Fæder ūre þu þe eart on heofonum, si þīn nama

ġehālgod.

Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be

thy name.

Tōbecume þīn rīce. Thy kingdom come.

Ġewurþe ðīn willa on eorðan swā swā on

heofonum.

Thy will be done, in earth, as it is in heaven.

Ūrne ġedæġhwamlīcan hlāf syle ūs tō dæġ. Give us this day our daily bread.

And forġyf ūs ūrne gyltas, swā swā wē forġyfað

ūrum gyltendum.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our

debters.

And ne ġelæd þū ūs on costnunge, ac ālys ūs of

yfele. Sōþlīce.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver

us from evil. Amen.

Dumbe hundas ne magon beorcan. Mute dogs cannot bark.

Blinde hundas ne magon sēon. Blind dogs cannot see.

Dēade hundas ne magon bītan. Dead dogs cannot bite.

Dēade fisćas ne magon swimman. Dead fish cannot swim.

Dumbe fuglas ne magon singan. Mute birds cannot sing.

Blinde fuglas ne magon sēon. Blind birds cannot see.

Cyninges fisćere ġefēng fīftiġ fisća. The king’s fisherman caught fifty fish.

Cyninges fuglere ġefēng fīf fuglas. King’s fowler caught five birds.

Se cniht ġefēng fīftiġ fugla. The boy caught fifty birds.

Se fuglere ne ġefēhþ fisćas. The fowler doesn’t catch fish.

Fisćas ġefēhþ se fisćere. The fisherman catches fish.

Se fisćere ne ġefēhþ fuglas. The fisherman doesn’t catch birds.

Fuglas ġefēhþ se fuglere. The fowler catches birds.

Storm oft holm ġebringeþ. Storm often brings flood.

Hēr is ān cniht þe hæfþ fif berene hlāfas and

tweġen fisćas.

Here is a boy who has five loaves of bread

made of barley and twenty fish.

Ðrie þeġnas cōmon tō Ælfrēde cyninge on ānum

bāte.

Three servants came to king Alfred on a

boat.

Cyning biþ onwaldes ġeorn. King is eager of power.

Sē forbēad slēan þā heorotas and þā bāras. He forbade to kill the deer and the boars.

Ić bēo mid ēow ealle dagas. I shall be with you all days.

Se cyning rād be his hāmum and be his tūnum wiþ

his peġnum.

The king rode along his houses and his

towns with his thanes.

Mæġen man sćeal mid mete fēdan. A mighty man shall feed with meat.

Wē willaþ wiþ þæm golde griþ fæstnian. We are willing to make a truce for gold.

On þissum ġeāre næs nān færeld tō Rōme, būtan

twēġen hlēaperas Ælfrēd cyning sende mid

ġewritum.

In this year there was no journey to Rome,

except that two couriers that king Alfred

sent with letters.

Hēr Offa Mierćna cyning hēt Æþelbrihte þæt

hēafod ofāslēan.

Here Offa, king of the Mercians, had

ordered Afelbrihte’s head to be struck off.

Ðæs lands gold is golda sēlest. This country’s gold is the best of all gold.

Hē ne mihte wǣpna ġewealdan. He wasn’t able to have control over

weapons.

Hēr ġefōr Ælfred Æþelwulfing; sē wæs cyning

ofer eall Angelcynn būtan þǣm dǣle þe under

Dena onwalde wæs.

Here died Alfred, the son of Athelwulf, who

was the king of the English race, except this

land that was under the power of the Danes.

Se gōda hierde seleþ his āgen līf for his sćeāpum. The good shepherd gives his own life for his

sheep.

Hinguar fǣrlīćem swā swā wulf, on land

bestealcode and slōg þā lēode, weras and wiīf and

ćild.

Hinguar suddenly, like a wolf, stalked on the

land and then slew the people, men and

women, and children.

Ðæt wǣron þā ǣrestan sćipu þāra Dena þe

Angelcynnes land ġesōhton.

There were first ships of the Danes that

sought the English land.

Æþelbriht cyning rīcsode fīf ġeār. King Afelbrihte ruled for five years.

Cūþred and Cēnbriht on ānum ġeāre forþfērdon. Cufred and Cenbriht died in the same year.

Hē biþ ġelīć þǣm wīsan were sē his hūs ofer stān

ġetimbrede.

He is like the wise man who built his house

on a rock.

Bēowulf þǣm bātwearde bunden golde sweord

ġesealde.

Beowulf gave a sword bound in gold to the

boatkeeper.

Hē hringas dǣlde æt symble. He distributed rings at feast.

Hēr Seuerus cāsere onfēng rice: Here emperor Severus ascended to the

throne:

Sē Bretenland mid dice begyrde fram sǣ oþ sǣ. He girded Britain with the stone wall from

sea to sea.

On his dæġe cōm mićel sćiphere up; and wiþ þone

here ġefuhton Ōsrić and Æþelwulf and þone here

ġeflīemdon.

In this day come up big fleet; and with this

army thought Osric and Afelwulf and this

army drove away.

