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the house's mouth。 All hastily; then;
o'er fair…paved floor the fiend trod on;
ireful he strode; there streamed from his eyes
fearful flashes; like flame to see。
He spied in hall the hero…band;
kin and clansmen clustered asleep;
hardy liegemen。 Then laughed his heart;
for the monster was minded; ere morn should dawn;
savage; to sever the soul of each;
life from body; since lusty banquet
waited his will! But Wyrd forbade him
to seize any more of men on earth
after that evening。 Eagerly watched
Hygelac's kinsman his cursed foe;
how he would fare in fell attack。
Not that the monster was minded to pause!
Straightway he seized a sleeping warrior
for the first; and tore him fiercely asunder;
the bone…frame bit; drank blood in streams;
swallowed him piecemeal: swiftly thus
the lifeless corse was clear devoured;
e'en feet and hands。 Then farther he hied;
for the hardy hero with hand he grasped;
felt for the foe with fiendish claw;
for the hero reclining; who clutched it boldly;
prompt to answer; propped on his arm。
Soon then saw that shepherd…of…evils
that never he met in this middle…world;
in the ways of earth; another wight
with heavier hand…gripe; at heart he feared;
sorrowed in soul; none the sooner escaped!
Fain would he flee; his fastness seek;
the den of devils: no doings now
such as oft he had done in days of old!
Then bethought him the hardy Hygelac…thane
of his boast at evening: up he bounded;
grasped firm his foe; whose fingers cracked。
The fiend made off; but the earl close followed。
The monster meant if he might at all
to fling himself free; and far away
fly to the fens; knew his fingers' power
in the gripe of the grim one。 Gruesome march
to Heorot this monster of harm had made!
Din filled the room; the Danes were bereft;
castle…dwellers and clansmen all;
earls; of their ale。 Angry were both
those savage hall…guards: the house resounded。
Wonder it was the wine…hall firm
in the strain of their struggle stood; to earth
the fair house fell not; too fast it was
within and without by its iron bands
craftily clamped; though there crashed from sill
many a mead…bench men have told me
gay with gold; where the grim foes wrestled。
So well had weened the wisest Scyldings
that not ever at all might any man
that bone…decked; brave house break asunder;
crush by craft; unless clasp of fire
in smoke engulfed it。 Again uprose
din redoubled。 Danes of the North
with fear and frenzy were filled; each one;
who from the wall that wailing heard;
God's foe sounding his grisly song;
cry of the conquered; clamorous pain
from captive of hell。 Too closely held him
he who of men in might was strongest
in that same day of this our life。
'1' That is; he was a 〃lost soul;〃 doomed to hell。
XII
NOT in any wise would the earls'…defence'1'
suffer that slaughterous stranger to live;
useless deeming his days and years
to men on earth。 Now many an earl
of Beowulf brandished blade ancestral;
fain the life of their lord to shield;
their praised prince; if power were theirs;
never they knew; as they neared the foe;
hardy…hearted heroes of war;
aiming their swords on every side
the accursed to kill; no keenest blade;
no farest of falchions fashioned on earth;
could harm or hurt that hideous fiend!
He was safe; by his spells; from sword of battle;
from edge of iron。 Yet his end and parting
on that same day of this our life
woful should be; and his wandering soul
far off flit to the fiends' domain。
Soon he found; who in former days;
harmful in heart and hated of God;
on many a man such murder wrought;
that the frame of his body failed him now。
For him the keen…souled kinsman of Hygelac
held in hand; hateful alive
was each to other。 The outlaw dire
took mortal hurt; a mighty wound
showed on his shoulder; and sinews cracked;
and the bone…frame burst。 To Beowulf now
the glory was given; and Grendel thence
death…sick his den in the dark moor sought;
noisome abode: he knew too well
that here was the last of life; an end
of his days on earth。 To all the Danes
by that bloody battle the boon had come。
From ravage had rescued the roving stranger
Hrothgar's hall; the hardy and wise one
had purged it anew。 His night…work pleased him;
his deed and its honor。 To Eastern Danes
had the valiant Geat his vaunt made good;
all their sorrow and ills assuaged;
their bale of battle borne so long;
and all the dole they erst endured
pain a…plenty。 'Twas proof of this;
when the hardy…in…fight a hand laid down;
arm and shoulder; all; indeed;
of Grendel's gripe; 'neath the gabled roof。
'1' Kenning for Beowulf。
XIII
MANY at morning; as men have told me;
warriors gathered the gift…hall round;
folk…leaders faring from far and near;
o'er wide…stretched ways; the wonder to view;
trace of the traitor。 Not troublous seemed
the enemy's end to any man
who saw by the gait of the graceless foe
how the weary…hearted; away from thence;
baffled in battle and banned; his steps
death…marked dragged to the devils' mere。
Bloody the billows were boiling there;
turbid the tide of tumbling waves
horribly seething; with sword…blood hot;
by that doomed one dyed; who in den of the moor
laid forlorn his life adown;
his heathen soul; and hell received it。
Home then rode the hoary clansmen
from that merry journey; and many a youth;
on horses white; the hardy warriors;
back from the mere。 Then Beowulf's glory
eager they echoed; and all averred
that from sea to sea; or south or north;
there was no other in earth's domain;
under vault of heaven; more valiant found;
of warriors none more worthy to rule!
(On their lord beloved they laid no slight;
gracious Hrothgar: a good king he!)
From time to time; the tried…in…battle
their gray steeds set to gallop amain;
and ran a race when the road seemed fair。
From time to time; a thane of the king;
who had made many vaunts; and was mindful of verses;
stored with sagas and songs of old;
bound word to word in well…knit rime;
welded his lay; this warrior soon
of Beowulf's quest right cleverly sang;
and artfully added an excellent tale;
in well…ranged words; of the warlike deeds
he had heard in saga of Sigemund。
Strange the story: he said it all;
the Waelsing's wanderings wide; his struggles;
which never were told to tribes of men;
the feuds and the frauds; save to Fitela only;
when of these doings he deigned to speak;
uncle to nephew; as ever the twain
stood side by side in stress of war;
and multitude of the monster kind
they had felled with their swords。 Of Sigemund grew;
when he passed from life; no little praise;
for the doughty…in…combat a dragon killed
that herded the hoard:'1' under hoary rock
the atheling dared the deed alone
fearful quest; nor was Fitela there。
Yet so it befell; his falchion pierced
that wondrous worm