The Seafarer

The Seafarer

Original Text
The Exeter Book, ed. George Philip Krapp and Elliott van Kirk Dobbie (New York: Columbia University Press, 1936): 143-47.
1Mæg ic be me sylfum soðgied wrecan,
          [I can utter a true tale about myself,]
2siþas secgan, hu ic geswincdagum
          [tell of my travels, how in laboursome days]
3earfoðhwile oft þrowade,
          [a time of hardship I often suffered,]
4bitre breostceare gebiden hæbbe,
          [how bitter sorrow in my breast I have borne,]
5gecunnad in ceole cearselda fela,
          [made trial on shipboard of many sorrowful abodes; ]
6atol yþa gewealc, þær mec oft bigeat
          [dread was the rolling of the waves; there my task was often]
7nearo nihtwaco æt nacan stefnan,
          [the hard night-watch at the boat's prow,]
8þonne he be clifum cnossað. Calde geþrungen
          [when it tosses by the cliffs. Afflicted with cold,]
9wæron mine fet, forste gebunden,
          [my feet were fettered by frost,]
10caldum clommum, þær þa ceare seofedun
          [by chilling bonds. There my sorrows sighed forth,]
11hat ymb heortan; hungor innan slat
          [intensely round my heart; within, hunger rent]
12merewerges mod. Þæt se mon ne wat
          [the mind of the sea-weary man. The man knows not ]
13þe him on foldan fægrost limpeð,
          [who on land fares most prosperously]
14hu ic earmcearig iscealdne sæ
          [how I, sad and wretched, on the ice-cold sea]
15winter wunade wræccan lastum,
          [have spent a winter as an exile,]
16winemægum bidroren,
          [cut off from kinsmen,]
17bihongen hrimgicelum; hægl scurum fleag.
          [hung round with icicles. The hail flew in showers.]
18Þær ic ne gehyrde butan hlimman sæ,
          [I heard nothing there but the sea booming,]
19iscaldne wæg. Hwilum ylfete song
          [the ice-cold wave, at times the cry of the whooper swan.]
20dyde ic me to gomene, ganetes hleoþor
          [I took my joy in the cry of the gannet]
21ond huilpan sweg fore hleahtor wera,
          [and the sound of the curlew instead of men's laughter,]
22mæw singende fore medodrince.
          [the screaming gull instead of mead-drink.]
23Stormas þær stanclifu beotan, þær him stearn oncwæð
          [Storms beat there on the stone-cliffs, where the tern answered them]
24isigfeþera; ful oft þæt earn bigeal,
          [with icy feathers; very often the eagle screamed,]
25urigfeþra; ne ænig hleomæga
          [dewy-feathered; no protector]
26feasceaftig ferð frefran meahte.
          [could comfort the desolate heart.]
27Forþon him gelyfeð lyt, se þe ah lifes wyn
          [Yet little he believes who has joy in life,]
28gebiden in burgum, bealosiþa hwon,
          [who stays at home, seldom painfully voyaging,]
29wlonc ond wingal, hu ic werig oft
          [proud and flushed with wine, how often I weary ]
30in brimlade bidan sceolde.
          [endured on the ocean-way.]
31Nap nihtscua, norþan sniwde,
          [The shadow of night darkened, it snowed from the north,]
32hrim hrusan bond, hægl feol on eorþan,
          [frost bound the earth, hail fell on the earth,]
33corna caldast. Forþon cnyssað nu
          [coldest of grain. Yet now stir]
34heortan geþohtas, þæt ic hean streamas,
          [the thoughts of my heart that I the towering seas,]
35sealtyþa gelac sylf cunnige;
          [the tossing salt-waves, alone venture;]
36monað modes lust mæla gehwylce
          [the heart's desire urges at all times ]
37ferð to feran, þæt ic feor heonan
          [to fare onwards so that I far hence]
38elþeodigra eard gesece.
          [seek out the land of the alien.]
39Forþon nis þæs modwlonc mon ofer eorþan,
          [Yet there is no man on earth so proud ]
40ne his gifena þæs god, ne in geoguþe to þæs hwæt,
          [nor so good in gift-giving, so bold in youth,]
41ne in his dædum to þæs deor, ne him his dryhten to þæs hold,
          [so daring in his deeds, with a lord so gracious to him,]
42þæt he a his sæfore sorge næbbe,
          [that he has no anxiety in sea-faring]
43to hwon hine dryhten gedon wille.
          [as to what the lord will bring him.]