On þӯs ġeāre Norþhymbre and East Engle hæfdon

Ælfrēde cyninge āþas ġeseald.

In this year, Northumbria and East Anglia

had given their oaths to king Alfred.

Hīe hergiaþ and hīe bærnaþ, rīepaþ and rēafiaþ,

and tō sćipe lǣdaþ.

They ravage and they burn, and they

plunder, and they rob, and they lead to the

ship.

Earm biþ sē þe sćeal āna libban, winelēas

wunian.

Poor is the one who shall live alone, remain

friendless.

Hē sweorde ne mihte wunde ġewyrćan. He might not make wounds with a sword.

Grendel ġenam on reste þrītiġ þeġna. Grendel took 30 thanes at resting place.

Bēowulf on reste ġeseah Grendel lićǵan. Beowulf saw Grendel lie at rest.

Hēr fōr se here up þurh þā bryćǵe æt Paris.

Here went the Danish army up through the

bridge at Paris.

Wīf sćeal wiþ wer wǣre ġehealdan. Wife should be faithful to her husband.

On þǣre stōwe wæs mićel gærs. In the place was great grass.

Ða wunda þāra þeġna wǣron maniġe. The wounds of the thanes were numerous.

Se cnith sæt ġeornlīće hlystende hiere tale. The boy sat eagerly listening to her tale.

Fӯr biþ þeof. Fire is a thief.

Cyning sćeal on healle bēagas dǣlan. King shall divide the rings in the hall.

Se cyning hēt ġewyrćan þā bryćǵe ofer Treontan. The king commanded the bridge to be built

over Trent.

Ić eom Hrōþgāres ār and ambiht. I am Hrothgar’s messenger and servant.

Wē sint Hyġelāces bēodġenēatas. We are table-companions of Hygelac.

Hē sundorlīf wæs foreberende eallum þǣm arum. He preferred life in seclusion to all the

honours.

Næs him āra þearf; him wæs reste þearf. He didn’t want honours; he wanted rest.

Ić eom weorþ werum, wīde funden, brungen of

bearwum, of denum and of dūnum.

I am dear to me, widely found, brought from

woods , from valleys and hills.

Wita sćeal ġeþyldiġ. A wise man must be patient.

Flota wæs on ӯþum, bāt under beorge. Ship was on waves, boat under the cliff.

Cyninges hunta ić eom and ić ġefō heorotas and

bāras and rān and rǣġan and hwīlum haran.

I am king’s hunter and I catch harts, and

boars, and roes, and does, and sometimes

hares.

Sǣgenǵa fōr forþ ofer ӯþem bundestefna ofer

brimstrēamas.

Ship went forth over the waves, a ship with

bound prow over the sea.

Seō sunne is swīþe mićel; ac hēo þyncþ ūs swīþe

unbrād, for þǣm þē hēo is swīþe feorr fram ūrum

ġesihþum.

The sun is very large; but she seems to us

she is very small, because she is very far

from our sight.

Ēac swilće þā steorran þe ūs lӯtle þynćaþ sint

swīþe brāde.

And also the stars, that seem small to us, are

very large.

Se mōna and ealle steorran underfōþ lēoht of

þǣre sunnan.

The moon and all stars receive light of the

sun.

Wē hātaþ ānne dæġ fram sunnan upgange oþ

ǣfen.

We have one day from the sunrise up to

evening.

Ðā hwelpas etaþ of þǣm crumum þe of hiera

hlāforda bēodum feallaþ.

The whelps eat crumbs that fall of their

master’s table.

Wē hēdaþ þāra crumena þæs hlāfes. We care of the crumbs of the bread.

Mīn tunge mǣrde þīn weorc. My tongue glorifies your work.

Hiera tungan sprecaþ fācen. Their tongues speak malice.

Cynewulf oft mićlum ġefeohtum feaht wiþ

Bretwalum.

Cynewulf often fought many battles with the

Britons.

Hē āstāg on ānne munt and sæt þǣr. He ascended on a mountain and sat there.

Ðā sćiperas ġefēngon hine and wurpon hine on

þone bāt and bundon hine and rēowon tō sćipe.

The sailors caught him, and threw him on

the boat, and bound him and rowed to the

ship.

Ðā olfendas bǣron ġimmstānas and unġerīm

gold.

The camels carried gems and countless gold.

Hēr sæt hǣþen here on Tenet and ġenāmon friþ

wiþ Cantwarum and Cantware him feoh gehēton

wiþ þǣm friþe.

In this year the Danish army encamped on

the Isle of Thanet and made peace with the

Cantware, and the Cantware promised them

goods for peace.

Eart þū sē Bēowulf sē þe wiþ Brecan wunne? Are you the Beowulf that fought against

Breca?

Īs wierþ of wætre. Ice is made of water.

Ðēod winþ onġēan þēode and rīće onġēan rīće. Nation fights against nation and kingdom

fights against kingdom.

Hæġl cymþ of þǣm reġndropum þonne hīe bēoþ

ġefrorene upp on þǣre lyfte.

Hail is made of the raindrops when they are

frozen up in the air.

