Old English Rune Poems

[gullindagan]

Here's my translations of the Old English Rune Poems, let me know what you think!

Old English Rune Poems

 

 

ᚠ Feoh byþ frofur fira gehwylcum;

 

sceal ðeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dælan

gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.

Wealth is welcomed by everyone

Yet each should deal it out freely

If they wish for a lot from the Lord

 

 

ᚢ Ur byþ anmod ond oferhyrned,

felafrecne deor, feohteþ mid hornum

mære morstapa; þæt is modig wuht.

 

The aurochs is bold and high-horned

a ferocious beast that fights with its horns

a well-known wanderer in wilderness, that is a mighty one!

 

ᚦ Ðorn byþ ðearle scearp; ðegna gehwylcum

anfeng ys yfyl, ungemetum reþe

manna gehwelcum, ðe him mid resteð.

 

Thorn is very sharp for anyone

it is an evil thing to grasp

and awfully uncomfortable to rest among

 

 

ᚩ Os byþ ordfruma ælere spræce,

wisdomes wraþu ond witena frofur

and eorla gehwam eadnys ond tohiht.

 

God/Mouth is the source of all speech

wisdom's foundation and comfort of the wise

and to every noble person, prosperity and promise

ᚱ Rad byþ on recyde rinca gehwylcum

sefte ond swiþhwæt, ðamðe sitteþ on ufan

meare mægenheardum ofer milpaþas.

 

Riding, seems easy for one who sits inside

but tough to he who travels

on a mighty horse over many miles

 

 

ᚳ Cen byþ cwicera gehwam, cuþ on fyre

blac ond beorhtlic, byrneþ oftust

ðær hi æþelingas inne restaþ.

 

Cen/Torch is known to the living by its bright, pale fire

it most often burns where nobles rest within

 

ᚷ Gyfu gumena byþ gleng and herenys,

wraþu and wyrþscype and wræcna gehwam

ar and ætwist, ðe byþ oþra leas.

 

A gift is for everyone grace and glory,

help and worthiness, and for the homeless wanderer

substance and sustenance when they have nothing else

 

 

ᚹ Wenne bruceþ, ðe can weana lyt

sares and sorge and him sylfa hæfþ

blæd and blysse and eac byrga geniht.

 

 

Happiness is had by he who knows few troubles,

suffering and sorrows, and has himself

blessings and bliss, and a good enough house

 

 

ᚻ Hægl byþ hwitust corna; hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte,

wealcaþ hit windes scura; weorþeþ hit to wætere syððan.

 

Hail is the whitest of grains;
it is whirled from high in the heavens
and is blown about by bursts of wind
and then it turns to water.

 

 

ᚾ Nyd byþ nearu on breostan; weorþeþ hi þeah oft niþa bearnum

to helpe and to hæle gehwæþre, gif hi his hlystaþ æror.

 

Need constricts the chest

yet to the children of men, it can often turn

to help and healing nevertheless

if heeded in time

 

ᛁ Is byþ ofereald, ungemetum slidor,

glisnaþ glæshluttur gimmum gelicust,

flor forste geworuht, fæger ansyne.

 

Ice is overly cold and awfully slippery;
it glistens clear as glass, just like gems;
it is a floor wrought by frost, and fair to see

 

 

ᛄ Ger byþ gumena hiht, ðonne God læteþ,

halig heofones cyning, hrusan syllan

beorhte bleda beornum ond ðearfum.

 

harvest is the hope of mankind,

when god grants, holy king of heaven, the earth to offer

her bright fruits to the noble born and the needy

 

ᛇ Eoh byþ utan unsmeþe treow,

heard hrusan fæst, hyrde fyres,

wyrtrumun underwreþyd, wyn on eþle.

 

 

The Yew is a tree with rough bark,
fixed fast in the earth, fire's herder

upheld by roots, it is a joy on the estate

 

ᛈ Peorð byþ symble plega and hlehter

wlancum [on middum], ðar wigan sittaþ

on beorsele bliþe ætsomne.

 

Peorth is ever play and laughter to proud men,

where warriors sit in the beerhall, blithely together

 

 

ᛉ Eolh-secg eard hæfþ oftust on fenne

wexeð on wature, wundaþ grimme,

blode breneð beorna gehwylcne

ðe him ænigne onfeng gedeþ.

 

 

Elksedge is found most often in the fen

it waxes in the water, and can grimly wound,

and burn with blood, anyone

who in any way tries to take it

 

 

ᛋ Sigel semannum symble biþ on hihte,

ðonne hi hine feriaþ ofer fisces beþ,

oþ hi brimhengest bringeþ to lande.

 

The Sun, to seamen, is always a joy

when they fare far over the fishes' bath

until the surf-stallion brings them to land

 

ᛏ Tir biþ tacna sum, healdeð trywa wel

wiþ æþelingas; a biþ on færylde

ofer nihta genipu, næfre swiceþ.

 

Tyr is a guiding star, it holds trust well with nobles

it always travels its track over night's fog, it never fails

 

ᛒ Beorc byþ bleda leas, bereþ efne swa ðeah

tanas butan tudder, biþ on telgum wlitig,

heah on helme hrysted fægere,

geloden leafum, lyfte getenge.

 

 

Birch it fruitless, yet it bears

limbs lacking seed, it has beautiful branches

a lofty canopy, gloriously covered

crowned with leaves, it lifts the sky

 

 

 

ᛖ Eh byþ for eorlum æþelinga wyn,

hors hofum wlanc, ðær him hæleþ ymb[e]

welege on wicgum wrixlaþ spræce

and biþ unstyllum æfre frofur.

