Old English Rune Poem (OERP)

 

 

 

I do not present an exact facsimile but an approximation as follows.

In the left column, the drawing of the rune is like the one of the original. The associated Latin letter is found to the left of the rune (as in the original). The name of the rune, above the drawing, is at the same place as in the original, but it is written with modern characters. For instance, rune Wen is written in the original a bit like ‘pen’ because ‘w’ was written at the time similarly to ‘p’. Classically, de ‘f’ and the ‘s’ are also quite different, and I put modern characters for them as well.

In Maureen Halsal’s edition, the accents on the letters have been added, and this is already an interpretation of the original. On the contrary, I give here the text as it appears in the original, except a point on the letter ‘y’ (as in the drawing of rune Nyd, below), that I omitted.

The translation is as near as possible to the original, sometimes, it is «not very meaningful», as some would say, but I prefer keep the ambiguities … that might mean something to you.

See much more information on the runes at: RuneList.htm

byþ frofur. fira gehwylcum. sceal ðeah manna gehpylc. miclun hyt dælan. gif he wile. for ðrhtne domes hleotan :.

 

Wealth (or cattle, or movable property) is for all a benefit, though each should share a lot if he wants to cast by lots (or obtain) a destiny (a “doom”) in front of the master1.

byþ anmod. y ofer hyrned. fela frecne. deor feohteþ. mid horns . mære mor stapa.  (þæt) is modig wuht :.

Aurochs (or bison) is resolute, mightily horned. A very bold (or dangerous) fighting beast with horns. A stalker of the moors, this is a mighty being.

 

byþ ðearle scearp. ðegna gehwylcum. anfen-gys yfyl. ungemetum reþe. manna gehwylcun. ðe him mid resteð :.

Thorn (also a kenning for “Giant”)2 is severely sharp to the liegemen, catching (it brings) evil, excessively reckless to the human who rests with it.

 

byþ ordfruma. ælcre spræce. wisdomes wraþu. and witena frofur. and eorla gehwam. eadnys and to hiht :.

God (or mouth)3 is fount of each discourse, support of wisdom and help (or compensation) for the wise one, rest and refuge to each nobleman.

 

byþ onrecyde. rinca gehwylcum. sefte and swiþhwæt. ðam ðe sitteþ onufan. meare mægen heardum. ofer mil paþas :.

Riding (or travel) in the hall, for each warrior, (makes them) soft, and something mighty strong who sits on a strong horse for a path of miles (= mil paþas).

 

byþ cwicera gehwam cuþ on fyre. blac and beorhtlic byrneþ oftust. ðær hi æþelingas inne  restaþ :.

Torch (or pine, torch of pinewood) is obviously fire for each living being, shining, glittering, most often it burns where the princes rest.

 

gumena byþ gleng and herenys. wraþu y wyrþscype y wræcna gehwam ar and ætwist ðe byþ oþra leas :.

Gift (or generosity, favor, sacrifice) is, for the heroes, ornament and dignity and impels their grace, but a support for these with no other (= lonely ones).

 

ne bruceþ ðe can weana lyt sares and sorge and him sylfa hæfþ blæd and blysse and eac byrga geniht:.

Joy (or hope, probability) never ends for the one who knows little of woes, sores and sorrows. He gets success and bliss and enough (protection in a) fortress4.

 

 

byþ hwitust corna. hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte. wealcaþ hit windes scura. weorþeþ hit to wætere syððan :.

Hail (or hailstorm) is the whitest grain, it whirls down from the sky’s heights, tossed in the wind shower, becomes water thereafter.

 

byþ nearu on breostan weorþeþ hi ðea oft niþa bearnum to helpe and to hæle gehwære gif hi his hlystaþ æror :.

Necessity (or duty, hardship, trouble- or also possibly: desire, longing) is distress on the chest and often strife of the servant. It becomes help and healing for the children if they listen soon enough.

 

byþ ofer cealdunge metum slidor glisnaþ glæshluttur gimmum gelicust flor forste geworuht fæger ansyne :.

Ice is mightily cold and gliding. It shines like clear glass, as the jewels, a ground worked upon by cold, beautiful to look at.

 

byþ gumena hiht ðon god læteþ halig heofones cyning hrusan syllan beohrte beornum and ðærfum :.