44Ne biþ him to hearpan hyge ne to hringþege,
          [He thinks not of the harp, the receiving of rings,]
45ne to wife wyn ne to worulde hyht,
          [the delight of a woman, the joy of the world,]
46ne ymbe owiht elles, nefne ymb yða gewealc,
          [nor anything else save the welter of waves,]
47ac a hafað longunge se þe on lagu fundað.
          [he always lacks peace of mind who sets out on the sea.]
48Bearwas blostmum nimað, byrig fægriað,
          [The woods put forth blossoms, the towns are fair,]
49wongas wlitigiað, woruld onetteð;
          [the meadows shine, the world quickens;]
50ealle þa gemoniað modes fusne
          [all these incite the eager-minded]
51sefan to siþe, þam þe swa þenceð
          [heart to a journey, he who so intends]
52on flodwegas feor gewitan.
          [travelling far on the flood-ways.]
53Swylce geac monað geomran reorde,
          [Even so the cuckoo urges with sad voice,]
54singeð sumeres weard, sorge beodeð
          [summer's warder sings, bodes sorrow]
55bitter in breosthord. Þæt se beorn ne wat,
          [bitter in the breast-hoard. The man does not know,]
56esteadig secg, hwæt þa sume dreogað
          [the prosperous man, what they suffer]
57þe þa wræclastas widost lecgað.
          [who most widely set on the tracks of exile.]
58Forþon nu min hyge hweorfeð ofer hreþerlocan,
          [That's why my thought turns in my breast,]
59min modsefa mid mereflode
          [my mind amid the sea-flood]
60ofer hwæles eþel hweorfeð wide,
          [across the whale's home turns widely,]
61eorþan sceatas, cymeð eft to me
          [the earth's expanse, comes again to me]
62gifre ond grædig, gielleð anfloga,
          [eager and greedy, the lone-flyer screams,]
63hweteð on hwælweg hreþer unwearnum
          [urges on the whale-way the heart relentlessly]
64ofer holma gelagu. Forþon me hatran sind
          [over the ocean's expanse. That's why warm me]
65dryhtnes dreamas þonne þis deade lif,
          [more the joys of the lord than this dead life,]
66læne on londe. Ic gelyfe no
          [brief on earth. I do not believe]
67þæt him eorðwelan ece stondað.
          [that earthly wealth will stand eternal.]
68Simle þreora sum þinga gehwylce,
          [Always one of three things,]
69ær his tid aga, to tweon weorþeð;
          [before its time comes, proves uncertain;]
70adl oþþe yldo oþþe ecghete
          [sickness or age or sword-hatred]
71fægum fromweardum feorh oðþringeð.
          [from the fated, about-to-die wrests away life.]
72Forþon þæt bið eorla gehwam æftercweþendra
          [Therefore will those speaking of a warrior,]
73lof lifgendra lastworda betst,
          [praise by the living, best final words]
74þæt he gewyrce, ær he on weg scyle,
          [that he work for, before he goes away,]
75fremum on foldan wið feonda niþ,
          [good acts on earth against the malice of fiends,]
76deorum dædum deofle togeanes,
          [brave deeds against the devil,]
77þæt hine ælda bearn æfter hergen,
          [so that the children of men after praise him]
78ond his lof siþþan lifge mid englum
          [and his fame afterwards lives with the angels]
79awa to ealdre, ecan lifes blæd,
          [for ever and ever, eternal life's glory, ]
80dream mid dugeþum. Dagas sind gewitene,
          [joy among the hosts. The days are gone,]
81ealle onmedlan eorþan rices;
          [all the magnificence of earthly kingdoms;]
82næron nu cyningas ne caseras
          [now neither kings nor kaisers]
83ne goldgiefan swylce iu wæron,
          [nor gold-givers are what they were,]
84þonne hi mæst mid him mærþa gefremedon
          [when they performed greatest deeds between them,]
85ond on dryhtlicestum dome lifdon.
          [and lived in lordly renown.]
86Gedroren is þeos duguð eal, dreamas sind gewitene,
          [All this host is fallen, joys have gone,]
87wuniað þa wacran ond þas woruld healdaþ,
          [the weak remain and keep the world,]
88brucað þurh bisgo. Blæd is gehnæged,
          [possess it in trouble. Glory is brought low,]
89eorþan indryhto ealdað ond searað,
          [the nobleness of the world ages and withers,]
90swa nu monna gehwylc geond middangeard.
          [as now does each man through middle-earth.]
91Yldo him on fareð, onsyn blacað,
          [Old age comes to him, his face pales,]
92gomelfeax gnornað, wat his iuwine,
          [gray-haired he mourns, knows that his former friends,]
93æþelinga bearn, eorþan forgiefene.
