The Watch For Grendel
Þâ him Hrôðgâr gewât mid his häleða gedryht,eodur Scyldinga ût of healle;wolde wîg-fruma Wealhþeó sêcan,cwên tô gebeddan Häfde kyninga wuldorGrendle tô-geánes, swâ guman gefrungon,sele-weard âseted, sundor-nytte beheóldymb aldor Dena, eoton weard âbeád;hûru Geáta leód georne trûwodemôdgan mägnes, metodes hyldo.Þâ he him of dyde îsern-byrnan,helm of hafelan, sealde his hyrsted sweord,îrena cyst ombiht-þegne,and gehealdan hêt hilde-geatwe.Gespräc þâ se gôda gylp-worda sumBeówulf Geáta, ær he on bed stige:"Nô ic me an here-wæsmum hnâgran talige
Then Hrothgar departed with his band of warriors,the protector of the Scyldings, out of the hall;the war-leader wished to seek out Wealhtheow,the queen, as his bedmate. The King of Glory had,against Grendel, as men had heard,set a hall-guard, who kept a special watchfor the lord of the Danes, and stood ready against the ogre;indeed the prince of the Geats trusted firmlyin his own great strength, and the Maker’s favor.Then he took off his iron mail-shirt,his helmet from his head, gave his ornamented sword,finest of blades, to his attending thane,and bade him keep the battle-gear safe.Then the good man spoke a boast,Beowulf of the Geats, before he climbed into bed:“I do not count myself lesser in battle-strength,
"gûð-geweorca, þonne Grendel hine;"forþan ic hine sweorde swebban nelle,"aldre beneótan, þeáh ic eal mæge."Nât he þâra gôda, þät he me on-geán sleá,"rand geheáwe, þeáh þe he rôf sîe"nîð-geweorca; ac wit on niht sculon"secge ofersittan, gif he gesêcean dear"wîg ofer wæpen, and siððan witig god"on swâ hwäðere hond hâlig dryhten"mærðo dême, swâ him gemet þince."Hylde hine þâ heaðo-deór, hleór-bolster onfêngeorles andwlitan; and hine ymb monigsnellîc sæ-rinc sele-reste gebeáh.Nænig heora þôhte þät he þanon scoldeeft eard-lufan æfre gesêcean,folc oððe freó-burh, þær he âfêded wäs,
in works of war, than Grendel counts himself;and so I will not put him to sleep with a sword,take his life, though I well could.He knows nothing of the fine art of striking back at me,of hacking my shield, skilled as he may bein violent deeds; but we two, tonight,shall do without swords, if he dares to seeka fight without weapons, and afterward let wise God,the holy Lord, on whichever sidehe judges fit, decide the glory.”Then the battle-brave one lay down, the pillow receivedthe warrior’s face; and around him manya bold sea-fighter settled into the hall’s rest.None of them thought that he would evergo back again to seek his beloved home,his people or the noble stronghold where he was raised,
ac hie häfdon gefrunen, þät hie ær tô fela miclesin þäm wîn-sele wäl-deáð fornam,Denigea leóde. Ac him dryhten forgeafwîg-spêda gewiofu, Wedera leódumfrôfor and fultum, þät hie feónd heoraþurh ânes cräft ealle ofercômon,selfes mihtum: sôð is gecýðed,þät mihtig god manna cynnesweóld wîde-ferhð. Com on wanre nihtscrîðan sceadu-genga. Sceótend swæfon,þâ þät horn-reced healdan scoldon,ealle bûton ânum. Þät wäs yldum cûð,þät hie ne môste, þâ metod nolde,se syn-scaða under sceadu bregdan;ac he wäccende wrâðum on andanbâd bolgen-môd beadwa geþinges.
for they had heard that violent death had alreadycarried off too many of the Danish peoplein that wine-hall before. But the Lord granted themthe weaving of war-luck, gave the Weder peoplecomfort and help, so that through the strength of onethey all overcame their enemy,by his might alone: the truth is made known,that mighty God has ruled overmankind always. Through the dark night camegliding the shadow-walker. The bowmen slept,those who should have held that horned hall,all but one. It was known to menthat the evil-doer could not drag them offinto the shadows, if the Maker did not will it;but he, watching, in fury against his foes,waited grim-hearted for the outcome of battle.