An runic inscription on a whale bone found in Lund (southern Sweden).

Similar inscriptions were placed on wooden sticks.

Riddle 60 (Exeter Book 10/11

th

c.)

translated by Richard Hamer

Ic wæs be sonde, sæwealle neah,
æt merefaroþe, minum gewunade
frumstaþole fæst; fea ænig wæs
monna cynnes, þæt minne þær
5 on anæde eard beheolde,
ac mec uhtna gehwam yð sio brune
lagufæðme beleolc. Lyt ic wende
þæt ic ær oþþe sið æfre sceolde
ofer meodubence muðleas sprecan,
10 wordum wrixlan. þæt is wundres dæl,
on sefan searolic þam þe swylc ne conn,
hu mec seaxes ord ond seo swiþre hond,
eorles ingeþonc ond ord somod,
þingum geþydan, þæt ic wiþ þe sceolde
15 for unc anum twam ærendspræce
abeodan bealdlice, swa hit beorna ma
uncre wordcwidas widdor ne mænden.

1.

Once I was at the sea-shore, by the sand,

2.

Near the sea-wall I lived established firm

3.

Upon my roots; and there were very few

4.

Of humankind who looked upon my home

5.

There in that lone and solitary land;

6.

But every day the dark wave played with me

7.

In watery embrace. I little thought

8.

That late or early I at any time

9.

Should ever mouthless speak across the mead-bench,

10.

Communicate with words. It is a wonder

11.

Amazing to the minds of those who know not

12.

How the knife’s point within the strong right hand,

13.

The man’s skill and the point worked busily

14.

On me, so that I fearlessly could tell

15.

A message to you, for the two of us

16.

Alone to hear, so that no other man

17.

Could hear and tell abroad our speech more widely.

The Husband’s Message (located imediately after Riddle 60 in the Exeter Book),
translated by Richard Hamer

1.

Nu ic onsundran

þe secgan wille

2.

[[.....]] treocyn

ic tudre aweox;

3.

in mec æld[[.....]]

sceal ellor londes

4.

settan [[.....]]

sealte streamas

5.

[[.....]]sse.

Ful oft ic on bates

6.

[[.....]]

… gesohte

7.

þær mec mondryhten

min [[.....]]

8.

ofer heah hofu;

eom nu her cumen

9.

on ceolþele, ond nu cunnan scealt

10.

hu þu ymb modlufan

mines frean

11.

on hyge hycge.

Ic gehatan dear

12.

þæt þu þær tirfæste

treowe findest.

13.

Hwæt, þec þonne biddan het

se þisne beam agrof

14.

þæt þu sinchroden

sylf gemunde

15.

on gewitlocan

wordbeotunga,

16.

þe git on ærdagum

oft gespræcon,

17.

þenden git moston

on meoduburgum

18.

eard weardigan,

an lond bugan,

19.

freondscype fremman.

Hine fæhþo adraf

1.

Now I will tell to you who live apart

2.

How I grew up in youth among the trees.

3.

On me must sons of men write messages,

4.

Send me from foreign lands across the waves,

5.

Thus guide their thoughts across the salty streams.

6.

Often by boat have I sought out some land

7.

Where my lord sent me forth to take some message

8.

Over the deep wide sea; now have I come

9.

On shipboard here, and now must I find out

10.

How you feel in your heart about your love

11.

Towards my lord. For I dare promise you

12.

That you will find great loyalty in him.

13.

He bids me tell you, then, who carved this wood,

14.

That you, bejewelled, should yourself recall

15.

In your own secret heart the vows and oaths

16.

That you both made in former times together,

17.

When you might still together live among

18.

The festive cities, both dwell in one land,

19.

And love each other. Feud drove him away

20.

of sigeþeode;

heht nu sylfa þe

21.

lustum læran,

þæt þu lagu drefde,

22.

siþþan þu gehyrde

on hliþes oran

23.

galan geomorne

geac on bearwe.

24.

Ne læt þu þec siþþan

siþes getwæfan,

25.

lade gelettan

lifgendne monn.

26.

Ongin mere secan,

mæwes eþel,

27.

onsite sænacan,

þæt þu suð heonan

28.

ofer merelade

monnan findest,

29.

þær se þeoden is

þin on wenum.

30.

Ne mæg him worulde

willa gelimpan

31.

mara on gemyndum,

þæs þe he me sægde,

32.

þonne inc geunne

alwaldend god

33.

[[.....]] ætsomne

siþþan motan

34.

secgum ond gesiþum

s[[.....]]

35.

næglede beagas;

he genoh hafað

36.

fædan gold[[.....]]s

[[.....]

37.

[.....]]d elþeode

eþel healde,

38.

fægre foldan

[[.....]

39.

[.....]]ra hæleþa,

þeah þe her min wine[[.....]]

40.

nyde gebæded,

nacan ut aþrong,

41.

ond on yþa geong

[[.....]] sceolde

42.

faran on flotweg,

forðsiþes georn,

43.

mengan merestreamas.

Nu se mon hafað

44.

wean oferwunnen;

nis him wilna gad,

45.

ne meara ne maðma

ne meododreama,

46.

ænges ofer eorþan

eorlgestreona,

47.

þeodnes dohtor,

gif he þin beneah

48.

Ofer eald gebeot

incer twega,

49.

gehyre ic ætsomne @

s @ r , geador

50.

q @ w @ ond @ m @ aþe benemnan

51.

þæt he þa wære ond þa winetreowe

52.

be him lifgendum læstan wolde,

53.

þe git on ærdagum oft gespræconn).

20.

From this great people. Now he orders me

21.

Himself to urge you joyfully to cross

22.

The sea when at the hill-side’s edge you hear

23.

The cuckoo singing sad amid the grove.

24.

Do not let any living man deter you

25.

From travelling or stay you from the journey.

26.

Go to the sea, the country of the gull,

27.

And board a ship, that you may southwards thence

28.

Rejoin your man across the water’s ways,

29.

There where your lord is waiting for your coming.

30.

For in the world no stronger wish could come

31.

Into his heart, he told me so himself,

32.

Than that almighty God should grant you both

33.

That you may distribute together treasures

34.

And well-made rings to comrades ad retainers.

35.

He has in his possession burnished gold

36.

Enough for him to hold a fine estate

37.

Among the foreign people, noble land

38.

And loyal warriors, though here my lord

39.

Compelled by need pushed out his boat and left,

40.

And had to cross the rolling waves alone,

41.

Sail on the sea, and, anxious to depart,

42.

Stir up the water ways. Now has this man

43.

Conquered his woes; he lacks not what he wants,

44.

Horses or treasures or the joys of hall,

45.

Or any noble treasure in this world,

46.

O princes daughter, if he may have you.

47.

About the former vows between you both,

48.

I understand he coupled in his oath

49.

Heaven and earth, and joined thereto himself

50.

That he would keep, as long as he has life,

51.

Truly with you the bond and pledge of faith

52.

Which you made frequently in former days.

[a more literal translation of lines 47-52]:

Through an old promise belonging to both of you

I join

s (S, sun) and r (R, road) together

q (EA, earth), w (W, joy) and m (M, man) to

declare an oath

that he would fulfil, by his living self
that the fidelity of marriage,
which you often spoke of in the past, will last.