The Exeter Book (Jebson)/The Wife's Lament

Ic þis giedd wrecebī mē ful gēomorre, mīnre sylfre sīð.Ic þæt secgan mæg, hwæt ic yrmþa gebād,siþþan ic ūp āwēox, nīwes oþþe ealdes,nō mā þonne nū. Ā ic wite wonnmīnra wræcsīþa.

Ǣrest mīn hlāford gewātheonan of lēodum ofer ȳþa gelāc;hæfde ic ūhtceare hwǣr mīn lēodfrumalondes wǣre. Ðā ic mē fēran gewātfolgað sēcan, winelēas wræcca,for mīnre wēaþearfe. Ongunnon þæt þæs monnesmāgas hycgan þurh dyrne geþōht,þæt hȳ tōdǣlden unc, þæt wit gewīdostin woruldrīce lifdon lāðlicost,ond mec longade. Hēt mec hlāford mīnherheard niman, āhte ic lēofra lȳton þissum londstede, holdra frēonda.Forþon is mīn hyge gēomor. Ðā ic mē ful gemæcnemonnan funde, heardsǣligne,hygegēomorne, mōd mīþendne,morþor hycgendne blīþe gebǣro.Ful oft wit bēotedan þæt unc ne gedǣldenemne dēað āna ōwiht elles;eft is þæt onhworfen, is nū swa hit nǣfre wǣre frēondscipe uncer.Sceal ic feor ge nēah mīnes felalēofanfǣhðu drēogan.

Heht mec mon wunianon wuda bearwe, under āctrēoin þām eorðscræfe. Eald is þes eorðsele,eal ic eom oflongad, sindon dena dimme,dūna ūphēa, bitre burgtūnas,brērum beweaxne, wīc wynna lēas.Ful oft mec hēr wrāþe begeat fromsīþ frēan.Frȳnd sind on eorþan, lēofe lifgende,leger weardiað, þonne ic on uhtanāna gonge under āctrēogeond þās eorðscrafu. Þǣr ic sittan mōtsumorlangne dæg, þǣr ic wēpan mægmīne wræcsīþas, earfoþa fela;forþon ic ǣfre ne mæg þǣre mōdcearemīnre gerestan, ne ealles þæs longaþesþe mec on þissum līfe begeat.

Ā scyle geong monwesan gēomormōd, heard heortan geþōht,swylce habban sceal blīþe gebǣro,ēac þon brēostceare, sinsorgna gedreag.Sȳ æt him sylfum gelong eal his worulde wyn,sȳ ful wīde fāh feorres folclondes,þæt mīn frēond siteð under stānhliþestorme behrīmed, wine wērigmōd,wætre beflōwen on drēorsele,drēogeð se mīn wine micle mōdceare;hē gemon tō oft wynlicran wīc.Wā bið þām þe sceal of langoþelēofes ābīdan.