Old English Poems: Translated into the Original Meter Together with Short Selections from Old English Prose
General
Old English Poems: Translated into the Original Meter Together with Short Selections from Old English Prose
English poetry -- Old English, ca. 450-1100 -- Modernized versions
Danes living north of the Humber conspired with their kinsmen in Ireland
under the two Olafs, together with the Scottish king Constantine and the
Strathclyde Britons under their king Eugenius, against Aethelstan, king of
Wessex. The allies met in the south of Northumbria. Aethelstan encountered
them at Brunnanburg and defeated them.
The site of Brunnanburg has not been identified. The best claim is
probably for Bramber, near Preston, in the neighborhood of which, in
1840, was found a great hoard of silver ingots and coins, none later than
950. This was possibly the war chest of the confederacy. _Dyngesmere_ has
not been identified.
More than half the half-lines are exact copies from other Anglo-Saxon
poems.]
Here Aethelstan the king, of earls the lord,
Bracelet-giver of barons and his brother as well,
Edmund the Aetheling, honor eternal
Won at warfare by the wielding of swords
5 Near Brunnanburg; they broke the linden-wall,
Struck down the shields with the sharp work of hammers,
The heirs of Edward, as of old had been taught
By their kinsmen who clashed in conflict often
Defending their firesides against foemen invaders,
10 Their hoards and their homes. The hated ones perished,
Soldiers of Scotland and seamen-warriors--
Fated they fell. The field was wet
With the blood of the brave, after the bright sun
Had mounted at morning, the master of planets
15 Glided over the ground, God's candle clear,
The Lord's everlasting, till the lamp of heaven
Sank to its setting. Soldiers full many
Lay mangled by spears, men of the Northland,
Shamefully shot o'er their shields, and Scotchmen,
20 Weary and war-sated. The West-Saxons forth
All during the day with their daring men
Followed the tracks of their foemen's troops.
From behind they hewed and harried the fleeing,
With sharp-ground swords. Never shunned the Mercians
25 The hard hand-play of hero or warrior
Who over the oar-path with Anlaf did come,
Who sailed on a ship and sought the land,
Fated in fight.
Five chieftains lay
Killed in the conflict, kings full youthful,
30 Put to sleep by the sword, and seven also
Of the earls of Anlaf, and others unnumbered,
Of sailors and Scotchmen. Sent forth in flight then
Was the prince of the Northmen, pressed hard by need,
To the stem of his ship; with a staunch little band
35 To the high sea he hurried; in haste the king sailed
Over the fallow flood, fled for his life.
Also the sage one sorrowfully northward
Crept to his kinsmen, Constantinus,
The hoary war-hero; for him was small need
40 To boast of the battle-play; the best of his kinsmen
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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