BEOWULF translated by Burton Raffel

The Arrival of the Hero from Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel 
         Epic 2

4 

125     . . . Then Wulfgar went to the door and addressed
            The waiting seafarers with soldier’s words:
            “My lord, the great king of the Danes, commands me
            To tell you that he knows of your noble birth
            And that having come to him from over the open
130     Sea you have come bravely and are welcome.
            Now go to him as you are, in your armor and helmets,
            But leave your battle-shields here, and your spears,
            Let them lie waiting for the promises your words
            May make.”
            Beowulf arose, with his men
135     Around him, ordering a few to remain
            With their weapons, leading the others quickly
            Along under Herot’s steep roof into Hrothgar’s
            Presence. Standing on that prince’s own hearth,
            Helmeted, the silvery metal of his mail shirt
140     Gleaming with a smith’s high art, he greeted
            The Danes’ great lord:
            “Hail, Hrothgar!
            Higlac is my cousin and my king; the days
            Of my youth have been filled with glory. Now Grendel’s
            Name has echoed in our land: Sailors
145     Have brought us stories of Herot, the best
            Of all mead-halls, deserted and useless when the moon
            Hangs in skies the sun had lit,
            Light and life fleeing together.
            My people have said, the wisest, most knowing
150     And best of them, that my duty was to go to the Danes’
            Great king. They have seen my strength for themselves,
            Have watched me rise from the darkness of war,
            Dripping with my enemies’ blood. I drove
            Five great giants into chains, chased
155     All of that race from the earth. I swam
            In the blackness of night, hunting monsters
            Out of the ocean, and killing them one
            By one; death was my errand and the fate
            They had earned. Now Grendel and I are called
160     Together, and I’ve come. Grant me, then,
            Lord and protector of this noble place,
            A single request! I have come so far,
            Oh shelterer of warriors and your people’s loved friend,
            That this one favor you should not refuse me—
165     That I, alone and with the help of my men,
            May purge all evil from this hall. I have heard,
            Too, that the monster’s scorn of men
            Is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none.
            Nor will I. My lord Higlac
170     Might think less of me if I let my sword
            Go where my feet were afraid to, if I hid
            Behind some broad linden shield: My hands
            Alone shall fight for me, struggle for life
            Against the monster. God must decide
175     Who will be given to death’s cold grip.
            Grendel’s plan, I think, will be
            What it has been before, to invade this hall
            And gorge his belly with our bodies. If he can,
            If he can. And I think, if my time will have come,
180     There’ll be nothing to mourn over, no corpse to prepare
            For its grave: Grendel will carry our bloody
            Flesh to the moors, crunch on our bones,
            And smear torn scraps of our skin on the walls
            Of his den. No, I expect no Danes
185     Will fret about sewing our shrouds, if he wins.
            And if death does take me, send the hammered
            Mail of my armor to Higlac, return
            The inheritance I had from Hrethel,° and he
            From Wayland. Fate will unwind as it must!”