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Old English Rune Poem (OERP)

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Old English Rune Poem (OERP) Old English Rune Poem (OERP) (Icelandic and Norse ones to be added) 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. Another translation very near to the original is due to Eric Wodening, and available at http://members.tripod.com/wednesbury/first.html. See much more information on the runes at: http://www.teaser.fr/~lfontaine/nmh/ byþ frofur. fira Wealth (or cattle, or movable property) is for all a gehwylcum. sceal ðeah benefit, though each should share a lot if he wants manna gehpylc. miclun hyt to cast by lots (or obtain) a destiny (a “doom”) in dælan. gif he wile. for front of the master1. ðrhtne domes hleotan :. byþ anmod. y ofer hyrned. Aurochs (or bison) is resolute, mightily horned. A fela frecne. deor feohteþ. very bold (or dangerous) fighting beast with mid horns . mære mor horns. A stalker of the moors, this is a mighty being. stapa. (þæt) is modig wuht :. byþ ðearle scearp. ðegna Thorn (also a kenning for “Giant”)2 is severely gehwylcum. anfen-gys sharp to the liegemen, catching (it brings) evil, yfyl. ungemetum reþe. excessively reckless to the human who rests with manna gehwylcun. ðe him it. mid resteð :. "Les runes qui guérissent" 1 Yves Kodratoff byþ ordfruma. ælcre God (or mouth)3 is fount of each discourse, spræce. wisdomes wraþu. support of wisdom and help (or compensation) for and witena frofur. and the wise one, rest and refuge to each nobleman. eorla gehwam. eadnys and to hiht :. byþ onrecyde. rinca Riding (or travel) in the hall, for each warrior, gehwylcum. sefte and (makes them) soft, and something mighty strong swiþhwæt. ðam ðe sitteþ who sits on a strong horse for a path of miles (= onufan. meare mægen mil paþas). heardum. ofer mil paþas :. byþ cwicera gehwam cuþ Torch (or pine, torch of pinewood) is obviously on fyre. blac and beorhtlic fire for each living being, shining, glittering, most byrneþ oftust. ðær hi often it burns where the princes rest. æþelingas inne restaþ :. gumena byþ gleng and Gift (or generosity, favor, sacrifice) is, for the herenys. wraþu y heroes, ornament and dignity and impels their wyrþscype y wræcna grace, but a support for these with no other (= gehwam ar and ætwist ðe lonely ones). byþ oþra leas :. ne bruceþ ðe can weana Joy (or hope, probability) never ends for the one lyt sares and sorge and who knows little of woes, sores and sorrows. He him sylfa hæfþ blæd and gets success and bliss and enough (protection in a) blysse and eac byrga fortress4. geniht:. byþ hwitust corna. hwyrft Hail (or hailstorm) is the whitest grain, it whirls hit of heofones lyfte. down from the sky’s heights, tossed in the wind wealcaþ hit windes scura. shower, becomes water thereafter. weorþeþ hit to wætere syððan :. byþ nearu on breostan Necessity (or duty, hardship, trouble- or also weorþeþ hi ðea oft niþa possibly: desire, longing) is distress on the chest bearnum to helpe and to and often strife of the servant. It becomes help and hæle gehwære gif hi his healing for the children if they listen soon enough. hlystaþ æror :. byþ ofer cealdunge metum Ice is mightily cold and gliding. It shines like clear slidor glisnaþ glæshluttur glass, as the jewels, a ground worked upon by gimmum gelicust flor cold, beautiful to look at. forste geworuht fæger ansyne :. "Les runes qui guérissent" 2 Yves Kodratoff byþ gumena hiht ðon god The year (or “good year”, hence the classical læteþ halig heofones translation: harvest) is a joy for the men when the cyning hrusan syllan god, holy king of the skies, (“obviously”, here, the beohrte beornum and God Freyr, also called King Freyr, and God of ðærfum :. fertility) makes earth supply brightly the noble and the poor. byþ utan unsmeþe treow. Yew is a tree, rough from the outside, hard and heard hrusan fæst hyrde fast in earth, a shepherd of the fire, his roots under fyres. wyrtrumum under the pillar, a joy on the native land. wreþyd wynan on eþle :. byþ symble plega. and Chessboard5 (the dictionary gives this meaning hlehter wlancum ðar