710 Came then from the moor-land , all under the mist-bents ,
Grendel a-going there , bearing God’s anger .
The scather the ill one was minded of mankind
To have one in his toils from the high hall aloft .
‘ Neath the welkin he waded , to the place whence the wine-house ,
715 The gold-hall of men most yarely ** he wist With gold plates fair colour’d ; nor was it the first time
That he unto Hrothgar’s high home had betook him .
Never he in his life-days , either erst or thereafter ,
Of warriors more hardy or hall-thanes had found .
720 Came then to the house the wight on his ways ,
Of all joys bereft ; and soon sprang the door open ,
With fire-brands made fast , when with hand he had touch’d it ;
Brake the bale-heedy , he with wrath bollen ** , The mouth of the house there , and early thereafter
725 On the shiny-fleck’d floor thereof trod forth the fiend ;
On went he then mood-wroth , and out from his eyes stood
Likest to fire-flame light full unfair .
In the high house beheld he a many of warriors ,
A host of men sib all sleeping together ,
730 Of man-warriors a heap ; then laugh’d out his mood ;
In mind deem’d he to sunder , or ever came day ,
The monster , the fell one , from each of the men there
The life from the body ; for befell him a boding
Of fulfilment of feeding : but Weird now it was not
735 That he any more of mankind thenceforward
27 Should eat , that night over . Huge evil beheld then
Grendel devoureth a Geat The Hygelac’s kinsman , and how the foul scather
All with his fear-grips would fare there before him ;
How never the monster was minded to tarry ,
740 For speedily gat he , and at the first stour ,
A warrior a-sleeping , and unaware slit him ,
Bit his bone-coffer , drank blood a-streaming ,
Great gobbets swallow’d in ; thenceforth soon had he
Of the unliving one every whit eaten
745 To hands and feet even : then forth strode he nigher ,
And took hold with his hand upon him the high-hearted ,
The warrior a-resting ; reach’d out to himwards
The fiend with his hand , gat fast on him rathely
With thought of all evil , and besat him his arm .
750 Then swiftly was finding the herdsman of foul deeds
That forsooth he had met not in Middle-garth ever ,
In the parts of the Earth , in any man else
A hand-grip more mighty ; then wax’d he of mood
Heart-fearful , but none the more outward might he ;
755 Hence-eager his heart was to the darkness to hie him ,
And the devil-dray ** seek : not there was his service E’en such as he found in his life-days before .
Then to heart laid the good one , the Hygelac’s kinsman ,
His speech of the even-tide ; uplong he stood
760 And fast with him grappled , till bursted his fingers .
The eoten ** was out-fain , but on strode the earl . The mighty fiend minded was , whereso he might ,
To wind him about more widely away thence ,
And flee fenwards ; he found then the might of his fingers
765 In the grip of the fierce one ; sorry faring was that
Which he , the harm-scather , had taken to Hart.
The warrior-hall dinn’d now ; unto all Danes there waxed ,
28 To the castle-abiders , to each of the keen ones ,
To all earls , as an ale-dearth . Now angry were both
770 Of the fierce mighty warriors , far rang out the Hall-house ;
Then mickle the wonder it was that the wine-hall
Withstood the two war-deer , nor welter’d to earth
The fair earthly dwelling ; but all fast was it builded
Within and without with the banding of iron
775 By crafty thought smithy’d . But there from the sill bow’d
Fell many a mead-bench , by hearsay of mine ,
With gold well adorned where strove they the wrothful .
Hereof never ween’d they , the wise of the Scyldings ,
That ever with might should any of men
780 The excellent , bone-dight , break into pieces ,
Or unlock with cunning , save the light fire’s embracing
In smoke should it swallow . So uprose the roar
New and enough ; now fell on the North-Danes
Ill fear and the terror , on each and on all men ,
785 Of them who from wall-top hearken’d the weeping ,
Even God’s foeman singing the fear-lay ,
The triumphless song ; and the wound-bewailing
Of the thrall of the Hell ; for there now fast held him
He who of men of main was the mightiest
790 In that day which is told of , the day of this life .