against all, till the best of houses 145
Came to stand empty. It lasted for a great while.
The friendly lord of the Danes suffered affliction
For the length of twelve winters, every woe,
sidra sorga; forðam [secgum]* wearð,
ylda bearnum, undyrne cuð, 150
gyddum geomore, þætte Grendel wan
hwile wið Hroþgar, heteniðas wæg,
fyrene ond fæhðe fela missera,
singale sæce, sibbe ne wolde
wið manna hwone mægenes Deniga, 155
feorhbealo feorran, fea þingian,
ne þær nænig witena wenan þorfte
beorhtre bote to banan folmum;
[ac se]* æglæca ehtende wæs,
deorc deaþscua, duguþe ond geogoþe, 160
seomade ond syrede, sinnihte heold
mistige moras; men ne cunnon,
hwyder helrunan hwyrftum scriþað.
Swa fela fyrena feond mancynnes,
atol angengea, oft gefremede, 165
heardra hynða; Heorot eardode,
sincfage sel sweartum nihtum;
no he þone gifstol gretan moste,
maþðum for Metode, ne his myne wisse.
Þæt wæs wræc micel wine Scyldinga, 170
modes brecða. Monig oft gesæt
rice to rune; ræd eahtedon,
hwæt swiðferhðum selest wære
wið færgryrum to gefremmanne.
Hwilum hie geheton æt hærgtrafum 175
wigweorþunga, wordum bædon,
þæt him gastbona geoce gefremede
wið þeodþreaum. Swylc wæs þeaw hyra,
Great sorrow. Therefore, it became well known
To men, to the offspring of human kind, 150
Through sadly sung tales, that Grendel had fought
Against Hrothgar for long, borne fierce hatred,
Perpetrated much crime and atrocity for many a year,
Continual conflict: he would not have peace
With anyone of the Danish host of men, 155
Remove his deadly evil, or settle with riches.
Nor there any wise man had good cause to expect
Slackening of the sore from the slayer’s hands;
But the fiend, the dark shadow of death, was
Relentless in his grip of the old and the young, 160
Hovered near and ambushed. In darkness he held
The misty moors; men do not know
Where the hellish demons move along, gliding.
In this way the enemy of mankind, the horrid monster,
Often committed a great mass of wicked crimes, 165
Severe injuries: he inhabited Heorot,
The richly decorated hall, in the dark nights;
He was never allowed to approach the gift-seat,
Treasure for God, nor did he know His love.
That was a great distress to the lord of the Danes, 170
Battering of spirit: many powerful often sat down
For consultation; they deliberated on the solution,
What would be the best that the brave ones
Could do to rid themselves of the awful horrors:
Now and again they promised sacrifices 175
At heathen temples, and entreated with words
To the soul-slayer* to bring about remedy
And rid them of distress. (Such was their practice,
hæþenra hyht; helle gemundon
in modsefan, Metod hie ne cuþon, 180
dæda Demend, ne wiston hie Drihten God,
ne hie huru heofena Helm herian ne cuþon,
wuldres Waldend. Wa bið þæm ðe sceal
þurh sliðne nið sawle bescufan
in fyres fæþm, frofre ne wenan, 185
wihte gewendan; wel bið þæm þe mot
æfter deaðdæge Drihten secean,
ond to Fæder fæþmum freoðo wilnian.
(III) Swa ða mælceare maga Healfdenes
singala seað; ne mihte snotor hæleð 190
wean onwendan; wæs þæt gewin to swyð,
laþ ond longsum, þe on ða leode becom,
nydwracu niþgrim, nihtbealwa mæst.
Þæt fram ham gefrægn Higelaces þegn,
god mid Geatum, Grendles dæda; 195
se wæs moncynnes mægenes strengest
on þæm dæge þysses lifes,
æþele ond eacen. Het him yðlidan
godne gegyrwan; cwæð, he guðcyning
ofer swanrade secean wolde, 200
mærne þeoden, þa him wæs manna þearf.
Đone siðfæt him snotere ceorlas
lythwon logon, þeah he
