We were very happy to participate in this wonderful evening ofpoetry readings at Jarrow Hall in June 2024. One of our gesiðas read three Old English poems as part of the programme, and you can hesr each of them here.

The translation into modern English was taken from Richard Hamer’s “A Choice of Anglo-Saxon Verse”.

Cædmon’s Hymn

This is the text in Old English:

Nu scylun hergan hefænricæs Uard,

Metudæs mæcti end His modgidanc,

uerc Uuldurfadur, sue He uundra gihuæs,

eci Dryctin, or astelidæ.

He ærist scop ælda barnum

heben til hrofe, haleg Scepen.

Tha middungeard moncynnæs Uard,

eci Dryctin, æfter tiadæ

Wulf and Eadwacer

This is the text in Old English:

Leodum is minum swylce him mon lac gife;

willað hy hine aþecgan, gif he on þreat cymeð.

Ungelic is us.

Wulf is on iege, ic on oþerre.

Fæst is þæt eglond, fenne biworpen.

Sindon wælreowe weras þær on ige;

willað hy hine aþecgan, gif he on þreat cymeð.

Ungelice is us.

Wulfes ic mines widlastum wenum dogode;

þonne hit wæs renig weder and ic reotugu sæt,

þonne mec se beaducafa bogum bilegde,

wæs me wyn to þon, wæs me hwæþre eac lað.

Wulf, min Wulf, wena me þine

seoce gedydon, þine seldcymas,

murnende mod, nales meteliste.

Gehyrest þu, Eadwacer? Uncerne earmne hwelp

bireð wulf to wuda.

Þæt mon eaþe tosliteð þætte næfre gesomnad wæs,

uncer giedd geador.

The Ruin

This is the text in Old English:

Wrætlic is þes wealstan; wyrde gebræcon,

burgstede burston, brosnað enta geweorc.

Hrofas sind gehrorene, hreorge torras,

hrungeat berofen, hrim on lime,

scearde scurbeorge scorene, gedrorene,

ældo undereotone. Eorðgrap hafað

waldendwyrhtan, forweorone, geleorene,

heard gripe hrusan, oþ hund cnea

werþeoda gewitan. Oft þæs wag gebad,

ræghar and readfah, rice æfter oþrum,

ofstonden under stormum; steap geap gedreas.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

hwætred in hringas, hygerof gebond

weallwalan wirum wundrum togædre.

Beorht wæron burgræced, burnsele monige,

heah horngestreon, heresweg micel,

meodoheall monig mondreama full,

oþþæt þæt onwende wyrd seo swiþe.

Crungon walo wide, cwoman woldagas,

swylt eall fornom secgrofra wera;

wurdon hyra wigsteal westenstaþolas,

brosnade burgsteall. Betend crungon,

hergas to hrusan. Forþon þas hofu dreorgiað

and þæs teaforgeapa tigelum sceadeð

hrostbeages hrof. Hryre wong gecrong

gebrocen to beorgum þær iu beorn monig

glædmod and goldbeorht gleoma gefrætwed,

wlonc and wingal wighyrstum scan,

seah on sinc, on sylfor, on searogimmas,

on ead, on æht, on eorcanstan,

on þas beorhtan burg bradan rices.

Stanhofu stodan, stream hate wearp

widan wylme; weal eall befeng

beorhtan bosme þær þa baþu wæron,

hat on hreþre; þæt wæs hyðelic.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .