The roar of the sea, ice-cold waves, and the song of the swan; For pastime the gannets' cry served me; the kittiwakes'1 chatter 2 For laughter of men; and for mead-drink the call of the sea mews.1 When storms on the rocky cliffs beat, then the terns, icyfeathered, Made answer; full oft the sea-eagle forebodingly screamed, How weary I oft had to tarry upon the sea-way! The shadows of night became darker, it snowed from the north; The world was enchained by the frost; hail fell upon earth; 'Twas the coldest of grain. Yet the thoughts of my heart now are throbbing To test the high streams, the salt waves in tumultuous play. Desire in my heart ever urges my spirit to wander To seek out the home of the stranger in lands afar off. There is no one that dwells upon earth, so exalted in mind, So large in his bounty, nor yet of such vigorous youth, Nor so daring in deeds, nor to whom his liege lord is so kind, But that he has always a longing, a sea-faring passion For what the Lord God shall bestow, be it honor or death. No heart for the harp has he, nor for acceptance of treasure, No pleasure has he in a wife, no delight in the world, Nor in aught save the roll of the billows; but always a longing, A yearning uneasiness, hastens him on to the sea. The woodlands are captured by blossoms, the hamlets grow fair, 1 Sea birds. The last two are gulls. 2 a fermented drink made from honey. Broad meadows are beautiful, earth again bursts into life, And all stir the heart of the wanderer eager to journey, So he meditates going afar on the pathway of tides. The cuckoo, moreover, gives warning with sorrowful note, 5 Summer's harbinger1 sings, and forebodes to the heart bitter sorrow. The nobleman comprehends not, the luxurious man, What some must endure, who travel the farthest in exile. Now my spirit uneasily turns in the heart's narrow chamber, Now wanders forth over the tide, o'er the home of the whale, 10 To the ends of the earth-and comes back to me. Eager and greedy, The lone wanderer screams, and resistlessly drives my soul onward, Over the whale-path, over the tracts of the sea. 15 20 CÆDMONIAN CYCLE2 GENESIS THE BEGINNING OF CREATION But after as before was peace in Heaven, Their glory-seats behind them in God's realm, 1 forerunner. 2 Reprinted from Cook and Tinker, Translations from Old English Poetry, Ginn and Company, publishers. Enlarged with gifts, stood happy, bright with bloom, Wretched to exile within bars of hell. Then thought within His mind the Lord of hosts How He again might fix within His rule The great creation, thrones of heavenly light High in the heavens for a better band, Since the proud scathers1 had relinquished them. 5 Willed that there should be set beneath heaven's span Here first the eternal Father, guard of all, Of heaven's Keeper borne over the deep 1 those who did scathe or damage. 2 sky, heavens. CYNEWULF CYCLE1 RIDDLE: THE STORM-SPIRIT IN THE SEA The billows crash above me while I move, 5 To burst in foam. Fiercely the whale-mere2 rises Rocks, sand, and heaving waves and weeds are hurled. Nor can I 'scape the whelming tide, till he ANDREAS A STORM AT SEA Then was the ocean stirred And deeply troubled, then the horn-fish played, Shot through the raging deep; the sea-gull gray, 20 Greedy for slaughter, flew in circling flight. 25 The candle of the sky grew straightway dark, The winds waxed strong, the waves whirled, and the surge Leapt high, the ropes creaked, dripping with the waves; The Terror of the waters rose, and stood Above them with the might of multitudes. 1 Reprinted from Cook and Tinker, Translations from Old English Poetry, Ginn and Company, publishers. 2 sea. The thanes were sore afraid; not one of them ELENE THE BATTLE Trumpets resounded before the troop. The raven was watching and waiting joyfully, 5 And the wolf from his haunt in the desolate wood 10 And the sword that swayed with the swinging arm 15 With shouts of triumph that were loud and shrill, 20 When the Roman king, the fighter unconquerable, The fierce leader, lifted the cross. Wide was the ruin that was wrought on the heathen. Some perished there in that place of death, Some fled half alive to rocky fastnesses, 25 And won their way back to Danube's banks; And some found death in the depths of the lake-stream: From the day's dawning till night came down, And with ash-darts and arrows (fierce battle-adders) 30 |