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Anglo-Saxon Aloud.
Anglo-Saxon Aloud
A daily reading of the entire Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records,which includes all poems written in Old English. By Michael D. C. Drout, Prentice Professor of English at Wheaton College, Norton, MA.
Cćdmon’s Hymn (West Saxon version)
The Coronation of EdgarNow we must praise the keeper of the heavenly kingdom
The power of the Measurer and his mind-thoughts,
The work of the glory-father; as he, each of wonders,
the eternal Lord, established from the beginning.
He first shaped, for the children of men,
Heaven as a roof, the Holy Shaper,
Then middle-earth, man-kind’s Guardian,
The eternal Lord, afterwards created,
The earth for men, the Lord Almighty.
Beowulf, lines 1-11Part of the 973 entry, this praise poem describes Edgar’s second (and somewhat mysterious) “Imperial” coronation at Bath.
The Death of AlfredHere are the first eleven lines of Beowulf to help my English 208: Anglo-Saxon Literature class prepare them for memorization and recitation.
The Kentish HymnThis poem describes how in 1036 the Atheling Alfred was captured by Godwine, blinded, and turned over to the monks at Ely.
The Lord’s Prayer IOne of the only verse texts with significant Kentish content, the Kentish Hymn consists of a short passage that encourages Christians to love God and a long section that is a direct address to the Deity, praising Him and asking for forgiveness for sins.
The major difference, in this poem, between Kentish and more common West Saxon are the spellings “io” instead of “eo”, “e” instead of “ć”, and “e” instead of “y.” I found that trying to pronounce the Kentish spellings ended up dragging my voice to a higher pitch, which I do not actually think is characteristic of a real Kentish accent (but note that the most visible spelling differences move vowels higher and more to the front from the West Saxon).
Wulf and EadwacerThis is the least elaborate of the three Old English version of the Lord’s Prayer. The final doxology is not included in this one
Soul and Body I, lines 1-87He is like a gift to my people, they will tear him if he comes with a troop.
Unlike it is to us
Wulf is on an island, I on another.
Fast is that island, wrapped by fens. There are slaughter-greedy men on that island, they will tear him if he comes with a troop.
Unlike it is to us.
I have long endured the footsteps of Wulf being far away. When it was rainy weather, and I sat, weeping, then that warrior laid his arms about me. It was a joy to me, but to me also hateful.
Wulf, my Wulf, my hopes of you have made me sickened, your seldom coming, my sorrowing mind, not at all a lack of food.
Do you hear, Eadwacer? Wulf will bear our miserable hwelp to the woods.
A man may easily slit apart that which was never truly together:
Our song together.
Soul and Body I, lines 88-166This is the first half of a poem in which the soul returns to the body to berate it for its behavior during life. There is a gory depiction of worms eating the body.
A very similar poem, creatively named Soul and Body II, is found in booklet III of the Exeter Book.
Maxims I [1], lines 1-70The debate between the soul and the body concludes.
Maxims I [II], lines 71-137Question me with wise words. Do not let your spirit be hidden, what you know remain the deepest secret. I do not wish to tell my secret to you if you hide your spirit-strength and your heart-thoughts from me. Wise men should exchange sayings. God, our father, must first be praised fairly, because he in the beginning us life and free will: he wishes to remind us of these loans.
The Measurer must be in glory, man must be on earth, the young grow old. God is eternal for us; fate does not turn him, nor trouble him at all, the almighty, nor sickness nor age. He does not age in spirit, but he is always as he was, the patient Lord. He gives us thought, various personalities, many languages. Many spirit- kinds, over the wide fathoms, many islands. The Measurer, almighty God, raised spacious lands for mankind, very many people and customs.
A meeting must be achieved, the wise with the wise; their minds will be alike; always they will resolve trouble, preach peace, when earlier discontents have disturbed it. Counsel must be with wisdom, righteousness with the wise, good must be with good.
Two are matched; man and woman must in the world birth a child with childbirth.
A tree must shed leaves on earth, the branches mourn. The farer must set forth, the fated one perish, and every day take portions of his separation from the middle-earth. God alone knows where the death goes when it departs from our knowledge.
A newborn adds to what disease takes, so that there remains on earth just so many of the kin of men, nor would there be a limit to the increase of family over the earth if he did not diminish them, he who made the world.
Foolish is he who does not know his Lord; to him death often comes unplanned. Wise men guard souls, hold their truth with rightness. Fortunate is he who thrives in his birthplace, wretched he who betrays his friend. Never shall he thrive, he whose provisions diminish; need shall bind him for a while. Happy must be the baleless heart.
The blind one shall miss his eyes, clear sight is taken from him. Nor may he see the stars, the heaven-clear sun and moon; so that to him is the sorrow in the heart, painful when he alone knows it, nor does he expect that to him a turning might come. The Ruler made that punishment for him; he may give him relief, healing of the head-gems, if he knows his heart is clean.
A sick man needs a doctor.
A young man must be taught, brought into line, and encouraged so that he fully knows, until he may have been tamed. Give him food and clothing until he may be led to wisdom, nor shall he be called ‘childyoung’ before he may make himself known; so shall he thrive among the people, so that he becomes courage-minded.
A strong heart must be steered. A storm often brings the ocean into a grim condition, fallow waves begin to angrily strive to fare onto the land, to see whether it stands fast. The cliffs hold them there, the wind is weakened upon them. As the sea is peaceful when the wind does not wake, likewise the people are peaceful when they have assemblies. They sit in a sound meeting, and then, with companions, brave men will hold the reaches.
A king is eager for ruling. He hates the one who claims land, loves the one who offers more. Power must go with pride, boldness with sharpness of mind; both must decide to seek battle. An earl belongs on the back of a horse. A troop must ride in a company, a foot-soldier stand fast. A woman belongs at her embroidery.
