy for the Lord, Staring at the mere, the strangers held on.
The Ruler of Heaven, to redress the balance They wished, without hope, to behold their lord,
Once Beowulf got back up on his feet. Beowulf himself.
Then he saw a blade that boded well, Meanwhile, the sword
A sword in her armory, an ancient heirloom Began to wilt into gory icicles,
From the days of the giants, an ideal weapon, To slather and thaw. It was a wonderful thing,
One that any warrior would envy, 1560 The way it all melted as ice melts
But so huge and heavy of itself When the father eases the fetters off the frost
Only Beowulf could wield it in battle. And unravels the water-ropes. He who wields power 1610
So the Shieldings’ hero, hard-pressed and enraged, Over time and tide: He is the true Lord.
Took a firm hold of the hilt and swung The Geat captain saw treasure in abundance
The blade in an arc, a resolute blow But carried no spoils from those quarters
That bit deep into her neck bone Except for the head and the inlaid hilt
And severed it entirely, toppling the doomed Embossed with jewels; its blade had melted
House of her flesh; she fell to the floor. And the scrollwork on it burnt, so scalding was the blood
The sword dripped blood, the swordsman was elated. Of the poisonous fiend who had perished there.
A light appeared and the place brightened 1570 Then away he swam, the one who had survived
The way the sky does when heaven’s candle The fall of his enemies, flailing to the surface.
Is shinning clearly. He inspected the vault: The wide water, the waves and pools 1620
With sword held high, its hilt raised Were no longer infested once the wandering fiend
To guard and threaten, Hygelac’s thane Let go of her life and this unreliable world.

19
 Beowulf
The seafarers’ leader made for land, And this I pledge, O prince of the Shieldings:
Resolutely swimming, delighted with his prize, You can sleep secure with your company of troops
The mighty load he was lugging to the surface. In Heorot Hall. Never need you fear
His thanes advanced in a troop to meet him, For a single thane of your sept or nation,
Thanking God and taking great delight Young warriors or old, that laying waste of life
In seeing their prince back safe and sound. That you and your people endured of yore.”
Quickly the hero’s helmet and mail-shirt Then the gold hilt was handed over
Were loosed and unlaced. The lake settled, 1630 To the old lord, a relic from long ago
Clouds darkened above the bloodshot depths. For the venerable ruler. That rare smith work
Was passed on to the prince of the Danes 1680
With high hearts they headed away When those devils perished; once death removed
Along footpath and trails through the fields, That murdering, guilt-steeped, God-cursed fiend,
Roads that they knew, each of them wrestling Eliminating his unholy life
With the head they were carrying from the lakeside cliff, And his mother’s as well, it was willed that the king
Men kingly in their courage and capable Who of all the lavish gift-lords of the north
Of difficult work. It was a task for four Was the best regarded between the two seas.
To hoist Grendel’s head on a spear Hrothgar spoke; he examined the hilt,
And bear it under strain to the bright hall. That relic of old times. It was engraved all over
But soon enough they neared the place, 1640 And showed how war first came into the world
Fourteen Geats in fine fettle, And the flood destroyed the tribe of giants. 1690
Striding across the outlying ground They suffered a terrible severance from the Lord;
In a delighted throng around they leader. The Almighty made the waters rise,
In he came then, the thane’s commander, Drowned them in the deluge for retribution.
The arch-warrior, to address Hrothgar: In pure gold inlay on the sword-guards
His courage was proven, his glory was secure. There were rune markings correctly incised,
Grendel’s head was hauled by the hair, Stating and recording for whom the sword
Dragged across the floor where people were drinking, Had been first made and ornamented
A horror for both queen and company to behold. With its scrollwork hilt. Then everyone hushed
They stared in awe. It was an astonishing sight. 1650 As the son of Halfdane spoke his wisdom.
Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, spoke: “A protector of his people, pledged to uphold 1700
“So, son of Halfdane, prince of the Shieldings, Truth and justice and to respect tradition,
We are glad to bring this booty from the lake. Is entitled to affirm that this man
It is a token of triumph and we tender it to you. Was born to distinction. Beowulf, my friend,
I barely survived the battle underwater. Your fame has gone far and wide,
It was hard-fought, a desperate affair You are known everywhere. In all things you are even-
That could have gone badly; if God had not helped me, tempered,
The outcome would have been quick and fatal. Prudent and resolute. So I stand firm by the promise of
Although Hrunting is hard-edged, friendship
I could never bring it to bear in battle. 1660 We exchanged before. Forever you will be
But the Lord of Men allowed me to behold-- Your people’s mainstay and your own warriors’
For he often helps the unbefriended-- Helping hand.
An ancient sword shinning on the wall, Heremod was different,
A weapon made for giants, there for the wielding. The way he behaved to Ecgwala’s sons. 1710
Then my moment came in the combat and I struck His rise in the world brought little joy
The dwellers in that den. Next thing the damascened To the Danish people, only death and destruction.
Sword blade melted; it bloated and it burned He vented his rage on people he caroused with,
In their rushing blood. I have wrested the hilt Killed his own comrades, a pariah king
From the enemies’ hand, avenged the evil Who cut himself off from his own kind,
Done to the Danes; it is what was due. 1670 Even though God Almighty had made him

20
 Beowulf
Eminent and powerful and marked him from the start Or a sudden fire or surge of water
For a happy life. But a change happened, Or jabbing blade or javelin from the air
He grew bloodthirsty, gave no more rings Or repellent age. Your piercing eye
To honor the Danes. He suffered in the end 1720 Will dim and darken; and death will arrive,
For having plagued his people for so long: Dear warrior, to sweep you away.
His life lost happiness. “Just so I ruled the ring-Danes’ country
So learn from this For fifty years, defended them in wartime 1770
And understand true values. I who tell you With spear and sword against constant assaults
Have wintered into wisdom. By many tribes: I came to believe
It is a great wonder My enemies had faded from the face of the earth.
How Almighty God in his magnificence Still, what happened was a hard reversal
Favors our race with rank and scope From bliss to grief. Grendel struck
And the gift of wisdom; His sway is wide. After lying in wait. He laid waste the land
Sometimes He allows the mind of a man And from that moment my mind was in dread
Of distinguished birth to follow its bent, Of his depredations. So I praise God
Grants him fulfillment and felicity on earth 1730 In His heavenly glory that I lived to behold
And forts to command in his own country. This head dripping blood and after such harrowing 1780
He permits him to lord it in many lands I can look upon it in triumph at last.
Until the man in his unthinkingness Take your place, then, with pride and pleasure
Forgets that it will ever end for him. And move to the feast. Tomorrow morning
He indulges his desires; illness and old age Our treasure will be shared and showered upon you.”
Mean nothing to him; his mind is untroubled The Geat was elated and gladly obeyed
By envy or malice or thought of enemies The old man’s biding; he sat on the bench.
With their hate-honed swords. The whole world And soon all was restored, the same as before.
Conforms to his will, he is kept from the worst Happiness came back, the hall was thronged,
Until an element of overweening 1740 And a banquet set forth; black night fell
Enters him and takes hold And covered them in darkness. 1790
While the soul’s guard, its sentry, drowses, Then the company rose
Grown too distracted. A killer stalks him, For the old campaigner: the gray-haired prince
An archer who draws a deadly bow. Was ready for bed. And a need for rest
And then the man is hit in the heart, Came over the brave shield-bearing Geat.
The arrow flies beneath his defenses, He was a weary sea-farer, far from home,
The devious promptings of the demon start. So immediately a house-guard guided him out,
His old possessions seem paltry to him now. One whose office entailed looking after
He covets and resents; dishonors custom Whatever a thane on the road in those days
And bestows no gold; and because of good things 1750 Might need or require. It was noble courtesy.
That the Heavenly powers gave him in the past That great heart rested. The hall towered,
He ignores the shape of things to come. Gold-shingled and gabled, and the guest slept in it 1800
Then finally the end arrives Until the black raven with raucous glee
When the body he was lent collapses and falls Announced heaven’s joy, and a hurry of brightness
Prey to its death; ancestral possessions Overran the shadows. Warriors rose quickly,
And the goods he hoarded and inherited by another Impatient to be off: their own country
Who lets them go with a liberal hand. Was beckoning the nobles; and the bold voyager
“O flower of warriors, beware of that trap. Longed to be aboard his distant boat.
Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, Then that stalwart fighter ordered Hrunting
Eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride. 1760 To be brought to Unferth, and bade Unferth
For a brief while your strength is in bloom Take the sword and thanked him for lending it.
But it fades quickly; and soon there will follow He said he had found it a friend in battle 1810
Illness or the sword to lay you low, And a powerful help; he put no blame

