[The Seafarer]


Mæg ic be me sylfum    sodhgied wrecan,
sithas secgan,    hu ic geswincdagum
earfodhhwile    oft throwade,
bitre breostceare    gebiden hæbbe,

5

gecunnad in ceole    cearselda fela,
atol ytha gewealc,    thær mec oft bigeat
nearo nihtwaco    æt nacan stefnan,
thonne he be clifum cnossadh.    Calde gethrungen
wæron mine fet,    forste gebunden,

10

caldum clommum,    thær tha ceare seofedun
hat ymb heortan;    hungor innan slat
merewerges mod.    Thæt se mon ne wat
the him on foldan    fægrost limpedh,
hu ic earmcearig    iscealdne sæ

15

winter wunade    wræccan lastum,
winemægum bidroren,
bihongen hrimgicelum;    hægl scurum fleag.
Thær ic ne gehyrde    butan hlimman sæ,
iscaldne wæg.    Hwilum ylfete song

20

dyde ic me to gomene,    ganetes hleothor
ond huilpan sweg    fore hleahtor wera,
mæw singende    fore medodrince.
Stormas thær stanclifu beotan,    thær him stearn oncwædh
isigfethera;    ful oft thæt earn bigeal,

25

urigfethra;    ne ænig hleomæga
feasceaftig ferdh    frefran meahte.

Forthon him gelyfedh lyt,    se the ah lifes wyn
gebiden in burgum,    bealositha hwon,
wlonc ond wingal,    hu ic werig oft

30

in brimlade    bidan sceolde.
Nap nihtscua,    northan sniwde,
hrim hrusan bond,    hægl feol on eorthan,
corna caldast.    Forthon cnyssadh nu
heortan gethohtas,    thæt ic hean streamas,

35

sealtytha gelac    sylf cunnige;
monadh modes lust    mæla gehwylce
ferdh to feran,    thæt ic feor heonan
eltheodigra    eard gesece.
Forthon nis thæs modwlonc    mon ofer eorthan,

40

ne his gifena thæs god,    ne in geoguthe to thæs hwæt,
ne in his dædum to thæs deor,    ne him his dryhten to thæs hold,
thæt he a his sæfore    sorge næbbe,
to hwon hine dryhten    gedon wille.
Ne bith him to hearpan hyge    ne to hringthege,

45

ne to wife wyn    ne to worulde hyht,
ne ymbe owiht elles,    nefne ymb ydha gewealc,
ac a hafadh longunge    se the on lagu fundadh.
Bearwas blostmum nimadh,    byrig fægriadh,
wongas wlitigadh,    woruld onettedh;

50

ealle tha gemoniadh    modes fusne
sefan to sithe,    tham the swa thencedh
on flodwegas    feor gewitan.
Swylce geac monadh    geomran reorde,
singedh sumeres weard,    sorge beodedh

55

bitter in breosthord.    Thæt se beorn ne wat,
esteadig secg,    hwæt tha sume dreogadh
the tha wræclastas    widost lecgadh.

Forthon nu min hyge hweorfedh    ofer hretherlocan,
min modsefa    mid mereflode

60

ofer hwæles ethel    hweorfedh wide,
eorthan sceatas,    cymedh eft to me
gifre ond grædig,    gielledh anfloga,
hwetedh on hwælweg    hrether unwearnum
ofer holma gelagu.    Forthon me hatran sind

65

dryhtnes dreamas    thonne this deade lif,
læne on londe.    Ic gelyfe no
thæt him eordhwelan    ece stondadh.
Simle threora sum    thinga gehwylce,
ær his tid aga,    to tweon weorthedh;

70

adl oththe yldo    oththe ecghete
fægum fromweardum    feorh odhthringedh.
Forthon thæt bidh eorla gehwam    æftercwethendra
lof lifgendra    lastworda betst,
thæt he gewyrce,    ær he on weg scyle,

75

fremum on foldan    widh feonda nith,
deorum dædum    deofle togeanes,
thæt hine ælda bearn    æfter hergen,
ond his lof siththan    lifge mid englum
awa to ealdre,    ecan lifes blæd,

80

dream mid dugethum.    Dagas sind gewitene,
ealle onmedlan    eorthan rices;
næron nu cyningas    ne caseras
ne goldgiefan    swylce iu wæron,
thonne hi mæst mid him    mærtha gefremedon

85

ond on dryhtlicestum    dome lifdon.
Gedroren is theos dugudh eal,    dreamas sind gewitene,
wuniadh tha wacran    ond thas woruld healdath,
brucadh thurh bisgo.    Blæd is gehnæged,
eorthan indryhto    ealdadh ond searadh,

90

swa nu monna gehwylc    geond middangeard.
Yldo him on faredh,    onsyn blacadh,
gomelfeax gnornadh,    wat his iuwine,
æthelinga bearn,    eorthan forgiefene.
Ne mæg him thonne se flæschoma,    thonne him thæt feorg losadh,

95

ne swete forswelgan    ne sar gefelan,
ne hond onhreran    ne mid hyge thencan.
Theah the græf wille    golde stregan
brothor his geborenum,    byrgan be deadum,
mathmum mislicum    thæt hine mid wille,

100

ne mæg thære sawle    the bith synna ful
gold to geoce    for godes egsan,
thonne he hit ær hydedh    thenden he her leofadh.

Micel bith se meotudes egsa,    forthon hi seo molde oncyrredh;
se gestathelade    stithe grundas,

105

eorthan sceatas    ond uprodor.
Dol bith se the him his dryhten ne ondrædeth;    cymedh him se deadh unthinged.
Eadig bidh se the eathmod leofath;    cymedh him seo ar of heofonum,
meotod him thæt mod gestatheladh,    forthon he in his meahte gelyfedh.
Stieran mon sceal strongum mode,    ond thæt on stathelum healdan,

110

ond gewis werum,    wisum clæne,
scyle monna gehwylc    mid gemete healdan
with leofne ond widh lathne    [. . . . .] bealo,
theah the he hine wille fyres    fulne [. . . . .]
oththe on bæle    forbærnedne

115

his geworhtne wine.    Wyrd bith swithre,
meotud meahtigra    thonne ænges monnes gehygd.
Uton we hycgan    hwær we ham agen,
ond thonne gethencan    hu we thider cumen,
ond we thonne eac tilien,    thæt we to moten

120

in tha ecan    eadignesse,
thær is lif gelong    in lufan dryhtnes,
hyht in heofonum.    Thæs sy tham halgan thonc,
thæt he usic geweorthade,    wuldres ealdor,
ece dryhten,    in ealle tid. Amen.