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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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34 CHAPTER XII The Scop chants how Beowulf’s men hacked in vain at Grendel with their ancestral swords, apparently forgetting in their fury and terror what Beowulf had said, that Grendel bore a charmed life against all weapons of mankind. But Beowulf at last tore out Grendel’s arm, and the wounded Monster fled forth into the night to die in his dark, murky fens; and Beowulf hung the bloody trophy under the roof of Heorot-as it would seem, on the outside just over the door. The jarls’ Defender would not, forsooth with a will, Let him loose aliving-him who came to kill, Deeming not his life-days of use to any folk. More than once did jarlman of Beowulf try a stroke With his father’s falchion, fain the life to ward Of the Chieftain, their great Lord. They wist not, these warsmen, these hardy-headed few, The while they fell asmiting and thought the while to hew On this side, on that side, seeking soul to kill, That best of earthly iron blades, nor never battle-bill, This accursed Scather could hurt or harm: For over victor-weapons he had cast a charm, Over every sword- edge. Yet his passing-o’er, In the days of his life here, was to be full sore; And this alien Elf- Thing was to fare afar To the under-places where the devils are. For he had found, had Grendel,- this Striver against God, Who in such merry mood of old so oft on man had trod, That his bulk-of- body would not help him moe, Now Hygelac’s stout Kinsman held his fore-paw so! Was each unto the other alive a loathly thing. A body-sore he gat there, this wretched Ogrering: There showed upon his shoulder a cureless wound anon; His sinews sprang asunder; from socket burst the bone. To Beowulf was given the glory of the fray; And Grendel was to flee hence, sick-to-death, away, Off under fen-slopes, off to dens of gloom. He wist, O well he wist it, his end-of-life had come, His full tale of days now.- The wish of Danemen all, After that gory set-to, had come to pass withal. He had now y-cleansed, he who came from far, The Wise-Head and Stout-Heart, the House of high Hrothgar, Had freed it now from fury. His night-work made him glad, His deed of might and glory. The Geatmen’s Leader had Now before the East-Danes fulfilled his vaunting there, |
