To him that a token was where he stared. II.--Metres of Boëthius (4). ***The following is King Alfred's translation of Boëthius, Lib. III. metr. I. Se-pe wille wyrcan fearn (5), and pornas(6), He that will work fruitful land, let him pluck off the field first straightway fern, and thorns, and furzes, as also weeds, (1) Cer, cyr (II. 2.) turn; hence char a turn of work; cyrran to turn, re-turn; G. kehren. (2) Adverb formed from the dative plural; see p. 70. Comp. G. einge-denk mindful, thoughtful. (3) Starian; G. starren, D. staaren. (1) Chiefly from the Rev. S. Fox's edition. (*) P. vearn, G. farn-kraut. (7) Same is connected with our same. (*) Weód (II. 1.) D. wied. (*) porn; G. dorn. pa be willac clanum hwate, þý-læs he cida-leás (*) licge on pam lande. Is leóda (3) ge-hwam þeós óðru bysen efn be-héfe (*); pæet is pætte pinced (5) pegna ge-hwylcum huniges (6) beó-bread healfe þý swétre, gif he hwene (7) ár huniges teare(8), bitres on-byrgað. Býd eác swá-same monna æg-hwylc micle bý fægenra lídes (9) wedres (1o), gif hine lytle ær stormas ge-stondađ (11), that will lie on the land. even as needful; that is that seemeth to every man honey's bee-bread half the sweeter, if he a little ere the honey's drop, something bitter tasteth. Is eke in like wise every man much the gladder of fair weather, if him a little ere storms assail, (1) Wel prefixed is intensive; wel-oft very often, wel-hrade very soon. (3) Cið shoot, growth of any kind; bence kid, used either of a child or a young animal: comp. the uses of imp, scion, sprig, &c. (3) Lebde people, persons; G. loute, D. lieden. (*) Be-hófian to need, be-hove. (*) G. honig. (*) See Additions, &c. (7) Ilwene, hwon a little, S. a wheen. (*) Tear (II. 2.) tear ; G. zühro. (*) Líðe tender, mild, lithe; G. linde: observe the n dropped and the vowel lengthened, and see p. 2, and Additions, &o. (10) Weder (II. 1.) G. wetter, D. weder. (") Observe the force of ge-; see p. 64. and se stearca (1) wind Swá þincd ánra ge-hwam heardra hanđa (o), her a-dreóged ("). and the violent wind from north and east. To none would seem the day delightful, if the dim night before over men terror had not brought. So seemeth to every one of the earth-dwellers the true happiness ever the better, and the winsomer, as he more plagues, and hard afflictions, here suffereth. þú meaht eác micle bý éd Thou mayst eke much the on mód-sefan sóđe ge-sálđa sweótolor ge-cnáwan, and tó heora cydde (0) be-cuman síð-pán, gif þú úp-a-týhst easier in thy mind true happinesses clearlier know, and to their country come afterwards, if thou pluckest up (1) Stearc stark, strong; G. stark, D. sterk. (2) Ponc (þanc) (II. 2.) thank ; G. dank: comp. L. gratiæ and gratus. (3) Eld, yld (II. 2.) man, human being. (*) Egesa = ege awe, dread. (5) II. 3. from sél, súl good. (*) Hánðu (býnðu) III. 3.; heán abject, miserable. (7) (A-)dreógan (III. 3.) to suffer; S. dree. (*) Cýððu (III. 3.) also acquaintance, knowledge, hence kith. ærest sona, and þú a-wyrt-walast of ge-wit-locan (1) lease ge-sælda, swa swá londes-ceorl (*) of his æcere list (3) yfel weód monig. Síd pán ic pe secge þæt þú sweótole meaht sóđe ge-sælda sona on-cnáwan (*), and þú æfre ne recst æniges pinges ofer þa áne, first forthwith, and thou rootest out of thy understanding false happinesses, as the husbandman off his field gathers many an evil weed. Afterwards I say to thce that thou clearly mayst true happinesses soon recognise, and thou never wilt reck for anything above them alone, gif þú hí ealles on-gitst. if thou them quite under standest. (1) (Ge-) wit (II. 1.) wit, loca fold, locker, place shut or locked up. (*) Ceorl man (free not noble) husband, churl; S. carl; G. kerl. (*) Lesan (II. 1.) to gather, pick; hence lease, to gleun. G. lesen to gather read; comp. L. legere. (*) Comp. G. er-kennen, III.-Cadmon ('). Cadmon, the Anglo-Saxon Milton, author of the Metrical Paraphrase of parts of the Holy Scriptures, from which the following extracts are taken, was first a herdsman, afterwards a monk in the Abbey of Streoneshalh or Whitby, then ruled by S. Hild: he flourished in the 7th century. For an account of him from Alfred's version of Beda's Ecclesiastical History, see Mr. Thorpe's preface to his edition of Cadmon, and his Analecta Anglo-Saxonica, pp. 54-8. Part of Book I. Canto II. Here first shaped by his strong powers, The earth was then yet with grass not green; (1) From Mr. Thorpe's edition, more literally translated. (*) See 133. n. 13. (3) Rúm wide, roomy, (*) G. frau (noble) woman, lady is connected with freá. |