Old English, Norwegian, Islandic rune poems.pdf

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

gehwylcum. sceal ðeah

manna gehpylc. miclun hyt

dælan. gif he wile. for

ðrhtne domes hleotan : .

Wealth ( or cattle, or movable property ) is for all a

benefit, though each should share a lot if he wants

to cast by lots ( or obtain ) a destiny (a “doom”) in

front of the master 1 .

byþ anmod. y ofer hyrned.

fela frecne. deor feohteþ.

mid horns . mære mor

stapa. (þæt) is modig

wuht : .

Aurochs ( or bison ) is resolute, mightily horned. A

very bold ( or dangerous ) fighting beast with

horns. A stalker of the moors, this is a mighty

being.

byþ ðearle scearp. ðegna

gehwylcum. anfen-gys

yfyl. ungemetum reþe.

manna gehwylcun. ðe him

mid resteð : .

Thorn (also a kenning for “Giant”) 2 is severely

sharp to the liegemen, catching (it brings) evil,

excessively reckless to the human who rests with

it.

"Les runes qui guérissent"

Yves Kodratoff

byþ ordfruma. ælcre

spræce. wisdomes wraþu.

and witena frofur. and

eorla gehwam. eadnys and

to hiht : .

God ( or mouth ) 3 is fount of each discourse,

support of wisdom and help ( or compensation ) for

the wise one, rest and refuge to each nobleman.

byþ onrecyde. rinca

gehwylcum. sefte and

swiþhwæt. ðam ðe sitteþ

onufan. meare mægen

heardum. ofer mil paþas : .

Riding ( or travel ) in the hall, for each warrior,

(makes them) soft, and something mighty strong

who sits on a strong horse for a path of miles (=

mil paþas).

byþ cwicera gehwam cuþ

on fyre. blac and beorhtlic

byrneþ oftust. ðær hi

æþelingas inne restaþ : .

Torch ( or pine, torch of pinewood ) is obviously

fire for each living being, shining, glittering, most

often it burns where the princes rest.

gumena byþ gleng and

herenys. wraþu y

wyrþscype y wræcna

gehwam ar and ætwist ðe

byþ oþra leas : .

Gift ( or generosity, favor, sacrifice ) is, for the

heroes, ornament and dignity and impels their

grace, but a support for these with no other (=

lonely ones).

ne bruceþ ðe can weana

lyt sares and sorge and

him sylfa hæfþ blæd and

blysse and eac byrga

geniht: .

Joy ( or hope, probability ) never ends for the one

who knows little of woes, sores and sorrows. He

gets success and bliss and enough (protection in a)

fortress 4 .

byþ hwitust corna. hwyrft

hit of heofones lyfte.

wealcaþ hit windes scura.

weorþeþ hit to wætere

syððan : .

Hail ( or hailstorm ) is the whitest grain, it whirls

down from the sky’s heights, tossed in the wind

shower, becomes water thereafter.

byþ nearu on breostan

weorþeþ hi ðea oft niþa

bearnum to helpe and to

hæle gehwære gif hi his

hlystaþ æror : .

Necessity ( or duty, hardship, trouble- or also

possibly: desire, longing) is distress on the chest

and often strife of the servant. It becomes help and

healing for the children if they listen soon enough.

byþ ofer cealdunge metum

slidor glisnaþ glæshluttur

gimmum gelicust flor

forste geworuht fæger

ansyne : .

Ice is mightily cold and gliding. It shines like clear

glass, as the jewels, a ground worked upon by

cold, beautiful to look at.

"Les runes qui guérissent"

Yves Kodratoff

byþ gumena hiht ðon god

læteþ halig heofones

cyning hrusan syllan

beohrte beornum and

ðærfum : .

The year ( or “good year”, hence the classical

translation: harvest) is a joy for the men when the

god, holy king of the skies, (“obviously”, here, the

God Freyr, also called King Freyr, and God of

fertility) makes earth supply brightly the noble and

the poor.

byþ utan unsmeþe treow.

heard hrusan fæst hyrde

fyres. wyrtrumum under

wreþyd wynan on eþle : .

Yew is a tree, rough from the outside, hard and

fast in earth, a shepherd of the fire, his roots under

the pillar, a joy on the native land.

byþ symble plega. and

hlehter wlancum ðar

wigan sittaþ on beor sele

bliþe æt somne : .

Chessboard 5 ( the dictionary gives this meaning

with a ? ) is feast day, games and casting by lots,

for the proud ( or the splendid ) fighters sitting in

the bier hall, happy together.

secgeard hæfþ oftust on

fenne. wexeð on wature.

wundaþ grimme. blode

breneð beorna gehwylcne

ðe him ænigne onfeng

gedeð : .

The elk of the sedge 6 (eolh = elk) often dwells in

fens, grows in water, grimly wounds and burns

with boils the blood of the hero who seizes it.

se mannum symble biþ on

hihte ðonn hi hine feriaþ

ofer fisces beþ oþ hibrim

hengest bringeþ to lande : .

Sun ( sigel = sun; sige = victory ) is feast day and

hope for those who depart on the fishes’ bath until

the wave-steed brings them to land.

biþ tacna sum healdeð

trywa wel. wiþ æþelingas

a biþ on færylde. ofer

nihta genipu. næfre swiceþ

: .

Tir is one of the signs; it keeps well its promise

( also possible: it controls well the tree - a not so

absurd meaning in view of Yggdrasil ) with the

noble, and it is there during the travel above the

dark of the night, never deceives.

byþ bleda leas. bereþ efne

swa ðeah tanas butan

tudder. biþ on telgum

wlitig. heah on helme

hrysted fægere. geloden

leafum lyfte getenge : .

