Anonymous: Deor (From Old English)

This poem refers to stock characters — real and fictional — from Germanic lore. Some of the figures are now obscure, and most are not known directly from Old English versions of the story.

I have modernized many of the names, giving them forms that would be plausible as Modern English versions of the name. The biggest exception is Wayland, whose Old English name would actually have been Weeland or Weland had it survived into the modern period.

Wayland (Old English Wéland, Old Norse Vǫlundr, Old High German Wiolant) was a smith renowned for his metal working ability. He was forced to work for Nithad (OE Niþhad, ON Níðuðr) who hamstrung him to stop his escape. Wayland avenged himself by killing the king's sons, raping his daughter Beadild (OE Beadohilde, ON Bǫðvildr). Mathild and Geat are opaque. They appear to be famous lovers that met a tragic end, like Romeo and Juliet, or Layla and Majnun. The ablest guess is that they correspond to Magnhild and Gaute of a Scandinavian ballad tale recorded in the 19th century, but even if so the story as it was known to the poet's English audience may well have differed greatly from the version known from Scandinavia a thousand years later. Thedric is Theodoric, the Ostrogothic emperor who ruled in Italy from 493 to 526. Armenric is Ermanaric the Goth, another ruler known to us from Beowulf and Widsith. (I confected the form Armenric by positing that the vowel of Eormanric underwent pre-rhotic lowering to /a/ in Late Middle English and, as in most native words, failed to raise again in the Early Modern period. Eormanric -> Armenric just like feorr, deorc->far, dark.)

The text shown here is not based on the Exeter book as it exists, but meant to give an idea of what it might have looked like if it were copied out faithfully from a much older Mercian exemplar. 

Deor
By Anonymnous
Translated by A.Z. Foreman

Wayland in Wormland　went through harrows,
The strongminded smith　suffered in exile.
Worry and longing 　walked beside him,
winter-raw anguish.　He ached for escape
after King Nithad　cramped his sinews　

and bound a slave　of the better man.

That passed in time.　So too can this. 

To Beadild's mind　her brothers' deaths
weren't as wounding　as what she faced
herself when she came　to clearly see
that she was pregnant.　That princess unwed
could not handle　what would become of her.

That passed in time.　So too can this.

We know the tale  　of tragic Mathild.
the Geat bore her　a bottomless passion,
all sleep banished 　by a baneful love

That passed in time.　So too can this.

Tyrant Thedrick　for thirty winters
ruled the Mearings,　as many know.

That passed in time.　So too can this.

We have all heard tell　of Armenrick
and his wolfsick mind.　He was one cruel king,
That overlord　of the outland Goths
whose state was set　in strung-up hearts　
as strong men sat　in sorrow-chains
awaiting the worst,　and wishing so much
for a foe to liberate　the land of their king.

That passed in time.　So too can this.

A man sits mournful,　mind ripped from joy.
His spirit in dark,　he deems himself
foredoomed to endure　ordeals forever.
Then he may think　how throughout the world

the Wise God goes　and works around:
meting out grace,　mercy and certain
success to some,　suffering to many.

Of myself I want　to say just this:
I was high poet　　to the Hedenings once,
Dear to my master.　"Deer" was my name.
For many winters　 I was a man in that hall
And the heart of my lord.　But Herrend came
And reaped the riches　and rights of land
That guardian of men 　once granted me,
And stole my place 　with a poet's skill. 

That passed in time.　So too can this.

The Original:

Wélond him be wurman 　wreces cunnade

ánhýdiġ eorl 　earfoða drég

hefde him tó ġesíþþe　 sorġe end longoþ

wintercalde wræce 　wéan oft onfond

seoþþan hine níþhád on 　néde leġde

swoncre seonobende 　on sellan mon

þes oferéode　 þisses swé meġ

Beadohilde ne wes　 hire bróðra déaþ
on seofan swé sár 　swé hire seolfre þing,
þet híe ġearolíċe　 onġeten hefde
þet híe écen wes;　 ǽfre ne mehte
þríste ġeþencan, 　hú ymb þet ṡċolde.

þes oferéode þisses swé meġ

Wé þet Mǽþhilde　 monġe ġefrugnon
wurdon grundléase　 Ġéates fríge,
þet him séo sorglufu　 slép alle binom.

þes oferéode þisses swé meġ

Þéodríċ áhte 　þrítiġ wintra
Méringa burg; 　þet wes moneġum cúþ.

þes oferéode þisses swé meġ

Wé ġeáscadun　 Éormonríċes
wylfenne ġeþóht;　 áhte wíde folc
Gotena ríċes.　 Þet wes grim cyning.
Set seċġ moniġ　 sorgum ġebunden,
wéan on wénan,　 wyṡċte ġenehhe
þet þes cyneríċes　 ofercumen wére.

þes oferéode þisses swé meġ

Siteþ sorgċeriġ,　 sélum bidǽled,
on seofan swerċeþ,　 seolfum þinceþ
þet síe endeléas 　earfoða dæl.
Meġ þonne ġeþencan, 　þet ġeond þás weoruld

wítiġ dryhten　 wendeþ genehhe,
eorle monegum　 áre geṡċéawaþ,
wíslícne bléd, 　sumum wéana dǽl.

Þet iċ bi mé seolfum　 seċġan wille,
þet iċ hwíle wes　Heodeninga sċop,
dryhtne déore.　 Mé wes Déor noma.
Áhte iċ feola wintra　 folgaþ tilne,
holdne hláford, 　oþþet Heorrenda nú,
léoþcreftiġ monn 　londreht ġeþáh,
þet mé eorla hléow　 ǽr ġesalde.

þes oferéode þisses swé meġ