21
 Beowulf
On the blade’s cutting edge. He was a considerate man. The other with gifts; across the gannet’s bath,
And there the warriors stood in their war-gear, Over the broad sea, whorled prows will bring
Eager to go, while their honored lord Presents and tokens. I know your people
Approached the platform where the other sat. Are beyond reproach in every respect,
The undaunted hero addressed Hrothgar. Steadfast in the old way with friend or foe.”
Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, spoke: Then the earl’s defender furnished the hero
“Now we who crossed the wide sea With twelve treasures and told him to set out,
Have to inform you that we feel a desire Sail with those gifts safely home
To return to Hygelac. Here we have been welcomed 1820 To the people he loved, but to return promptly.
And thoroughly entertain. You have treated us well. And so the good and gray-haired Dane, 1870
If there is any favor on earth I can perform That high-born king, kissed Beowulf
Beyond deeds of arms I have done already, And embraced his neck, then broke down
Anything that would merit your affections more, In sudden tears. Two forebodings
I shall act, my lord, with alacrity. Disturbed him in his wisdom, but one was stronger:
If ever I hear from across the ocean Nevermore would they meet each other
That people on your borders are threatening battle Face to face. And such was his affection
As attackers have done from time to time, That he could not help being overcome:
I shall land with a thousand thanes at my back His fondness for the man was so deep-founded,
To help your cause. Hygelac may be young 1830 It warmed his heart and wound the heartstrings
To rule a nation, but this much I know Tight in his breast. 1880
About the king of the Geats: he will come to my aid The embrace ended
And want to support me by word and action And Beowulf, glorious in his gold regalia,
In your hour of need, when honor dictates Stepped on the green earth. Straining at anchor
That I raise a hedge of spears around you. And ready for boarding, his boat awaited him.
Then if Hrethric should think about traveling So they went on their journey, and Hrothgar’s generosity
As a king’s son to the court of the Geats, Was praised repeatedly. He was a peerless king
He will find many friend. Foreign places Until old age sapped his strength and did him
Yield more to one who is himself worth meeting.” Mortal harm, as it has done so many.
Hrothgar spoke and answered him: 1840 Down to the waves then, dressed in the web
“The Lord in his wisdom sent you those words Of their chain-mail and war-shirts the young men
And they came from the heart. I have never heard marched
So young a man make truer observations. In high spirits. The coast-guard spied them, 1890
You are strong in body and mature in mind, Thanes setting forth, the same as before.
Impressive in speech. If it should come to pass His salute this time from the top of the cliff
That Hrethel’s descendant dies beneath a spear, Was far from unmannerly; he galloped to meet them
If deadly battle or the sword blade or disease And as they took ship in their shinning gear,
Fells the prince who guards your people He said how welcome they would be in Geatland.
And you are still alive, I firmly believe Then the broad hull was beached on the sand
The seafaring Geats won’t find a man 1850 To be cargoed with treasure, horses and war-gear.
Worthier of acclaim as their king and defender The curved prow motioned; the mast stood high
Than you, if only you would undertake Above Hrothgar’s riches in the loaded hold.
The lordship of your homeland. My liking for you The guard who had watched the boat was given 1900
Deepens with time, dear Beowulf. A sword with gold fittings and in future days
What you have done is to draw two peoples, That present would make him a respected man
The Geat nation and us neighboring Danes, At his place on the mead-bench.
Into shared peace and a pact of friendship Then the keel plunged
In spite of hatreds we have harbored in the past. And shook in the sea; and they sailed from Denmark.
For as long as I rule this far-flung land Right away the mast was rigged with its sea-shawl;
Treasures will change hands and each side will treat 1860 Sail ropes were tightened, timbers drummed

22
 Beowulf
And stiff winds kept the wave-crosser For her good deeds and conduct of life,
Skimming ahead; as she heaved forward, Her high devotion to the hero king
Her foamy neck was fleet and buoyant, Who was the best king, it has been said,
A lapped prow loping over currents, 1910 Between the two seas or anywhere else
Until finally the Geats caught sight of coastline On the face of the earth. Offa was honored
And familiar cliffs. The keel reared up, Far and wide for his generous ways,
Wind lifted it home, it hit on the land. His fighting spirit and his far-seeing
Defense of his homeland; from him there sprang Eomer,
The harbor guard came hurrying out 1960
To the rolling water: he had watched the offing Garmund’s grandson, kinsman of Hemming,
Long and hard, on the lookout for those friends. His warrior’s mainstay and master of the field.
With the anchor cables, he moored their craft
Right where it had beached, in case a backwash End Part II
Might catch the hull and carry it away.
Then he ordered the prince’s treasure-trove 1920
To be carried ashore. It was a short step
From there to where Hrethel’s son and heir,
Hygelac the gold-giver, makes his home
On a secure cliff, in the company of retainers.

The building was magnificent, the king majestic,
Ensconced in his hall; and although Hygd, his queen,
Was young, a few short years at court,
Her mind was thoughtful and her manners sure.
Haereth’s daughter behaved generously
And stinted nothing when she distributed 1930
Bounty to the Geats.
Great Queen Modthryth
Perpetrated terrible wrongs.
If any retainer ever made bold
To look her in the face, if an eye not her lord’s
Stared at her directly during daylight,
The outcome was sealed: he was bound
In hand-tightened shackles, racked, tortured
Until doom was announced--death by the sword,
Slash of blade, blood gush and death qualms
In an evil display. Even a queen 1940
Outstanding in beauty must not overstep like that.
A queen should weave peace, not punish the innocent
With loss of life for imagined insults.
But Hemming’s kinsman put a halt to her ways
And drinkers round the table had another tale:
She was less of a bane to people’s lives,
Less cruel-minded, after she was married
To the brave Offa, a bride arrayed
In her gold finery, given away
By a caring father, ferried to her young prince 1950
Over dim seas. In days to come
She would grace the throne and grow famous

