Anglo-Saxons.net

Show text and translation
Hide word order translation guides
Change verse line numbering

	1: Oft 4: him 2: anhaga     3: are gebideð,
	metudes miltse,     1: þeah þe he modcearig
	4: geond lagulade     2: longe sceolde
4	3: hreran mid hondum     5: hrimcealde sæ
	wadan wræclastas.     Wyrd bið ful aræd!

	Swa cwæð eardstapa,     earfeþa gemyndig,
	wraþra wælsleahta,     winemæga hryre:

8	1: Oft ic sceolde ana     3: uhtna gehwylce
	2: mine ceare cwiþan.     Nis nu cwicra nan
	1: þe ic him 5: modsefan     4: minne 2: durre
	3: sweotule asecgan.     Ic to soþe wat
12	þæt biþ in eorle     indryhten þeaw,
	1: þæt he 3: his ferðlocan     2: fæste binde,
	healde his hordcofan,     hycge swa he wille.
	Ne mæg werig mod     wyrde wiðstondan,
16	ne se hreo hyge     helpe gefremman.
	Forðon domgeorne     3: dreorigne 1: oft
	4: in hyra breostcofan     2: bindað fæste;
	1: swa ic 8: modsefan     7: minne 5: sceolde,
20	2: oft earmcearig,     3: eðle bidæled,
	4: freomægum feor     6: feterum sælan,
	siþþan geara iu     2: goldwine minne
	3: hrusan heolstre 1: biwrah,     ond ic hean þonan
24	wod wintercearig     ofer waþema gebind,
	sohte seledreorig     sinces bryttan,
	hwær ic feor oþþe neah     findan meahte
	þone þe in meoduhealle     mine wisse,
28	1: oþþe 3: mec freondleasne     2: frefran wolde,
	wenian mid wynnum.     Wat se þe cunnað
	hu sliþen bið     sorg to geferan
	þam þe him lyt hafað     leofra geholena:
32	warað hine wræclast,     nales wunden gold,
	ferðloca freorig,     nalæs foldan blæd.
	Gemon he selesecgas     ond sincþege,
	1: hu 5: hine 2: on geoguðe     3: his goldwine
36	4: wenede 6: to wiste.     Wyn eal gedreas!

	Forþon wat se þe sceal     3: his 5: winedryhtnes
	4: leofes 2: larcwidum     1: longe forþolian:
	ðonne sorg ond slæð     somod ætgædre
40	2: earmne anhogan     1: oft gebindað.
	þinceð him on mode     1: þæt he 3: his mondryhten
	2: clyppe ond cysse,     ond on cneo lecge
	honda ond heafod,     swa he hwilum ær
44	in geardagum     giefstolas breac.
	1: Ðonne 3: onwæcneð eft     2: wineleas guma,
	gesihð him biforan     fealwe wegas,
	baþian brimfuglas,     brædan feþra,
48	hreosan hrim ond snaw     hagle gemenged.

	Þonne beoð þy hefigran     heortan benne,
	sare æfter swæsne.     Sorg bið geniwad
	1: þonne 3: maga gemynd     2: mod geondhweorfeð;
52	greteð gliwstafum,     georne geondsceawað
	secga geseldan;     swimmað oft on weg
	fleotendra ferð     no þær fela bringeð
	cuðra cwidegiedda.     Cearo bið geniwad
56	þam þe sendan sceal     swiþe geneahhe
	ofer waþema gebind     werigne sefan.

	Forþon ic geþencan ne mæg     8: geond þas woruld
	1: for hwan 3: modsefa     2: min 4: ne gesweorce
60	5: þonne ic 7: eorla lif     6: eal geondþence,
	hu hi færlice     flet ofgeafon,
	modge maguþegnas.     Swa þes middangeard
	ealra dogra gehwam     dreoseð ond fealleð;
64	1: forþon 3: ne mæg weorþan wis     2: wer, 4: ær he age
	wintra dæl in woruldrice.     Wita sceal geþyldig,
	ne sceal no to hatheort     ne to hrædwyrde,
	ne to wac wiga     ne to wanhydig,
68	ne to forht ne to fægen,     ne to feohgifre
	ne næfre gielpes to georn,     ær he geare cunne.
	Beorn sceal gebidan,     þonne he beot spriceð,
	oþþæt collenferð     cunne gearwe
72	hwider hreþra gehygd     hweorfan wille.
	Ongietan sceal gleaw hæle     hu gæstlic bið,
	þonne ealre þisse worulde wela     weste stondeð,
	swa nu missenlice     geond þisne middangeard
76	2: winde biwaune     1: weallas stondaþ,
	hrime bihrorene,     hryðge þa ederas.
	Woriað þa winsalo,     waldend licgað
	dreame bidrorene,     duguþ eal gecrong,
80	wlonc bi wealle.     Sume wig fornom,
	ferede in forðwege,     sumne fugel oþbær
	ofer heanne holm,     sumne se hara wulf
	deaðe gedælde,     sumne dreorighleor
84	2: in eorðscræfe     1: eorl gehydde.
	Yþde swa þisne eardgeard     ælda scyppend
	oþþæt 2: burgwara     1: breahtma lease
	eald enta geweorc     idlu stodon.

88	Se þonne 2: þisne wealsteal     1: wise geþohte
	ond 2: þis deorce lif     1: deope geondþenceð,
	frod in ferðe,     feor oft gemon
	wælsleahta worn,     ond þas word acwið:

92	Hwær cwom mearg? Hwær cwom mago? [#]     Hwær cwom maþþumgyfa?
	Hwær cwom symbla gesetu?     Hwær sindon seledreamas?
	Eala beorht bune!     Eala byrnwiga!
	Eala þeodnes þrym!     Hu seo þrag gewat,
96	genap under nihthelm,     swa heo no wære.
	Stondeð nu on laste     leofre duguþe
	weal wundrum heah,     wyrmlicum fah.
	Eorlas fornoman     asca þryþe,
100	wæpen wælgifru,     wyrd seo mære,
	ond 2: þas stanhleoþu     1: stormas cnyssað,
	hrið hreosende     hrusan bindeð,
	wintres woma,     þonne won cymeð,
104	nipeð nihtscua,     norþan onsendeð
	hreo hæglfare     hæleþum on andan.
	Eall is earfoðlic     eorþan rice,
	onwendeð wyrda gesceaft     weoruld under heofonum.
108	Her bið feoh læne,     her bið freond læne,
	her bið mon læne,     her bið mæg læne,
	eal þis eorþan gesteal     idel weorþeð!

	Swa cwæð snottor on mode,     gesæt him sundor æt rune.
112	Til biþ se þe his treowe gehealdeþ,     2: ne sceal næfre 4: his torn 6: to rycene
	1: beorn 5: of his breostum 3: acyþan,     nemþe he ær þa bote cunne,
	eorl mid elne gefremman.     Wel bið þam þe him are seceð,
	frofre to Fæder on heofonum,     þær us eal seo fæstnung stondeð.

Notes

line 92a: In J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, in chapter six of The Two Towers, Aragorn sings a song of Rohan (itself a version of Anglo-Saxon England), beginning "Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?". The song clearly comes from this section of The Wanderer. (A more strictly literal translation of "mago" would be "youth", hence "Where is the horse gone? Where the young man?" -- but since the horse and the youth appear in the same half-line, Tolkien's rendering "rider" is very hard to resist.) [ Back to text ]