The Wanderer (Text)

1Oft him ānhaga · āre gebīdeð,

Metudes miltse, · þēah þe he mōdcearig

geond lagulāde · longe sceolde

hrēran mid hǫndum · hrīmcealde sǣ,

5wadan wræclāstas: · wyrd bið ful ārǣd!

Swā cwæð eardstapa, · earfeþa gemyndig,

wrāþra wælsleahta, · winemǣga hryre:

‘Oft ic sceolde āna · ūhtna gehwylce

mīne ceare cwīþan; · nis nū cwicra nān,

10þe ic him mōdsefan · mīnne durre

sweotule āsęcgan. · Ic tō sōþe wāt

þæt biþ in eorle · indryhten þēaw,

þæt hē his ferðlocan · fæste binde,

healde his hordcofan, · hycge swā hē wille;

15ne mæg wērig mōd · wyrde wiðstǫndan

nē sē hrēo hyge · helpe gefręmman:

for ðon dōmgeorne · drēorigne oft

in hyra brēostcofan · bindað fæste.

Swā ic mōdsefan · mīnne sceolde,

20oft earmcearig, · ēðle bidǣled,

frēomǣgum feor · feterum sǣlan,

siþþan gēara iū · goldwine mīnne

hrūsan heolster biwrāh, · and ic hēan þǫnan

wōd wintercearig · ofer waþema gebind,

25sōhte sęle drēorig · sinces bryttan,

hwǣr ic feor oþþe nēah · findan meahte

þone þe in meoduhealle · minne wisse

oþþe mec frēondlēasne · frēfran wolde,

węnian mid wynnum. · Wāt sā þe cunnað

30hū slīþen bið · sorg tō gefēran

þām þe him lȳt hafað · lēofra geholena:

warað hine wræclāst, · nāles wunden gold,

ferðloca frēorig, · nālæs foldan blǣd;

gemǫn hē sęlesęcgas · and sincþęge,

35hū hine on geoguðe · his goldwine

węnede tō wiste: · wyn eal gedrēas!

For þon wāt sē þe sceal · his winedryhtnes

lēofes lārcwidum · lǫnge forþolian,

ðonne sorg and slǣp · sǫmod ætgædre

40earmne ānhagan · oft gebindað:

þinceð him on mōde · þæt hē his mǫndryhten

clyppe and cysse, · and on cnēo lęcge

hǫnda and hēafod, · swā hē hwīlum ǣr

in gēardagum · giefstōlas brēac;

45ðonne onwæcneð eft · winelēas guma,

gesihð him biforan · fealwe wægas,

baþian brimfuglas, · brǣdan feþra,

hrēosan hrīm and snāw · hagle gemęnged.

Þonne bēoð þȳ hęfigran · heortan bęnne,

50sāre æfter swǣsne, · sorg bið genīwad,

þonne māga gemynd · mōd geondhweorfeð,

grēteð glīwstafum, · georne geondscēawað

sęcga geseldan: · swimmað eft on weg;

flēotendra ferð · no þǣr fela bringeð

55cūðra cwidegiedda; · cearo bið genīwad

þām þe sęndan sceal · swīþe geneahhe

ofer waþema gebind · wērigne sefan.

For þon ic geþęncan ne mæg · geond þās woruld

for hwan mōdsefa · min ne gesweorce,

60þonne ic eorla līf · eal geondþęnce,

hū hī fǣrlīce · flęt ofgēafon,

mōdge maguþegnas. · Swā þēs middangeard

ealra dōgra gehwām · drēoseð and fealleþ;

for þon ne mæg weorþan wīs · wer, ǣr hā āge

65wintra dǣl in woruldrīce. · Wita sceal geþyldig,

nē sceal nō tō hātheort · nē tō hrædwyrde,

nē tō wāc wiga · nē tō wanhȳdig,

nē tō forht nē tō fægen · nē tō feohgīfre,

nē nǣfre gielpes tō georn, · ǣr hē geare cunne.

70Beorn sceal gebīdan, · þonne hē bēot spriceð,

oþ þæt collenferð · cunne gearwe

hwider hreþra gehygd · hweorfan wille.

Ongietan sceal glēaw hæle · hū gæstlīc bið,

þonne eall þisse worulde wela · wēste stǫndeð,

75swā nū missenlīce · geond þisne middangeard

winde biwāune · weallas stǫndaþ,

hrīme bihrorene, · hryðge þā ederas.

Wōriað þā wīnsalo, · waldend licgað

drēame bidrorene; · duguð eal gecrǫng

80wlǫnc bī wealle: · sume wīg fornōm,

fęrede in forðwege; · sumne fugel oþbær

ofer hēanne holm; · sumne sē hāra wulf

dēaðe gedǣlde; · sumne drēorighlēor

in eorðscræfe · eorl gehȳdde:

85ȳþde swā þisne eardgeard · ælda Scyppend,

oþ þæt burgwara · breahtma lēase

eald ęnta geweorc · īdlu stōdon.

Sē þonne þisne wealsteal · wīse, geþōhte,

and þis deorce līf · dēope geondþęnceð,

90frōd in ferðe · feor oft gemǫn

wælsleahta worn, · and þās word ācwið:

‘Hwǣr cwōm mearg? hwǣr cwōm mago? · hwǣr cwōm māþþumgyfa?

hwǣr cwōm symbla gesetu? · hwǣr sindon sęledrēamas?

Ēalā beorht bune! · ēalā byrnwiga!

95ēalā þēodnes þrym · hū sēo þrāg gewāt,

genāp under nihthelm, · swā hēo nō wǣre!

Stǫndeð nū on lāste · lēofre duguþe

weal wundrum hēah, · wyrmlīcum fāh:

eorlas fornōmon · asca þrȳþe,

100wǣpen wælgīfru, · wyrd sēo mǣre;

and þās stānhleoþu · stormas cnyssað;

hrīð hrēosende · hrūsan bindeð,

wintres wōma, · þonne wǫn cymeð,

nīpeð nihtscūa, · norþan onsęndeð

105hrēo hæglfare · hæleþum on andan.

Eall is earfoðlīc · eorþan rīce,

onwęndeð wyrda gesceaft · weoruld under heofonum:

hēr bið feoh lǣne, · hēr bið frēond lǣne,

hēr bið mǫn lǣne, · hēr bið mǣg lǣne;

110eal þis eorþan gesteal · īdel weorþeð!’

Swā cwæð snottor on mōde, · gesæt him sundor æt rūne

Til biþ sē þe his trēowe gehealdeð: · ne sceal nǣfre his torn tō rycene

beorn of his brēostum ācȳþan, · nemþe hē ǣr þā bōte cunne,

eorl mid ęlne gefręmman. · Wel bið þām þe him āre sēceð,

115frōfre tō Fæder on heofonum, · þǣr ūs eal sēo fæstnung stǫndeð.