23
 Beowulf

PART III So no earthly offspring of Grendel’s

Need ever boast of that bout before dawn,
Heroic Beowulf and his band of men No matter know long the last of his evil
Crossed the wide strand, striding along Family survives.
The sandy foreshore; the sun shone,
The world’s candle warmed them from the south When I first landed
As they hastened to where, as they had heard, I proceeded to the ring-hall and saluted Hrothgar. 2010
The young king, Ongentheow’s killer Once he had discovered why I had come
And his people’s protector, was dispensing rings The son of Halfdane sent me immediately
Inside his bawn. Beowulf’s return 1970 To sit with his own sons on the bench.
Was reported to Hygelac as soon as possible, It was a happy gathering. In my whole life
News that the captain was now in the enclosure, I have never seen mead enjoyed more
His battle-brother back from the fray In any hall on earth. Sometimes the queen
Alive and well, walking back to the hall. Herself appeared, peace-pledge between nations,
Room was quickly made, on the king’s orders, To hearten the young ones and hand out
And the troops filed across the cleared floor. A torque to a warrior, then take her place.
Sometimes Hrothgar’s daughter distributed 2020
After Hygelac had offered greetings Ale to older ranks, in order on the benches:
To his loyal thane in lofty speech, I heard the company call her Freawaru
He and his kinsman, that hale survivor, As she made her rounds, presenting men
Sat face to face. Haereth’s daughter 1980 With the gem-studded bowl, young bride-to-be
Moved about with the mead-jug in her hand, To the gracious Ingeld, in her gold-rimmed attire.
Taking care of the company, filling the cups
That warriors held out. Then Hygelac began The friend of the Shieldings favors her betrothal:
To put courteous questions to his old comrade The guardian of the kingdom sees good in it
In the high hall. He hankered to know And hoped this woman will heal old wounds
Every tale the Sea-Geats had to tell. And grievous feuds.
But generally, the spear
“How did you fare on your foreign voyage, Is prompt to retaliate when a prince is killed, 2030
Dear Beowulf, when you abruptly decided No matter how admirable the bride may be.
To sail away across the salt water “Think how the Heathobards will be bound to feel,
And fight at Heorot? Did you help Hrothgar 1990 Their lord, Ingeld, and his loyal thanes,
Much in the end? Could you ease the prince When he walks in with that woman to the feast:
Of his well-known troubles? Your undertaking Danes are at the table, being entertained,
Cast my spirits down, I dreaded the outcome Honored guest in glittering regalia,
Of your expedition and pleaded with you Burnished ring-mail that was their hosts’ birthright,
Long and hard to leave the killer be, Looted when the Heathobards could no longer wield
Let the South-Danes settle their own Their weapons in the shield-clash, when they went down
Blood-feud with Grendel. So, God be thanked With their beloved comrades and forfeited their lives.
I am granted this sight of you, safe and sound.” 2040

Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, spoke: Then an old spearman will speak while they are drinking,
“What happened, lord Hygelac, is hardly a secret 2000 Having glimpsed some heirloom that brings alive
Any more among men in this world-- Memories of the massacre; his mood will darken
Myself and Grendel coming to grips And heart-stricken, in the stress of his emotion,
On the very spot where he had visited destruction He will begin to test a young-man’s temper
On the Victory-Shieldings and violated And stir up trouble, starting like this:
Life and limb, losses I avenged “Now, my friend, don’t you recognize
Your father’s sword, his favorite weapon,

24
 Beowulf
The one he wore when he went out in his war-mask Once I got to my feet in a blind fury.
To face the Danes on that final day? 2050
After Wethergeld died and his men were doomed It would take too long to tell how I repaid
The Shieldings quickly claimed the field, The terror of the land for every life he took
And now here’s the son of one or other And so, won credit for you, my king,
Of those same killers coming through our hall And for all your people. And although he got away
Overbearing us, mouthing boasts, To enjoy life’s sweetness for a while longer,
And rigged in armor that by right is yours.’ His right hand stayed behind him in Heorot,
Evidence of his miserable overthrow
And so he keeps on, recalling and accusing, As he dived into murk on the mere bottom. 2100
Working things up with bitter words
Until one of the lady’s retainers lies “I got lavish rewards from the lord of the Danes
Spattered in blood, split open 2060 For my part in the battle, beaten gold
On his father’s account. The killer knows And much else, once morning came
The lie of the land and escaped with his life. And we took our places at the banquet table.
Then on both sides the oath-bound lords There was singing and excitement: an old reciter,
Will break the peace, a passionate hate A carrier of stories, recalled the early days.
Will build up in Ingeld and love for his bride At times some hero made the timbered harp
Will falter in him as the feud rankles. Tremble with sweetness, or related true
And tragic happenings; at times the king
I therefore suspect the good faith of the Heathobards, Gave the proper turn to some fantastic tale, 2110
The truth of their friendship and the trustworthiness Or a battle-scarred veteran, bowed with age,
Of their alliance with the Danes. Would begin to remember the martial deeds
Of his youth and prime and be overcome
But now, my lord, As the past welled up in his wintry heart.
I shall carry on with my account of Grendel, 2070
The whole story of everything that happened “We were happy there the whole day long
In the hand-to-hand fight. And enjoyed our time until another night
After heaven’s gem Descended upon us. Then suddenly
Had gone mildly to earth, that maddened spirit, The vehement mother avenged her son
The terror of those twilights, came to attack us And wreaked destruction. Death had robbed her;
Where we stood guard, still safe inside the hall. Geats had slain Grendel, so his ghastly dam 2120
There deadly violence came down on Handscio Struck back and with bare-faced defiance
And he fell as fate ordained, the first to perish, Laid a man low. Thus life departed
Rigged out for the combat. A comrade from our ranks From the sage Aeschere, an elder wise in council.
Had come to grief in Grendel’s maw: But afterwards, on the morning following,
He ate up the entire body. 2080 The Danes could not burn the dead body
There was blood on his teeth, he was bloated and Nor lay the remains of the man they loved
dangerous, On his funeral pyre. She had fled with the corpse
All roused up, yet still unready And taken refuge beneath torrents on the mountain.
To leave the hall empty-handed; It was a hard blow for Hrothgar to bear,
Renowned for his might, he matched himself against me, Harder than any he had undergone before. 2130
Wildly reaching. He had this roomy pouch, And so, the heart-sore king beseeched me
A strange accoutrement, intricately strung In your royal name to take my chances
And hung at the ready, a rare patchwork Underwater, to win glory
Of devilishly fitting dragon-skins. And prove my worth. He promised me rewards.
I had done him no wrong, yet the raging demon Hence, as is well known, I went to my encounter
Wanted to cram me and many another 2090 With the terror-monger at the bottom of the tarn.
Into this bag--but it was not to be For a while it was hand-to-hand between us,

25
 Beowulf
Then blood went curdling along the currents And, warrior that he was, watched and controlled
And I beheaded Grendel’s mother in the hall His God-sent strength and his outstanding
With a mighty sword. I barely managed 2140 Natural powers. He had been poorly regarded
To escape with my life; my time had not yet come. For a long time, was taken by the Geats
For less than he was worth: and their lord too
But Halfdane’s heir, the shelter of those earls, Had never much esteemed him in the mead-hall.
Again endowed me with a multitude of gifts. They firmly believed that he lacked force,
“Thus the king acted with due custom. That the prince was a weakling; but presently
I was paid and recompensed completely, Every affront to his deserving was reversed.
Given full measure and the freedom to choose
From Hrothgar’s treasures by Hrothgar himself. The battle-famed king, bulwark of his earls, 2190
These, King Hygelac, I am happy to present Ordered a gold-chased heirloom of Hrethel’s
To you as gifts. It is still upon your grace To be brought in; it was the best example
That all favor depends. I have few kinsmen 2150 Of a gem-studded sword in the Geat treasury.
Who are close, my king, except for your kind self.” This he laid on Beowulf’s lap
And then rewarded him with land as well,
Then he ordered the boar-framed standard to be brought, Seven thousand hides, and a hall and a throne.
The battle-topping helmet, the mail-shirt gray as hoar-
frost Both owned land by birth in that country,
And the precious war-sword; and proceeded with his Ancestral ground; but the greater right
speech. And sway were inherited by the higher born.
“When Hrothgar presented this war-gear to me
He instructed, my lord, to give you some account A lot was to happen in later days 2200
Of why it signifies his special favor. In the fury of battle. Hygelac fell
He said it had belonged to his older brother, And the shelter of Heardred’s shield proved useless
King Heorogar, who had long kept it, Against the fierce aggression of the Shylfings:
But that Heorogar had never bequeathed it 2160 Ruthless swordsmen, seasoned campaigners,
To his son Heoroweard, that worthy scion, They came against him and his conquering nation,
Loyal as he was. And with cruel force cut him down
Enjoy it well.” So that afterwards
I heard four horses were handed over next. The wide kingdom
Beowulf bestowed four bay steeds Reverted to Beowulf. He ruled it well
To go with the armor, swift gallopers, For fifty winters, grew old and wise
All alike. So ought a kinsman act, As warden of the land 2210
Instead of plotting and planning in secret
To bring people to grief, or conspiring to arrange Until one began
The death of comrades. The warrior king To dominate the dark, a dragon on the prowl
Was uncle to Beowulf and honored by his nephew: 2170 From the steep vaults of a stone-roofed barrow
Each was concerned for the other’s good. Where he guarded a hoard; there was a hidden passage,
I heard he presented Hygd with a gorget, Unknown to men, but someone managed
The priceless torque that the prince’s daughter, To enter by it and interfere
Wealhtheow, had given him; and three horses, With the heathen trove. He had handled and removed
Supple creatures, brilliantly saddled. A gem-studded goblet; it gained him nothing,
The bright necklace would be luminous on Hygd’s breast. Though with a thief’s wiles he had outwitted
The sleeping dragon; that drove him into rage,
Thus Beowulf bore himself with valor; As the people of that country would soon discover. 2220
He was formidable in battle yet behaved with honor
And took no advantage: never cut down The intruder who broached the dragon’s treasure
A comrade who was drunk, kept his temper 2180 And moved him to wrath had never meant to.

