The Wife's Lament Pages

Textual Transliteration

Line-by-line transliteration from original text--The Way the text appears written in the original manuscript hand.

 

Ic þis giedd wrece bime ful geomorre minre sylfre sið

Ic þæt secgan mæg hwæt ic yrmþa gebad siþþan icupweox

niwes oþþe ealdes noma þon nu aicwite wonn minra

wræcsiþa ærest minhlaford gewat heonan ofleodum

ofer yþa gelac hæfde ic uht ceare hwærmin leodfru

ma londes wære. ða icme feran gewat folgað secan

wineleas wræcca forminre weaþearfe. Ongunnon þæt

þæs monnes magas hycgan þurh dyrne geþoht þæthy

todælden unc þætwit gewidost inworuldrice lifdon

laðlicost ondmec longade. Hetmec hlaford min her

heard niman ahte icleofra lyt onþissum londste

de holdra freonda forþonismin hyge geomor.

ðaicme fulgemæcne monnan funde heard sæligne

hyge geomorne mod miþendne morþor hycgendne

bliþe gebæro fuloftwit beotedan þætunc nege dælde

nemne deað ana. owiht elles eft isþæt onhworfen is

nuswa hit nowære freond scipe uncer scealicfeor ge

neah mines fela leofan fæhðu dreogan heht mec

mon wunian onwuda bearwe under actreo inþam

eorð scræfe. Eald is þes eorð sele eal iceom oflongad.

sindon dena dimme duna upheabitre burgtunas

brerum beweax ne wicwynna leas ful oft mecher wra

þe begeat from siþ frean frynd sind oneorþan leofe

lifgende leger weardiað þonne icon uhtan ana gonge

under ac treo geond þas eorð scrafu þæric sittan

mot sumor langne. dæg þæric wepan mæg mine

wræcsiþas earfoþa fela forþonic æfre nemæg þære

modceare minre gerestan. neealles þæs longaþes þe

mec onþissum life begeat ascyle geong mon wesan geo

mor mod heard heortan geþoht swylce habban sceal

bliþe gebæro eacþon breost ceare sinsorgna gedreag

syæthim sylfum gelong ealhis worulde wyn syfulwi

de fah feorres folc londes þætmin freond siteð

understan hliþe storme behrimed wine werig mod

wætre beflowen ondreor sele dreogeð semin wine

micle mod ceare hegemon tooft wynlicran wic

wabið þamþe sceal oflangoþe leofes abidan.