The Old Ways

Norse · Anglo-Saxon Poetry · 40 of 343

The Husband's Message

Old English originals (Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records)

Nu ic onsundran þe secgan wille ...... treocyn ic tudre aweox; in mec æld... sceal ellor londes settan ...... sealte streamas ...sse. Ful oft ic on bates gesohte þær mec mondryhten min ...... ofer heah hofu; eom nu her cumen on ceolþele, ond nu cunnan scealt hu þu ymb modlufan mines frean on hyge hycge. Ic gehatan dear þæt þu þær tirfæste treowe findest. Hwæt, þec þonne biddan het se þisne beam agrof þæt þu sinchroden sylf gemunde

on gewitlocan wordbeotunga, þe git on ærdagum oft gespræcon, þenden git moston on meoduburgum eard weardigan, an lond bugan, freondscype fremman. Hine fæhþo adraf of sigeþeode; heht nu sylfa þe lustum læran, þæt þu lagu drefde, siþþan þu gehyrde on hliþes oran galan geomorne geac on bearwe. Ne læt þu þec siþþan siþes getwæfan, lade gelettan lifgendne monn. Ongin mere secan, mæwes eþel, onsite sænacan, þæt þu suð heonan ofer merelade monnan findest,

þær se þeoden is þin on wenum. Ne mæg him worulde willa gelimpan mara on gemyndum, þæs þe he me sægde, þonne inc geunne alwaldend god ...... ætsomne siþþan motan secgum ond gesiþum s... næglede beagas; he genoh hafað f æ dan goldes ...d elþeode eþel healde, fægre foldan ...ra hæleþa, þeah þe her min wine... nyde gebæded, nacan ut aþrong, ond on yþa geong ...... sceolde faran on flotweg, forðsiþes georn,

mengan merestreamas. Nu se mon hafað wean oferwunnen; nis him wilna gad, ne meara ne maðma ne meododreama, ænges ofer eorþan eorlgestreona, þeodnes dohtor, gif he þin beneah ofer eald gebeot incer twega. Gecyre ic ætsomne ᛋ ᚱ geador ᛠ ᚹ ond ᛞ aþe benemnan, þæt he þa wære ond þa winetreowe be him lifgendum læstan wolde, þe git on ærdagum oft gespræconn.