The Seafarer

Sacred Texts Legends and Sagas WordGumbo: Old English Dictionaries [External Site] Index Previous Next 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 - 20 - 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, - 25 - 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 - 30 - 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, - 35 - 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, - 40 - 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, - 45 - 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; - 50 - 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 - 55 - 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 - 60 - 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 - 65 - 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; - 70 - 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, - 75 - 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, - 80 - 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 - 85 - 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, - 90 - 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, - 95 - 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, - 100 - 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, - 105 - 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, - 110 - 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 - 115 - 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 - 120 - 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. - 125 - Amen.