The Wanderer

From The Exeter Book

Oft him anhaga are gebide,
metudes miltse, eah e he modcearig
geond lagulade longe sceolde
hreran mid hondum hrimcealde s,
wadan wrclastas. Wyrd bi ful ard!
Swa cw eardstapa, earfea gemyndig,
wrara wlsleahta, winemga hryre:
"Oft ic sceolde ana uhtna gehwylce
mine ceare cwian. Nis nu cwicra nan
e ic him modsefan minne durre
sweotule asecgan. Ic to soe wat
t bi in eorle indryhten eaw,
t he his ferlocan fste binde,
healde his hordcofan, hycge swa he wille.
Ne mg werig mod wyrde wistondan,
ne se hreo hyge helpe gefremman.
Foron domgeorne dreorigne oft
in hyra breostcofan binda fste;
swa ic modsefan minne sceolde,
oft earmcearig, ele bidled,
freomgum feor feterum slan,
sian geara iu goldwine minne
hrusan heolstre biwrah, ond ic hean onan
wod wintercearig ofer waema gebind,
sohte sele dreorig sinces bryttan,
hwr ic feor oe neah findan meahte
one e in meoduhealle min mine wisse,
oe mec freondleasne frefran wolde,
weman mid wynnum. Wat se e cunna,
hu slien bi sorg to geferan,
am e him lyt hafa leofra geholena.
Wara hine wrclast, nales wunden gold,
ferloca freorig, nals foldan bld.
Gemon he selesecgas ond sincege,
hu hine on geogue his goldwine
wenede to wiste. Wyn eal gedreas!
Foron wat se e sceal his winedryhtnes
leofes larcwidum longe forolian,
onne sorg ond slp somod tgdre
earmne anhogan oft gebinda.
ince him on mode t he his mondryhten
clyppe ond cysse, ond on cneo lecge
honda ond heafod, swa he hwilum r
in geardagum giefstolas breac.
onne onwcne eft wineleas guma,
gesih him biforan fealwe wegas,
baian brimfuglas, brdan fera,
hreosan hrim ond snaw, hagle gemenged.
onne beo y hefigran heortan benne,
sare fter swsne. Sorg bi geniwad,
onne maga gemynd mod geondhweorfe;
grete gliwstafum, georne geondsceawa
secga geseldan. Swimma eft on weg!
Fleotendra fer no r fela bringe
cura cwidegiedda. Cearo bi geniwad
am e sendan sceal swie geneahhe
ofer waema gebind werigne sefan.
Foron ic geencan ne mg geond as woruld
for hwan modsefa min ne gesweorce,
onne ic eorla lif eal geondence,
hu hi frlice flet ofgeafon,
modge maguegnas. Swa es middangeard
ealra dogra gehwam dreose ond fealle,
foron ne mg weoran wis wer, r he age
wintra dl in woruldrice. Wita sceal geyldig,
ne sceal no to hatheort ne to hrdwyrde,
ne to wac wiga ne to wanhydig,
ne to forht ne to fgen, ne to feohgifre
ne nfre gielpes to georn, r he geare cunne.
Beorn sceal gebidan, onne he beot sprice,
ot collenfer cunne gearwe
hwider hrera gehygd hweorfan wille.
Ongietan sceal gleaw hle hu gstlic bi,
onne ealre isse worulde wela weste stonde,
swa nu missenlice geond isne middangeard
winde biwaune weallas stonda,
hrime bihrorene, hryge a ederas.
Woria a winsalo, waldend licga
dreame bidrorene, dugu eal gecrong,
wlonc bi wealle. Sume wig fornom,
ferede in forwege, sumne fugel obr
ofer heanne holm, sumne se hara wulf
deae gedlde, sumne dreorighleor
in eorscrfe eorl gehydde.
Yde swa isne eardgeard lda scyppend
ot burgwara breahtma lease
eald enta geweorc idlu stodon.
Se onne isne wealsteal wise geohte
ond is deorce lif deope geondence,
frod in fere, feor oft gemon
wlsleahta worn, ond as word acwi:
"Hwr cwom mearg? Hwr cwom mago? Hwr cwom maumgyfa?
Hwr cwom symbla gesetu? Hwr sindon seledreamas? Eala beorht bune! Eala byrnwiga!
Eala eodnes rym! Hu seo rag gewat,
genap under nihthelm, swa heo no wre.
Stonde nu on laste leofre dugue
weal wundrum heah, wyrmlicum fah.
Eorlas fornoman asca rye,
wpen wlgifru, wyrd seo mre,
ond as stanhleou stormas cnyssa,
hri hreosende hrusan binde,
wintres woma, onne won cyme,
nipe nihtscua, noran onsende
hreo hglfare hleum on andan.
Eall is earfolic eoran rice,
onwende wyrda gesceaft weoruld under heofonum.
Her bi feoh lne, her bi freond lne,
her bi mon lne, her bi mg lne,
eal is eoran gesteal idel weore!"
Swa cw snottor on mode, gest him sundor t rune.
Til bi se e his treowe gehealde, ne sceal nfre his torn to rycene
beorn of his breostum acyan, neme he r a bote cunne,
eorl mid elne gefremman. Wel bi am e him are sece,
frofre to fder on heofonum, r us eal seo fstnung stonde.

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