          [the sons of nobles, are given over to the earth.]
94Ne mæg him þonne se flæschoma, þonne him þæt feorg losað,
          [Nor can his flesh-home, when his life fails,]
95ne swete forswelgan ne sar gefelan,
          [eat sweet things, nor feel pain,]
96ne hond onhreran ne mid hyge þencan.
          [nor move his hand, nor think with his mind.]
97Þeah þe græf wille golde stregan
          [Although he strew the grave with gold,]
98broþor his geborenum, byrgan be deadum,
          [bury his blood-brother among the dead]
99maþmum mislicum þæt hine mid wille,
          [with various treasures that will go with him,]
100ne mæg þære sawle þe biþ synna ful
          [the soul that's full of sin cannot]
101gold to geoce for godes egsan,
          [avail itself of gold against God's terror,]
102þonne he hit ær hydeð þenden he her leofað.
          [when he before hides it while he lives here.]
103Micel biþ se meotudes egsa, forþon hi seo molde oncyrreð;
          [Great is the Almighty's power before which the earth will blench;]
104se gestaþelade stiþe grundas,
          [he established the firm land,]
105eorþan sceatas ond uprodor.
          [the earth's expanse, the heavens above.]
106Dol biþ se þe him his dryhten ne ondrædeþ; cymeð him se deað unþinged.
          [Foolish is he who fears not his lord; death comes to him unexpectedly.]
107Eadig bið se þe eaþmod leofaþ; cymeð him seo ar of heofonum,
          [Blessed is he who lives humbly; grace comes to him from heaven,]
108meotod him þæt mod gestaþelað, forþon he in his meahte gelyfeð.
          [God establishes that spirit in him because he believes in his might.]
109Stieran mon sceal strongum mode, ond þæt on staþelum healdan,
          [Man must control a headstrong spirit, and keep it in place, ]
110ond gewis werum, wisum clæne,
          [and true to men, pure in way of life,]
111scyle monna gehwylc mid gemete healdan
          [every man must moderate]
112wiþ leofne ond wið laþne bealo,
          [his evil intent towards the loved and the hated,]
113þeah þe he hine wille fyres fulne
          [although he wishes engulfed in fire]
114oþþe on bæle forbærnedne
          [or in conflagration consumed]
115his geworhtne wine. Wyrd biþ swiþre,
          [the friend he has made. Fate is stronger,]
116meotud meahtigra þonne ænges monnes gehygd.
          [God more mighty, than any man's thought.]
117Uton we hycgan hwær we ham agen,
          [Let is remember where we have our home, ]
118ond þonne geþencan hu we þider cumen,
          [and then think how we come thither,]
119ond we þonne eac tilien, þæt we to moten
          [and then also that we labour insofar as we are allowed]
120in þa ecan eadignesse,
          [in eternal blessedness,]
121þær is lif gelong in lufan dryhtnes,
          [where the source of life is in loving the lord,]
122hyht in heofonum. Þæs sy þam halgan þonc,
          [joy in heaven. Thanks be to the holy one]
123þæt he usic geweorþade, wuldres ealdor,
          [for honouring us, the prince of glory,]
124ece dryhten, in ealle tid. Amen.
          [the eternal lord, in all time. Amen.]

Notes

1] The translation is the RPO editor's. Cf. Ezra Pound's translation of the poem. Back to Line
26] frefan: feran in MS Back to Line
38] the land of the alien: heaven, to which pilgrims journey. Back to Line
49] wlitigiað: wlitigað in MS. Back to Line
52] gewitan: gewitað in MS. Back to Line
56] esteadig: eft eadig in MS. Back to Line
62] anfloga: probably the cuckoo. Back to Line
63] hwælweg: wæl weg in MS. Back to Line
67] stondað: stondeð in MS. Back to Line
69] tid aga: tide ge in MS. Back to Line
72] bið: not in MS. Back to Line
75] fremum: fremman in MS. Back to Line
79] blæd: blæð in MS. Back to Line
109] mon: mod in MS. Back to Line
112] Probably omitted words after laþne. Back to Line
113] Probably omitted words after fulne.he: presumably the hated one. Back to Line
115] swiþre: swire in MS.he: presumably the seafarer. Back to Line
117] we: se in MS. Back to Line
Publication Start Year
970
Publication Notes
The manuscript, presented to the Library of Exeter Cathedral by Bishop Leofric by 1072, was probably written in West Wessex about 970-990.
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
2012
Form
alliterating four-stress lines