26
 Beowulf
It was desperation on the part of a slave Day and night, until death’s flood
Fleeing the heavy hand of some master, Brimmed up in his heart. 2270
Guilt-ridden and on the run, Then an old harrower of the dark
Going to ground. But he soon began Happened to find the hoard open,
To shake with terror…………..in shock The burning one who hunts out barrows,
The wretch……………………………. The slick-skinned dragon, threatening the night sky
………………………..panicked and ran With streamers of fire. People on the farms
Away with the precious…………………. 2230 Are in dread of him. He is driven to hunt out
Metalwork. There were many other Hoards underground, to guard heathen gold
Heirlooms heaped inside the earth-house, Through age-long vigils, though to little avail.
Because long ago, with deliberate care,
Some forgotten person For three centuries, this scourge of the people
Had buried the riches of a high-born race Had stood guard on that stoutly protected
In this ancient cache. Death had come Underground treasury, until the intruder 2280
And taken them all in times gone by Unleashed its fury; he hurried to his lord
And the only one left to tell their tale, With the gold-plated cup and made his plea
The last of their line, could envisage only To be reinstated. Then the vault was rifled,
The same fate for himself: he foresaw that his joy 2240 The ring-hoard robbed, and the wretched man
In the treasure would be brief. Had his request granted. His master gazed
On that find from the past for the first time.
A newly constructed
Barrow stood waiting, on a wide headland When the dragon awoke, trouble flared again.
Close to the waves, its entryway secured. He rippled down the rock, writhing with anger
Into it the keeper of the hoard had carried When he saw the footprints of the prowler who had
All the goods and golden ware stolen
Worth preserving. His words were few: Too close to his dreaming head. 2290
“Now, earth, hold what earls once held So may a man not marked by fate
And heroes can no more; it was mined from you first Easily escape exile and woe
By honorable men. My own people By the grace of God.
Have been ruined in war; one by one 2250
They went down to death, looked their last The hoard-guardian
On sweet life in the hall. I am left with nobody Scorched the ground as he scoured and hunted
To bear a sword or burnish plated goblets, For the trespasser who had troubled his sleep.
Put a sheen on the cup. The companies have departed. Hot and savage, he kept circling and circling
The hard helmet, hasped with gold, The outside of the mound. No man appeared
Will be stripped of its hoops; and the helmet-shiner In that desert waste, but he worked himself up
Who should polish the metal of the war-mask sleeps; By imagining battle; then back in he’d go
The coat of mail that came through all fights, In search of the cup, only to discover 2300
Through shield-collapse and cut of sword, Signs that someone had stumbled upon
Decays with the warrior. Nor may webbed mail 2260 The golden treasures. So guardian of the mound,
Range far and wide on a warlord’s back The hoard-watcher, waited for the gloaming
Beside his mustered troops. No trembling harp, With fierce impatience; his pent-up fury
No tuned timber, no tumbling hawk At the loss of the vessel made him long to hit back
Swerving through the hall, no swift horse And lash out in flames. Then, to his delight,
Pawing the courtyard. pillage and slaughter The day waned and he could wait no longer
Have emptied the earth of entire peoples.” Behind the wall, but hurtled forth
In a fiery blaze. The first to suffer
And so he mourned as he moved about the world, Were the people on the land, but before long 2310
Deserted and alone, lamenting his unhappiness It was their treasure-giver who would come to grief.

27
 Beowulf
The dragon began to belch out flames In Friesland: the people’s friend and lord,
And burn bright homesteads; there was a hot glow Hrethel’s son, slaked a sword blade’s
That scared everyone, for the vile sky-winger Thirst for blood. But Beowulf’s prodigious
Would leave nothing alive in his wake. Gifts as a swimmer guaranteed his safety: 2360
Everywhere the havoc he wrought was in evidence. He arrived at the shore, shouldering thirty
Far and near, the Geat nation Battle-dresses, the booty he had won.
Bore the brunt of his brutal assaults There was little for the Hetware to be happy about
And virulent hate. Then back to the hoard As they shielded their faces and fighting on the ground
He would dart before daybreak, to hide in his den. 2320 Began in earnest. With Beowulf against them,
He had swinged the land, swathed it in flame, Few could hope to return home.
In fire and burning, and now he felt secure Across the wide sea, desolate and alone,
In the vaults of his barrow; but his trust was unavailing. The son of Ecgtheow swam back to his people.
There Hygd offered him throne and authority
Then Beowulf was given bad news, As lord of the ring-hoard: with Hygelac dead, 2370
A hard truth: his own home, She had no belief in her son’s ability
The best of buildings, had been burnt to a cinder, To defend their homeland against foreign invaders.
The throne-room of the Geats. It threw the hero Yet there was no way the weakened nation
Into deep anguish and darkened his mood: Could get Beowulf to give in and agree
The wise man thought he must have thwarted To be elevated over Heardred as his lord
Ancient ordinance of the eternal Lord, 2330 Or to undertake the office of kingship.
Broken His commandment. His mind was in turmoil, But he did provide support for the prince,
Unaccustomed anxiety and gloom Honored and minded him until he matured
Confused his brain; the fire-dragon As the ruler of Geatland.
Had razed the coastal region and reduced Then over sea-roads
Forts and earthworks to dust and ashes, Exiles arrived, sons of Ohthere. 2380
So the war-king planned and plotted his revenge. They had rebelled against the best of all
The sea-kings in Sweden, the one who held sway
The warriors’ protector, prince of the hall-troop, In the Shylfing nation, their renowned prince,
Ordered a marvelous all-iron shield Lord of the mead-hall. That marked the end
From his smithy works. He well knew For Hygelac’s son: his hospitality
That linden boards would let him down 2340 Was mortally rewarded with wounds from a sword.
And timber burn. After many trials, Heardred lay slaughtered and Onela returned
He was destined to face the end of his days To the land of Sweden, leaving Beowulf
In this mortal world; as was the dragon, To ascend the throne, to sit in majesty
For all his leasehold on the treasure. And rule over the Geats. He was a good king. 2390
In days to come, he contrived to avenge
Yet the prince of the rings was too proud The fall of his prince; he befriended Eadgils
To line up with a large army When Eadgils was friendless, aiding his cause
Against the sky-plague. He had scant regard With weapons and warriors over the wide sea,
For the dragon as a threat, no dread at all Sending him men. The feud was settled
Of its courage or strength, for he had kept going On a comfortless campaign when he killed Onela.
Often in the past, through perils and ordeals 2350 And so the son of Ecgtheow had survived
Of every sort, after he had purged Every extreme, excelling himself
Hrothgar’s hall, triumphed in Heorot In daring and in danger, until the day arrived
And beaten Grendel. He outgrappled the monster When he had to come face to face with the dragon. 2400
And his evil kin. The lord of the Geats took eleven comrades
One of his cruelest And went in a rage to reconnoiter.
Hand-to-hand encounters had happened By then he had discovered the cause of the affliction
When Hygelac, king of the Geats, was killed Being visited on the people. The precious cup