Snāw cymþ of þǣm þynnan wǣtan þe biþ

uppātogen mid þǣre lyfte and biþ ġefroren ǣr

þǣm þe hē tō dropum ġeurnen sīe.

Snow comes from the liquid that is drawn

with the air and is frozen before it has turned

into drops.

Se wilda fugol ofer hēanne beam hūs ġetimbreþ. The wild bird builds a house over high tree.

Ġif se blinda blindne lǣt, hīe feallaþ bēġen on

ānne pytt.

If the blind leads the blind, they fall both in

one pit.

Sēoc sē biþ þe tō seldan itt. Sick is the one who eats too seldom.

Se gōda cyning wearþ ofslæġen fram his āgnum

folce.

The good king is killed by his own folks.

On þǣm ilcan ġeāre wæs se mićla hungor ġeond

eall Angelcynn.

In the same year was the great hunger

beyond all English race.

Beorgas þǣr ne muntas stēape ne standaþ, ne

stānclifu hēah hlīfiaþ swā hēr mid ūs.

Hills there nor mountains high don’t stand,

nor stone cliffs high tower as here with us.

Heals is mīn hwīt and hēafod fealu, sīdan swā

same.

My neck is white, and head follows, side

likewise.

Ðā cōm Æþelred cynning hām tō his āgenre

þēode and hē glǣdlīće fram him eallum onfangen

wæs.

Then comes king Alfred home to his own

nation and he kindly was received from

them.

Grendel ġewāt nēosian hēan hūses. Grendel departed to seek out the high house.

Ġegrētte þā guma ōþerne, Hrōþgar Bēowulf. Hrothgar greeted the other man, Beowulf.

Hē bēaghordes brūcan mōste selfes dome. He was allowed to enjoy treasure at his own

choice.

Metod āna wāt hwǣr se cwealm cymþ. God only knows where from the death

comes.

Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, þeodcyninga,

þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

Listen! We, of the Spear-Danes in the days

of yore, of those clan-kings, have heard how

those nobles did great deeds.

Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, monegum

mægþum, meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas.

Often Scyld Scefing, from the army of his

enemies, from many warriors, took the

mead-benches that terrified the nobles.

Syððan ærest wearð feasceaft funden, he þæs

frofre gebad, weox under wolcnum,

weorðmyndum þah, oðþæt him æghwylc þara

ymbsittendra ofer hronrade hyran scolde, gomban

gyldan.

After he was first discovered, a foundling,

he gained a consolation waxed under the

heavens, prospered in glory, until eventually

everyone in surrounding tribes, over the

whale-road, had to obey and yield to him.

Ðæt wæs god cyning! He was a good king!

Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned, geong in

geardum, þone god sende folce to frofre;

fyrenðearfe ongeat þe hie ær drugon

aldorlease lange hwile.

To him an heir was afterward born, a son in

his halls, whom heaven sent to favor the

folk, feeling their woe that erst they had

lacked an earl for leader so long a while.

Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote When fair April with his showers sweet,

The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, Has pierced the drought of March to the

root's feet

And bathed every veyne in swich licour And bathed each vein in liquid of such

power,

Of which vertu engendred is the flour, Its strength creates the newly springing

flower;

Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth When the West Wind too, with his sweet

breath,

Inspired hath in every holt and heeth Has breathed new life - in every copse and

heath

The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Into each tender shoot, and the young sun

Hath in the Ram his halve cours yronne, From Aries moves to Taurus on his run,

And smale foweles maken melodye, And those small birds begin their melody,

That slepen al the nyght with open ye The ones who 'sleep` all night with open

eye,

(so priketh hem Nature in hir corages), (so nature pricks them in their hearts)

Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages, That folk all long to go on pilgrimage

And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes, And wandering travellers tread new shores,

strange strands,

To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes; Seek out far shrines, renowned in many

lands,

And specially from every shires ende And specially from every shire's end

Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende, Of England to Canterbury they wend

The hooly blisful martir for to seke, The holy blessed martyr there to seek,

That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke. Who has brought health to them when they

were sick.

Shall I compare thee to a Summers day? Shall I compare you to a summer’s day?

Thou art more louely and more temperate; You are more lovely and more moderate:

Rough windes do shake the darling buds of Maie, Harsh winds disturb the delicate buds of

May,

And Sommers leafe hath all too short a date; and summer doesn’t last long enough.

Sometime too hot the eye of heauen shines, Sometimes the sun is too hot,

And often is his gold complexion dimm’d, and its golden face is often dimmed by

clouds.

And euery faire from faire some-time declines, All beautiful things eventually become less

beautiful,

By chance, or natures changing course vntrim’d; either by the experiences of life or by the

passing of time.

But thy eternall Sommer shall not fade, But your eternal beauty won’t fade,

Nor loose possession of that faire thou ow’st, nor lose any of its quality.

Nor shall death brag thou wandr’st in his shade, And you will never die,

When in eternall lines to time thou grow’st, as you will live on in my enduring poetry.

So long as men can breath or eyes can see, As long as there are people still alive to read

poems,

So long liues this, and this giues life to thee. this sonnet will live, and you will live in it.