The Exeter Book (Jebson)/The Seafarer

The Seafarer

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Mæg ic be me sylfum         soðgied wrecan,
siþas secgan,         hu ic geswincdagum
earfoðhwile         oft þrowade,
bitre breostceare         gebiden hæbbe,

5

gecunnad in ceole         cearselda fela,
atol yþa gewealc,         þær mec oft bigeat
nearo nihtwaco         æt nacan stefnan,
þonne he be clifum cnossað.         Calde geþrungen
wæron mine fet,         forste gebunden,

10

caldum clommum,         þær þa ceare seofedun
hat ymb heortan;         hungor innan slat
merewerges mod.         þæt se mon ne wat
þe him on foldan         fægrost limpeð,
hu ic earmcearig         iscealdne sæ

15

winter wunade         wræccan lastum,
winemægum bidroren,        
bihongen hrimgicelum;         hægl scurum fleag.
þær ic ne gehyrde         butan hlimman sæ,
iscaldne wæg.         Hwilum ylfete song

20

dyde ic me to gomene,         ganetes hleoþor
ond huilpan sweg         fore hleahtor wera,
mæw singende         fore medodrince.
Stormas þær stanclifu beotan,         þær him stearn oncwæð
isigfeþera;         ful oft þæt earn bigeal,

25

urigfeþra;         ne ænig hleomæga
feasceaftig ferð         frefran meahte.
Forþon him gelyfeð lyt,         se þe ah lifes wyn
gebiden in burgum,         bealosiþa hwon,
wlonc ond wingal,         hu ic werig oft

30

in brimlade         bidan sceolde.
Nap nihtscua,         norþan sniwde,
hrim hrusan bond,         hægl feol on eorþan,
corna caldast.         Forþon cnyssað nu
heortan geþohtas,         þæt ic hean streamas,

35

sealtyþa gelac         sylf cunnige;
monað modes lust         mæla gehwylce
ferð to feran,         þæt ic feor heonan
elþeodigra         eard gesece.
Forþon nis þæs modwlonc         mon ofer eorþan,

40

ne his gifena þæs god,         ne in geoguþe to þæs hwæt,
ne in his dædum to þæs deor,         ne him his dryhten to þæs hold,
þæt he a his sæfore         sorge næbbe,
to hwon hine dryhten         gedon wille.
Ne biþ him to hearpan hyge         ne to hringþege,

45

ne to wife wyn         ne to worulde hyht,
ne ymbe owiht elles,         nefne ymb yða gewealc,
ac a hafað longunge         se þe on lagu fundað.
Bearwas blostmum nimað,         byrig fægriað,
wongas wlitigað,         woruld onetteð;

50

ealle þa gemoniað         modes fusne
sefan to siþe,         þam þe swa þenceð
on flodwegas         feor gewitan.
Swylce geac monað         geomran reorde,
singeð sumeres weard,         sorge beodeð

55

bitter in breosthord.         þæt se beorn ne wat,
esteadig secg,         hwæt þa sume dreogað
þe þa wræclastas         widost lecgað.
Forþon nu min hyge hweorfeð         ofer hreþerlocan,
min modsefa         mid mereflode

60

ofer hwæles eþel         hweorfeð wide,
eorþan sceatas,         cymeð eft to me
gifre ond grædig,         gielleð anfloga,
hweteð on hwælweg         hreþer unwearnum
ofer holma gelagu.         Forþon me hatran sind

65

dryhtnes dreamas         þonne þis deade lif,
læne on londe.         Ic gelyfe no
þæt him eorðwelan         ece stondað.
Simle þreora sum         þinga gehwylce,
ær his tid aga,         to tweon weorþeð;

70

adl oþþe yldo         oþþe ecghete
fægum fromweardum         feorh oðþringeð.
Forþon þæt bið eorla gehwam         æftercweþendra
lof lifgendra         lastworda betst,
þæt he gewyrce,         ær he on weg scyle,

75

fremum on foldan         wið feonda niþ,
deorum dædum         deofle togeanes,
þæt hine ælda bearn         æfter hergen,
ond his lof siþþan         lifge mid englum
awa to ealdre,         ecan lifes blæd,

80

dream mid dugeþum.         Dagas sind gewitene,
ealle onmedlan         eorþan rices;
næron nu cyningas         ne caseras
ne goldgiefan         swylce iu wæron,
þonne hi mæst mid him         mærþa gefremedon

85

ond on dryhtlicestum         dome lifdon.
Gedroren is þeos duguð eal,         dreamas sind gewitene,
wuniað þa wacran         ond þas woruld healdaþ,
brucað þurh bisgo.         Blæd is gehnæged,
eorþan indryhto         ealdað ond searað,

90

swa nu monna gehwylc         geond middangeard.
Yldo him on fareð,         onsyn blacað,
gomelfeax gnornað,         wat his iuwine,
æþelinga bearn,         eorþan forgiefene.
Ne mæg him þonne se flæschoma,         þonne him þæt feorg losað,

95

ne swete forswelgan         ne sar gefelan,
ne hond onhreran         ne mid hyge þencan.
þeah þe græf wille         golde stregan
broþor his geborenum,         byrgan be deadum,
maþmum mislicum         þæt hine mid wille,

100

ne mæg þære sawle         þe biþ synna ful
gold to geoce         for godes egsan,
þonne he hit ær hydeð         þenden he her leofað.
Micel biþ se meotudes egsa,         forþon hi seo molde oncyrreð;
se gestaþelade         stiþe grundas,

105

eorþan sceatas         ond uprodor.
Dol biþ se þe him his dryhten ne ondrædeþ;         cymeð him se deað unþinged.
Eadig bið se þe eaþmod leofaþ;         cymeð him seo ar of heofonum,
meotod him þæt mod gestaþelað,         forþon he in his meahte gelyfeð.
Stieran mon sceal strongum mode,         ond þæt on staþelum healdan,

110

ond gewis werum,         wisum clæne,
scyle monna gehwylc         mid gemete healdan
wiþ leofne ond wið laþne         bealo,
þeah þe he hine wille fyres         fulne
oþþe on bæle         forbærnedne

115

his geworhtne wine.         Wyrd biþ swiþre,
meotud meahtigra         þonne ænges monnes gehygd.
Uton we hycgan         hwær we ham agen,
ond þonne geþencan         hu we þider cumen,
ond we þonne eac tilien,         þæt we to moten

120

in þa ecan         eadignesse,
þær is lif gelong         in lufan dryhtnes,
hyht in heofonum.         þæs sy þam halgan þonc,
þæt he usic geweorþade,         wuldres ealdor,
ece dryhten,         in ealle tid.

125

Amen.