“The king himself came from the queen’s quarters,
Regal and royal, the ring-treasure guardian,
Well-known and noble, knights and earls with him,
A column of comfort, the queen right beside him,
And beautiful, bountiful, a bevy of women”
Famed as a Fighter
“He was famed as a fighter, ferocity unmatched,
A baron of battle, the best in the business,
His great and good deeds, all gained by his courage”
The Whole Clan
“Conquering they killed a whole clan of giants,
Seeking with swords to signal their glory”
Singing the Story
“And song after song the stop would recount
From his storehouse of stories, singing with wisdom,
Glorying in good words, the great, ancient tales.
One after another he eagerly sang them,
Weaving in wisdom, old words with new ones”
Hell’s Welcome
“Facing his death-fate, his fen then received him,
Lurking and luckless, from life he relinquished
His hard-hearted soul. Hell came then and took him”
Bloody Trail Home
“Doomed and despairing, he dragged bloody footprints.
The blood boiled in the water, bucking and seething,
Swirls of hot wound-slurry, surging in turmoil,
Oozing out envy and utter disaster”
A Gable Trophy
“The proof of proud victory, presented in gladness,
When the hard warrior’s hand held the grim trophy,
The talon he tore off, with the torn arm and shoulder,
And Grendel’s long grip to the gable was nailed”
Impervious
“They had not known, nearing their enemy,
These hardy friends, heroes, these high-hearted warriors,
Swinging their swords from several sides,
That the keenest blade could not kill the creature”
Heard Down in Hell
“That hellish howl was heard by everyone,
The cry of that captive, his clamor and pain
Was heard down in Hell. Beowulf held him,
Stalwart, stubborn, the strongest of men
Who ever earned honor under the sun”
Sin Shepherd
“Then that sin-shepherd soon saw far more trouble
Than he ever encountered in all middle earth.”