Oft him anhaga

Often the
solitary one
are gebide,
finds grace
for himself
metudes miltse,
the mercy
of the Lord,
eah e he modcearig
Although
he, sorry-
hearted,
geond lagulade
must for a
long time
longe sceolde
move by
hand [in
context =
row]
hreran mid hondum
along the
waterways,
hrimcealde s
!along" the
ice-cold sea,
wadan wrclastas#
tread the
$aths of
e%ile#
&yrd bi ful ard'
(vents
always go
as they
must'
)wa cw eardsta$a, )o s$o*e the wanderer,
earfea gemyndig, mindful of hardshi$s,
wrara wlsleahta, of fierce slaughters
winemga hryre+ and the downfall of *insmen+
,a Oft ic sceolde ana Often !or always" - had alone
uhtna gehwylce to s$ea* of my trouble
mine ceare cwian# each morning before dawn#
.is nu cwicra nan /here is none now living
e ic him modsefan to whom - dare
minne durre clearly s$ea*
sweotule asecgan# of my innermost thoughts#
-c to soe wat - *now it truly,
01a t bi in eorle that it is in men
indryhten eaw, a noble custom,
t he his ferlocan that one should *ee$ secure
fste binde, his s$irit-chest !mind",
healde his hordcofan, guard his treasure-chamber !thoughts",
hycge swa he wille# thin* as he wishes#
.e mg werig mod /he weary s$irit cannot
wyrde wistondan, withstand fate !the turn of events",
02a ne se hreo hyge nor does a rough or sorrowful mind
hel$e gefremman# do any good !$erform anything hel$ful"#
3oron domgeorne /hus those eager for glory
dreorigne oft often *ee$ secure
in hyra breostcofan dreary thoughts
binda fste4 in their breast4
swa ic modsefan )o -,
minne sceolde, often wretched and sorrowful,
15a oft earmcearig, bereft of my homeland,
ele bidled, far from noble *insmen,
freomgum feor have had to bind in fetters
feterum slan, my inmost thoughts,
sian geara iu )ince long years ago
goldwine minne - hid my lord
hrusan heolstre biwrah, in the dar*ness of the earth,
ond ic hean onan and -, wretched, from there
16a wod wintercearig travelled most sorrowfully
ofer waema gebind, over the fro7en waves,
sohte seledreorig sought, sad at the lac* of a hall,
sinces bryttan, a giver of treasure,
hwr ic feor oe neah where -, far or near,
findan meahte might find
one e in meoduhealle one in the meadhall who
mine wisse, *new my $eo$le,
1,a oe mec freondleasne or wished to console
frefran wolde, the friendless one, me,
wenian mid wynnum# entertain !me" with delights#
&at se e cunna 8e who has tried it *nows
hu slien bi how cruel is
sorg to geferan sorrow as a com$anion
am e him lyt hafa to the one who has few
leofra geholena+ beloved friends+
91a wara hine wrclast, the $ath of e%ile !wrclast" holds him,
nales wunden gold, not at all twisted gold,
ferloca freorig, a fro7en s$irit,
nals foldan bld# not the bounty of the earth#
:emon he selesecgas 8e remembers hall-warriors
ond sincege, and the giving of treasure
hu hine on geogue 8ow in youth his lord !gold-friend"
his goldwine accustomed him
92a wenede to wiste# to the feasting#
&yn eal gedreas' All the ;oy has died'
3oron wat se e sceal And so he *nows it, he who must
his winedryhtnes forgo for a long time
leofes larcwidum the counsels
longe forolian+ of his beloved lord+
onne sorg ond sl /hen sorrow and slee$
somod tgdre both together
65a earmne anhogan often tie u$
oft gebinda# the wretched solitary one#
ince him on mode 8e thin*s in his mind
t he his mondryhten that he embraces and *isses
cly$$e ond cysse, his lord,
ond on cneo lecge and on his !the lord<s" *nees lays
