|
Ece
is se scyppend, se þas eorþan nu
|
|
Old is the shaper, eternal the lord
|
|
|
wreðstuþum wealdeð ond
þas world healdeð.
|
|
Who rules this earth, the power
of world--
|
|
|
Rice
is se reccend ond on ryht cyning
|
|
Pillars, prince and king, the
guardian
|
|
|
ealra anwalda, eorþan ond
heofones,
|
|
Of all, one real and reckoning
God
|
|
|
healdeð ond wealdeð, swa
he ymb þas utan hweorfeð.
|
5 |
Who moves and holds heaven and
earth
|
5 |
|
He
mec wrætlice worhte æt frymþe,
|
|
In his circling song. He
shaped my power
|
|
|
þa he þisne ymbhwyrft ærest
sette,
|
|
In the earth's beginning, in
the world's
|
|
|
heht mec wæccende wunian
longe,
|
|
Unwinding song set me always
awakening,
|
|
|
þæt ic ne slepe siþþan
æfre,
|
|
He powers middle-earth
|
|
|
ond mec semninga slæp ofergongeþ,
|
10 |
Sleepless--suddenly bound to
night,
|
10 |
|
beoð eagan min ofestum betyned.
|
|
My eyes close down.
|
|
|
Þisne
middangeard meahtig dryhten
|
|
With a mighty word-in his charge
I
wind
|
|
|
mid his onwalde æghwær
styreð;
|
|
The world's embrace. The
quick breath of spirit
|
|
|
swa ic mid waldendes worde ealne
|
|
Startles me--I
am ghost-shy, yet always
|
|
|
þisne ymbhwyrft utan ymbclyppe.
|
15 |
Bolder than the wild boar bristling
at bay.
|
15 |
|
Ic
eom to þon bleað, þæt mec bealdlice mæg
|
|
My scent is stronger than incense or rose,
|
|
|
gearu gongende grima abregan,
|
|
Blooming beauty or the flower
distilled,
|
|
|
ond eofore eom æghwær
cenra,
|
|
More delicate than the lily curled
in a field
|
|
|
þonne he gebolgen bidsteal
giefeð;
|
|
of light--wisps, blossoms, man's
delight.
|
|
|
ne mæg mec oferswiþan segnberendr
|
20 |
I am sweeter than the musk of the fragrant nard,
|
20 |
|
ænig ofer eorþan, nymþe
se ana God
|
|
Sharper than the stench of the
black swamp.
|
|
|
se þisne hean heofon healdeþ
ond wealdeþ.
|
|
I bind all turnings under heaven's roof,
|
|
|
Ic
eom on stence strengre micle
|
|
guide and sustain as God first
wrought,
|
|
|
þonne ricels oþþe
rose sy,
|
|
Hold shape and form, rule thick
and thin.
|
|
|
* * *
on eorþan tyrf
|
25 |
I am higher than heaven--at the point-king's
|
25 |
|
wynlic weaxeð; ic eom wræstre
þonne heo.
|
|
Command I watch and wield his
world-treasure,
|
|
|
Þeah
þe lilie sy leof moncynne,
|
|
The great shaper's riddle. I
see and sense
|
|
|
beorht on blostman, ic eom betre
þonne heo;
|
|
All things under earth, the hell
caves
|
|
|
swylce ic nardes stenc nyde oferswiþe
|
|
Of suffering souls.
|
|
|
mid minre swetnesse symle æghwær,
|
30 |
I am much older
|
30 |
|
ond ic fulre eom þonne þis
fen swearte
|
|
Than the universe, than middle
earth might be,
|
|
|
þæt her yfle adelan
stinceð.
|
|
Yet born a child from yesterday's
womb,
|
|
|
Eal
ic under heofones hwearfte recce,
|
|
Glorious to men. I
am brighter than rings
|
|
|
swa me leof fæder lærde
æt frymþe,
|
|
And bracelets of gold with their
delicate threads.
|
|
|
þæt ic þa mid ryhte reccan
moste
|
35 |
I am fouler than wood-rot or the reeking slime
|
35 |
|
þicce ond þynne; þinga
gehwylces
|
|
Of seaweed washed on the shore.
I
am broader
|
|
|
onlicnesse æghwær
healde.
|
|
Than earth, wider than the green,
billowing plain.
|
|
|
Hyrre ic eom heofone, hateþ
mec heahcyning
|
|
A hand may seize, three fingers wrap round me.
|
|
|
his deagol þing dyre bihealdan;
|
|
I am harder and colder than the bitter frost,
|
|
|
eac ic under eorþan al sceawige
|
40 |
The sword of morning that falls
on the ground.
|
40 |
|
wom wraðscrafu wraþra
gæsta.
|
|
I am hotter than Vulcan's flickering fire,
|
|
|
Ic
eom micle yldra þonne ymbhwyrft þes
|
|
Sweeter than bee-bread laced
with honey,
|
|
|
oþþe þes middangeard meahte
geweorþan,
|
|
Galled as wormwood gray in the
forest.
|
|
|
ond ic giestron wæs geong
acenned
|
|
I can gorge like an old giant--bloated,
|
|
|
mære to monnum þurh
minre modor hrif.
|
45 |
Bellied--or live sustained without
food.
|
45 |
|
I
eom fægerre frætwum goldes,
|
|
I can fly higher than pernex, eagle, or hawk,
|
|
|
þeah hit mon awerge wirum
utan;
|
|
Outstrip the zephyr, swiftest
of winds--
|
|
|
ic eom wyrslicre þonne þes
wudu fula
|
|
I am slower than swamp-frog, snail, rainworm,
|
|
|
oððe þis waroð
þe her aworpen ligeð.