28
 Beowulf
Had come to him from the hand of the finder, In living on until another heir
The one who had started all this strife Is born in the hall, now that his first-born
And was now added as a thirteenth to their number. Has entered death’s dominion forever.
They press-ganged and compelled this poor creature He gazes sorrowfully at his son’s dwelling,
To be their guide. Against his will The banquet hall bereft of all delight,
He led them to the earth-vault he alone knew, 2410 The windswept hearthstone; the horsemen are sleeping,
An underground barrow near the sea-billows The warriors underground; what was is no more.
And heaving waves, heaped inside No tunes from the harp, no cheer raised in the yard.
With exquisite metalwork. The one who stood guard Alone with his longing, he lies down on his bed 2460
Was dangerous and watchful, warden of that trove And sings a lament; everything seems too large,
Buried under earth: no easy bargain The steadings and the fields.
Would be made in that place by any man. Such was the feeling
Of loss endured by the lord of the Geats
The veteran king sat down on the cliff-top. After Herebeald’s death. He was hopelessly placed
He wished good luck to the Geats who had shared To set to rights the wrong committed,
His hearth and his gold. He was sad at heart, Could not punish the killer in accordance of the law
Unsettled yet ready, sensing his death. 2420 Of the blood-feud, although he felt no love for him.
His fate hovered near, unknowable but certain: Heartsore, wearied, he turned away
It would soon claim his coffered soul, From life’s joys, chose God’s light
Part life from limb. Before long And departed, leaving buildings and lands 2470
The prince’s spirit would spin free from his body. To his sons, as a man of substance will.
“Then over the wide seas Swedes and Geats
Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, spoke: Battled and feuded and fought without quarter.
“Many a skirmish I survived when I was young Hostilities broke out when Hrethel died.
And many times of war; I remember them well. Ongentheow’s sons were unrelenting,
At seven, I was fostered out by my father, Refusing to make peace, campaigning violently
Left in the charge of my people’s lord. From coast to coast, constantly setting up
King Hrethel kept me and took care of me, 2430 Terrible ambushes around Hreasnshill.
Was open-handed, behaved lie a kinsman. My own kith and kin avenged
While I was his ward, he treated me no worse These evil events, as everybody knows, 2480
As a wean about the place than one of his own boys, But the price was high: one of them paid
Herebeald and Haethcyn, or my own Hygelac. With his life. Heathcyn, lord of the Geats,
For the eldest, Herebeald, an unexpected Met his fate there and fell in battle.
Deathbed was laid out, through a brother’s doing, Then, as I have heard, Hygelac’s sword
When Haethcyn bent his horn-tipped bow Was raised in the morning against Ongentheow,
And loosed the arrow that destroyed his life. His brother’s killer. When Eofor cleft
He shot wide and buried a shaft The old Swede’s helmet, halved it open,
In the flesh and blood of his own brother. 2440 He fell, death-pale: his feud-calloused hand
That offence was beyond redress, a wrong footing Could not stave off the fatal stroke.
Of the heart’s affections; for who could avenge “The treasures that Hygelac lavished on me 2490
The prince’s life or pay his death-price? I paid for as I fought, as fortune allowed me,
It was like the misery felt by an old man With my glittering sword. He gave me land
Who has lived to see his son’s body And the security land brings, so he had no call
Swing on the gallows. He begins to keen To go looking for some lesser champion,
And weep for his boy, watching the raven Some mercenary among the Grifthas
Gloat where he hangs: he can be of no help. Or the Spear-Danes or the men of Sweden.
The wisdom of age is worthless to him. I marched ahead of him, always there
Morning after morning, he wakes to remember 2450 At the front of the line; and I shall fight like that
That his child is gone; he has no interest For as long as I live, as long as this sword

29
 Beowulf
Shall last, which has stood me in good stead 2500 Saw a stone arch and a gushing stream
Late and soon, ever since I killed That burst from the barrow, blazing and wafting
Dayraven the Frank in front of the two armies. A deadly heat. It would be hard to survive
He brought back no looted breastplate Unscathed near the hoard, to hold firm
To the Frisian king, but fell in battle, Against the dragon in those flaming depths.
Their standard-bearer, high-born and brave.
No sword blade sent him to his death, Then he gave a shout. The lord of the Geats 2550
My bare hands stilled his heartbeats Unburdened his breast and broke out
And wrecked the bone-house. Now blade and hand, In a storm of anger. Under gray stone
Sword and sword-stroke, will assay the hoard.” His voice challenged and resounded clearly.
Hate was ignited. The hoard-guard recognized
Beowulf spoke, made a formal boast 2510 A human voice, the time was over
For the last time: “I risked my life For peace and parleying. Pouring forth
Often when I was young. Now I am old, In a hot battle-fume, the breath of the monster
But as king of this people I shall pursue this fight Burst from the rock. There was a rumble underground.
For the glory of winning, if the evil one will only Down there in the barrow, Beowulf the warrior
Abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open.” Lifted his shield: the outlandish thing 2560
Writhed and convulsed and vehemently
Then he addressed each dear companion Turned on the king, whose keen-edged-sword,
One final time, those fighters in their helmets, And heirloom inherited by ancient right,
Resolute and high-born: “I would rather not Was already in his hand. Roused to a fury,
Use a weapon if I knew another way Each antagonist struck terror in the other.
To grapple with the dragon and make good my boast
2520 Unyielding, the lord of his people loomed
As I did against Grendel in days gone by. By his tall shield, sure of his ground,
But I shall be meeting molten venom While the serpent looped and unleashed itself.
In the fire he breaths, so I go forth Swaddled in flames, it came gliding and flexing
In mail-shirt and shield. I won’t shift a foot And racing toward its fate. Yet his shield defended 2570
When I meet the cave-guard: what occurs on the wall The renowned leader’s life and limb
Between the two of us will turn out as fate, For a shorter time than he meant it to:
Overseer of men, decides. I am resolved. That final day was the first time
I scorn further words against this sky-born foe. When Beowulf fought and fate denied him
“Men-at-arms, remain here on the barrow, Glory in battle. So, the king of the Geats
Safe in your armor, to see which one of us 2530 Raised his hand and struck hard
Is better in the end at bearing wounds At the enameled scales, but hardly cut through:
In a deadly fray. This fight is not yours, The blade flashed and slashed yet the blow
Nor is it up to any man except me Was far less powerful than the hard-pressed king
To measure his strength against the monster Had need of at the moment. The mound-keeper 2580
Or to prove his worth. I shall win the gold Went into a spasm and spouted deadly flames:
By my courage, or else mortal combat, When he felt the stroke, battle-fire
Doom of battle, will bear your lord away.” Billowed and spewed. Beowulf was foiled
Of a glorious victory. The glittering sword,
Then he drew himself up beside his shield. Infallible before that day,
The fabled warrior in his war-shirt and helmet Failed when he unsheathed it, as it never should have.
Trusted in his own strength entirely 2540
And went under the crag. No coward path. For the son of Ecgtheow, it was no easy thing
Hard by the rock-face that hale veteran, To have to give ground like that and go
A good man who had gone repeatedly Unwillingly to inhabit another home
Into combat and danger and come through, In a place beyond; so, every man must yield 2590

