to the land they loved, would lead them back!
Full well they wist that on warriors many battle-death
seized, in the banquet-hall, of Danish clan.
But comfort and help, war-weal weaving, to Weder folk
the Master gave, that, by might of one, over their
enemy all prevailed, by single strength. In sooth
’tis told that highest God o’er human
kind hath wielded ever! — Thro’ wan
night striding, came the walker-in-shadow. Warriors
slept whose hest was to guard the gabled hall, —
all save one. ’Twas widely known that against
God’s will the ghostly ravager him {10a} could
not hurl to haunts of darkness; wakeful, ready, with
warrior’s wrath, bold he bided the battle’s
issue.
XI
Then from the moorland, by misty crags, with
God’s wrath laden, Grendel came. The monster
was minded of mankind now sundry to seize in the stately
house. Under welkin he walked, till the wine-palace
there, gold-hall of men, he gladly discerned, flashing
with fretwork. Not first time, this, that he
the home of Hrothgar sought, — yet ne’er
in his life-day, late or early, such hardy heroes,
such hall-thanes, found! To the house the warrior
walked apace, parted from peace; {11a} the portal
opended, though with forged bolts fast, when his fists
had struck it, and baleful he burst in his blatant
rage, the house’s mouth. All hastily, then,
o’er fair-paved floor the fiend trod on, ireful
he strode; there streamed from his eyes fearful flashes,
like flame to see.
He spied in hall the hero-band, kin and clansmen
clustered asleep, hardy liegemen. Then laughed
his heart; for the monster was minded, ere morn should
dawn, savage, to sever the soul of each, life from
body, since lusty banquet waited his will! But
Wyrd forbade him to seize any more of men on earth
after that evening. Eagerly watched Hygelac’s
kinsman his cursed foe, how he would fare in fell
attack. Not that the monster was minded to pause!
Straightway he seized a sleeping warrior for the first,
and tore him fiercely asunder, the bone-frame bit,
drank blood in streams, swallowed him piecemeal:
swiftly thus the lifeless corse was clear devoured,
e’en feet and hands. Then farther he hied;
for the hardy hero with hand he grasped, felt for
the foe with fiendish claw, for the hero reclining,
— who clutched it boldly, prompt to answer,
propped on his arm. Soon then saw that shepherd-of-evils
that never he met in this middle-world, in the ways
of earth, another wight with heavier hand-gripe; at
heart he feared, sorrowed in soul, — none
the sooner escaped! Fain would he flee, his fastness
seek, the den of devils: no doings now such
as oft he had done in days of old! Then bethought
him the hardy Hygelac-thane of his boast at evening:
up he bounded, grasped firm his foe, whose fingers
cracked. The fiend made off, but the earl close
followed. The monster meant — if he
might at all — to fling himself free, and
far away fly to the fens, — knew his fingers’
