Then they sank down to sleep. And sorely some of them paid for their
evening repose, as full often it had happened to them since Grendel
came to the gold-hall and did evil, until an end was made of him,
death after sins. It was easily seen and widely known to men that
an avenger survived the loathsome one, for a long time after the
war-sorrow. A woman, the mother of Grendel, a terrible wife, bore in
mind her woes. She who was fated to dwell in the awful lake in the
cold streams since Cain became a sword-slayer to his only brother,
his father's son. He then went forth marked for the murder, and fled
from human joys and dwelt in the waste. And thence he awoke many a
fatal demon. And Grendel was one of them, the hateful fierce wolf,
who found the man wide awake awaiting the battle. And there was the
monster at grips with him, yet he remembered the main strength the
wide and ample gift which God gave to him, and trusted in the favour of
the Almighty for himself, for comfort and help by which he vanquished
the enemy and overcame the hell-sprite. Then he departed abject,
bereft of joy, to visit the death-place, he the enemy of mankind.
But his mother, greedy and sad in mind would be making a sorrowful
journey that she might avenge the death of her son. She came then
to Hart, where the Ring-Danes were asleep in that great hall. Then
soon there came misfortune to the earls when the mother of Grendel
entered the chamber. Yet less was the terror, even by so much as the
craft of maidens, the war-terror of a wife, [34] is less than that of
men beweaponed--when the sword hard bound and forged by the hammer,
and stained with blood, cuts the boar on the helmet of the foe with
its edge. Then in the hall, the hard edge was drawn, the sword over
the seats, and many a broad shield, heaved up fast by the hand. And
no one heeded the helmet nor the broad shield when terror seized upon
them. She was in great haste, she would go thence her life to be saving
when she was discovered. Quickly she had seized one of the Athelings
fast in her grip when forth she was fleeing away to the fen-land. He
was to Hrothgar the dearest of heroes, in the number of his comrades
by the two seas, a powerful shield-warrior, whom she killed as he
slumbered, a youth of renown. Beowulf was not there. To another the
place was assigned after the treasure-gift had been bestowed on the
famous Geat. Then a great tumult was made in Hart, and with bloodshed
she had seized the well-known hand of Grendel her son. And care was
renewed in all the dwellings. Nor was that a good exchange that they
on both sides should be buying with the lives of their friends.
Then was the wise King, the hoar battle-warrior, rough in his mood
when he came to know that the dearest of his chief thanes was dead
and bereft of life. And Beowulf quickly was fetched into the bower,
he, the man all victorious. And at the dawning went one of the earls,
a noble champion, he and his comrades, where the proud man was waiting,
to see whether the All-wielder will ever be causing a change after
woe-spells. And the battle-worthy man went along the floor with his
band of followers (the hall wood [35] was resounding) so that he
greeted the wise man with words, the Lord of the Danes, and asked
him if he had had a quiet night in spite of the pressing call.