The Seafarer

fols. 81v–83r
  • Mæg ic be me sylfum soðgied wrecan,
  • siþas secgan, hu ic geswincdagum
  • earfoðhwile oft þrowade,
  • bitre breostceare gebiden hæbbe,
  • 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,
  • 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
  • winter wunade wræccan lastum,
  • winemægum bidroren,
  • bihongen hrimgicelum; hægl scurum fleag.
  • þær ic ne gehyrde butan hlimman sæ,
  • iscaldne wæg. Hwilum ylfete song
  • 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,
  • 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
  • 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,
  • 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,
  • 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,
  • 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;
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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;
  • 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,
  • 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,
  • 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
  • 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,
  • 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,
  • 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,
  • 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,
  • 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,
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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.
  • Amen|