Steve Watson

The Ruin

September 13, 2015 – 5:16 pm

From the Exeter Book (Exeter Cathedral Library MS 3501). The OE text is presented as in Mitchell & Robinson (2012) A Guide to Old English (8^th edn) Wiley-Blackwell:UK pp. 261-3. They note several emendations of the OE text, but only the reconstruction of line 12 is really significant. As usual in that text, wynn and yogh in the MS are replaced here by standard English letters, but ð, þ, and æ are retained. Length is marked by an underline, which I find less intrusive.

Wrætlic is þes wealstan, wyrde gebræcon;
Wonderful is this wall-stone, Wierd broke (it);

burgstede burston, brosnað enta geweorc.
Shattered the stronghold, the work of giants is decayed.

Hrofas sind gehrorene, hreorge torras,
The roofs are fallen in, the towers are ruined.

hrimgeat berofen, hrim on lime,
the hoar-frosted gate is broken, rime on the lime-plaster,

scearde scurbeorge scorene, gedrorene,
scarred is the shower-shield, scored and collapsed,

ældo undereotone. Eorðgrap hafað
under-eaten by age. Earth-grip has

waldend wyrhtan, forweorone, geleorene,
the master builders, perished and departed,

heardgripe hrusan, oþ hund cnea
hard grips the ground, up to 100 generations

werþeoda gewitan. Oft þæs wag gebad
of men have passed on. Often did this wall abide

ræghar ond readfah rice æfter oþrum,
grey with lichen and stained red, one kingdom after another,

ofstonden under stormum; steap geap gedreas.
standing firm under storms; the high and wide (wall) decayed.

Wunað giet se wealstan wederum geheawen,
Still stands the wall-stone battered by weather,

fel on ……………………………………….
(by) files…………………………………….

grimme gegrunden …………………………
grim-ground…………………………………

………………scan heo…………………….
…………………??…………………………

………………g orþonc ærsceaft…………..
………………skill ancient work…………..

………………g lamrindum beag
………………Mud-rind withdrew

mod mo… …yne swiftne gebrægd
will …………… swift braided

hwætred in hringas, hygerof gebond
clever in rings, the resolute bound

weallwalan wirum wundrum togædre.
wall-braces with wire skilfully together.

Beorht wæron burgræced, burnsele monige,
Bright were the buildings, many the bathing halls,

heah horngestreon, heresweg micel,
high the far-strewn gables, loud the din of armed men,

meodoheall monig mondreama full,
many a mead-hall full of the joy of men,

oþþæt þæt onwende wyrd seo swiþe.
until Wierd the strong ended that.

Crungon walo wide, cwoman woldagas,
The slain fell all about, came the days of woe,

swylt eall fornom secgrofra wera;
death took all the sword-valiant men;

wurdon hyra wigsteal westenstaþolas,
their sanctuaries became waste places,

brosnade burgsteall. Betend crungon
the city decayed. The rebuilders went down

hergas to hrusan. Forþon þas hofu dreorgiað,
(of the) temples to the earth. So these buildings grow dreary,

ond þes teaforgeapa tigelum sceadeð
and the roof sheds the red-curved tiles

hrostbeages hrof. Hryre wong gecrong
from the vault ring. The ruin falls to the ground

gebrocen to beorgum, þær iu beorn monig
broken into rubble-heaps, where of old many a warrior

glædmod ond goldbeorht gleoma gefrætwed,
joyful and gold-bright glitteringly adorned,

wlonc ond wingal wighyrstum scan;
splendid and wine-brightened shone in war-gear;

seah on sinc, on sylfor, on searogimmas,
looked on treasure, on silver, on well-set gems,

on ead, on æht, on eorcanstan,
on wealth, on riches, on precious stones,

on þas beorhtan burg bradan rices.
on this bright burg of a broad kingdom.

Stanhofu stodan, stream hate wearp
Stone houses stood, a spring hot gushed

widan wylme; weal eall befeng
(in) a great surge; a wall enclosed all

beorhtan bosme, þær þa baþu wæron,
within its bright bosom, where the baths were,

hat on hreþre. þæt wæs hyðelic.
hot to the heart. That was a fine thing.

Leton þonne geotan …….…………………
Let then pour………………………………

ofer harne stan hate streamas
over grey stone hot streams

un………………………………………….
?.….……………………………………….

… þþæt hringmere hate……………………
…[un]til a hot pool ……………………….

……………… þær þa baþu wæron.
……………… where the baths were.

þonne is …………………………………..
Then ………………………………………

…………………re; þæt is cynelic þing,
………………… ?; which is a kingly thing,

huse ……………………. burg …………..
building ……………….. city ……………

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