The year (or “good year”, hence the classical translation: harvest) is a joy for the men when the god, holy king of the skies, (“obviously”, here, the God Freyr, also called King Freyr, and God of fertility) makes earth supply brightly the noble and the poor.

 

byþ utan unsmeþe treow. heard hrusan fæst hyrde fyres. wyrtrumum under wreþyd wynan on eþle :.

Yew is a tree, rough from the outside, hard and fast in earth, a shepherd of the fire, his roots under the pillar, a joy on the native land.

 

byþ symble plega. and hlehter wlancum ðar wigan sittaþ on beor sele bliþe æt somne :.

Chessboard5 (the dictionary gives this meaning with a ?) is feast day, games and casting by lots, for the proud (or the splendid) fighters sitting in the bier hall, happy together.

 

secgeard hæfþ oftust on fenne. wexeð on wature. wundaþ  grimme. blode breneð beorna gehwylcne ðe him ænigne onfeng gedeð :.

The elk of the sedge6 (eolh = elk) often dwells in fens, grows in water, grimly wounds and burns with boils the blood of the hero who seizes it.

 

 se mannum symble biþ on hihte ðonn hi hine feriaþ ofer fisces beþ oþ hibrim hengest bringeþ to lande :.

Sun (sigel = sun; sige = victory) is feast day and hope for those who depart on the fishes’ bath until the wave-steed brings them to land.

 

biþ tacna sum healdeð trywa wel. wiþ æþelingas a biþ on færylde. ofer nihta genipu. næfre swiceþ :.

Tir is one of the signs; it keeps well its promise (also possible: it controls well the tree - a not so absurd meaning in view of Yggdrasil) with the noble, and it is there during the travel above the dark of the night, never deceives.

 

byþ bleda leas. bereþ efne swa ðeah tanas butan tudder. biþ on telgum wlitig. heah on helme hrysted fægere. geloden leafum lyfte getenge :.

Birch has no shoots, it carries its rods without fruits; radiant high twigs, high its crown with leafs fairly laden, reaches the sky.

 

byþ for eorlum æþelinga wyn. hors hofum wlanc. ðær him hæleþas ymb. welege on wicgum wrixlaþ spræce.  Y biþ unstyllum æfre frofur :.

Steed (or war steed) is for the princes and the noble’s joy; the warhorse arrogant in the hall7, where the wealthy heroes exchange talk. And it is ever refuge to the unstill ones.

 

byþ on myrgþe his magan leof. sceal þeah anra gehwylc oðrum swican. for  ðam drythen wyle dome sine  (þæt) earme flæsc eorþan betæcan :.

Human is mirth to the beloved kin; he shall though each one deceive, when the lord will doom this miserable flesh to be entrusted to earth.

 

byþ leodum langsum geþuht gif hi sculum neþun on nacan tealtum. Y hi sæ yþa swyþe bregaþ. and se brim hengest bridles ne gym(eð) :.

Water (or sea, ocean) seems lasting to the liegemen if they venture out in a tossing bark (ship), so frightening are the waves of the sea, and the surf-steed no longer takes care of the bridle.

 

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 among the East Danes, so was he looked at, until towards East he went on the wave after his wagon, thus these proud men named this hero.

 

byþ ofer leof. æghwylcum men. gif he mot ðær. rihtes and gerysena on brucan on bolde bleadum oftast :.

Native country (or ancestral home) is loved by each human, if there the moot8 holds, and that he enjoys justly and often the convenience of his sweet home.

 

byþ drihtnes sond. deore mannum. mære metodes leoht. myrgþ and tohit eadgum and earmum. eallum brice :.

Day is sent by the Lord, mankind beloved, glorious light of the creator, joy and hope for the rich and the poor, useful to all.

 

byþ on eorþan. elda bearnum. flæsces fodor fereþ gelome ofer ganotes bæþ garsecg fandaþ. hwæþer ac hæbbe æþele treowe :.

Oak is on the ground, for the sons of man, food for the flesh; often it travels on the gannet's bath. The ocean checks if the oak keeps nobly its faith.

 

biþ ofer heah. eldum dyre. stiþ on staþule.  stide rihte hylt. ðeah him feohtan on firas monige :.

Ash (or spear) rises high, loved by the folk, strong in its support, it justly keeps its place in spite of many human attacks.

 

byþ æþelinga and eorla gehwaes. wyn and wyrþmynd. byþ on wicge fæger. fæstlic on  færelde. fyrd geatewa sum:.

