The Battle of Maldon
Part II: The Battle and Byrhtnoth's Death (lines 62-201)
- 62
- Het þa bord beran, beornas
gangan,
þæt hi on þam easteðe °
ealle stodon.
riverbank (ds)
Ne mihte þær for wætere
werod to þam oðrum;
- 65
- þær com flowende flod
æfter ebban,
lucon °
lagustreamas°.
To lang hit him þuhte,
joined (pret 3p),
waters (np)
hwænne hi togædere garas
beron.
Hi þær Pantan
stream mid prasse °
bestodon, military
force (ds)
Eastseaxena ord and se æschere° .
army
in ships/Viking army (ns)
- 70
- Ne mihte hyra ænig oþrum
derian°,
to harm (+ dat)
buton hwa þurh flanes °
flyht fyl °
gename ° .
of
an arrow (gs),
death (as),
might take (subj 3s)
Se flod ut gewat; þa flotan stodon
gearowe° ,
prepared
(npm)
wicinga fela, wiges °
georne. of
war (gs)
Het þa hæleða hleo °
healdan þa bricge
protector (ns)
- 75
- wigan wigheardne, se wæs haten°
Wulfstan, named
(p ptc)
cafne °
mid his cynne, þæt wæs
Ceolan sunu,
brave (asm)
þe ðone forman°
man mid his francan
ofsceat first
(asm)
þe þær baldlicost°
on þa bricge stop.
most boldly (supl)
þær stodon mid Wulfstane
wigan unforhte,
- 80
- Ælfere and Maccus, modige°
twegen° ,
bold
(npm)
two (npm)
þa noldon æt þam forda
fleam°
gewyrcan°,
flight (as),
to
take
ac hi fæstlice wið ða
fynd weredon,
þa hwile þe hi wæpna
wealdan moston.
Þa hi þæt ongeaton
and georne gesawon
- 85
- þæt hi þær bricgweardas°
bitere fundon°,
guardians
of the bridge (ap),
they met (pret 3p)
ongunnon lytegian°
þa laðe gystas°,
to deceive, stranger (np)
bædon þæt hi upgang
agan°
moston,
to have
ofer þone ford faran, feþan°
lædan° .
infantry
(as),
to lead
Ða se eorl ongan for
his ofermode°
pride / overconfidence
(ds)
- 90
- alyfan landes to fela laþere
ðeode.
Ongan ceallian þa ofer cald wæter
Byrhtelmes bearn
(beornas gehlyston° ):
they
listened (pret 3p)
'Nu eow is gerymed°,
gað ricene°
to us,
opened (a way)
(p ptc), quickly
guman to guþe;
God ana wat°
he
knows (pres 3s)
- 95
- hwa þære
wælstowe°
wealdan mote.' the
battlefield (gs)
Wodon þa wælwulfas (for
wætere ne murnon° ),
they
cared about (pret 3p)
wicinga werod, west ofer Pantan,
ofer scir°
wæter scyldas wegon,
gleaming
(asm)
lidmen to lande linde°
bæron. shields of linden wood (ap)
- 100
- Þær ongean gramum°
gearowe stodon
hostile
ones (dpm)
Byrhtnoð mid beornum; he mid bordum
het
wyrcan þone wihagan°
and þæt werod healdan
battle
wall (as)
fæste wið feondum. Þa
wæs feohte neh,
tir°æt
getohte°.
Wæs seo tid°
cumen glory
(ns),
the battle (ds),
time (ns)
- 105
- þæt þær fæge men
feallan sceoldon.
Þær wearð hream°
ahafen°,
hremmas°
wundon,
shouting (ns),
raised (p ptc),
ravens (np)
earn°
æses°
georn; wæs on eorþan cyrm°
eagle
(ns),
of carrion (gs),
cry (ns)
Hi leton þa of folman feolhearde°
speru, hard
as a file (apn)
gegrundene°
garas fleogan; sharpened
(p ptc apm)
-
- 110
- bogan°
wæron bysige, bord ord onfeng.
bows
(np)
Biter wæs se beaduræs°,
beornas feollon
rush
of battle (ns)
on gehwæðere°
hand, hyssas lagon.
either
(asf)
Wund wearð Wulfmær, wælræste°
geceas,
bed of death (as)
Byrhtnoðes mæg; he mid billum°
wearð, swords
(dp)
- 115
- his swuster sunu,
swiðe forheawen°.
cut
down (p ptc)
Þær wearð wicingum
wiþerlean°
agyfen. requital
(ns)
Gehyrde ic þæt Eadweard
anne sloge
swiðe mid his swurde, swenges°
ne wyrnde° ;
of
the blow (gs),
he withheld (pret 3s)
þæt him æt fotum feoll
fæge°
cempa; doomed to die (nsm)
-
- 120
- þæs him his ðeoden
þanc gesæde,
þam burþene° ,
þa he byre°
hæfde. chamberlain
(ds)
opportunity (as)
Swa stemnetton°
stiðhicgende°
they
stood firm (pret 3p),
resolute (npm)
hysas æt hilde, hogodon°
georne they
thought (pret 3p)
hwa þær mid orde ærost
mihte
- 125
- on fægean men feorh°
gewinnan,
life (as)
wigan mid wæpnum; wæl feol
on eorðan.
Stodon stædefæste; stihte°
hi Byrhtnoð,he
commanded (pret 3s)
bæd þæt hyssa gehwylc
hogode to wige
þe on Denon wolde dom°
gefeohtan. glory
(as)
- 130
- Wod þa wiges heard, wæpen
up ahof°,
he
raised (pret 3s)
bord to gebeorge, and wið þæs
beornes stop.
