1A3.6

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2

THE WANDERER

    
3Oft him anhaga are gebideð, metudes miltse, þeah þe he
4modcearig geond lagulade longe sceolde hreran
5mid hondum hrimcealde sæ, wadan wræclastas.
6Wyrd bið ful aræd .
7Swa cwæð eardstapa, earfeþa gemyndig, wraþra wælsleahta,
8winemæga hryre: Oft ic sceolde ana uhtna gehwylce
9mine ceare cwiþan.
10Nis nu cwicra nan þe ic him modsefan minne durre sweotule
11asecgan.
12Ic to soþe wat þæt biþ in eorle indryhten þeaw, þæt he
13his ferðlocan fæste binde, healde his hordcofan,
14hycge swa he wille.
15Ne mæg werig mod wyrde wiðstondan, ne se hreo hyge helpe
16gefremman.
17Forðon domgeorne dreorigne oft in hyra breostcofan bindað
18fæste.
19swa ic modsefan minne sceolde, oft earmcearig, eðle bidæled,
20freomægum feor feterum sælan, siþþan geara
21iu goldwine minne hrusan heolstre biwrah, ond ic hean
22þonan wod wintercearig ofer waþema gebind,
23sohte sele dreorig sinces bryttan, hwær ic feor oþþe
24neah findan meahte þone þe in meoduhealle
25min mine wisse, oþþe mec freondleasne frefran
26wolde, weman mid wynnum.
27Wat se þe cunnað, hu sliþen bið sorg to geferan, þam þe
28him lyt hafað leofra geholena.
29Warað hine wræclast, nales wunden gold, ferðloca freorig,
30nalæs foldan blæd.
31Gemon he selesecgas ond sincþege,

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32hu hine on geoguðe his
33goldwine wenede to wiste.
34Wyn eal gedreas.
35Forþon wat se þe sceal his winedryhtnes leofes larcwidum
36longe forþolian, ðonne sorg ond slæp somod
37ætgædre earmne anhogan oft gebindað.
38þinceð him on mode þæt he his mondryhten clyppe ond cysse,
39ond on cneo lecge honda ond heafod, swa
40he hwilum ær in geardagum giefstolas breac.
41ðonne onwæcneð eft wineleas guma, gesihð him biforan
42fealwe wegas, baþian brimfuglas, brædan feþra,
43hreosan hrim ond snaw, hagle gemenged.
44þonne beoð þy hefigran heortan benne, sare æfter swæsne.
45Sorg bið geniwad, þonne maga gemynd mod geondhweorfeð;
46greteð gliwstafum, georne geondsceawað secga
47geseldan.
48Swimmað eft on weg.
49Fleotendra ferð no þær fela bringeð cuðra cwidegiedda.
50Cearo bið geniwad þam þe sendan sceal swiþe geneahhe ofer
51waþema gebind werigne sefan.
52Forþon ic geþencan ne mæg geond þas woruld for hwan
53modsefa min ne gesweorce, þonne ic eorla lif eal
54geondþence, hu hi færlice flet ofgeafon, modge
55maguþegnas.
56Swa þes middangeard ealra dogra gehwam dreoseð ond fealleþ,
57forþon ne mæg weorþan wis wer, ær he age
58wintra dæl in woruldrice.
59Wita sceal geþyldig, ne sceal no to hatheort ne to
60hrædwyrde, ne to wac wiga ne to wanhydig, ne to
61forht ne to fægen, ne to feohgifre ne næfre gielpes to
62georn, ær he geare cunne.
63Beorn sceal gebidan, þonne he beot spriceð,

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64oþþæt
65collenferð cunne gearwe hwider hreþra gehygd hweorfan wille.
66Ongietan sceal gleaw hæle hu gæstlic bið, þonne ealre
67þisse worulde wela weste stondeð, swa nu missenlice
68geond þisne middangeard winde biwaune weallas
69stondaþ, hrime bihrorene, hryðge þa ederas.
70Woriað þa winsalo, waldend licgað dreame bidrorene, duguþ
71eal gecrong, wlonc bi wealle.
72Sume wig fornom, ferede in forðwege, sumne fugel oþbær ofer
73heanne holm, sumne se hara wulf deaðe gedælde,
74sumne dreorighleor in eorðscræfe eorl gehydde.
75Yþde swa þisne eardgeard ælda scyppend oþþæt burgwara
76breahtma lease eald enta geweorc idlu stodon.
77Se þonne þisne wealsteal wise geþohte ond þis deorce
78lif deope geondþenceð, frod in ferðe, feor oft
79gemon wælsleahta worn, ond þas word acwið: Hwær cwom
80mearg?
81Hwær cwom mago?
82Hwær cwom maþþumgyfa?
83Hwær cwom symbla gesetu?
84Hwær sindon seledreamas?
85Eala beorht bune.
86Eala byrnwiga.
87Eala þeodnes þrym.
88Hu seo þrag gewat, genap under nihthelm, swa heo no wære.
89Stondeð nu on laste leofre duguþe weal wundrum heah,
90wyrmlicum fah.
91Eorlas fornoman asca þryþe, wæpen wælgifru, wyrd seo
92mære, ond þas stanhleoþu stormas cnyssað, hrið
93hreosende hrusan bindeð, wintres woma, þonne won
94cymeð, nipeð nihtscua, norþan onsendeð

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95hreo hæglfare hæleþum on andan.
96Eall is earfoðlic eorþan rice, onwendeð wyrda gesceaft
97weoruld under heofonum.
98Her bið feoh læne, her bið freond læne, her bið mon
99læne, her bið mæg læne, eal þis eorþan gesteal
100idel weorþeð.
101Swa cwæð snottor on mode, gesæt him sundor æt rune.
102Til biþ se þe his treowe gehealdeþ, ne sceal næfre his
103torn to rycene beorn of his breostum acyþan,
104nemþe he ær þa bote cunne, eorl mid elne gefremman.
105Wel bið þam þe him are seceð, frofre to fæder on
106heofonum, þær us eal seo fæstnung stondeð.