|
|
Quicker than the skittering child
of dung
|
|
|
Ic
eorþan eom æghwær brædre,
|
50 |
We call beetle.
|
50 |
|
ond widgielra þonne þes
wong grena;
|
|
I am heavier than gray stone
|
|
|
folm mec mæg bifon ond fingras
þry
|
|
Or a clump of lead, lighter than
the bug
|
|
|
utan eaþe ealle ymbclyppan.
|
|
That dry-foots the water, harder
than flint
|
|
|
Heardra
ic eom ond caldra þonne se hearda forst,
|
|
That strikes fire from steel,
softer than down
|
|
|
hrim heorugrimma, þonne
he to hrusan cymeð;
|
55 |
That flutters in the wind, broader
than the earth,
|
55 |
|
ic eom Ulcanus up irnendan
|
|
Wider than the green, billowing
plain.
|
|
|
leohtan leoman lege hatra.
|
|
I weave round the world a glittering cloak,
|
|
|
Ic
eom on goman gena swetra
|
|
A kind embrace.
|
|
|
þonne þu beobread blende
mid hunige;
|
|
No creature catches
|
|
|
swylce ic eom wraþre þonne
wermod sy
|
60 |
my pace and power--I am highest of unfathomed
|
60 |
|
þe her on hyrstum heasewe
stondeþ.
|
|
Miracles wrought by God who alone restrains
|
|
|
Ic mesan mæg meahtelicor
|
|
With eternal might my thundering power.
|
|
|
ond efnetan ealdum
þyrse,
|
|
I am stronger and grander than the mighty whale,
|
|
|
ond ic gesælig mæg
symle lifgan
|
|
Dark watcher, wielder of the ocean floor.
|
|
|
þeah ic ætes ne sy
æfre to feore.
|
65 |
I am feebler than the handworm which the sons
|
65 |
|
Ic mæg fromlicor fleogan þonne pernex
|
|
Of men dig from the skin with shrewd skill.
|
|
|
oþþe earn oþþe
hafoc æfre meahte;
|
|
My head is not wound with delicate curls
|
|
|
nis zefferus,
se swifta wind,
|
|
Of light hair-the lord has left my face,
|
|
|
þæt swa fromlice mæg
feran æghwær;
|
|
Head, skin-bare. Now
light curls, locks
|
|
|
me is snægl swiftra,
snelra regnwyrm
|
70 |
Shine, hair blooms, shoulders down--hangs
|
70 |
|
ond fenyce fore
hreþre;
|
|
Like a miracle.
|
|
|
is þæs gores sunu gonge
hrædra,
|
|
I am bigger and fatter
|
|
|
þone we wifel wordum
nemnað.
|
|
Than he mast-fed pig who gorges on beech-wood,
|
|
|
Hefigere ic eom micle þonne se hara stan
|
|
Grunts, roots, snuffles up joy, so that
now
|
|
|
oþþe unlytel leades
clympre,
|
75 |
He
|
75 |
|
leohtre ic eom micle
þonne þes lytla wyrm
|
|
|
|
|
þe her on flode gæð
fotum dryge.
|
|
|
|
|
Flinte ic eom heardre þe þis fyr drifeþ
|
|
|
|
|
of þissum strongan style
heardan,
|
|
|
|
|
hnescre ic eom micle
halsrefeþre,
|
80 |
|
|
|
seo her on winde wæweð
on lyfte.
|
|
|
|
|
Ic eorþan eom æghwær brædre
|
|
|
|
|
ond widgelra þonne
þes wong grena;
|
|
|
|
|
ic uttor eaþe eal
ymbwinde,
|
|
|
|
|
wrætlice gewefen wundorcræfte.
|
85 |
|
|
|
Nis under me ænig oþer
|
|
|
|
|
wiht waldendre
on worldlife;
|
|
|
|
|
ic eom ufor ealra
gesceafta,
|
|
|
|
|
þara þe worhte
waldend user,
|
|
|
|
|
se mec ana mæg ecan
meahtum,
|
90 |
|
|
|
geþeon þrymme,
þæt ic onþunian ne sceal.
|
|
|
|
|
Mara ic eom ond strengra þonne se micla hwæl,
|
|
|
|
|
se þe garsecges
grund bihealdeð
|
|
|
|
|
sweartan syne--
ic eom swiþre þonne he,
|
|
|
|
|
swylce ic eom on mægene
minum læsse
|
95 |
|
|
|
þonne se hondwyrm, se
þe hæleþa bearn,
|
|
|
|
|
secgas searoþoncle, seaxe
delfað;
|
|
|
|
|
Ne hafu ic in heafde hwite loccas
|
|
|
|
|
wræste gewundne, ac
ic eom wide calu;
|
|
|
|
|
ne ic breaga ne bruna brucan
moste,
|
100 |
|
|
|
ac mec bescyrede scyppend
eallum.
|
|
|
|
|
ne me wrætlice
weaxað on heafde
|
|
|
|
|
þæt me on gescyldrum scinan
motan
|
|
|
|
|
ful wrætlice
wundne loccas.
|
|
|
|
|
Mara ic eom ond fættra þonne amæsted
swin,
|
105 |
|
|
|
bearg bellende,
þe on bocwuda,
|
|
|
|
|
won wrotende wynnum
lifde
|
|
|
|
|
þæt he * * *
|
|
|
|
iddle
38