Birch has no shoots, it carries its rods without

fruits; radiant high twigs, high its crown with leafs

fairly laden, reaches the sky.

byþ for eorlum æþelinga

wyn. hors hofum wlanc.

ðær him hæleþas ymb.

welege on wicgum

wrixlaþ spræce. Y biþ

unstyllum æfre frofur : .

Steed ( or war steed ) is for the princes and the

noble’s joy; the warhorse arrogant in the hall 7 ,

where the wealthy heroes exchange talk. And it is

ever refuge to the unstill ones.

"Les runes qui guérissent"

Yves Kodratoff

byþ on myrgþe his magan

leof. sceal þeah anra

gehwylc oðrum swican.

for ðam drythen wyle

dome sine (þæt) earme

flæsc eorþan betæcan : .

Human is mirth to the beloved kin; he shall though

each one deceive, when the lord will doom this

miserable flesh to be entrusted to earth.

byþ leodum langsum

geþuht gif hi sculum

neþun on nacan tealtum.

Y hi sæ yþa swyþe bregaþ.

and se brim hengest

bridles ne gym(eð) : .

Water ( or sea, ocean ) seems lasting to the

liegemen if they venture out in a tossing bark

(ship), so frightening are the waves of the sea, and

the surf-steed no longer takes care of the bridle.

wæs ærest mid east

denum. gesewen secgun.

oþ he siððan est. ofer wæg

gewat wæn æfter ran. ðus

heardingas ðone hæle

nemdun : .

Ing was first among the East Danes, so was he

looked at, until towards East he went on the wave

after his wagon, thus these proud men named this

hero.

byþ ofer leof. æghwylcum

men. gif he mot ðær.

rihtes and gerysena on

brucan on bolde bleadum

oftast : .

Native country ( or ancestral home ) is loved by

each human, if there the moot 8 holds, and that he

enjoys justly and often the convenience of his

sweet home.

byþ drihtnes sond. deore

mannum. mære metodes

leoht. myrgþ and tohit

eadgum and earmum.

eallum brice : .

Day is sent by the Lord, mankind beloved,

glorious light of the creator, joy and hope for the

rich and the poor, useful to all.

byþ on eorþan. elda

bearnum. flæsces fodor

fereþ gelome ofer ganotes

bæþ garsecg fandaþ.

hwæþer ac hæbbe æþele

treowe : .

Oak is on the ground, for the sons of man, food

for the flesh; often it travels on the gannet's bath.

The ocean checks if the oak keeps nobly its faith.

biþ ofer heah. eldum dyre.

stiþ on staþule. stide rihte

hylt. ðeah him feohtan on

firas monige : .

Ash ( or spear ) rises high, loved by the folk, strong

in its support, it justly keeps its place in spite of

many human attacks.

"Les runes qui guérissent"

Yves Kodratoff

byþ æþelinga and eorla

gehwaes. wyn and

wyrþmynd. byþ on wicge

fæger. fæstlic on færelde.

fyrd geatewa sum: .

Bow ( ?, could also be gold ?, horn ? ) is joy and

memory of princes and nobles; beautiful on a

steed, firm in travel, some military gear.

byþ ea fixa. ðeah abruceþ.

fodres onfoldan. hafaþ

fægerne eard. wætre

beworpen. ðær he

wynnum leofaþ : .

Eel ( ? ) is a kind of river fish; it nevertheless finds

its food on the ground; it has a beautiful dwelling

covered with water, where it lives in joy.

byþ egle eorla gehwylcun.

ðonn fæstlice flæsc

onginneþ. hracolian

hrusan ceosan blac to

gebeddan bleda

gedreosaþ. wynna gewitaþ

wera geswicaþ : .

Earth ( or corn ear, or ocean ) is loathsome to each

nobleman, when flesh firmly tries to choose the

ground, fallen fruits as bedmates, joy vanishes,

man turns traitor.

Hos characteres

ad alia

festinans

studioso lectori interpretenda relinquo

The last line provides three more runes: cweorð , stan and gar known by other Futhorcs.

stan means stone, but the meaning of cweorð and gar is not sure.

The Latin sentence states that the understanding of these signs and other similar is left to

the studious readers. The runes in the middle make the formula 'olhwnfhg' which must be

a still unsolved enigma.

Notes.

1. The conventional translation: «if he wants to obtain glory in front of the Lord» is

certainly possible, but too Christian for such a poem - Christianized - but still full of

paganism. I prefer: «if he wants to cast lots of fate in front of the Lord», by reference to

the Völuspa where the first human shapes have no destiny, while three Gods will give

them life and fate.

2. Icelandic and Norse runic poems refer to the Thurs , the name of the giants when they

represent the brutish natural forces. The Eddic poem called In praise to Thor

( Þórsdrápa ), explained and commented here, speaks of Þorns niðjum (children of the

thorn), svíra Þorns (thorn's neck), í þornrann (toward thorn's home) where obviously

thorn refers to a living being, a Thurs from the context of the poem.

3. Icelandic runic poems speaks of áss (one of the Aesir, the Nordic Gods). Old Norse

poem speaks of óss (river mouth). The translation by mouth or God (where God would

be here Wóden, the first among the Aesir) is still under debate among scholars. It is

obviously more ‘logical’ to say that the mouth is source of discourse, but it should be

remembered that Wóden, called Óðinn (“Odin”) in the Nordic tongues, is also « the

Gods' shouter» and the owner of the mead of poetry that allows poetic speech. For

"Les runes qui guérissent"

Yves Kodratoff

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