 

 

The steed is for earls, the noble's joy

a horse on proud hooves, where heroes,

wealthy men on war horses, trade words about it

and it is ever a comfort to the restless

 

ᛗ Man byþ on myrgþe his magan leof:

sceal þeah anra gehwylc oðrum swican,

forðum drihten wyle dome sine

þæt earme flæsc eorþan betæcan.

 

 

Man in his mirth is dear to his kinsmen

yet every man shall fail his fellows in the end

since the Lord sentences

that frail flesh to be taken by the earth

 

ᛚ Lagu byþ leodum langsum geþuht,

gif hi sculun neþan on nacan tealtum

and hi sæyþa swyþe bregaþ

and se brimhengest bridles ne gym[eð].

Water seems ceaseless to men

if they should sail on a wobbly ship

and the sea-waves frighten them

and the surf-stallion does not heed the bridle

 

 

ᛝ Ing wæs ærest mid East-Denum

gesewen secgun, oþ he siððan est

ofer wæg gewat; wæn æfter ran;

ðus Heardingas ðone hæle nemdun.

 

 

Ing was first with the East Danes

seen by men, until he went eastward

over the waves, the wagon ran after

thus the Hard Men named the hero

 

ᛟ Eþel byþ oferleof æghwylcum men,

gif he mot ðær rihtes and gerysena on

brucan on bolde bleadum oftast.

 

The home is very dear to everyone,

if there they may enjoy what is fair and fitting,

with abundance in their house often

 

 

 

ᛞ Dæg byþ drihtnes sond, deore mannum,

mære metodes leoht, myrgþ and tohiht

eadgum and earmum, eallum brice.

 

 

The Day is sent by the Lord, dear to mankind

god's glorious light, happiness and true hope

to the rich and the poor, and helpful to all

 

 

 

ᚪ Ac byþ on eorþan elda bearnum

flæsces fodor, fereþ gelome

ofer ganotes bæþ; garsecg fandaþ

hwæþer ac hæbbe æþele treowe.

 

 

Oak is on earth for mankind

fodder for flesh, it often fares

over the gannet's bath; the ocean tests

whether the noble oak keeps it's oath

 

 

ᚫ Æsc biþ oferheah, eldum dyre

stiþ on staþule, stede rihte hylt,

ðeah him feohtan on firas monige.

 

Ash is very tall, dear to men

Stiff and sturdy, steady in it's spot

though many fight against it

 

 

ᚣ Yr byþ æþelinga and eorla gehwæs

wyn and wyrþmynd, byþ on wicge fæger,

fæstlic on færelde, fyrdgeatewa sum.

 

Yew Bow is for every noble and high-born

happiness and honor, fair upon horseback

a trusty piece of tackle on the trail

 

 

ᛡ Iar byþ eafix and ðeah a bruceþ

fodres on foldan, hafaþ fægerne eard

wætre beworpen, ðær he wynnum leofaþ.

 

Beaver is a river-fish and though it always enjoys

its food on land, it has a fair house

hedged by water, where it happily lives

 

 

ᛠ Ear byþ egle eorla gehwylcun,

ðonn[e] fæstlice flæsc onginneþ,

hraw colian, hrusan ceosan

blac to gebeddan; bleda gedreosaþ,

wynna gewitaþ, wera geswicaþ.

 

The earthen grave is dreadful to everyone

though, of course, the flesh will grow cold

and the dark earth will embraces its pale companion; fruits fall to rot

pleasures pass, promises fail

 

 

Comments

[jprussell]

(Disclaimer: embarrassingly enough for someone who worships the Gods with Old English names, I don't yet know much Old English at all, so the below is based on reading lots of translations and commentaries)

Very nice rendition! It seems fairly literal, which I think is good for a version meant to be used as the basis for meditation. A lot of versions out there put a lot more of the translator's spin on things.

That being said, for some spin that I have personally found helpful, I have very likely mentioned these before, and/or you may already know about them, but two takes on Rune Poems I like a lot are:
- Stanzas of the Old English Rune Poem by Gary Stanfield: this book presents an *incredibly* thorough discussion of the language, poetry, and meanings of each stanza of the OE Rune Poem, and presents it explicitly as something meant to be meditated on Rune by Rune. I don't always agree with Stanfield's conclusions, and sometimes I think there's more value in finding a connection yourself than having it spelled out, but this book is fantastic for doing a very deep dive.
- Eagle's Mead by Eirik Westcoat: This book is *very* different. Westcoat wrote this while completing the Nine Doors of Midgard course and his masterwork for the Rune Gild. As such, the Rune Poems he presents are very much *not* literal translations, but rather are rather good renditions of one person's informed take on the Thorsson/Rune Gild stream of interpretation.

I also have, but have not really read, an anthology called The Rune Poems, edited by P.D. Brown and Michael Moynihan, which is a collection of both translations of the various Rune Poems, and modern compositions modeled on/inspired by the ancient poems. Includes material by Westcoat and Thorsson, among many others.

Always glad to see how this project is coming along.

Cheers,
Jeff

[gullindagan]

Thanks! I tried to be fairly literal while also incorporating a bit of alliteration.

I'll have to check these out. I know Eirik and have his "Viking Poetry for Heathen Rites" but I haven't read "Eagle's Mead" yet. I also haven't gotten my hands on "The Rune Poems" edited by Brown and Moynihan yet, something I need to remedy.

Should be getting this book out to a publisher in a matter of a couple months. A lot still to write though. Wish me luck!

[jprussell]

If you like Eirik's work in Viking Poetry for Heathen Rites, then I can confidently claim you'll enjoy Eagle's Mead, as it's him taking the same approach to the material in a course of ceremonial magic, which seems like it just might be relevant to your interests :)

And wow, that's exciting news! Best of luck, and may the Gods help the words flow onto the page, your manuscript into print, and your insights into learners.

[gullindagan]

Thank you!