The Wanderer

transliterator: thothica

work_id: "d5fe9e58-3f94-4c5e-961f-267c5e2f09f4" work_slug: "unknown-old-english-elegies-d5fe9e" work_title: Old English Elegies author_name: Unknown chapter_number: 11 chapter_title: The Wanderer chapter_slug: "11-the-wanderer" variant_id: "649247f5-a662-4fa5-ada1-c08b454dc000" content_type: transliteration layout: prose language: old_english source_language: old_english language_direction: ltr script: latin word_count: 726 estimated_read_time: 7 source_url: "https://sacred-texts.com/neu/ascp/a03_06.htm"

The Wanderer

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Oft him anhaga are gebideth, metudes miltse, theah the he modchearig geond lagulade longe sholde hreran mid hondum hrimkalde sae, 5 wadan wraeclastas. Wyrd bith ful ared! Swa cwaeth eardstapa, earfetha gemyndig, wrathra waelsleahta, winemaega hryre: "Oft ic sholde ana uhtna gehwylce mine cheare cwithan. Nis nu kwikra nan 10 the ic him modsefan minne durre sweotule asejjan. Ic to sothe wat thaet bith in eorle indryhten theaw, thaet he his ferthlocan faeste binde, healde his hordcofan, hyjje swa he wille. 15 Ne maeg werig mod wyrde withstondan, ne se hreo hyge helpe gefremman. Forthon domgeorne dreorigne oft in hyra breostcofan bindath faeste; swa ic modsefan minne sholde, 20 oft earmchearig, ethle bidaeled, freomaegum feor feterum saelan, siththan geara iu goldwine minne hrusan heolstre biwrah, ond ic hean thonan wod winterchearig ofer wathema gebind, 25 sohte sele dreorig sinces bryttan, hwaer ic feor oththe neah findan meahte thone the in meduhealle min mine wisse, oththe mec freondleasne frefran wolde, weman mid wynnum. Wat se the cunnath, 30 hu slithen bith sorg to geferan, tham the him lyt hafath leofra geholena. Warath hine wraeclast, nales wunden gold, ferthloca freorig, nalaes foldan blaed. Gemon he selesejjas ond sincthege, 35 hu hine on geoguthe his goldwine wenede to wiste. Wyn eal gedreas! Forthon wat se the sceal his winedryhtnes leofes larcwidum longe fortholian, thonne sorg ond slaep somod aetgaedre 40 earmne anhogan oft gebindath. thinceth him on mode thaet he his mondryhten clyppe ond cysse, ond on cneo lejje honda ond heafod, swa he hwilum aer in geardagum giefstolas breac. 45 thonne onwaecneth eft wineleas guma, gesihth him biforan fealwe wegas, bathian brimfuglas, braedan fethra, hreosan hrim ond snaw, hagle gemenged. thonne beoth thy hefigran heortan benne, 50 sare aefter swaesne. Sorg bith geniwad, thonne maga gemynd mod geondhweorfeth; greteth gliwstafum, georne geondsceawath secga geseldan. Swimmath eft on weg! Fleotendra ferth no thaer fela bringeth 55 cuthra cwidegiedda. Cearo bith geniwad tham the sendan sceal swithe geneahhe ofer wathema gebind werigne sefan. Forthon ic gethencan ne maeg geond thas woruld for hwan modsefa min ne gesweorce, 60 thonne ic eorla lif eal geondthence, hu hi faerlice flet ofgeafon, modge maguthegnas. Swa thes middangeard ealra dogra gehwam dreoseth ond falleth, forthon ne maeg weorthan wis wer, aer he age 65 wintra dael in woruldrice. Wita sceal gethyldig, ne sceal no to hatheort ne to hraedwyrde, ne to wac wiga ne to wanhydig, ne to forht ne to faegen, ne to feohgifre ne naefre gielpes to georn, aer he geare cunne. 70 Beorn sceal gebidan, thonne he beot spriceth, oththaet collenferth cunne gearwe hwider hrethra gehygd hweorfan wille. Ongietan sceal gleaw haele hu gaestlic bith, thonne ealre thisse worulde wela weste stondeth, 75 swa nu missenlice geond thisne middangeard winde biwaune weallas stondath, hrime bihrorene, hrythge tha ederas. Woriath tha winsalo, waldend licgath dreame bidrorene, duguth eal gecrong, 80 wlonc bi wealle. Sume wig fornom, ferede in forthwege, sumne fugel othbaer ofer heanne holm, sumne se hara wulf deathe gedaelede, sumne dreorighleor in eorthscraefe eorl gehydde. 85 Ythde swa thisne eardgeard aelda scyppend oththaet burgwara breahtma lease eald enta geweorc idlu stodon. Se thonne thisne wealsteal wise gethohte ond this deorce lif deope geondthenceth, 90 frod in ferthe, feor oft gemon waelsleahta worn, ond thas word acwith: "Hwaer cwom mearg? Hwaer cwom mago? Hwaer cwom maththumgyfa? Hwaer cwom symbla gesetu? Hwaer sindon seledreamas? Eala beorht bune! Eala byrnwiga! 95 Eala theodnes thrym! Hu seo thrag gewat, genap under nihthelm, swa heo no waere. Stondeth nu on laste leofre duguthe weal wundrum heah, wyrmlicum fah. Eorlas fornoman asca thrythe, 100 waepen waelgifru, wyrd seo maere, ond thas stanhleothu stormas cnyssath, hrith hreosende hrusan bindeth, wintres woma, thonne won cymeth, nipeth nihtscua, northan onsendeth 105 hreo haeglfare haelethum on andan. Eall is earfothlic eorthan rice, onwendeth wyrda gesceaft weoruld under heofonum. Her bith feoh laene, her bith freond laene, her bith mon laene, her bith maeg laene, 110 eal this eorthan gesteal idel weortheth!" Swa cwaeth snottor on mode, gesaet him sundor aet rune. Til bith se the his treowe gehealdeth, ne sceal naefre his torn to rycene beorn of his breostum acythan, nemthe he aer tha bote cunne, eorl mid elne gefremman. Wel bith tham the him are secheth, 115 frofre to faeder on heofonum, thaer us eal seo faestnung stondeth.