30
 Beowulf
The leasehold of his days. Make good the gift of the war-gear,
Before long These swords and helmets, as and when
The fierce contenders clashed again. His need required it. He picked us out
The hoard-guard took heart, inhaled and swelled up From the army deliberately, honored us and judged us
And got a new wind; he who had once ruled Fit for this action, made me these lavish gifts-- 2640
Was furled in fire and had to face the worst. And all because he considered us the best
No help or backing was to be had then Of his arms-bearing thanes. And now, although
From his high-born comrades; that hand-picked troop He wanted this challenge to be the one he’d face
Broke ranks and ran for their lives By himself alone--the shepherd of our land,
To the safety of the wood. But within one heart A man unequalled in the quest for glory
Sorrow welled up: in a man of worth 2600 And a name for daring--now the day has come
The claims of kinship cannot be denied. When this lord we serve needs sound men
His name was Wiglaf, a son of Weohstan’s, To give him their support. Let us go to him,
A well-regarded Shylfing warrior Help our leader through the hot flame
Related to Aelfhere. When he saw his lord And dread of the fire. As God is my witness, 2650
Tormented by the heat of his scalding helmet, I would rather my body were robed in the same
He remembered the bountiful gifts he bestowed on him, Burning blaze as my gold-giver’s body
How well he lived among the Waegmundings, Than go back home bearing arms.
The freehold he inherited from his father before him. That is unthinkable, unless we have first
He could not hold back: one hand brandished Slain the foe and defended the life
The yellow-timbered shield, the other drew his sword-- Of the prince of the Weather-Geats. I well know
2610 That things he has done for us deserve better.
An ancient blade that was said to have belonged Why should he alone be left exposed
To Eanmund, the son of Ohthere, the one To fall in battle? We must bond together,
Weohstan had slain when he was in exile without friends. Shield and helmet, mail-shirt and sword.” 2660
He carried the arms to the victim’s kinfolk,
The burnished helmet, the webbed chain-mail Then he wadded the dangerous reek and went
And that relic of the giants. But Onela retuned Under arms to his lord, saying only:
The weapons to him, rewarded Weohstan “Go on, dear Beowulf, do everything
With Eadmund’s war-gear. He ignored the blood-feud, You said you would when you were still young
The fact that Eadmund was his brother’s son. And vowed you would never let your name and fame
Weohstan kept that war-gear for a lifetime, 2620 Be dimmed while you lived. Your deeds are famous,
The sword and the mail-shirt, until it was the son’s turn So, stay resolute, my lord, defend your life now
To follow his father and perform his part. With the whole of your strength. I shall stand by you.”
Then, in old age, at the end of his days
Among the Weather-Geats, he bequeathed to Wiglaf After those words, a wildness rose
Innumerable weapons. In the dragon again, and drove it to attack, 2670
And now the youth Heaving up fire, hunting for enemies,
Was to enter the line of battle with his lord, The humans it loathed. Flames lapped the shield,
His first time to be tested as a fighter. Charred it to the boss, and the body armor
His spirit did not break and the ancestral blade On the young warrior was useless to him.
Would keep its edge, as the dragon discovered But Wiglaf did well under the wide rim
As soon as they came together in combat. 2630 Beowulf shared with him once his own had shattered
In sparks and ashes.
Sad at heart, addressing his companions, Inspired again
Wiglaf spoke wise and fluent words: By the thought of glory, the war-king threw
“I remember that time when the mead was flowing, His whole strength behind a sword-stroke
How we pledged loyalty to our lord in the hall, And connected with the skull. And Naegling snapped.
Promised our ring-giver we would be worth our price, 2680

31
 Beowulf
Beowulf’s ancient iron-gray sword Beowulf spoke: in spite of his wounds,
Let him down in the fight. It was never his fortune Mortal wounds, he still spoke
To be helped in combat by the cutting-edge For he well knew his days in the world
Of weapons made of iron. When he yielded a sword, Had been lived out to the end: his allotted time
No matter how blooded and hard-edged the blade Was drawing to a close, death was very near.
His hand was too strong, the stroke he dealt
(I have heard) would ruin it. He could reap no advantage. “Now is the time when I would have wanted
To bestow this armor on my own son, 2730
Then the bane of that people, the fire-breathing dragon, Had it been my fortune to have fathered an heir
Was mad to attack for a third time. And live on in his flesh. For fifty years
When a chance came, he caught the hero 2690 I ruled this nation. No king
In a rush of flame and clamped sharp fangs Of any neighboring clan would dare
Into his neck. Beowulf’s body Face me with troops, none had the power
Ran wet with his life-blood: it came welling out. To intimidate me. I stood my ground,
I took what came, and cared for things in my keeping,
Next thing, they say, the noble son of Weohstan Never fomented quarrels, never
Saw the king in danger at his side Swore to a lie. All this consoles me,
And displayed his inborn bravery and strength. Doomed as I am and sickening for death; 2740
He left the head alone, but his fighting hand Because of my right way, the Ruler of Mankind
Was burned when he came to his kinsman’s aid. Need never blame me when the breath leaves my body
He lunged at the enemy lower down For murder of kinsmen. Go now quickly,
So that his decorated sword sank into its belly 2700
And the flames grew weaker. Dearest Wiglaf, under the gray stone
Once again, the king Where the dragon is laid out, lost to his treasure;
Gathered his strength and drew a stabbing knife Hurry to feast your eyes on the hoard.
He carried on his belt, sharpened for battle. Away you go: I want to examine
He stuck it deep into the dragon’s flank. That ancient gold, gaze my fill
Beowulf dealt it a deadly wound. On those garnered jewels; my going will be easier
They had killed the enemy, courage quelled his life; For having seen the treasure, a less troubled letting-go
That pair of kinsmen, partners in nobility, 2750
Had destroyed the foe. So, every man should act, Of the life and lordship I have long maintained.”
Be at hand when needed; but now, for the king,
This would be the last of his many labors 2710 And so, I have heard, the son of Weohstan
And triumphs in the world. Quickly obeyed the command of his languishing
War-weary lord; he went in his chain-mail
Then the wound Under the rock-piled roof of the barrow,
Dealt by the ground-burner earlier began Exulting in his triumph, and saw beyond the seat
To scald and swell; Beowulf discovered A treasure-trove of astonishing richness,
Deadly poison suppurating inside him, Wall-hangings that were a wonder to behold,
Surges of nausea, and so, in his wisdom, Glittering gold spread across the ground,
The prince realized his state and struggled The old dawn-scorching serpent’s den 2760
Towards a seat on the rampart. He steadied his gazed Packed with goblets and vessels of the past,
On those gigantic stones, saw how the earthwork Tarnished and corroding. Rusty helmets
Was braced with arches built over columns. All eaten away. Armbands everywhere,
Artfully wrought. How easily treasure
And now that thane unequalled for goodness 2720 Buried in the ground, gold hidden
With his own hands washed his lord’s wounds, However skillfully, can escape from any man!
Swabbed the weary prince with water,
Bathed him clean, unbuckled his helmet. And he saw too a standard, entirely of gold,