with a ?) is feast day, games and casting by lots, wigan sittaþ on beor sele for the proud (or the splendid) fighters sitting in bliþe æt somne :. the bier hall, happy together. secgeard hæfþ oftust on The elk of the sedge6 (eolh = elk) often dwells in fenne. wexeð on wature. fens, grows in water, grimly wounds and burns wundaþ grimme. blode with boils the blood of the hero who seizes it. breneð beorna gehwylcne ðe him ænigne onfeng gedeð :. se mannum symble biþ on Sun (sigel = sun; sige = victory) is feast day and hihte ðonn hi hine feriaþ hope for those who depart on the fishes’ bath until ofer fisces beþ oþ hibrim the wave-steed brings them to land. hengest bringeþ to lande :. biþ tacna sum healdeð Tir is one of the signs; it keeps well its promise trywa wel. wiþ æþelingas (also possible: it controls well the tree - a not so a biþ on færylde. ofer absurd meaning in view of Yggdrasil) with the nihta genipu. næfre swiceþ noble, and it is there during the travel above the :. dark of the night, never deceives. byþ bleda leas. bereþ efne Birch has no shoots, it carries its rods without swa ðeah tanas butan fruits; radiant high twigs, high its crown with leafs tudder. biþ on telgum fairly laden, reaches the sky. wlitig. heah on helme hrysted fægere. geloden leafum lyfte getenge :. byþ for eorlum æþelinga Steed (or war steed) is for the princes and the wyn. hors hofum wlanc. noble’s joy; the warhorse arrogant in the hall7, ðær him hæleþas ymb. where the wealthy heroes exchange talk. And it is welege on wicgum ever refuge to the unstill ones. wrixlaþ spræce. Y biþ unstyllum æfre frofur :. "Les runes qui guérissent" 3 Yves Kodratoff byþ on myrgþe his magan Human is mirth to the beloved kin; he shall though leof. sceal þeah anra each one deceive, when the lord will doom this gehwylc oðrum swican. miserable flesh to be entrusted to earth. for ðam drythen wyle dome sine (þæt) earme flæsc eorþan betæcan :. byþ leodum langsum Water (or sea, ocean) seems lasting to the geþuht gif hi sculum liegemen if they venture out in a tossing bark neþun on nacan tealtum. (ship), so frightening are the waves of the sea, and Y hi sæ yþa swyþe bregaþ. the surf-steed no longer takes care of the bridle. and se brim hengest bridles ne gym(eð) :. wæs ærest mid east Ing was first among the East Danes, so was he denum. gesewen secgun. looked at, until towards East he went on the wave oþ he siððan est. ofer wæg after his wagon, thus these proud men named this gewat wæn æfter ran. ðus hero. heardingas ðone hæle nemdun :. byþ ofer leof. æghwylcum Native country (or ancestral home) is loved by men. gif he mot ðær. each human, if there the moot8 holds, and that he rihtes and gerysena on enjoys justly and often the convenience of his brucan on bolde bleadum sweet home. oftast :. byþ drihtnes sond. deore Day is sent by the Lord, mankind beloved, mannum. mære metodes glorious light of the creator, joy and hope for the leoht. myrgþ and tohit rich and the poor, useful to all. eadgum and earmum. eallum brice :. byþ on eorþan. elda Oak is on the ground, for the sons of man, food bearnum. flæsces fodor for the flesh; often it travels on the gannet's bath. fereþ gelome ofer ganotes The ocean checks if the oak keeps nobly its faith. bæþ garsecg fandaþ. hwæþer ac hæbbe æþele treowe :. biþ ofer heah. eldum dyre. Ash (or spear) rises high, loved by the folk, strong stiþ on staþule. stide rihte in its support, it justly keeps its place in spite of hylt. ðeah him feohtan on many human attacks. firas monige :. "Les runes qui guérissent" 4 Yves Kodratoff byþ æþelinga and eorla Bow (?, could also be gold ?, horn ?) is joy and gehwaes. wyn and memory of princes and nobles; beautiful on a wyrþmynd. byþ on wicge steed, firm in travel, some military gear. fæger. fæstlic on færelde. fyrd geatewa sum:. byþ ea fixa. ðeah abruceþ. Eel (?) is a kind of river fish; it nevertheless finds fodres onfoldan. hafaþ its food on the ground; it has a beautiful dwelling fægerne eard. wætre covered with water, where it lives in joy. beworpen. ðær he wynnum leofaþ :. byþ egle eorla gehwylcun.
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