# The Seafarer

Verse Indeterminate Saxon
    Mæg ic be me sylfum    soðgied wrecan, siþas secgan,    hu ic geswincdagum earfoðhwile    oft þrowade, bitre breostceare    gebiden hæbbe,

## 5

    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,

## 10

    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

## 15

    winter wunade    wræccan lastum, winemægum bidroren,     bihongen hrimgicelum;    hægl scurum fleag. þær ic ne gehyrde    butan hlimman sæ, iscaldne wæg.    Hwilum ylfete song

## 20

    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,

## 25

    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

## 30

    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,

## 35

    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,

## 40

    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,

## 45

    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;

## 50

    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

## 55

    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

## 60

    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

## 65

    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;

## 70

    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,

## 75

    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,

## 80

    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

## 85

    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,

## 90

    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,

## 95

    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,

## 100

    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,

## 105

    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,

## 110

    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

## 115

    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

## 120

    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.

## 125

    Amen.