Translation Three Manuscript Section 3a

lines 65-82

The Wanderer 

Translation by Michael Alexander

(lines 65-72)

His share of winters. A wise man holds out;

He is not too hot-hearted, nor too hasty in speech,

Nor too weak a warrior, not wanting in fore-thought,

Nor too greedy of goods, nor too glad, nor too mild,

Nor ever too eager to boast, ere he knows all.

A man should forbear boastmaking

Until his fierce mind fully knows

Which way his spleen shall expend itself.

(lines 73-82)

A wise man may grasp how ghastly it shall be

When all this world's wealth standeth waste,

Even as now, in many places, over the earth

Walls stand, wind-beaten,

Hung with hoar-frost; ruined habitations.

The wine-halls crumble; their wielders lie

Bereft of bliss, the band all fallen

Proud by the wall. War took off some,

Carried them on their course hence; one a bird bore

Over the high sea; one the hoar wolf

Here are links to the individual pages of Translation Three.

Below are links to other pages about Manuscript Page 3a