The Seafarer University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.3.9 Distributed by the University of Oxford under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License Library of Congress Subject Headings English, Old (ca. 450-1100) Poems The Seafarer
mæg ic be me sylfum soðgied wrecan siðas secgan hu ic geswincdagum earfoðhwile oft ðrowade bitre breostceare gebiden hæbbe gecunnad in ceole cearselda fela atol yða gewealc ðær mec oft bigeat nearo nihtwaco æt nacan stefnan ðonne he be clifum cnossað calde geðrungen wæron mine fet forste gebunden caldum clommum ðær ða ceare seofedun hat ymb heortan hungor innan slat merewerges mod ðæt se mon ne wat ðe him on foldan fægrost limpeð hu ic earmcearig iscealdne sæ winter wunade wræccan lastum winemægum bidroren bihongen hrimgicelum hægl scurum fleag ðær ic ne gehyrde butan hlimman sæ iscaldne wæg hwilum ylfete song dyde ic me to gomene ganetes hleoðor ond huilpan sweg fore hleahtor wera mæw singende fore medodrince stormas ðær stanclifu beotan ðær him stearn oncwæð isigfeðera ful oft ðæt earn bigeal urigfeðra ne ænig hleomæga feasceaftig ferð frefran meahte forðon him gelyfeð lyt se ðe ah lifes wyn gebiden in burgum bealosiða hwon wlonc ond wingal hu ic werig oft in brimlade bidan sceolde nap nihtscua norðan sniwde hrim hrusan bond hægl feol on eorðan corna caldast forðon cnyssað nu heortan geðohtas ðæt ic hean streamas sealtyða gelac sylf cunnige monað modes lust mæla gehwylce ferð to feran ðæt ic feor heonan elðeodigra eard gesece forðon nis ðæs modwlonc mon ofer eorðan ne his gifena ðæs god ne in geoguðe to ðæs hwæt ne in his dædum to ðæs deor ne him his dryhten to ðæs hold ðæt he a his sæfore sorge næbbe to hwon hine dryhten gedon wille ne bið him to hearpan hyge ne to hringðege ne to wife wyn ne to worulde hyht ne ymbe owiht elles nefne ymb yða gewealc ac a hafað longunge se ðe on lagu fundað bearwas blostmum nimað byrig fægriað wongas wlitigað woruld onetteð ealle ða gemoniað modes fusne sefan to siðe ðam ðe swa ðenceð on flodwegas feor gewitan swylce geac monað geomran reorde singeð sumeres weard sorge beodeð bitter in breosthord ðæt se beorn ne wat esteadig secg hwæt ða sume dreogað ðe ða wræclastas widost lecgað forðon nu min hyge hweorfeð ofer hreðerlocan min modsefa mid mereflode ofer hwæles eðel hweorfeð wide eorðan sceatas cymeð eft to me gifre ond grædig gielleð anfloga hweteð on hwælweg hreðer unwearnum ofer holma gelagu forðon me hatran sind dryhtnes dreamas ðonne ðis deade lif læne on londe ic gelyfe no ðæt him eorðwelan ece stondað simle ðreora sum ðinga gehwylce ær his tid aga to tweon weorðeð adl oððe yldo oððe ecghete fægum fromweardum feorh oððringeð forðon ðæt bið eorla gehwam æftercweðendra lof lifgendra lastworda betst ðæt he gewyrce ær he on weg scyle fremum on foldan wið feonda nið deorum dædum deofle togeanes ðæt hine ælda bearn æfter hergen ond his lof siððan lifge mid englum awa to ealdre ecan lifes blæd dream mid dugeðum dagas sind gewitene ealle onmedlan eorðan rices næron nu cyningas ne caseras ne goldgiefan swylce iu wæron ðonne hi mæst mid him mærða gefremedon ond on dryhtlicestum dome lifdon gedroren is ðeos duguð eal dreamas sind gewitene wuniað ða wacran ond ðas woruld healdað brucað ðurh bisgo blæd is gehnæged eorðan indryhto ealdað ond searað swa nu monna gehwylc geond middangeard yldo him on fareð onsyn blacað gomelfeax gnornað wat his iuwine æðelinga bearn eorðan forgiefene ne mæg him ðonne se flæschoma ðonne him ðæt feorg losað ne swete forswelgan ne sar gefelan ne hond onhreran ne mid hyge ðencan ðeah ðe græf wille golde stregan broðor his geborenum byrgan be deadum maðmum mislicum ðæt hine mid wille ne mæg ðære sawle ðe bið synna ful gold to geoce for godes egsan ðonne he hit ær hydeð ðenden he her leofað micel bið se meotudes egsa forðon hi seo molde oncyrreð se gestaðelade stiðe grundas eorðan sceatas ond uprodor dol bið se ðe him his dryhten ne ondrædeð cymeð him se deað unðinged eadig bið se ðe eaðmod leofað cymeð him seo ar of heofonum meotod him ðæt mod gestaðelað forðon he in his meahte gelyfeð stieran mon sceal strongum mode ond ðæt on staðelum healdan ond gewis werum wisum clæne scyle monna gehwylc mid gemete healdan wið leofne ond wið laðne bealo ðeah ðe he hine wille fyres fulne oððe on bæle forbærnedne his geworhtne wine wyrd bið swiðre meotud meahtigra ðonne ænges monnes gehygd uton we hycgan hwær we ham agen ond ðonne geðencan hu we ðider cumen ond we ðonne eac tilien ðæt we to moten in ða ecan eadignesse ðær is lif gelong in lufan dryhtnes hyht in heofonum ðæs sy ðam halgan ðonc ðæt he usic geweorðade wuldres ealdor ece dryhten in ealle tid amen