Bow (?, could also be  gold ?, horn ?) is joy and  memory of princes and nobles; beautiful on a steed, firm in travel, some military gear.

 

byþ ea fixa. ðeah abruceþ. fodres onfoldan. hafaþ fægerne eard. wætre beworpen. ðær he wynnum leofaþ :.

Eel (?) is a kind of river fish; it nevertheless finds its food on the ground; it has a beautiful dwelling covered with water, where it lives in joy.

 

 

byþ egle eorla gehwylcun. ðonn fæstlice flæsc onginneþ. hracolian hrusan ceosan blac to gebeddan bleda gedreosaþ. wynna gewitaþ wera geswicaþ :.

Earth (or corn ear, or ocean) is loathsome to each nobleman, when flesh firmly tries to choose the ground, fallen fruits as bedmates, joy vanishes, man turns traitor.

 

 

 

Hos characteres ad alia festinans

                studioso lectori interpretenda relinquo

 

 

The last line provides three more runes: cweorð, stan and gar known by other Futhorcs. stan means stone, but the meaning of cweorð and gar is not sure.

The Latin sentence states that the understanding of these signs and other similar is left to the studious readers. The runes in the middle make the formula 'olhwnfhg' which must be a still unsolved enigma.

 

Notes.

 

1. The conventional translation: «if he wants to obtain glory in front of the Lord» is certainly possible, but too Christian for such a poem - Christianized - but still full of paganism. I prefer: «if he wants to cast lots of fate in front of the Lord», by reference to the Völuspa where the first human shapes have no destiny, while three Gods will give them life and fate.

 

2. Icelandic and Norse runic poems refer to the Thurs, the name of the giants when they represent the brutish natural forces. The Eddic poem called In praise to Thor (Þórsdrápa), explained and commented here, speaks of Þorns niðjum (children of the thorn), svíra Þorns (thorn's neck), í þornrann (toward thorn's home) where obviously thorn refers to a living being, a Thurs from the context of the poem.

 

3. Icelandic runic poems speaks of  áss (one of the Aesir, the Nordic Gods). Old Norse poem speaks of óss (river mouth). The translation by mouth or God (where God would be here Wóden, the first among the Aesir) is still under debate among scholars. It is obviously more ‘logical’ to say that the mouth is source of discourse, but it should be remembered that Wóden, called Óðinn (“Odin”) in the Nordic tongues, is also « the Gods' shouter» and the owner of the mead of poetry that allows poetic speech. For instance, Gautrek's saga shows the hero Starkad told by Óðinn: « I give to him the gift of poetry, he will speak his poems in the same way he speaks naturally».

 

4. We feel some kind of wordplay here: Old English burg (nominative, accusative and genitive plural, burga) means fortress, and byrga (nominative singular) means security. Nominative is forbidden by the sentence structure. Logical byrga is thus not possible but "enough fortresses" is not very meaningful either, for one individual. Both meanings may be mixed up here.

 

5. In fact, chess did not become popular before the twelfth century, thus the poem does not speak of chess, as we know it. Archeology suggests that the games played by the Anglo-Saxons were quite similar to those played by the Vikings, known as tafl, with several variants as halatafl, kvatrutafl, hnefatafl. This last one was known in Welsh under the name of tawl-bwrdd.

For more details, look at: http://www.regia.org/games.htm

 

6. In the already cited Þórsdrápa, a giant, widely called a monster throughout the poem, is also pointed at by the kenning parent of the deer sedge, so that the sedge deer (sefgrímnis) seems to point at a wild monster. The elk of the sedge could then be a mythical monster, akin to the giants. All this evokes Grendel, the wild monster described in the poem Beowulf.

 

7. The original gives hofum that can be read as such, dative plural of hof, «hall, court», or as , «hoof.». For instance, the poem Beowulf says: gif … to hofum Geata geþingeð, i.e., «if he would go the court of the Geats», where hof even means the king's court.

I chose the meaning of court, hall, as opposed to traditional translations (hoof) because there is there more talk than under to hoof of a horse, and meeting a horse is not impossible in a still primitive court.

 

8. I found it obvious to translate mot by moot, thinking of the Icelandic thing. The poem recalls that “sweet is the country where thing takes place,” as opposed to most places where tyrany reigns.