Old English Pétur Knútsson, November 2005
The final paper is in two parts: this paper, to be taken home, and Part 2, to be taken as an exam. This paper is to be submittted by 15 December. It must be written in English, but the translations may be into Icelandic.
I Set texts.
For each of the following 7 passages: a) Translate the passage. Your translation should be as close as possible to the original without distorting normal language in any way. b) Identify and describe the passage briefly, and give its context. c) Parse the underlined words. To parse means to give the part of speech of the word in question (in this paper they will only be nouns, pronouns, adjectives or verbs) and supply the following information: for: nouns: case, number, gender pronouns: person, case, number, gender adjectives; case, number, gender, and whether weak or strong verbs: person, number, tense, mood d) Answer the questions.
1 Gehýrest þú, Éadwacer? Uncerne eargne hwelp bireð wulf tó wuda. Þæt mon éaþe tóslíteð þætte nǽfre gesomnad wæs, uncer giedd geador.
Explain the exact meaning of uncerne and uncer Who is Wulf?
2 Ongietan sceal gléaw hæle hú gǽstlic bið, þonne ealre þisse worulde wela wéste stondeð, swá nú missenlíce geond þisne middangeard winde biwáune weallas stondaþ, 5 hríme bihrorene, hrýðge þá ederas. Wóriað þá wínsalo, waldend licgað dréame bidrorene, duguþ eal gecrong, wlonc bi wealle. Sume wíg fornom, ferede in forðwege: sumne fugel oþbær 10 ofer héanne holm, sumne se hára wulf déaðe gedǽlde, sumne dréorighléor in eorðscræfe eorl gehýdde. Ýþde swá þisne eardgeard ælda Scyppend oþ þæt burgwara breahtma léase 15 eald enta geweorc ídlu stódon.
What does the poet mean by eald enta geweorc?
1 3 Swá þú, God of Gode gearo ácenned, sunu sóþan fæder, swegles in wuldre bútan anginne ǽfre wǽre, swá þec nú for þearfum þín ágen geweorc 5 bideð þurh byldo þæt þú þá beorhtan ús sunnan onsende, ond þé sylf cyme þæt ðú inléohte þá þe longe ǽr, þrosme beþeahte ond in þéostrum hér, sǽton sinneahtes, synnum bifealdne, 10 deorc déaþes sceadu dréogan sceoldan.
What is the subject of bideð in line 5? What is the accusative object of bideð in line 5? What is the subject of the verbs sǽton (9) and dréogan sceoldon (10)?
4 Oft ic sceolde ána úhtna gehwylce míne ceare cwíþan. Nis nú cwicra nán þe ic him módsefan mínne durre sweotule ásecgan. Ic tó sóþe wát 5 þæt biþ in eorle indryhten þéaw þæt hé his ferðlocan fæste binde, healde his hordcofan, hycge swá hé wille.
What is the subject of the verb biþ in line 5?
5 Þǽr ic þá ne dorste ofer Dryhtnes word búgan oððe berstan, þá ic bifian geseah eorðan scéatas. Ealle ic mihte féondas gefyllan, hwæðre ic fæste stód. 5 Ongyrede hine þá geong hæleð - þæt wæs God ælmihtig, strang ond stíðmód. Gestáh hé on gealgan héanne, módig on manigra gesyhðe, þá hé wolde mancyn lýsan. Bifode ic þá mé se beorn ymbclypte. Ne dorste ic hwæðre búgan tó eorðan, feallan tó foldan scéatum, ac ic sceolde fæste standan. 10 Ród wæs ic árǽred. Áhóf ic rícne Cyning, heofona Hláford, hyldan mé ne dorste.
What can you say about the metre of lines 4-9 ?
6 Þá éodon þǽr má manna tó, ac hé (= se stán) swá þéah wunode fæst & unwendedlic, efne swylce hé wǽre hæfd be wyrtwalan in þǽre eorðan. And éac hit openlíce mihte béon ongyten þæt se ealda féond sæt ofer þám stáne, þone ne mihton swá manigra wera handa onstyrian.
2 7 Ðá on morgenne gehíerdun þæt þæs cyninges þegnas þe him beæftan wǽrun þæt se cyning ofslægen wæs. Þá ridon híe þider ond his aldormon Ósric ond Wíferþ his þegn ond þá men þe hé beæftan him lǽfde ǽr, ond þone æþeling on þǽre byrig métton þǽr se cyning ofslægen læg (ond þá gatu him tó belocen hæfdon), ond þá þǽrtó éodon. Ond þá gebéad hé him hiera ágenne dóm féos ond londes gif híe him þæs ríces úþon, ond him cýþdon þæt hiera mǽgas him mid wǽron þá þe him from noldon. Give the verb, subject and object in: Ðá on morgenne gehíerdun þæt þæs cyninges þegnas
Part II Unseen text. Translate the following as above, parse the underlined words, and answer the questions.
1 Ðá wæs ymb féower hund wintra and seofone æfter Drihtnes menniscnysse. Féng tó ríce 2 Honorius cásere, sé wæs féorða éac féowertígum fram Agusto þám cásere, twǽm géarum 3 ǽr Romaburh ábrocen and forhergod wǽre. Séo hergung wæs þurh Alaricum Gotena 4 cyning geworden. Wæs Romaburh ábrocen fram Gotum ymb þúsend wintra and 5 hundtéontig and féower and sextig ðæs þe héo geworht wæs. Of þǽre tíde Romane 6 blunnon rícsian on Breotone. Þá ongunnon twá þéoda, Pyhtas norðan and Scottas westan, 7 hí onwinnan and heora ǽhta niman and hergian.
ábrécan, break, destroy. Alaricus: the writer uses the Latin accusative ending blinnan, be-linnan, nú er mál að linni: cease. ǽht f. goods, lands fón tó ríce, ascend the throne forhergian/forherigean (with g pronounced [j]), plunder, destroy rícsian, rule What gender is burh in line 4? How can you tell from the text? What gender is tíd in line 5? How can you tell from the text? Who does hí in line 7 refer to?
Part III Insert the correct forms a She loved him _____ lufode ______b He loved her _____ lufode ______c They gave him the ships (scip neuter) _____ géafon ______d We gave them the books (bóc, plural béc, feminine) _____ géafon ______béc e I gave her the white horse (hwít; mearh masculine) _____ geaf ______hwít____ mearh f The king gave you (sg) a white ring (hring, masculine) _____ cyning geaf ______hwít____ hring
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