The Wanderer

E-Text: Sacred-texts.

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