Eode swa anræd eorl to þam
ceorle,
ægþer hyra oðrum yfeles
hogode.
Sende ða se særinc
suþerne gar,
- 135
- þæt gewundod wearð
wigena hlaford;
he sceaf°
þa mid ðam scylde, þæt
se sceaft tobærst, pushed
(pret 3s)
and þæt spere sprengde°,
þæt hit sprang ongean.
broke
(pret 3s)
Gegremod°
wearð se guðrinc; he mid gare
stang
enraged (p ptc nsm)
wlancne°
wicing, þe him þa wunde
forgeaf.
proud (asm)
- 140
- Frod°
wæs se fyrdrinc° ;
he let his francan wadan°
wise
(nsm) warrior
(ns) to
advance
þurh ðæs hysses hals° ,
hand wisode neck
(as)
þæt he on þam færsceaðan°
feorh geræhte.
sudden
attacker (ds)
Ða he oþerne ofstlice°
sceat, quickly
þæt seo byrne°
tobærst; he wæs on breostum
wund
coat of mail (ns)
- 145
- þurh ða hringlocan, him
æt heortan stod
ætterne ord. Se eorl wæs
þe bliþra° ,
happier
(comp nsm)
hloh°
þa, modi°
man, sæde metode þanc
he
laughed (pret 3s), brave
(nsm)
ðæs dægweorces þe
him Drihten forgeaf.
Forlet þa drenga°
sum daroð°
of handa, of
the warriors (gp),
spear (as)
- 150
- fleogan of folman° ,
þæt se to forð gewat
the
hand (as)
þurh ðone æþelan
Æþelredes þegen.
Him be healfe stod hyse unweaxen° ,
not fully grown (nsm)
cniht on gecampe,
se full caflice°
bravely
bræd°
of þam beorne blodigne gar,
he
drew (pret 3s)
- 155
- Wulfstanes bearn, Wulfmær se
geonga,
forlet forheardne°
faran eft ongean;
exceedingly hard (asm)
ord in gewod° ,
þæt se
on eorþan læg passed
(pret 3s)
þe his þeoden ær
þearle geræhte.
Eode þa gesyrwed°
secg to þam eorle;
armed
(nsm)
- 160
- he wolde þæs beornes
beagas°
gefecgan°,
rings
(ap), to
carry off
reaf°
and hringas and gerenod°
swurd. garment
(as), decorated
(asn)
Þa Byrhtnoð bræd
bill of sceðe° ,
the
sheath (ds)
brad and bruneccg°,
and on þa byrnan sloh.
the
shining blade (asn)
To raþe hine gelette lidmanna°
sum, of
the sailors/Viking (gp)
- 165
- þa he þæs eorles
earm amyrde°.
wounded
(pret 3s)
Feoll þa to foldan fealohilte°
swurd; golden-hilted
(nsn)
ne mihte he gehealdan heardne mece°,
sword
(as)
wæpnes wealdan. Þa gyt
þæt word gecwæð
har°hilderinc° ,
hyssas bylde°,
grey-haired
(nsm), warrior
(ns),
he encouraged (pret 3s)
- 170
- bæd gangan forð gode geferan;
ne mihte þa on fotum leng fæste
gestandan.
He to heofenum
wlat° :
looked
(pret 3s)
"Geþancie þe, ðeoda
waldend° ,
ruler
(ns)
ealra þæra wynna°
þe ic on worulde gebad. of joys (gp)
- 175
- Nu ic ah° ,
milde Metod, mæste þearfe
own
(pres 1s)
þæt þu minum gaste
godes geunne° ,
grant
(imp s)
þæt min sawul to ðe
siðian°
mote to
travel
on þin geweald° ,
þeoden engla,
power
(as)
mid friþe°
ferian. Ic eom frymdi°
to þe
peace (ds), entreating
(nsm)
- 180
- þæt hi helsceaðan°
hynan ne moton."
thieves, from hell (np)
Ða hine heowon
hæðene scealcas°
warriors
(np)
and begen þa beornas þe
him big stodon,
Ælfnoð and Wulmær begen
lagon,
ða onemn°
hyra frean feorh gesealdon.
alongside (prep)
- 185
- Hi bugon þa fram beaduwe°
þe þær beon noldon.
the battle (ds)
þær wearð Oddan bearn
ærest on fleame,
Godric fram guþe, and þone
godan forlet
þe him mænigne oft mear°
gesealde. horse
(as)
he gehleop°
þone eoh þe ahte his hlaford,
galloped
(pret 3s)
- 190
- on þam gerædum þe
hit riht ne wæs,
and his broðru mid him begen ærndon°,
they
galloped (pret 3p)
Godwine and Godwig, guþe ne gymdon° ,
they cared about (pret 3p)
ac wendon fram þam wige and þone
wudu sohton,
flugon on þæt
fæsten°
and hyra feore burgon°,
stronghold
(as), they
saved (pret 3p)
- 195
- and manna ma
þonne hit ænig mæð°
wære,
fitness (ns)
gyf hi þa
geearnunga°
ealle gemundon°
favours (ap), they
might remember (subj 3p)
þe he him
to duguþe°
gedon hæfde.
the
benefit (ds)
Swa him Offa on dæg
ær asæde
on þam meþelstede° ,
þa he gemot hæfde,
meeting place (ds)
- 200
- þæt þær modiglice°
manega spræcon boldly
þe eft æt þearfe°
þolian°
noldon. need
(ds), to
suffer