The Wanderer

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 115 sections

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Oft him anhaga are gebideð,
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metudes miltse, þeah þe he modcearig
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geond lagulade longe sceolde
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hreran mid hondum hrimcealde sæ,
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wadan wræclastas. Wyrd bið ful ared!
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Swa cwæð eardstapa, earfeþa gemyndig,
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wraþra wælsleahta, winemæga hryre:
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"Oft ic sceolde ana uhtna gehwylce
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mine ceare cwiþan. Nis nu cwicra nan
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þe ic him modsefan minne durre
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sweotule asecgan. Ic to soþe wat
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þæt biþ in eorle indryhten þeaw,
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þæt he his ferðlocan fæste binde,
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healde his hordcofan, hycge swa he wille.
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Ne mæg werig mod wyrde wiðstondan,
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ne se hreo hyge helpe gefremman.
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Forðon domgeorne dreorigne oft
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in hyra breostcofan bindað fæste;
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swa ic modsefan minne sceolde,
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oft earmcearig, eðle bidæled,
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freomægum feor feterum sælan,
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siþþan geara iu goldwine minne
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hrusan heolstre biwrah, ond ic hean þonan
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wod wintercearig ofer waþema gebind,
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sohte sele dreorig sinces bryttan,
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hwær ic feor oþþe neah findan meahte
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þone þe in meoduhealle min mine wisse,
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oþþe mec freondleasne frefran wolde,
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weman mid wynnum. Wat se þe cunnað,
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hu sliþen bið sorg to geferan,
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þam þe him lyt hafað leofra geholena.
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Warað hine wræclast, nales wunden gold,
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ferðloca freorig, nalæs foldan blæd.
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Gemon he selesecgas ond sincþege,
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hu hine on geoguðe his goldwine
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wenede to wiste. Wyn eal gedreas!
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Forþon wat se þe sceal his winedryhtnes
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leofes larcwidum longe forþolian,
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ðonne sorg ond slæp somod ætgædre
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earmne anhogan oft gebindað.
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þinceð him on mode þæt he his mondryhten
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clyppe ond cysse, ond on cneo lecge
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honda ond heafod, swa he hwilum ær
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in geardagum giefstolas breac.
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ðonne onwæcneð eft wineleas guma,
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gesihð him biforan fealwe wegas,
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baþian brimfuglas, brædan feþra,
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hreosan hrim ond snaw, hagle gemenged.
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þonne beoð þy hefigran heortan benne,
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sare æfter swæsne. Sorg bið geniwad,
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þonne maga gemynd mod geondhweorfeð;
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greteð gliwstafum, georne geondsceawað
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secga geseldan. Swimmað eft on weg!
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Fleotendra ferð no þær fela bringeð
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cuðra cwidegiedda. Cearo bið geniwad
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þam þe sendan sceal swiþe geneahhe
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ofer waþema gebind werigne sefan.
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Forþon ic geþencan ne mæg geond þas woruld
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for hwan modsefa min ne gesweorce,
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þonne ic eorla lif eal geondþence,
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hu hi færlice flet ofgeafon,
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modge maguþegnas. Swa þes middangeard
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ealra dogra gehwam dreoseð ond fealleþ,
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forþon ne mæg weorþan wis wer, ær he age
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wintra dæl in woruldrice. Wita sceal geþyldig,
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ne sceal no to hatheort ne to hrædwyrde,
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ne to wac wiga ne to wanhydig,
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ne to forht ne to fægen, ne to feohgifre
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ne næfre gielpes to georn, ær he geare cunne.
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Beorn sceal gebidan, þonne he beot spriceð,
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oþþæt collenferð cunne gearwe
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hwider hreþra gehygd hweorfan wille.
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Ongietan sceal gleaw hæle hu gæstlic bið,
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þonne ealre þisse worulde wela weste stondeð,
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swa nu missenlice geond þisne middangeard
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winde biwaune weallas stondaþ,
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hrime bihrorene, hryðge þa ederas.
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Woriað þa winsalo, waldend licgað
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dreame bidrorene, duguþ eal gecrong,
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wlonc bi wealle. Sume wig fornom,
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ferede in forðwege, sumne fugel oþbær
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ofer heanne holm, sumne se hara wulf
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deaðe gedælde, sumne dreorighleor
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in eorðscræfe eorl gehydde.
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Yþde swa þisne eardgeard ælda scyppend
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oþþæt burgwara breahtma lease
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eald enta geweorc idlu stodon.
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Se þonne þisne wealsteal wise geþohte
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ond þis deorce lif deope geondþenceð,
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frod in ferðe, feor oft gemon
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wælsleahta worn, ond þas word acwið:
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"Hwær cwom mearg? Hwær cwom mago? Hwær cwom maþþumgyfa?
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Hwær cwom symbla gesetu? Hwær sindon seledreamas?
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Eala beorht bune! Eala byrnwiga!
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Eala þeodnes þrym! Hu seo þrag gewat,
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genap under nihthelm, swa heo no wære.
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Stondeð nu on laste leofre duguþe
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weal wundrum heah, wyrmlicum fah.
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Eorlas fornoman asca þryþe,
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wæpen wælgifru, wyrd seo mære,

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.