honda ond heafod, his hands and his head,
swa he hwilum r =ust as, at times !hwilum", before,
66a in geardagum in days gone by,
giefstolas breac# he en;oyed the gift-seat !throne"#
>onne onwcne eft /hen the friendless man
wineleas guma, wa*es u$ again,
gesih him biforan 8e sees before him
fealwe wegas, fallow waves
baian brimfuglas, )ea birds bathe,
brdan fera, $reening their feathers,
6,a hreosan hrim ond snaw 3rost and snow fall,
hagle gemenged# mi%ed with hail#
?onne beo y hefigran /hen are the heavier
heortan benne, the wounds of the heart,
sare fter swsne#
grievous !sare" with longing for !fter"
the lord#
)org bi geniwad )orrow is renewed
onne maga gemynd when the mind !mod" surveys
mod geondhweorfe4 the memory of *insmen4
@1a grete gliwstafum, 8e greets them ;oyfully,
georne geondsceawa eagerly scans
secga geseldan4 the com$anions of men4
swimma oft on weg they always swim away#
fleotendra fer /he s$irits of seafarers
no r fela bringe never bring bac* there much
cura cwidegiedda# in the way of *nown s$eech#
Aearo bi geniwad Aare is renewed
@2a am e sendan sceal for the one who must send
swie geneahhe very often
ofer waema gebind over the binding of the waves
werigne sefan# a weary heart#
3oron ic geencan ne mg -ndeed - cannot thin*
geond as woruld why my s$irit
for hwan modsefa does not dar*en
min ne gesweorce when - $onder on the whole
25a onne ic eorla lif life of men
eal geondence, throughout the world,
hu hi frlice 8ow they suddenly
flet ofgeafon, left the floor !hall",
modge maguegnas# the $roud thanes#
)wa es middangeard )o this middle-earth,
ealra dogra gehwam a bit each day,
dreose ond fealle4 droo$s and decays -
26a foron ne mg weoran wis /herefore man !wer"
wer, r he age cannot call himself wise, before he has
wintra dl in woruldrice# a share of years in the world#
&ita sceal geyldig, A wise man must be $atient,
ne sceal no to hatheort 8e must never be too im$ulsive
ne to hrdwyrde, nor too hasty of s$eech,
ne to wac wiga nor too wea* a warrior
ne to wanhydig, nor too rec*less,
2,a ne to forht ne to fgen, nor too fearful, nor too cheerful,
ne to feohgifre nor too greedy for goods,
ne nfre giel$es to georn, nor ever too eager for boasts,
r he geare cunne# before he sees clearly#
Beorn sceal gebidan, A man must wait
onne he beot s$rice, when he s$ea*s oaths,
ot collenfer until the $roud-hearted one
cunne gearwe sees clearly
C1a hwider hrera gehygd whither the intent of his heart
hweorfan wille# will turn#
Ongietan sceal gleaw hle A wise hero must reali7e
hu gstlic bi, how terrible it will be,
onne ealre isse worulde wela when all the wealth of this world
weste stonde, lies waste,
swa nu missenlice as now in various $laces
geond isne middangeard throughout this middle-earth
C2a winde biwaune walls stand,
weallas stonda, blown by the wind,
hrime bihrorene, covered with frost,
hryge a ederas# storm-swe$t the buildings#
&oria a winsalo, /he halls decay,
waldend licga their lords lie
dreame bidrorene, de$rived of ;oy,
dugu eal gecrong, the whole troo$ has fallen,
,5a wlonc bi wealle# the $roud ones, by the wall#
)ume wig fornom, &ar too* off some,
ferede in forwege, carried them on their way,
sumne fugel obr one, the bird too* off
ofer heanne holm, across the dee$ sea,
sumne se hara wulf one, the gray wolf
deae gedlde, shared one with death,
sumne dreorighleor one, the dreary-faced
,6a in eorscrfe man buried
eorl gehydde# in a grave#
