The Exeter Book (Jebson)/The Seafarer

The Seafarer Verse Indeterminate Saxon    Mæg ic be me sylfum          soðgied wrecan, siþas secgan,          hu ic geswincdagum earfoðhwile          oft þrowade, bitre breostceare          gebiden hæbbe,  5  gecunnad in ceole          cearselda fela, atol yþa gewealc,          þær mec oft bigeat nearo nihtwaco          æt nacan stefnan, þonne he be clifum cnossað. Calde geþrungen wæron mine fet,          forste gebunden,  10  caldum clommum,          þær þa ceare seofedun hat ymb heortan;          hungor innan slat merewerges mod. þæt se mon ne wat þe him on foldan          fægrost limpeð, hu ic earmcearig          iscealdne sæ   15  winter wunade          wræccan lastum, winemægum bidroren, bihongen hrimgicelum;          hægl scurum fleag. þær ic ne gehyrde          butan hlimman sæ, iscaldne wæg. Hwilum ylfete song </dd> <dt>20</dt> <dd> dyde ic me to gomene,          ganetes hleoþor ond huilpan sweg          fore hleahtor wera, mæw singende          fore medodrince. Stormas þær stanclifu beotan,          þær him stearn oncwæð isigfeþera;          ful oft þæt earn bigeal, </dd> <dt>25</dt> <dd> urigfeþra;          ne ænig hleomæga feasceaftig ferð          frefran meahte. Forþon him gelyfeð lyt,          se þe ah lifes wyn gebiden in burgum,          bealosiþa hwon, wlonc ond wingal,          hu ic werig oft </dd> <dt>30</dt> <dd> in brimlade          bidan sceolde. Nap nihtscua,          norþan sniwde, hrim hrusan bond,          hægl feol on eorþan, corna caldast. Forþon cnyssað nu heortan geþohtas,           þæt ic hean streamas, </dd> <dt>35</dt> <dd> sealtyþa gelac          sylf cunnige; monað modes lust          mæla gehwylce ferð to feran,          þæt ic feor heonan elþeodigra          eard gesece. Forþon nis þæs modwlonc          mon ofer eorþan, </dd> <dt>40</dt> <dd> ne his gifena þæs god,          ne in geoguþe to þæs hwæt, ne in his dædum to þæs deor,          ne him his dryhten to þæs hold, þæt he a his sæfore          sorge næbbe, to hwon hine dryhten          gedon wille. Ne biþ him to hearpan hyge          ne to hringþege, </dd> <dt>45</dt> <dd> ne to wife wyn          ne to worulde hyht, ne ymbe owiht elles,          nefne ymb yða gewealc, ac a hafað longunge          se þe on lagu fundað. Bearwas blostmum nimað,          byrig fægriað, wongas wlitigað,          woruld onetteð; </dd> <dt>50</dt> <dd> ealle þa gemoniað          modes fusne sefan to siþe,          þam þe swa þenceð on flodwegas          feor gewitan. Swylce geac monað          geomran reorde, singeð sumeres weard,          sorge beodeð </dd> <dt>55</dt> <dd> bitter in breosthord. þæt se beorn ne wat, esteadig secg,          hwæt þa sume dreogað þe þa wræclastas          widost lecgað. Forþon nu min hyge hweorfeð          ofer hreþerlocan, min modsefa          mid mereflode </dd> <dt>60</dt> <dd> ofer hwæles eþel          hweorfeð wide, eorþan sceatas,          cymeð eft to me  gifre ond grædig,           gielleð anfloga, hweteð on hwælweg          hreþer unwearnum ofer holma gelagu. Forþon me hatran sind </dd> <dt>65</dt> <dd> dryhtnes dreamas          þonne þis deade lif, læne on londe. Ic gelyfe no þæt him eorðwelan           ece stondað. Simle þreora sum          þinga gehwylce, ær his tid aga,          to tweon weorþeð; </dd> <dt>70</dt> <dd> adl oþþe yldo          oþþe ecghete fægum fromweardum          feorh oðþringeð. Forþon þæt bið eorla gehwam          æftercweþendra lof lifgendra          lastworda betst, þæt he gewyrce,          ær he on weg scyle, </dd> <dt>75</dt> <dd> fremum on foldan          wið feonda niþ, deorum dædum          deofle togeanes, þæt hine ælda bearn          æfter hergen, ond his lof siþþan          lifge mid englum awa to ealdre,          ecan lifes blæd, </dd> <dt>80</dt> <dd> dream mid dugeþum. Dagas sind gewitene, ealle onmedlan          eorþan rices; næron nu cyningas          ne caseras ne goldgiefan          swylce iu wæron, þonne hi mæst mid him          mærþa gefremedon </dd> <dt>85</dt> <dd> ond on dryhtlicestum          dome lifdon. Gedroren is þeos duguð eal,          dreamas sind gewitene, wuniað þa wacran          ond þas woruld healdaþ, brucað þurh bisgo. Blæd is gehnæged, eorþan indryhto          ealdað ond searað, </dd> <dt>90</dt> <dd> swa nu monna gehwylc          geond middangeard. Yldo him on fareð,          onsyn blacað, gomelfeax gnornað,          wat his iuwine, æþelinga bearn,          eorþan forgiefene. Ne mæg him þonne se flæschoma,          þonne him þæt feorg losað, </dd> <dt>95</dt> <dd> ne swete forswelgan          ne sar gefelan, ne hond onhreran          ne mid hyge þencan. þeah þe græf wille          golde stregan broþor his geborenum,          byrgan be deadum, maþmum mislicum          þæt hine mid wille, </dd> <dt>100</dt> <dd> ne mæg þære sawle          þe biþ synna ful gold to geoce          for godes egsan, þonne he hit ær hydeð          þenden he her leofað. Micel biþ se meotudes egsa,          forþon hi seo molde oncyrreð; se gestaþelade          stiþe grundas, </dd> <dt>105</dt> <dd> eorþan sceatas          ond uprodor. Dol biþ se þe him his dryhten ne ondrædeþ;          cymeð him se deað unþinged. Eadig bið se þe eaþmod leofaþ;          cymeð him seo ar of heofonum, meotod him þæt mod gestaþelað,          forþon he in his meahte gelyfeð. Stieran mon sceal strongum mode,          ond þæt on staþelum healdan, </dd> <dt>110</dt> <dd> ond gewis werum,          wisum clæne, scyle monna gehwylc          mid gemete healdan wiþ leofne ond wið laþne          bealo, þeah þe he hine wille fyres          fulne oþþe on bæle          forbærnedne </dd> <dt>115</dt> <dd> his geworhtne wine. Wyrd biþ swiþre, meotud meahtigra          þonne ænges monnes gehygd. Uton we hycgan          hwær we ham agen, ond þonne geþencan          hu we þider cumen, ond we þonne eac tilien,          þæt we to moten </dd> <dt>120</dt> <dd> in þa ecan          eadignesse, þær is lif gelong          in lufan dryhtnes, hyht in heofonum. þæs sy þam halgan þonc, þæt he usic geweorþade,          wuldres ealdor, ece dryhten,          in ealle tid. </dd> <dt>125</dt> <dd> Amen. </dd> </dl>