{[Grendel’s progenitor, Cain, is again referred to.]}

          The cold-flowing currents, after Cain had become a
          Slayer-with-edges to his one only brother,
          The son of his sire; he set out then banished,
          Marked as a murderer, man-joys avoiding,
       15 Lived in the desert.  Thence demons unnumbered

{The poet again magnifies Beowulf’s valor.}

          Fate-sent awoke; one of them Grendel,
          Sword-cursed, hateful, who at Heorot met with
          A man that was watching, waiting the struggle,
          Where a horrid one held him with hand-grapple sturdy;
       20 Nathless he minded the might of his body,
          The glorious gift God had allowed him,
          And folk-ruling Father’s favor relied on,
          His help and His comfort:  so he conquered the foeman,
          The hell-spirit humbled:  he unhappy departed then,
       25 Reaved of his joyance, journeying to death-haunts,
          Foeman of man.  His mother moreover

{Grendel’s mother comes to avenge her son.}

          Eager and gloomy was anxious to go on
          Her mournful mission, mindful of vengeance
          For the death of her son.  She came then to Heorot
[45] 30 Where the Armor-Dane earlmen all through the building
          Were lying in slumber.  Soon there became then
          Return[2] to the nobles, when the mother of Grendel
          Entered the folk-hall; the fear was less grievous
          By even so much as the vigor of maidens,
       35 War-strength of women, by warrior is reckoned,
          When well-carved weapon, worked with the hammer,
          Blade very bloody, brave with its edges,
          Strikes down the boar-sign that stands on the helmet. 
          Then the hard-edged weapon was heaved in the building,[3]
       40 The brand o’er the benches, broad-lindens many
          Hand-fast were lifted; for helmet he recked not,
          For armor-net broad, whom terror laid hold of. 
          She went then hastily, outward would get her
          Her life for to save, when some one did spy her;

{She seizes a favorite liegemen of Hrothgar’s.}

       45 Soon she had grappled one of the athelings
          Fast and firmly, when fenward she hied her;
          That one to Hrothgar was liefest of heroes
          In rank of retainer where waters encircle,
          A mighty shield-warrior, whom she murdered at slumber,
       50 A broadly-famed battle-knight.  Beowulf was absent,

{Beowulf was asleep in another part of the palace.}

          But another apartment was erstwhile devoted
          To the glory-decked Geatman when gold was distributed. 
          There was hubbub in Heorot.  The hand that was famous
          She grasped in its gore;[4] grief was renewed then