Dde swa isne eardgeard And so 8e destroyed this city,
lda scy$$end 8e, the Areator of Een,
ot burgwara until de$rived of the noise
breahtma lease of the citi7ens,
eald enta geweorc the ancient wor* of giants
idlu stodon# stood em$ty#
,,a )e onne isne wealsteal 8e who thought wisely
wise geohte on this foundation,
ond is deorce lif and $ondered dee$ly
deo$e geondence, on this dar* life,
frod in fere, wise in s$irit,
feor oft gemon remembered often from afar
wlsleahta worn, many conflicts,
ond as word acwi+ and s$o*e these words+
F1a
8wr cwom meargG 8wr cwom
magoG [H]
&here is the horse goneG &here the
riderG
8wr cwom maumgyfaG &here the giver of treasureG
8wr cwom symbla gesetuG &here are the seats at the feastG
8wr sindon seledreamasG &here are the revels in the hallG
(ala beorht bune' Alas for the bright cu$'
(ala byrnwiga' Alas for the mailed warrior'
(ala eodnes rym' Alas for the s$lendour of the $rince'
8u seo rag gewat, 8ow that time has $assed away,
F2a gena$ under nihthelm, dar* under the cover of night,
swa heo no wre# as if it had never been'
)tonde nu on laste .ow there stands in the trace
leofre dugue of the beloved troo$
weal wundrum heah, a wall, wondrously high,
wyrmlicum fah# wound round with ser$ents#
(orlas fornoman /he warriors ta*en off
asca rye, by the glory of s$ears,
055a w$en wlgifru, the wea$ons greedy for slaughter,
wyrd seo mre, the famous fate !turn of events",
ond as stanhleou and storms beat
stormas cnyssa, these roc*y cliffs,
hri hreosende falling frost
hrusan binde, fetters the earth,
wintres woma, the harbinger of winter4
onne won cyme, /hen dar* comes,
056a ni$e nihtscua, nightshadows dee$en,
noran onsende from the north there comes
hreo hglfare a rough hailstorm
hleum on andan# in malice against men#
(all is earfolic All is troublesome
eoran rice, in this earthly *ingdom,
onwende wyrda gesceaft the turn of events changes
weoruld under heofonum# the world under the heavens#
05,a 8er bi feoh lne, 8ere money is fleeting,
her bi freond lne, here friend is fleeting,
her bi mon lne, here man is fleeting,
her bi mg lne, here *insman is fleeting,
eal is eoran gesteal all the foundation of this world
idel weore' turns to waste'
)wa cw snottor on mode, )o s$a*e the wise man in his mind,
gest him sundor t rune# where he sat a$art in counsel#
001a /il bi se e his treowe gehealde, :ood is he who *ee$s his faith,
ne sceal nfre his torn to rycene And a warrior must never s$ea*
beorn of his breostum acyan, his grief of his breast too Iuic*ly,
neme he r a bote cunne, unless he already *nows the remedy -
eorl mid elne gefremman# a hero must act with courage#
&el bi am e him are sece, -t is better for the one that see*s mercy,
frofre to 3der on heofonum,
consolation from the father in the
heavens,
r us eal seo fstnung stonde# where, for us, all $ermanence rests#
Notes
line 92a+ -n =# J# J# /ol*ien<s The Lord of the Rings, in cha$ter si% of /he /wo
/owers, Aragorn sings a song of Johan !itself a version of Anglo-)a%on (ngland",
beginning K&here now the horse and the riderG &here is the horn that was
blowingGK# /he song clearly comes from this section of The Wanderer# !A more
strictly literal translation of KmagoK would be KyouthK, hence K&here is the horse
goneG &here the young manGK -- but since the horse and the youth a$$ear in the
same half-line, /ol*ien<s rendering KriderK is very hard to resist#" [ Bac* to te%t ]