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pohamrui

THE RUIN

from THE EXETER BOOK trans. Richard Hamer(from Anon. Anglo-Saxon) Splendid this rampart is, though fate destroyed it, The city buildings fell apart, the works Of giants crumble. Tumbled are the towers, Ruined the roofs, and broken the barred gate, Frost in the plaster, all the ceilings gape, Torn and collapsed and eaten up by age. And grit holds in its grip, the hard embrace Of earth, the dead departed masterbuilders, Until a hundred generations now Wra tlic is es wealst n;.....wyrde gebr con, Of people have passed by. Often burgstede burston,.....brosna enta geweorc. this wall Hr fas sind gehrorene,..... hr orge torras, Stained red and grey with lichen has hrungeat berofen,.....hr m on l me, stood by scearde sc rbeorge.....scorene, gedrorene, Surviving storms while kingdoms ldo undereotone......Eorgr p hafa rose and fell. waldendwyrhtan, .....forweorone, geleorene, And now the high curved wall itself heard gripe hr san,..... o hund cn a has fallen. wer oda gewitan......Oft s w g geb d, ............................................ rgh r and r adf h,..... r ce fter rum, The heart inspired, incited to swift ofstonden under stormum;..... st ap g ap action. gedr as. Resolute masons, skilled in rounded .....................................................................building M d monade, .....myne swiftne gebrgd; Wondrously linked the framework hwtr d in hringas,.....hyger f gebond with iron bonds. weallwalan w rum.....wundrum t gdre. The public halls were bright, with Beorht w ron burgrced, ..... burnsele monige, lofty gables, h ah horngestr on, .....heresw g micel, Bath-houses many; great the meodoheall monig.....mondr ama full, cheerful noise, ot t onwende.....wyrd s o swie. And many mead-halls filled with Crungon walo w de,.....cw man w ldagas, human pleasures, swylt eall forn m.....secgr fra wera; Till mighty fate brought change wurdon hyra w gsteal .....w stenstaolas, upon it all. brosnade burgsteall. .....B tend crungon, Slaughter was widespread, hergas t hr san...... Foron s hofu pestilence was rife, dr orgia) And death took all those valiant
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pohamrui

and s t aforg apa .....tigelum sc ade hr stb ages hr f. ..... Hryre wong gecrong gebrocen t beorgum ..... r i beorn monig gldm d and goldbeorht ..... gleoma gefrtwed, wlonc and w ng l ..... w ghyrstum sc n, seah on sinc, on sylfor, ..... on searogimmas, on ad, on ht, ..... on eorcanst n, on s beorhtan burg ..... br dan r ces. St nhofu st dan,..... str am h te wearp w dan wylme; ..... weal eall befeng beorhtan b sme ..... r a bau w ron, h t on hrere; ..... pt ws hyelic. L ton onne g otan ..... ........... ofer h rne st n ..... h te str amas under ........... ..... ...................... ot hringmere. ..... H te ............ ............. ..... r bau w ron. ..............................................................

men away. The martial halls became deserted places, The city crumbled, its repairers fell, Its armies to the earth. And so these halls Are empty, and this red curved roof now sheds Its tiles, decay has brought it to the ground, Smashed it to piles of rubble, where long since A host of heroes, glorious, goldadorned, Gleaming in splendour, proud and flushed with wine, Shone in their armour, gazed on gems and treasure, On silver, riches, wealth and jewellery, On this bright city with its wide domains. Stone buildings stood, and the hot stream cast forth Wide sprays of water, which a wall enclosed In its bright compass, where convenient Stood hot baths ready for them at the centre. Hot streams poured forth over the clear grey stone, To the round pool and down into the baths. ....................................................

Transl. copyright Richard Hamer 2002 - publ. Faber & Faber ... next index translator's next

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