Words spring up around a wide-going woman. Often men slander her with woe, men speak of her with hate. Often her face is darkened. A shamed man must turn in the shadows.
Bright things rise in the light. The head must control the hand, the hoard abide where it is laid, the gift-throne stand adorned, until men deal it out. Avid is he who receives the gold. The man on the high seat has enough. We must repay, if we do not wish to lie, him who gave us these favors.
Maxims I [III], lines 138-204 [end]Frost must freeze, fire melt wood, the earth grow, ice bridge, water wear a covering, wondrously lock the shoots in the earth. The many-powered God alone must unbind the frost’s fetter. Winter shall depart, water come after, summer heated by the sun. The unstill waves, the deep paths of the dead, will be secret longest.
Holly must be burned, the inheritance of a dead man shared. Judgment is best.
The king shall with money purchase a queen, with cups and rings; both must first be good with gifts. The spirit must be in an earl, to grow in courage, and the woman to thrive in love with her people, be cheerful-minded, hold counsel, be roomy-hearted, with horses and treasures, at the meadcompany, before companion-protection always at all times, go first to greet the noble one, first fully to the lord’s hand, know counsel, and know advice for him, the owners of the homestead both together.
A ship must be nailed, a shield bound, the light linden board.
The dear one is welcomed by the Frisian woman, when the ship is drawn up, his boat is come, and her man is home, her own breadgiver, and she calls him in, washes his dirty raiment, and gives him new clothes, gives him on the land what his love demands. Many are faithful; many are curious, they love foreign men, when the other departs far away.
A seaman is long on a journey. Always a man must abide, he who loves to return, unless he may not go, until he again has a chance to come home, if he is hale and safe, unless the sea prevents him; the ocean, the joy of the raiders, has him in hands.
A merchant buys from the king a place for men, when the ship comes, uses wood and water, when he has given quarters, buys food, if he needs more, before he becomes too faint.
Sick is he who too seldom eats. Though he may be led into the sun, he may not live in the weather. Though it is warm in the summer, he is overcome before he dies, if he does not know someone to feed him. Strength must be fed with food, murder befalls under the earth, hidden under the earth, by him who wished to hide it. That is not a decent death, when it is kept secret.
The humble shall bow, languish in sickness. The right will grow strong. Advice is the most useful, evil the least useful; he who chooses that is misled. Goodness is enough and it is close to God. Mind must be held, hand wielded, seeing is in the eye, wisdom in the heart, that is where the thoughts of men are.
Each mouth needs food. Meals must take place on time.
It is right for gold to be on a man’s sword, the beautiful victory-blade; treasure on a queen; a good poet for the men; the warriors defend against war, hold the peaceplace. A warrior shall have a shield, an arrow for a criminal, a ring shall be for a bride, books for a learner, the eucharist for a holy man. For the heathen, sins.
Woden made idols, the Almighty made heaven, the roomy skies, that is the god of the lands, the true king himself, the savior of souls, who gave us all that we live on, and again at the end will rule all, the kin of men. That is the ruler himself.
Advice must be said, secrets written, a song sung; fame is to be earned, judgment pronounced, the day be busy.
A good man knows and examines a tame and round-hoofed horse. No man can get too much. A man must well hold a friend in every way. Often a man fares far from town, where he does not know to find a friend. Friendless, an unhappy man takes with him the wolves as companions, treacherous beasts. Full often his companion attacks him. Fear is for the gray ones, the grave for the dead men. The gray one, the wolf, will lament for hunger, and it will circle the grave. Nor indeed will it weep on account of the slaughter, for the men violently killed, but it always wants more.
A wound must be wound, a hard man avenged. A bow must have an arrow, and both together must have a man to accompany them. Treasure rewards another; a man must give gold. God may give riches to owners and take them away afterwards. A hall must stand, and grow old.
A fallen tree grows least.
A tree must broaden, and truth increase, it arises in the breast of innocents. A faithless and reckless man, poison-hearted and false-hearted — God does not watch over him. The Ruler shaped many things, that which long ago which happened, he commands it to be afterwards.
Wise words are fitting for everybody. To the singer the song and to the man wisdom. As many as there are men on earth, so are there thoughts, each has his special ones. The man longs less who knows many songs, or knows how to play the harp with hands, has a gift for music which God gave to him.
Wretched is he who must live alone, to him fate has commanded that he dwell friendless. Better for him if he had a brother, both of them from one man, the heirs of an earl, if they must both go against a boar: that is a death-handed animal. The warriors must always carry gear and sleep together. Never may they be hindered by speech, before they are parted by death.
The two must sit at the gameboard, until their troubles glide from them, forget their sad happenings, have for themselves a game on the board. Idle hands are good enough for the nothing-to-do man when he is accomplishing dice-throwing.
Seldom in a wide ship, unless it runs under sail . . . weary is he who rows against the wind. Often for the weary man slothfulness increases, so that he loses valor, drags his oar on the board. Cheating goes with foul play, skill with fairness; you cast the taken stone. Often they throw words before they turn their backs. A ready man is always counseled.
Feuding has come in among mankind since the earth swallowed Abel’s blood. That was not one-day violence: from the blood-drops great wickedness spread widely among men, among many peoples, bale-blind enmity. Cain slew his dear brother, then plotted killing. It was widely known afterward that eternal hatred caused harm among men, the citizen endured the strife of weapons, widely around the earth, inventing and tempering the wounding swords.
The war-board must be ready, the spear in the shaft, the edge on the sword, and the point on the spear, the spirit in the hard men. The helm must be for the keen one, and always to the man of poor spirit, the least of treasure.
These are just a few of the sessions. The site holds plenty more. It is very fascinating to listen to them all. There is even the chance to download them all.
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