meditation on a ruin
a setting of the Old
English poem
using a transliteration of the Old English text
by Edward Lambert
Text
Key
|
Wrètlic is thès waelstân |
Wonderful is this wallstone. |
|
würde gebrèkon |
Destroyed by fate |
|
burgstède burston |
the ramparts have fallen, |
|
brosnath enta gewéerc |
the work of giants has crumbled. |
|
hróvas sind gehròrene |
The roofs collapsed, |
|
hréerge tòrras |
the towers tumbled, |
|
hrunyat beròven |
the gates ruined, |
|
hrim on lime |
the mortar perished, |
|
shaerde shurbéerge |
the ceilings in shreds, |
|
shòrene gedròrene |
all demolished and torn down |
|
aldo underéetòne |
by the passage of time. |
|
èerthgrâp havath |
The earth now embraces |
|
waldenwürxtan |
the mighty builders |
|
forwéeròne geléerene |
who are perished and gone: |
|
haerd gripe hrusan |
firm grasp of the ground. |
|
òth hund knée |
In the meantime a hundred generations |
|
werthéede gewitan |
of men have passed on. |
|
oft thas wâg gebâd |
This wall survived |
|
raghâr and rèedfâx |
many kingdoms, |
|
rice after óthrum |
times of bloody battles |
|
ofstònden under stòrmum |
and terrible storms. |
|
stèep gèep gedrèes...... |
Now its soaring pillars have fallen. |
|
mód monade |
Men were once moved |
|
müne swiftne gebraxt |
to build swiftly. |
|
hwatréd in hringas |
Skilled in ironwork |
|
hüyeróf gebònd |
the masons were inspired |
|
waellwalan wirum |
to bond the structure |
|
wundrum tógadre |
skilfully together. |
|
béerxt wèron burgraced |
The city halls were bright, |
|
burnsèle moniye |
with many bathing rooms, |
|
hèex horngestréen |
and the highest of arches; |
|
hereswég micel |
great was the din of merrymaking, |
|
méedohaell moniy |
many a meadhall |
|
mondrèema full |
full of pleasure. |
|
|
|
|
oth that that onwende |
That would all change, |
|
würd sée swithe |
for fate is mighty. |
|
krungon walo wide |
The thick walls fell, |
|
kwóman wóldagas |
there came times of plague, |
|
swült aell fornóm |
and death took |
|
sejrófra wèra |
even the bravest of men away. |
|
wurdon hüra wigstael |
Where once were fortresses |
|
wéstenstatholas |
now was wasteland. |
|
brosnade burgstaell |
The city was left to decay, |
|
bétend krungon |
its people gone, |
|
hèryas tó hrúsan |
its warriors buried. |
|
for thon thâs hòvu dréeryiath |
And so these courts are in ruins, |
|
and thas tèeforgèetha |
these high gateways too, |
|
tiyelum shèedeth |
the tiles are stripped |
|
hróstbèeyes hróf |
from the roof, |
|
hrüre wòng gekròng |
and all that is left |
|
gebròken tó béergum |
are piles of rubble - |
|
thèr iú béern moniy |
where once many men |
|
gladmód and goldbéerxt |
gleeming with gold |
|
gléema gefratwed |
adorned with splendour |
|
wlonk and wingâl |
glowing with pride and with wine |
|
wighürstum shân |
in shining armour |
|
saeh on sink on sülvor |
gazed on treasure, on silver, |
|
on saerojimmas |
on precious gems, |
|
on èed on èxt |
on fortune and plenty, |
|
on éerkanstân |
and jewels beyond value. |
|
on thâs béerxtan burg |
In this buoyant capital |
|
brâdan rices |
of the vast kingdom |
|
stânhovu stódan |
stood a palace of stone. |
|
strèem hâte waerp |
Inside, a hot spring |
|
widan wülme |
forced out a fountain of water, |
|
wael aell befeng |
reflected by this wall |
|
béerxtan bósme |
with its sparkling surface. |
|
thèr thâ bathu wèron |
So at the centre |
|
hât on hrèthre |
the baths were hot, |
|
that was hüthelic |
spacious though they were, |
|
léton thonne géetan.... |
fed by the hot springs |
|
over hârne stân |
streaming over the dark stones |
|
hâte strèemas |
which filled the round pool... |
|
under... |
|
|
oth that hringmère |
|
|
hâte.... |
|
|
thèer thâ bathu wèron |
|
|
(the text of the poem is incomplete) |
(translation by the composer, 1998) |
Key to the
transliteration
a open [as English cat]
â back or long [as
English car]
e neutral [as English about]
é closed [as German See]
è open [as English egg]
i short [as English wit]
or long [as English weed]
o closed [as German Sohn]
ò open [as English hot]
u short [as English full]
or long [as English goose]
ü [German ü]
c soft [as English church, or Italian c(i)]
j [as English judge]
g hard [as Italian gh]
x [German ch]
sh [English sh]
th [English th] unvoiced, or voiced between vowels
s unvoiced, or voiced
between vowels
y [English y as in yet]
b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, t, v, w - these have their modern English
pronunciation
double consonants must be pronounced as such
there are no silent letters