For
the horrid hell-monster in the hall-building knew he
A
fight was determined,[2] since the light of the sun
they
90 No longer
could see, and lowering darkness
O’er
all had descended, and dark under heaven
Shadowy
shapes came shying around them.
{Hrothgar retires, leaving Beowulf in charge of the
hall.}
The
liegemen all rose then. One saluted the other,
Hrothgar
Beowulf, in rhythmical measures,
95 Wishing
him well, and, the wassail-hall giving
To
his care and keeping, quoth he departing:
[24] “Not to any one else have I ever entrusted,
But
thee and thee only, the hall of the Danemen,
Since
high I could heave my hand and my buckler.
100 Take thou
in charge now the noblest of houses;
Be
mindful of honor, exhibiting prowess,
Watch
’gainst the foeman! Thou shalt want no enjoyments,
Survive
thou safely adventure so glorious!”
[1] The repetition of ‘hwaeethere’
(574 and 578) is regarded by some scholars as
a defect. B. suggests ‘swa Þaer’ for
the first: So there it befell me, etc.
Another suggestion is to change the second ‘hwaeethere’
into ‘swa Þaer’: So there I escaped
with my life, etc.
[2] Kl. suggests a period after ‘determined.’
This would give the passage as follows: Since
they no longer could see the light of the sun,
and lowering darkness was down over all, dire under
the heavens shadowy beings came going around them.
ALL SLEEP SAVE ONE.
{Hrothgar retires.}
Then
Hrothgar departed, his earl-throng attending him,
Folk-lord
of Scyldings, forth from the building;
The
war-chieftain wished then Wealhtheow to look for,
The
queen for a bedmate. To keep away Grendel
{God has provided a watch for the hall.}
5
The Glory of Kings had given a hall-watch,
As
men heard recounted: for the king of the Danemen
He
did special service, gave the giant a watcher:
And
the prince of the Geatmen implicitly trusted
{Beowulf is self-confident}
His
warlike strength and the Wielder’s protection.
{He prepares for rest.}
10 His armor
of iron off him he did then,
His
helmet from his head, to his henchman committed
His
chased-handled chain-sword, choicest of weapons,
And
bade him bide with his battle-equipments.
The
good one then uttered words of defiance,
15 Beowulf
Geatman, ere his bed he upmounted:
{Beowulf boasts of his ability to cope with Grendel.}
“I
hold me no meaner in matters of prowess,
In
warlike achievements, than Grendel does himself;
Hence
I seek not with sword-edge to sooth him to slumber,
Of
life to bereave him, though well I am able.
