Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings, leader
beloved, and long he ruled in fame with all folk,
since his father had gone away from the world, till
awoke an heir, haughty Healfdene, who held through
life, sage and sturdy, the Scyldings glad. Then,
one after one, there woke to him, to the chieftain
of clansmen, children four: Heorogar, then Hrothgar,
then Halga brave; and I heard that — was
— ’s queen, the Heathoscylfing’s
helpmate dear. To Hrothgar was given such glory
of war, such honor of combat, that all his kin obeyed
him gladly till great grew his band of youthful comrades.
It came in his mind to bid his henchmen a hall uprear,
a master mead-house, mightier far than ever was seen
by the sons of earth, and within it, then, to old
and young he would all allot that the Lord had sent
him, save only the land and the lives of his men.
Wide, I heard, was the work commanded, for many a
tribe this mid-earth round, to fashion the folkstead.
It fell, as he ordered, in rapid achievement that
ready it stood there, of halls the noblest:
Heorot {1a} he named it whose message had might in
many a land. Not reckless of promise, the rings
he dealt, treasure at banquet: there towered
the hall, high, gabled wide, the hot surge waiting
of furious flame.
{1b} Nor far was that day when father
and son-in-law stood in feud for warfare and hatred
that woke again. {1c} With envy and anger an evil
spirit endured the dole in his dark abode, that he
heard each day the din of revel high in the hall:
there harps rang out, clear song of the singer.
He sang who knew {1d} tales of the early time of man,
how the Almighty made the earth, fairest fields enfolded
by water, set, triumphant, sun and moon for a light
to lighten the land-dwellers, and braided bright the
breast of earth with limbs and leaves, made life for
all of mortal beings that breathe and move.
So lived the clansmen in cheer and revel a winsome
life, till one began to fashion evils, that field
of hell. Grendel this monster grim was called,
march-riever {1e} mighty, in moorland living, in fen
and fastness; fief of the giants the hapless wight
a while had kept since the Creator his exile doomed.
On kin of Cain was the killing avenged by sovran God
for slaughtered Abel. Ill fared his feud, {1f}
and far was he driven, for the slaughter’s sake,
from sight of men. Of Cain awoke all that woful
breed, Etins {1g} and elves and evil-spirits, as
well as the giants that warred with God weary while:
but their wage was paid them!
II
Went he forth to find at fall of night that
haughty house, and heed wherever the Ring-Danes, outrevelled,
to rest had gone. Found within it the atheling
band asleep after feasting and fearless of sorrow,
of human hardship. Unhallowed wight, grim and
greedy, he grasped betimes, wrathful, reckless, from
resting-places, thirty of the thanes, and thence he
rushed fain of his fell spoil, faring homeward, laden