32
 Beowulf
Hanging high over the hoard, “You are the last of us, the only one left
A masterpiece of filigree; it glowed with light Of the Waegmundings. Fate swept us away,
So he could make out the ground at his feet 2770 Sent my whole brave high-born clan
And inspect the valuables. Of the dragon, there was no To their final doom. Now I must follow them.”
Remaining sign: the sword had dispatched him.
That was the warrior’s last word.
Then, the story goes, a certain man He had no more to confide. The furious heat
Plundered the hoard in the immemorial howe, Of the pyre would assail him. His soul fled from his breast
Filled his arms with flagons and plates, To its destined place among the steadfast ones. 2820
Anything he wanted; and took the standard also, It was hard then on the young hero,
Most brilliant of banners. Having to watch the one he held so dear
Already the blade There on the ground, going through
Of the old king’s sharp killing-sword His death agony. The dragon from underearth,
Had done its worst: the one who had for long His nightmarish destroyer, lay destroyed as well,
Minded the hoard, hovering over gold, 2780 Utterly without life. No longer would his snake folds
Unleashing fire, surging forth Ply themselves to safeguard hidden gold.
Midnight after midnight, had been mown down. Hard-edged blades, hammered out
And keenly filed, had finished him
Wiglaf went quickly, keen to get back, So that the sky-roamer he lay there rigid, 2830
Excited by the treasure. Anxiety weighed Brought low beside the treasure-lodge.
On his brave heart--he was hoping he would find Never again would he glitter and glide
The leader of the Geats alive where he had left him And show himself off in midnight air,
Helpless, earlier, on the open ground. Exulting in his riches: he fell to earth
So he came to the place, carrying the treasure, Through the battle-strength in Beowulf’s arm.
And found his lord bleeding profusely, There were few, indeed, as far as I have heard,
His life at an end: again, he began 2790 Big and brave as they may have been,
To swab his body. The beginnings of an utterance Few who would have held out if they had had to face
Broke out from the king’s breast-cage. The outpourings of that poison-breather
The old lord gazed sadly at the gold. Or gone foraging on the ring-hall floor 2840
“To the everlasting Lord of All, And found the deep barrow-dweller
To the King of Glory, I give thanks On guard and awake.
That I behold this treasure here in front of me,
That I have been allowed to leave my people The treasure had been won,
So well-endowed on the day I die. Bought and paid for by Beowulf’s death.
Now that I have bartered my last breath Both had reached the end of the road
To own this fortune, it is up to you 2800 Through the life they had been lent.
To look after their needs. I can hold out no longer.
Order my troop to construct a barrow Before long
On a headland on the coast, after my pyre has cooled. The battle-dodgers abandoned the wood,
It will loom in the horizon at Hronesness The ones who had let down their lord earlier,
And be a reminder among my people-- The tail-turners, ten of them together.
So that in coming times crews under sail When he needed them the most, they had made off.
Will call it Beowulf’s barrow, as they steer Now they were ashamed and came behind shields, 2850
Ships across the wide and shrouded waters.” In their battle-outfits, to where the old man lay.
Then the king in his great-heartedness unclasped They watched Wiglaf, sitting worn out,
The collar of gold from his neck and gave it 2810 A comrade shoulder to shoulder with his lord,
To the young thane, telling him to use Trying in vain to bring him round with water.
It and the war shirt and the gilded helmet well. Much as he wanted to, there was no way
He could preserve his lord’s life on earth

33
 Beowulf
Or alter in the least the Almighty’s will. Beside him lies the bane of his life,
What God judged right would rule what happened Dead from knife-wounds. There was no way
To every man, as it does to this day. Beowulf could manage to get the better
Then a stern rebuke was bound to come 2860 Of the monster with his sword. Wiglaf sits
From the young warrior to the ones who had been At Beowulf’s side, the son of Weohstan,
cowards. The living warrior watching by the dead,
Wiglaf, son of Weohstan, spoke Keeping weary vigil, holding a wake
And upbraided the battle-dodgers For the loved and the loathed. 2910
Disdainfully and in disappointment: Now war is looming
“Anyone ready to admit the truth Over our nation, soon it will be known
Will surely realize the lord of men To Franks and Frisians, far and wide,
Who showered you with gifts and gave you the armor That the king is gone. Hostility has been great
You are standing in--when he would distribute Among the Franks since Hygelac sailed forth
Helmets and mail-shirts to men on the mead-benches, At the head of a war-fleet into Friesland:
A prince treating his thanes in hall There the Hetware harried and attacked
To the best he could find, far or near-- 2870 And overwhelmed him with great odds.
Was throwing weapons uselessly away. The leader in his war-gear was laid low,
It would be a sad waste when the war broke out. Fell amongst followers; that lord did not favor
“Beowulf had little cause to brag His company with spoils. The Merovingian king 2920
About his armed guard; yet God who ordains Has been an enemy to us ever since.
Who wins or loses allowed him to strike “Nor do I expect peace or pact-keeping
With his own blade when bravery was needed. Of any sort from the Swedes. Remember:
I could do little to protect his life At Ravenswood, Ongentheow
In the heat of the fray, yet I found new strength Slaughtered Haethcyn, Hrethel’s son,
Welling up when I went to help him. When the Geat people in their arrogance
Then my sword connected and the deadly assaults 2880 First attacked the fierce Shylfings.
Of our foe grew weaker, the fire coursed The return blow was quickly struck
Less strongly from his head. But when the worst By Ohthere’s father. Old and terrible,
happened He felled the sea-king and saved his own 2930
Too few rallied around the prince. Aged wife, the mother of Onela
“So it is goodbye now to all you know and love And of Ohthere, bereft of her gold rings.
On your home-ground, the open-handedness, Then he kept hard on the heels of the foe
The giving of war-swords. Every one of you And drove them, leaderless, lucky to get away,
With freeholds of land, our whole nation, In a desperate route to Ravenswood.
Will be dispossessed, once princes from beyond His army surrounded the weary remnant
Get tidings of how you turned and fled Where they nursed their wounds; all through the night
And disgraced yourselves. A warrior will die 2890 He howled threats at those huddled survivors,
Sooner than live a life of shame.” Promises to axe their bodies open
Then he ordered the outcome of the fight to be reported When dawn broke, dangle them from gallows 2940
To those camped on the ridge, that crowd of retainers To feed the birds. But at first light
Who had sat all morning, sad at heart, When their spirits were lowest, relief arrived.
Shield-bearers wandering about They heard the sound of Hygelac’s horn,
The man they loved: would this day be his last His trumpet calling as he came to find them ,
Or would he return. He told the truth The hero in pursuit, at hand with troops.
And did not balk, the rider who bore “The bloody swathe that Swedes and Geats
News to the cliff-top. He addressed them all: Cut through each other was everywhere.
“Now the people’s pride and love, 2900 No one could miss their murderous feuding.
The lord of the Geats, is laid on his deathbed, Then the old man made his move,
Brought down by the dragon’s attack. Pulled back, barred his people in: 2950

