The Battle of Maldon
Part III: Speeches of the Earls and the Thanes Last
Stand (lines 202-325)
- 202
- Þa wearð afeallen
þæs folces ealdor,
Æþelredes eorl;
ealle gesawon
heorðgeneatas°
þæt hyra heorra°
læg.
retainers (np), lord (ns)
- 205
- Þa ðær wendon forð
wlance þegenas,
unearge°
men efston°
georne;
undaunted (npm),
they hastened (pret 3p)
hi woldon þa ealle oðer twega,
lif forlætan oððe leofne
gewrecan°.
to avenge
Swa hi bylde forð bearn Ælfrices,
- 210
- wiga wintrum geong, wordum mælde,
Ælfwine þa cwæð, he on ellen°
spræc.
valiantly
"Gemunan°
þa mæla þe we oft
æt meodo
spræcon,
I remember (pres 1s)
þonne we on bence beot ahofon,
hæleð on healle, ymbe heard
gewinn;
- 215
- nu mæg cunnian°
hwa cene°
sy.
to try, brave (ns)
Ic wylle mine æþelo°
eallum gecyþan°,
origins
(ap),
to make known
þæt ic wæs on
Myrcon°
miccles cynnes;
the
Mercians (dp)
wæs min ealda fæder Ealhelm
haten,
wis ealdorman, woruldgesælig°.
prosperous (nsm)
- 220
- Ne sceolon me on þære þeode
þegenas ætwitan°
to
reproach
þæt ic of ðisse fyrde
feran wille,
eard gesecan, nu min ealdor ligeð
forheawen æt hilde. Me is þæt
hearma mæst;
he wæs ægðer min mæg
and min hlaford."
- 225
- Þa he forð eode,
fæhðe°
gemunde° battle/feud (as),
he remembered (pret 3s)
þæt he mid orde anne geræhte°
he
wounded (pret 3s)
flotan on þam folce, þæt
se on foldan læg
forwegen°
mid his wæpne. Ongan þa
winas°
manian°, killed (p ptc),
friends (ap),
to urge
frynd and geferan, þæt
hi forð eodon.
- 230
- Offa
gemælde,
æscholt°
asceoc°:
ash-spear (as),
he shook (pret 3s)
'Hwæt þu, Ælfwine, hafast
ealle gemanode°
urged (p ptc apm)
þegenas to þearfe, nu ure þeoden lið,
eorl on eorðan. Us is eallum þearf
þæt ure æghwylc oþerne
bylde°
encouraged (pret
3s)
- 235
- wigan to wige, þa hwile þe
he wæpen mæge
habban and healdan, heardne mece°,
sword (as)
gar and god swurd. Us Godric hæfð,
earh Oddan bearn, ealle beswicene.
Wende þæs formoni°
man, þa he on meare°
rad,
very many (nsm),
horse (ds)
- 240
- on wlancan°
þam wicge, þæt wære
hit ure hlaford;
proud (dsn)
forþan wearð her on felda°
folc totwæmed°,
field (ds),
divided (p ptc)
scyldburh°
tobrocen. Abreoðe°
his angin°,
wall of shields (as),
he might have failed (pret subj 3s),
beginning (ns)
þæt he her swa manigne
man aflymde°!'
he put to flight (pret 3s)
Leofsunu gemælde
and his linde ahof,
- 245
- bord to gebeorge; he þam beorne
oncwæð
"Ic þæt gehate, þæt
ic heonon nelle
fleon fotes°
trym°,
ac wille furðor gan,
of a foot (gs),
a step (as)
wrecan°
on gewinne minne winedrihten.
to avenge
Ne þurfon me embe Sturmere stedefæste
hælæð°
warriors (np)
- 250
- wordum ætwitan°,
nu min wine gecranc°,
to reproach, he fell (pret 3s)
þæt ic hlafordleas ham
siðie,
wende fram wige, ac me sceal wæpen
niman,
ord and iren." He ful yrre wod,
feaht fæstlice, fleam°
he forhogode°.
flight (as), scorned
(p ptc)
- 255
- Dunnere þa cwæð,
daroð acwehte°, he
shook (pret 3s)
unorne°
ceorl, ofer eall clypode,
humble (nsm)
bæd þæt beorna gehwylc
Byrhtnoð wræce:
'Ne mæg na wandian°
se þe wrecan þenceð
to
flinch
frean on folce, ne for feore murnan."
