seafarers say, that this hall, this best of
houses, stands empty and good for nought
after the evening light is gone. I beseech
thee now, lord of the bright Danes, shielder
of the Scyldings, that I alone may with this
bold band cleanse Heorot. I have heard also,
that the wretched Grendel recks not of
weapons; I will scorn then to bear sword or
the yellow round of a wide shield into the
strife; but with grasp I shall grapple at the
fiend, and foe to foe struggle for life. It is
the lord's doom whom death shall take. I
ween that he will, if he win, fearlessly eat
the Goths in the war hall. Thou wilt not
need to hide my head, for he will bear my
flesh away to eat it in his lonely den.
Care for me then no more. Send to Hygelac,
if I die in the strife, the best of war-shrouds
that wards my breast. That Hrædla left me,
it is Weland's work. What is to be goes ever
as it must." Hrothgar, helm of the Scyldings
said; "For fights, friend Beowulf, and
for high praise thou hast sought us. Thy
father quelled for me the greatest feud,
coming over the waves to the Scyldings, when
I in my youth first ruled the Danes. Sorrow
is me to say why Grendel shames me thus in
Heorot. Full often have sons of strife,
drunken with beer, said over the ale-cup
that they in the beer-hall would bide Grendel's
onslaught with sharp edges; then always
in the morning was this mead-hall stained
with gore; when the day dawned all the
bench-floor was besteamed with blood of
faithful men. Sit now to the board and
unseal with mead thy breast among my
warriors." Then was a bench cleared in the
beer-hall for the sons of the Goths. The
thane who bare in his hand the bravely beset
ale-cup, minded his work, poured out the
bright sweet ale; at times the glee-man sang,
peaceful in Heorot: there was gladness of
warriors, of men great among Danes and
Weders.

Hunferth spake; Ecglaf's son, who sat at
the feet of the Scyldings' lord. To him was
the coming of Beowulf, the bold sea-farer,
most irksome, because he grudged that any
other man ever won more praise than himself:
"Art thou the Beowulf who strove with Breca
on the sea, when ye from pride tried the
fords and for foolish boast risked life in the
deep water?" More, also, in this wise said
Hunferth: "He overcame thee in swimming.
He had more strength. Now I look for worse
things, though thou shine ever in war, if thou
durst bide a night near Grendel." Beowulf
replied: "Well, thou a great deal, my
friend Hunferth, drunken with beer, hast
spoken about Breca. I say truly, that I
had greater strength at sea than any other
man. We agreed, being striplings, that we
would risk our lives out on the flood, and we
did thus: We had a naked sword in hand
when we rowed on the deep, meant for
our war against the whale fishes. He could
not swim away from me, nor I from him; we
were together in the sea a five nights' space,
till the flood drove us asunder; the boiling
fords, the coldest of weather, cloudy night, and
the north wind deadly grim threw up rough
billows: roused was the rage of the sea-fishes.
There my body-shirt, hard, hand-locked
gave me help against the foes; my braided
war-rail lay upon my breast, handsome with
gold. A painted foe drew me to the ground,
a grim one had me in his grasp, yet it was
granted me to reach the wretched being with
the point of my war-blade. Thus often my
foes threatened me. I paid them as was
fit with my dear sword. In the morning
wounded with thrusts they lay put to sleep
in shoals, so that they have not afterwards
been any let to the sea-farers. Light came
from the east, the seas were still, so that
I might see the headland's windy walls. The
Must Be often helps an undoomed man when
he is brave. Yet it was my lot to slay nine
nickers. I have not heard of harder fight by
night under heaven's round. Breca never yet,
nor any of you, at the game of war did such
great deeds. Of this I boast not. Though
thou hast been the slayer of thy brothers,
for which thou shalt pay in hell. Grendel
would not have done such gruesome deeds
in Heorot, if thy mind were as war-fierce as
thou tellest of thyself. He has found that
he cares not for the strength of your folk, he
slays and shends you, and expects not strife
from the Gar Danes. But a Goth shall show
him fight, and afterwards he shall go to the
mead who may, in peace and gladness."

Glad then was the bright Danes' lord,
hoary-locked and war-praised, trusting in
help when he heard Beowulf. There was
laughter of men, the din rose, words were
winsome. Wealtheow, Hrothgar's queen,
went forth. Mindful of their rank the frolic
wife, gold-decked, greeted the men in hall,
first gave the cup to the lord of the East
Danes, bade him, dear to his land, be blithe
at the beer-drinking. He gladly shared the
meal and hall-cup. Then she went round,
and gave on every side rich vessels to old
and young, until she bore the mead-cup,
bracelet-covered queen, to Beowulf. She
greeted the Goths' lord, thanking God that
the will had befallen her to trust in any earl
for help. He, the fierce warrior, drank of
the cup from Wealtheow, and then fitted for
strife, spake Beowulf, Eegtheow's son: "I
meant when I went on the main that I alone
would work your folk's will or bow in death
under the foeman's grasp. I shall do brave
deeds, or await my last day in this mead
hall."

The woman liked the Goth's proud speeches.
Gold-decked went then the queen of the glad
people to sit by her lord, till Healfdene's son
went to his evening rest. He knew that in
the high hall there was to be strife after
murky night came wan under the clouds.
The many all arose; then one man greeted
another, Hrothgar Beowulf, and bade him