34
 Beowulf
Ongentheow withdrew to higher ground. This vicious feud, I am convinced, 3000
Hygelac’s pride and prowess as a fighter Is bound to revive; they will cross our borders
Were known to the earl; he had no confidence And attack in force once they find out
That he could hold out against that horde of seamen, That Beowulf is dead. In days gone by
Defend wife and the ones he loved When our warriors fell and we were undefended
From the shock of the attack. He retreated for shelter He kept our coffers and our kingdoms safe.
Behind the earth wall. Then Hygelac swooped He worked for the people, but as well as that
On the Swedes at bay, his banners swarmed He behaved like a hero.
Into their refuge, the Geat forces We must hurry now
Drove forward to destroy the camp. 2960 To take a last look at the king
There in his gray hairs, Ongentheow And launch him, lord and lavisher of rings,
Was cornered, ringed around with swords. On the funeral road. His royal pyre 3010
And it came to pass that the king’s fate Will melt no small amount of gold:
Was in Eofor’s hands, and in his alone. Heaped there in the hoard, it was bought at heavy cost,
Wulf, son of Wonred, went for him in anger, And that pile of rings he paid for at the end
Split him open so that blood came spurting With his own life will go up in flames,
From under his hair. The old hero Be furled in fire: treasure no follower
Still did not flinch, but parried fast, Will wear in his memory, nor lovely woman
Hit back with a harder stroke: Link and attach as a torque around her neck--
The king turned and took him on. 2970 But often, repeatedly, in the path of exile
Then Wonred’s son, the brave Wulf, They shall walk bereft, bowed under woe,
Could land no blow against the aged lord. Now that their leader’s laugh is silenced, 3020
Ongentheow divided his helmet High spirits quenched. Many a spear
So that he buckled and bowed his bloodied head Dawn-cold to the touch will be taken down
And dropped to the ground. But his doom held off. And waved on high; the swept harp
Though he was cut deep, he recovered again. Won’t waken warriors, but the raven winging
“With his brother down, the undaunted Eofor, Darkly over the doomed will have news,
Hygelac’s thane, hefted his sword Tidings of the eagle of how he hoked and ate,
And smashed murderously at the massive helmet How the wolf and he made short work of the dead.”
Past the lifted shield. And the king collapsed, 2980 Such was the drift of the dire report
The shepherd of people was sheared of life. That gallant man delivered. He got little wrong
“Many then hurried to help Wulf, In what he told and predicted. 3030
Bandaged and lifted him, now that they were left
Masters of the blood-soaked battleground. The whole troop
One warrior stripped the other, Rose in tears, then took their way
Looted Ongentheow’s iron mail-coat, To the uncanny scene under Earnaness.
His hard sword-hilt, his helmet too, There, on the sand, where his soul had left him,
And carried the graith to King Hygelac; They found him at rest, their ring-giver
He accepted the prize, promised fairly From days gone by. The great man
That reward would come, and kept his word. 2990 Had breathed his last. Beowulf the King
For their bravery in action, when they arrived home Had indeed met with a marvelous death.
Eofor and Wulf were overloaded But what they saw first was far stranger:
By Hrethel’s son, Hygelac the Geat, The serpent on the ground, gruesome and vile,
With gifts of land and linked rings Lying facing him. The fire-dragon 3040
That were worth a fortune. They had won glory, Was scaresomely burnt, scorched all colors.
So there was no gainsaying his generosity. From head to tail, his entire length
And he gave Eofor his only daughter Was fifty feet. He had shimmered forth
To bide at home with him, an honor and a bond. On the night air once, then winged back
“So this bad blood between us and the Swedes, Down to his den; but death owned him now,

35
 Beowulf
He would never enter his earth-gallery again. A huge pile of the priceless treasures
Beside him stood pitchers and piled-up dishes, Handpicked from the hoard and carried them here
Silent flagons, precious swords Where the king could see them. He was still himself,
Eaten through with rust, ranged as they had been Alive, aware, and in spite of his weakness
While they waited their thousand winters underground. He had many requests. He wanted me to greet you
3050 And order the building of a barrow that would crown
That huge cache, gold inherited The site of his pyre, serve as his memorial,
From an ancient race, was under a spell-- In a commanding position, since of all men
Which meant no one was ever permitted To have lived and thrived and lorded it on earth
To enter the ring-hall unless God himself, His worth and due as a warrior were the greatest. 3100
Mankind’s Keeper, True King of Triumphs,
Allowed some person pleasing to him-- Now let us again go quickly
And in his eyes worthy--to open the hoard. And feast our eyes on that amazing fortune
What came about brought to nothing Heaped under the wall. I will show the way
The hopes of the one who had wrongly hidden And bring you close to those coffers packed with rings
Riches under the rock face. First the dragon slew 3060 And bars of gold. Let a bier be made
That man among men, who in turn made fierce amends And got ready quickly when we come out
And settled the feud. Famous for his deeds And then let us bring the body of our lord,
A warrior may be, but it remains a mystery The man we loved, to where he will lodge
Where his life will end, when he may no longer For a long time in the care of the Almighty.”
Dwell in the mead-hall among his own.
So it was with Beowulf, when he faced the cruelty Then Weohstan’s son, stalwart to the end, 3110
And cunning of the mound-guard. He himself was Had orders given to owners of dwellings,
ignorant Many people of importance in the land,
Of how his departure from the world would happen. To fetch wood from far and wide
The high-born chiefs who had buried the treasure For the good man’s pyre.
Declared it until doomsday so accursed 3070 “Now shall flame consume
That whoever robbed it would be guilty of wrong Our leader in battle, the blaze darken
And grimly punished for their transgression, Round him who stood his ground in the steel-hail,
Hasped in hell-bonds in heathen shrines. When the arrow-storm shot from bowstrings
Yet Beowulf’s gaze at the gold treasure Pelted from the shield-wall. The shaft hit home.
When he first saw it had not been selfish. Feather-fledged, it finned the barb in flight.”
Then the wise son of Weohstan 3120
Wiglaf, son of Weohstan, spoke: Called from among the king’s thanes
“Often when one man follows his own will A group of seven: he selected the best
Many are hurt. This happened to us. And entered with them, the eighth of their number,
Nothing we advised could ever convince Under the God-cursed roof; one raised
The lord we loved, our land’s guardian, 3080 A lighted torch and led the way.
Not to aggravate the keeper of the gold, No lots were cast for who should loot the hoard
Let him lie where he was long accustomed, For it was obvious to them that every bit of it
Lurk there under the earth until the end of the world. Lay unprotected within the vault,
There for the taking. It was no trouble
He held to his high destiny. The hoard is laid bare, To hurry to work and haul out 3130
But at a grave cost; it was too cruel a fate The priceless store. They pitched the dragon
That forced the king to that encounter. Over the cliff top, let tide’s flow
I have been inside and seen everything And backwash take the treasure-minder.
Amassed in the vault. I managed to enter Then coiled gold was loaded on a cart
Although no great welcome awaited me In great abundance, and the gray-haired leader,
Under the earth wall. I quickly gathered up 3090 The prince of his bier, born to Hronesness.

36
 Beowulf
The Geat people built a pyre for Beowulf, He was the man most gracious and fair-minded,
Stacked and decked it until it stood four-square, Kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.
Hung with helmets, heavy war-shields
And shining armor, just as he had ordered. 3140
Then his warriors laid him in the middle of it,
Mourning a lord far-famed and beloved.

On a height they kindled the hugest of all
Funeral fires; fumes of wood smoke
Billowed darkly up, the blaze roared
And drowned out their weeping, wind died down
And flames wrought havoc in the hot bone-house,
Burning it to the core. They were disconsolate
And wailed aloud for their lord’s decease.

A Geat woman too sang out in grief: 3150
With hair bound up, she unburdened herself
Of her worst fears, a wild litany
Of nightmare and lament: her nation invaded,
Enemies on the rampage, bodies in piles,
Slavery and abasement. Heaven swallowed the smoke.

Then the Geat people began to construct
A mound on a headland, high and imposing,
A marker that sailors could see from far away,
And in ten days they had done the work.
It was their hero’s memorial; what remained from fire
3160
They housed inside it, behind a wall
As worthy of him as their workmanship could make it.
And they buried torques in the barrow, and jewels
And a trove of such things as trespassing men
Had once dared to drag from the hoard.
They let the ground keep that ancestral treasure,
Gold under gravel, gone to earth,
As useless to men now as it ever was.
Then twelve warriors rode around the tomb,
Chieftain’s sons, champions in battle, 3170
All of them distraught, chanting in dirges,
Mourning his loss as a man and a king.
They extolled his heroic nature and exploits
And gave thanks for his greatness; which was the proper
thing,
For a man should praise a prince whom he holds dear
And cherish his memory when that moment comes
When he has to be convoyed from his bodily home.
So the Geat people, his hearth companions,
Sorrowed for the lord who had been laid low.
They said that of all the kings upon the earth 3180

37