|
Cóm on wanre niht
|
|
In the colourless night came
|
|
scríðan sceadugenga·
scéotend swaéfon
|
|
|
slinking the shadow-wanderer;
the shooters slept,
|
|
|
|
þá þæt hornreced
healdan scoldon
|
|
they that the horned-house were
obliged to guard,
|
|
ealle búton ánum
--þæt wæs yldum cúþ
|
|
all but one --it was known to
men
|
|
þæt híe ne
móste· þá metod nolde·
|
706
|
706 that they could not,
when the Maker did not wish it,
|
|
se synscaþa
under sceadu bregdan--
|
|
by the malefactor be drawn
under the shadows--
|
|
ac hé wæccende wráþum
on andan
|
|
but he
watching in angry indignation
|
|
bád
bolgenmód beadwa geþinges.
|
|
bided in rising rage for the result
of battle.
|
|
XI
|
|
|
|
Ðá cóm of móre
under misthleoþum
|
|
Then came from the moor
under the misty cliffs
|
|
Grendel gongan·
godes yrre bær·
|
711
|
Grendel walking,
God's wrath he bore;
|
|
mynte se mánscaða
manna cynnes
|
|
the vile ravager meant
from mankind
|
|
sumne besyrwan
in sele þám héan·
|
|
a
sample to snare in the high hall;
|
|
wód under wolcnum
tó þæs
þe hé wínreced
|
|
he waded under the clouds
until he the wine-hall,
|
|
goldsele gumena
gearwost wisse
|
|
--the gold-hall of men--
mostly-certainly saw,
|
|
faéttum fáhne·
ne wæs þæt forma síð
|
716
|
shining gold;
it was not the first time
|
|
þæt hé Hróþgáres
hám gesóhte·
|
|
that he Hrothgar's
home had sought;
|
|
naéfre hé on aldordagum
aér ne siþðan
|
|
he never in the days of his
life, ere nor after,
|
|
heardran
haéle healðegnas fand.
|
|
harder luck or hall-thanes found.
|
|
Cóm
þá to recede rinc síðian
|
|
He came then to the
hall the fighter journeying,
|
|
dréamum bedaéled·
duru sóna
onarn
|
721
|
cut-off from merriment;
the door soon rushed open,
|
|
fýrbendum fæst
syþðan hé hire folmum æthrán
|
|
firm with fire-forged bands,
when he tapped it with his hands
|
|
onbraéd þá bealohýdig
ðá hé
gebolgen wæs,
|
|
plotting evil then he tore open,
now that he was enraged,
|
|
recedes múþan·
raþe æfter
þon
|
|
the mouth of the building;
straight after that
|
|
on fágne
flór féond
treddode·
|
|
on the tessellated floor
the fiend treaded,
|
|
éode yrremód·
him of éagum stód
|
726
|
advanced angrily;
from his eyes issued,
|
|
ligge gelícost
léoht unfaéger·
|
|
most like a flame,
a distorted light;
|
|
geseah hé in recede
rinca manige
|
|
he saw in the hall
many warriors
|
|
swefan sibbegedriht
samod ætgædere
|
|
a sleeping company of kinsmen
gathered together
|
|
magorinca
héap. Þá his mód áhlóg:
|
|
a great host of warriors.
Then his heart laughed:
|
|
mynte þæt hé
gedaélde aér þon dæg
cwóme
|
731
|
he intended to deprive,
ere the day came,
|
|
atol áglaéca
ánra gehwylces
|
|
the cruel beast,
from each one
|
|
líf wið líce
þá him álumpen wæs
|
|
life from body,
now had befallen him
|
|
wistfylle
wén. Ne wæs þæt wyrd
þá gén
|
|
a hope of a full feast.
It was not his fate again
|
|
þæt hé má
móste manna cynnes
|
|
that he might more
of mankind
|