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The Seafarer

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 125 sections

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   Mæg ic be me sylfum soðgied wrecan,

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   siþas secgan, hu ic geswincdagum

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   earfoðhwile oft þrowade,

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   bitre breostceare gebiden hæbbe,

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   gecunnad in ceole cearselda fela,

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   atol yþa gewealc, þær mec oft bigeat

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   nearo nihtwaco æt nacan stefnan,

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   þonne he be clifum cnossað. Calde geþrungen

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   wæron mine fet, forste gebunden,

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    caldum clommum, þær þa ceare seofedun

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    hat ymb heortan; hungor innan slat

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    merewerges mod. þæt se mon ne wat

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    þe him on foldan fægrost limpeð,

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    hu ic earmcearig iscealdne sæ

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    winter wunade wræccan lastum,

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    winemægum bidroren,

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    bihongen hrimgicelum; hægl scurum fleag.

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    þær ic ne gehyrde butan hlimman sæ,

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    iscaldne wæg. Hwilum ylfete song

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    dyde ic me to gomene, ganetes hleoþor

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    ond huilpan sweg fore hleahtor wera,

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    mæw singende fore medodrince.

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    Stormas þær stanclifu beotan, þær him stearn oncwæð

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    isigfeþera; ful oft þæt earn bigeal,

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    urigfeþra; ne ænig hleomæga

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    feasceaftig ferð frefran meahte.

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    Forþon him gelyfeð lyt, se þe ah lifes wyn

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    gebiden in burgum, bealosiþa hwon,

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    wlonc ond wingal, hu ic werig oft

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    in brimlade bidan sceolde.

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    Nap nihtscua, norþan sniwde,

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    hrim hrusan bond, hægl feol on eorþan,

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    corna caldast. Forþon cnyssað nu

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    heortan geþohtas, þæt ic hean streamas,

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    sealtyþa gelac sylf cunnige;

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    monað modes lust mæla gehwylce

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    ferð to feran, þæt ic feor heonan

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    elþeodigra eard gesece.

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    Forþon nis þæs modwlonc mon ofer eorþan,

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    ne his gifena þæs god, ne in geoguþe to þæs hwæt,

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    ne in his dædum to þæs deor, ne him his dryhten to þæs hold,

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    þæt he a his sæfore sorge næbbe,

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    to hwon hine dryhten gedon wille.

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    Ne biþ him to hearpan hyge ne to hringþege,

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    ne to wife wyn ne to worulde hyht,

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    ne ymbe owiht elles, nefne ymb yða gewealc,

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    ac a hafað longunge se þe on lagu fundað.

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    Bearwas blostmum nimað, byrig fægriað,

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    wongas wlitigað, woruld onetteð;

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    ealle þa gemoniað modes fusne

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    sefan to siþe, þam þe swa þenceð

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    on flodwegas feor gewitan.

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    Swylce geac monað geomran reorde,

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    singeð sumeres weard, sorge beodeð

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    bitter in breosthord. þæt se beorn ne wat,

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    esteadig secg, hwæt þa sume dreogað

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    þe þa wræclastas widost lecgað.

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    Forþon nu min hyge hweorfeð ofer hreþerlocan,

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    min modsefa mid mereflode

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    ofer hwæles eþel hweorfeð wide,

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    eorþan sceatas, cymeð eft to me

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    gifre ond grædig, gielleð anfloga,

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    hweteð on hwælweg hreþer unwearnum

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    ofer holma gelagu. Forþon me hatran sind

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    dryhtnes dreamas þonne þis deade lif,

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    læne on londe. Ic gelyfe no

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    þæt him eorðwelan ece stondað.

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    Simle þreora sum þinga gehwylce,

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    ær his tid aga, to tweon weorþeð;

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    adl oþþe yldo oþþe ecghete

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    fægum fromweardum feorh oðþringeð.

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    Forþon þæt bið eorla gehwam æftercweþendra

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    lof lifgendra lastworda betst,

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    þæt he gewyrce, ær he on weg scyle,

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    fremum on foldan wið feonda niþ,

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    deorum dædum deofle togeanes,

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    þæt hine ælda bearn æfter hergen,

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    ond his lof siþþan lifge mid englum

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    awa to ealdre, ecan lifes blæd,

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    dream mid dugeþum. Dagas sind gewitene,

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    ealle onmedlan eorþan rices;

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    næron nu cyningas ne caseras

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    ne goldgiefan swylce iu wæron,

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    þonne hi mæst mid him mærþa gefremedon

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    ond on dryhtlicestum dome lifdon.

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    Gedroren is þeos duguð eal, dreamas sind gewitene,

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    wuniað þa wacran ond þas woruld healdaþ,

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    brucað þurh bisgo. Blæd is gehnæged,

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    eorþan indryhto ealdað ond searað,

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    swa nu monna gehwylc geond middangeard.

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    Yldo him on fareð, onsyn blacað,

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    gomelfeax gnornað, wat his iuwine,

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    æþelinga bearn, eorþan forgiefene.

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    Ne mæg him þonne se flæschoma, þonne him þæt feorg losað,

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    ne swete forswelgan ne sar gefelan,

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    ne hond onhreran ne mid hyge þencan.

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    þeah þe græf wille golde stregan

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    broþor his geborenum, byrgan be deadum,

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    maþmum mislicum þæt hine mid wille,

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     ne mæg þære sawle þe biþ synna ful

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The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, transcribed by sacred-texts.com (sacred-texts.com/neu/ascp/), via CLTK's old_english_text_sacred_texts mirror; released into the public domain. Licence: Public domain (Unlicense). Source.