III. GRENDEL THE MURDERER.
III.
GRENDEL THE MURDERER.
Grendel attacks the sleeping heroesWhen the sun was sunken, he set out to visit
The lofty hall-building, how the Ring-Danes had used it
For beds and benches when the banquet was over.
Then he found there reposing many a noble
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Asleep after supper; sorrow the heroes,1
Misery knew not. The monster of evil
Greedy and cruel tarried but little,
He drags off thirty
of them, and devours
them
Fell and frantic, and forced from their slumbers
Thirty of thanemen; thence he departed
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Leaping and laughing, his lair to return to,
With surfeit of slaughter sallying homeward.
In the dusk of the dawning, as the day was just breaking,
Was Grendel’s prowess revealed to the warriors:
A cry of agony
goes up, when
Grendel’s horrible
deed is fully realized.
Then, his meal-taking finished, a moan was uplifted,
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Morning-cry mighty. The man-ruler famous,
The long-worthy atheling, sat very woful,
Suffered great sorrow, sighed for his liegemen,
When they had seen the track of the hateful pursuer,
The spirit accursèd: too crushing that sorrow,
The monster returns
the next
night.
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Too loathsome and lasting. Not longer he tarried,
But one night after continued his slaughter
Shameless and shocking, shrinking but little
From malice and murder; they mastered him fully.
He was easy to find then who otherwhere looked for
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A pleasanter place of repose in the lodges,
A bed in the bowers. Then was brought to his notice
Told him truly by token apparent
The hall-thane’s hatred: he held himself after
Further and faster who the foeman did baffle.
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2So ruled he and strongly strove against justice
Lone against all men, till empty uptowered
King Hrothgar’s
agony and suspense
last twelve
years.
The choicest of houses. Long was the season:
Twelve-winters’ time torture suffered
The friend of the Scyldings, every affliction,
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Endless agony; hence it after3 became
Certainly known to the children of men
Sadly in measures, that long against Hrothgar
Grendel struggled:—his grudges he cherished,
Murderous malice, many a winter,
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Strife unremitting, and peacefully wished he
4Life-woe to lift from no liegeman at all of
The men of the Dane-folk, for money to settle,
No counsellor needed count for a moment
On handsome amends at the hands of the murderer;
Grendel is unremitting
in his persecutions.
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The monster of evil fiercely did harass,
The ill-planning death-shade, both elder and younger,
Trapping and tricking them. He trod every night then
The mist-covered moor-fens; men do not know where
Witches and wizards wander and ramble.
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So the foe of mankind many of evils
Grievous injuries, often accomplished,
Horrible hermit; Heort he frequented,
Gem-bedecked palace, when night-shades had fallen
God is against the
monster.
(Since God did oppose him, not the throne could he touch,5
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The light-flashing jewel, love of Him knew not).
’Twas a fearful affliction to the friend of the Scyldings
The king and his
council deliberate
in vain.
Soul-crushing sorrow. Not seldom in private
Sat the king in his council; conference held they
What the braves should determine ’gainst terrors unlooked for.
They invoke the
aid of their gods.
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At the shrines of their idols often they promised
Gifts and offerings, earnestly prayed they
The devil from hell would help them to lighten
Their people’s oppression. Such practice they used then,
Hope of the heathen; hell they remembered
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In innermost spirit, God they knew not,
The true God they
do not know.
Judge of their actions, All-wielding Ruler,
No praise could they give the Guardian of Heaven,
The Wielder of Glory. Woe will be his who
Through furious hatred his spirit shall drive to
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The clutch of the fire, no comfort shall look for,
Wax no wiser; well for the man who,
Living his life-days, his Lord may face
And find defence in his Father’s embrace!