✵
Ides ælfscýne
|
⸱ ⸱
|
Þa ǽr ic wæs cniht, þa cóm ic on pliht:
|
Before I was so much as a boy, I came into danger;
|
|
⸱
|
Sum mægden mé métte and mǽlde:
|
a maiden met me and said:
|
|
⸱ ⸱
|
“Lá, léofa, wes hál! Sceal uncer gedál
|
“Greetings, my darling, from now on
|
|
|
nú nǽfre má weorðan on eorðan!”
|
the two of us must never be separated on earth” -
|
|
:
|
Nó má weorðan on eorðan. (bis)
|
never be separated on earth. (bis)
|
|
⸱ ⸱
|
Wá! ides ælfscýne, ond wá, wine míne!
|
Alas! elf-fair lady, and my friend,
|
|
:
|
Sceal nǽfre má weorðan on eorðan.
|
alas! must never more be separated on earth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
⸱ ⸱
|
Héo cyste me sóna, þǽr líxte se móna;
|
She kissed me straight away, where the moon was shining,
|
|
⸱
|
on clommum me clypte ond sǽlde;
|
she embraced me and bound me in her grasp.
|
|
⸱
|
on ofste me nóm mid hire under glóm,
|
Quickly she took me with her under the gloom,
|
|
⸱
|
þǽr sceadugong ǽfre wæs wǽfre,
|
where the shadow-way always flickered -
|
|
:
|
wælmist ǽfre wæs wǽfre. (bis)
|
where the death-mist always flickered. (bis)
|
|
⸱ ⸱
|
Wá! ides ælfscýne, ond wá, wine míne!
|
Alas! elf-fair lady, and my friend, alas!
|
|
:
|
þǽr sceadugong ǽfre wæs wǽfre.
|
where the shadow-way always flickered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
⸱ ⸱
|
Hwǽr wǽre hit ic nát: we stigon on bát,
|
I don’t know where I was, we stepped in a boat,
|
|
:
|
þǽr murcnede mere on mealme.
|
where the sea moaned on the sand.
|
|
⸱ ⸱
|
Ofer lagu ic láð, ond módes ic máð,
|
I travelled over the ocean, and hid my thoughts to myself,
|
|
⸱
|
ac ǽfre me strongode longað,
|
but always my longing grew stronger -
|
|
:
|
áwa strongode longað. (bis)
|
always longing grew stronger.
|
|
⸱ ⸱
|
Wá! ides ælfscýne, ond wá, wine míne!
|
Alas! elf-fair lady, and my friend, alas!
|
|
:
|
Þǽr ǽfre me strongode longað.
|
where longing always grew stronger.
|
|
|
|
|
|
⸱ ⸱
|
Þǽr gréne wæs grund, ond hwít hire hund,
|
There the ground was green, and her hound was white,
|
|
⸱
|
ond gylden wæs hwǽte on healme,
|
and the wheat on the stalk was golden
|
|
⸱ ⸱
|
on fyrlenum londe, on silfrenum stronde,
|
- in the far-off land, on the silver strand,
|
|
⸱
|
þǽr darode dweorg under beorgum,
|
where the dwarf lurked under the mountains -
|
|
:
|
darode dweorg under beorgum. (bis)
|
the dwarf lurked under the mountains. (bis)
|
|
⸱ ⸱
|
Wá! ides ælfscýne, ond wá, wine míne!
|
Alas! elf-fair lady, and my friend, alas!
|
|
:
|
Þǽr darode dweorg under beorgum.
|
where the dwarf lurked under the mountains.
|
|
|
|
|
|
⸱
|
To Gode ic gebæd, elþéodunga sæd
|
I prayed to God, tired of my exile
|
|
:
|
be dimmum ond dréorigum wǽgum.
|
by the dim and dreary waves,
|
|
⸱
|
Þǽr sunne ne scán, ac micel gimstán
|
where the sun did not shine, but a great gem-stone
|
|
⸱
|
on lyfte þǽr gléow mid his léomum,
|
glowed there in the sky with his beams -
|
|
:
|
léohte gléow mid his léomum. (bis)
|
glowed brightly with his beams. (bis)
|
|
⸱ ⸱
|
Wá! ides ælfscýne, ond wá, wine míne!
|
Alas! elf-fair lady, and my friend, alas!
|
|
:
|
On lyfte þǽr gléow mid his léomum.
|
glowed there in the sky with his beams.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ofer missera hund ic wǽdla ond wund
|
Fifty years later I returned again, poor and hurt,
|
|
⸱
|
eft cyrde to mennisce ond mǽgum:
|
to men and my family.
|
|
⸱
|
on moldan wæs nú se ðe cúðe me iú,
|
The one who had known me before was now in the mould,
|
|
⸱
|
ond hár ic nu wánige ána,
|
and now I dwindle, grey and alone -
|
|
:
|
sáre wánige ána. (bis)
|
dwindle alone and in pain. (bis)
|
|
⸱ ⸱
|
Wá! ides ælfscýne, ond wá, wine míne!
|
Alas! elf-fair lady, and my friend, alas!
|
|
:
|
Ond hár ic nu wánige ána.
|
and now I dwindle, grey and alone.
|
