Hand was in common; the currents were seething
With gore that was clotted, and Grendel’s fierce mother’s
Head I offhacked in the hall at the bottom
With huge-reaching sword-edge, hardly I wrested
My life from her clutches; not doomed was I then,
But the warden of earlmen afterward gave me
Jewels in quantity, kinsman of Healfdene.
[1] For ‘lifigende’ (2063), a mere conjecture, ‘wígende’ has been suggested. The line would then read: Escapeth by fighting, knows the land thoroughly.
[2] For ‘fæðmum,’ Gr.’s conjecture, B. proposes ‘færunga.’ These three half-verses would then read: She bore off the corpse of her foe suddenly under the mountain-torrent.
[3] The phrase ‘þíne lýfe’ (2132) was long rendered ‘with thy (presupposed) permission.’ The verse would read: The land-prince then sadly besought me, with thy (presupposed) permission, etc.