Old english translations

TRANSLATION INTO MODERN ENGLISH

Mæg ic be me sylfum      soðgied wrecan, 

Mæg: be able to, can

Ic:  I

Be: by, near, about

Me: my  

Sylfum: self

Soðgied: a true story

Wrecan: to avenge, to drive, to utter in this case to tell

siþas secgan,         hu ic geswincdagum 

siþas: journeys, voyages

secgan: to say to speak  

hu: how  

ic:  I

geswicdagum: day of toil

earfoðhwile         oft þrowade, 

earfoðhwile: hard time, period of hardship

oft:  often

þrowade:  to endure, suffer, die

bitre breostceare         gebiden hæbbe,

 bitre: sharp, bitter

breostceare: anxiety, heart-care, sadness

gebiden: remain, await, experience, attain:  experienced  

hæbbe: posses, have

gecunnad in ceole         cearselda fela, 

gecunnad: known

in: in, on  

ceole:  the keel of a ship, a ship

cearselda: places of sorrow

fela: many, much  

atol yþa gewealc.  Þær mec oft bigeat 

atol: repulsive, dire

yþa:  wave of water, of the waves

gewealc: rolling, tossing

Þær: there, where

Mec: me

Oft: often

Bigeat: kept

nearo nihtwaco         æt nacan stefnan, 

nearo: confined, constricted, difficult, full of hardship, an anxious

nihtwaco: night – watch

æt: against, on

nacan:  boat, ship, of a ship

stefnan:  the prow or stern of a ship

þonne he be clifum cnossað.

Þonne: then, when  

He:  he, but in this case would be as it  

Be:  by, near to, about, beneath  

Clifum: the cliffs  

Cnossað: to strike ,  hit upon, pitch, drive

TRANSLATION

I can tell a true story

About myself

How I often endured

Days of struggle, trouble sometimes

How I have suffered

Grim sorrow at heart

Have known in the ship

Many worries abodes of care

The terrible tossing of the waves

Where the anxious night watch

Often took me

At the ship’s prow

When it tossed near the cliffs.

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