- 260
-
- Þa hi forð eodon, feores
hi ne rohton°;
they
cared (pret 3p)
ongunnon þa hiredmen°
heardlice feohtan,
warriors (np)
grame°
garberend°,
and God bædon
fierce (npm),
spearbearers (np)
þæt hi moston gewrecan
hyra winedrihten
and on hyra feondum fyl gewyrcan°.
to perform
- 265
- Him se gysel°
ongan geornlice fylstan° ;
hostage (ns),
to help
he wæs on Norðhymbron heardes°
cynnes,
of the fierce (gs)
Ecglafes bearn, him wæs Æscferð
nama.
He ne wandode na æt þam
wigplegan,
ac he fysde°
forð flan°
genehe°;
he sent (pret 3s),
an arrow (as),
frequently
- 270
- hwilon he on bord sceat, hwilon
beorn tæsde°,
he tore apart
(pret 3s)
æfre embe stunde°
he sealde sume wunde,
short while (as)
þa hwile ðe he wæpna
wealdan moste.
Þa gyt on orde stod
Eadweard se langa,
gearo and geornful, gylpwordum°
spræc
boasting words (dp)
- 275
- þæt he nolde fleogan
fotmæl°
landes,
space of a foot (as)
ofer bæc°
bugan°,
þa his betera leg.
over back (away in the rear),
to retreat
He bræc þone bordweall
and wið þa beornas feaht,
oðþæt he his sincgyfan°
on þam sæmannum treasure
giver (as)
wurðlice wrec, ær he on wæle
læge.
- 280
- Swa dyde Æþeric, æþele
gefera,
fus° and
forðgeorn, feaht eornoste.
eager (nsm)
Sibyrhtes broðor
and swiðe mænig oþer
clufon°
cellod°
bord, cene hi weredon;
they cleaved (pret
3p), type of shield (as)
bærst bordes lærig°,
and seo byrne sang
rim of the shield (ns)
- 285
- gryreleoða°
sum. Þa æt guðe
sloh
of the terrible songs (gp)
Offa þone sælidan, þæt
he on eorðan feoll,
and ðær Gaddes mæg grund
gesohte.
Raðe wearð æt hilde Offa
forheawen;
he hæfde ðeah geforþod
þæt he his frean gehet,
- 290
- swa he beotode°
ær wið his beahgifan°
vowed (pret 3s),
ring-giver (as)
þæt hi sceoldon begen on
burh ridan,
hale to hame, oððe on here
crincgan°,
to perish
on wælstowe wundum sweltan°;
to die
he læg ðegenlice ðeodne
gehende°.
near
to (prep wd)
- 295
- Ða wearð borda gebræc.
Brimmen°
wodon°
Vikings (np),
they advanced (pret 3p)
guðe gegremode; gar oft þurhwod
fæges°
feorhhus°.
Forð þa eode Wistan,
of
the fated one (gs),
life-house (as)
Þurstanes sunu, wið þas
secgas°
feaht;
warriors (ap)
he wæs on geþrange°
hyra þreora°
bana°,
crowds
(ds),
of the three (gp),
slayer (ns)
- 300
- ær him
Wigelines bearn on þam wæle
læge.
Þær wæs stið°
gemot°;
stodon fæste
stern (nsn),
encounter (ns)
wigan on gewinne, wigend°
cruncon°,
warriors (np),
perished (pret 3p)
wundum werige. Wæl
feol on eorþan.
Oswold and Eadwold ealle hwile,
- 305
- begen þa gebroþru, beornas
trymedon,
hyra winemagas wordon°
bædon
words (dp)
þæt hi þær æt ðearfe
þolian sceoldon,
unwaclice°
wæpna
neotan°.
bravely, to use
Byrhtwold maþelode, bord hafenode°
he raised aloft (pret 3s)
- 310
- (se wæs eald geneat°),
æsc acwehte;
comrade (ns)
he ful baldlice beornas lærde°:
he
taught (pret
3s)
"Hige°
sceal þe heardra, heorte þe
cenre,
heart (ns)
mod sceal þe
mare, þe ure mægen°
lytlað.
strength (ns)
Her lið ure ealdor eall forheawen,
- 315
- god on greote°.
A°
mæg gnornian°
dirt (as),
forever, to mourn
se ðe nu fram þis wigplegan
wendan þenceð.
Ic eom frod feores; fram ic ne wille,
ac ic me be healfe minum hlaforde,
be swa leofan men, licgan þence."
- 320
- Swa hi Æþelgares bearn
ealle bylde°,
he encouraged (pret 3s)
Godric to guþe. Oft he gar forlet,
wælspere°
windan on þa wicingas,
deadly spear (as)
swa he on þam folce fyrmest eode,
heow°
and hynde°,
oðþæt he on hilde gecranc.
he cut down (pret 3s),
he injured (pret 3s)
- 325
- Næs þæt na se Godric
þe ða guðe forbeah°
he fled from (pret 3s)