“All this resting place of earth shall be emptied.”
THE WANDERER
Genre – Old English poem, 115 lines long, sometimes called an ubi sunt, meaning – where are all those who came before?
Author – Unknown
First Published – Copied around 975 A.D. into the Exeter Book in the library of Exeter Cathedral, the poem is believed to have been written shortly before 600 A.D., around the time the Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity.
Setting – The Germanic Anglo-Saxon world
Tone – The poem expresses a sorrowful, elegiac mood about the transience of life. I am passionately drawn to Old English poetry. The outlook is often harsh and bleak, but at the same time life is exalted by the beauty of the utterance.
Theme – After losing his lord and mead hall, a displaced warrior wanders the earth, searching for a new home. He is called an earth-walker. The Norton Anthology of English Literature points out that such mournful exile is the situation Beowulf’s father would have endured, if not for the hospitality of Hrothgar. Without kinsmen, what is there? The translation in the anthology is based on one by J.C. Pope.
Exquisite lines:
“He has had to stir with his arms the frost-cold sea.”
“I covered my gold-friend in the darkness of earth.”
“I crossed over the woven waves, winter-sad.”
“Through this middle-earth walls stand blown by the wind, covered with frost-fall.”
“Where has the horse gone? Where the young warrior?”
You can find the full text here. Also, please enjoy this reading of The Wanderer in the original Old English:
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Romance
I have never heard of this poem, but the language is exquisite and the lines you shared able to conjure visual poetry. I especially love “I crossed over the woven waves, winter sad.”
I can almost hear echoes of Tolkien in the lines you shared. I wonder if he was influenced by the language of The Wanderer when writing the Lord of the Rings.
I thought of that when I saw the words middle-earth in the poem, Mae. The feel is reminiscent of Tolkien for sure.
Exquisite lines, indeed!
Yeons ago I had an Old English course but, I truly confess, I haven’t understood a word now from the audio poem. I am glad present day English is no longer like that.
The words and cadence are so different. I love the sounds and the appearance on the page too. It’s incredibly fascinating to me how the language evolved from Old English.
I love this post as I am spellbound by the rhythms in the words. I studied a little Old and Middle English and wish I could have spent more time doing so. This post has made my day. Thank you so much.
I wish I could have, too, Daisy. Old English and Middle English fascinate me as well. What sounds and rhythm. I’m glad the post made your day. Thank you.
beautiful Poem I too like the cadence. Great Post!
Yes, beautiful cadence.. I’m glad you like it, Cathy.