Jonathan Slocum, Interim Director :: PCL 5.112, 1 University Station S5490 :: Austin, TX 78712 :: 512-471-4566
Indo-European Texts
Old English
Douglas Simms and Jonathan Slocum
A Charm against Theft of Cattle
MS. 41, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
Text from Dobbie, E.V.K., ed. The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records. v. 5. The Anglo-Saxon Minor Poems. Originally prepared and translated by Douglas Simms; edited by Jonathan Slocum. Each bold word/phrase in a gloss corresponds to a single word in the source; non-bold terms indicate grammatical information.
I.
| Ne forstolen ne forholen nanuht, | not adv; stolen past ppl; not adv; hidden past ppl; nothing |
| þæs ðe ic age, | of-that rel.pron, neut, gen.sg; which rel.ptc; I nom, 1.sg; own vb, 1.sg, pres. |
| '(May) nothing which I own (be) either stolen or hidden away' | |
| þe ma ðe mihte | any ptc, neut, inst.sg; more adv; which ptc; was-able 3.sg, pret. |
| Herod urne drihten. | Herod masc, nom.sg; our masc, acc.sg; Lord masc, acc.sg. |
| 'any more than Herod was able (to do) to our Lord.' | |
| Ic geþohte sancte Eadelenan, | I nom, 1.sg; recalled 1.sg, pret; Saint fem, acc.sg; Blessed-Elena fem, acc.sg. |
| and conj; I nom, 1.sg; recalled 1.sg, pret; Christ masc, acc.sg; on prep; cross fem, dat.sg; hanged past ppl. | |
| 'I recalled Blessed Saint Elena, and I recalled Christ hanged upon the cross' | |
| swa ic þence | thus adv; I nom, 1.sg, intend 1.sg, pres. |
| þis feoh to findanne, | this neut, acc.sg; livestock neut, acc.sg; to find infl.inf. |
| næs to oðfeorgeanne, | by-no-means adv; to drive-away infl.inf. |
| 'Likewise I intend to find this livestock, (and) not at all to drive (it) away,' | |
| to witanne, næs to oðwyrceanne, | to protect infl.inf; by-no-means adv; to destroy infl.inf. |
| to lufianne, næs to oðlædanne. | to love infl.inf; by-no-means adv; to lead-off infl.inf. |
| 'to protect (it), (and) not at all to destroy (it), to love (it), (and) not at all to lead (it) away.' |
|
II.
| Garmund, godes þegen: | Garmund masc, nom.sg; God's masc, gen.sg; thane masc, nom.sg. |
| find þæt feoh, | find 2.sg, imp; that neut, acc.sg; livestock neut, acc.sg. |
| and fere þæt feoh, | and conj; drive 2.sg, imp; that neut, acc.sg; livestock neut, acc.sg. |
| 'Garmund, God's servant: find that livestock, and drive that livestock,' |
|
| and hafa þæt feoh, | and conj; have 2.sg, imp; that neut, acc.sg; livestock neut, acc.sg. |
| and heald þæt feoh | and conj; hold 2.sg, imp; that neut, acc.sg; livestock neut, acc.sg. |
| and fere ham þæt feoh! | and conj; drive 2.sg, imp; home adv; that neut, acc.sg; livestock neut, acc.sg. |
| 'and seize that livestock, and hold that livestock and drive that livestock home!' |
|
| that conj; he nom.sg; never adv; not-have 3.sg, pres. subj; land neut, gen.sg. | |
| þæt he hit oðlæde, | that conj; he nom.sg; it neut, acc.sg; lead-off 3.sg, pres. subj. |
| '(so) that he may not have (any) land, that he may lead it away,' |
|
| ne foldan, þæt he hit oðferie, | not; earth fem, gen.sg; that conj; he nom.sg; it neut, acc.sg; drive-off 3.sg, pres. subj. |
| ne husa, þæt he hit oðhealde. | not; houses neut, gen.pl; that conj; he nom.sg; it neut, acc.sg; keep-away 3.sg, pres. subj. |
| 'nor (any) earth, that he may drive it away, nor (any) buildings, that he may keep it away.' |
|
III.
| Gif hyt hwa gedo, | if conj; it neut, acc.sg; who inter.pron, nom; do 3.sg, pres. subj. |
| ne gedige hit him næfre! | not adv; prosper 3.sg, pres. subj; it nom.sg; him dat.sg; never adv. |
| 'If anyone were to do this, may it never benefit him!' |
|
| Binnan þrym nihtum | within; three dat.pl; nights fem, dat.pl. |
| cunne ic his mihta, | know 1.sg, pres; I nom, 1.sg; his powers fem, acc.pl. |
| his mægen and his mihta | his strengths neut, acc.pl; and conj; his; powers fem, acc.pl. |
| and his mundcræftas. | and conj; his; protection-powers masc, acc.pl. |
| 'Within three nights I shall know his powers, his strengths and his powers and his powers of protection.' |
|
| Eall he weornige, | all adv; he nom.sg; waste-away 3.sg, pres. subj. |
| swa syre wudu weornie, | as; rotten nom.sg; wood masc, nom.sg; waste-away 3.sg, pres. subj. |
| 'May he waste away entirely, waste away like rotten wood,' |
|
| swa breðel seo swa þystel | as; brittle; be 3.sg, pres. subj; as; thistle masc, nom.sg. |
| he nom.sg; who rel. ptc; this neut, acc.sg; livestock neut, acc.sg; to-drive-away inf; intend 3.sg, pres. subj. | |
| oððe ðis orf oðehtian þence | or conj; this neut, acc.sg; cattle neut, acc.sg; to-dispossess inf; intend 3.sg, pres. subj. |
| 'May (he) be as brittle as a thistle, he who might intend to drive away this livestock or (who) might intend to dispossess this cattle.' |
|
| Amen. | Amen |
Key to gloss abbreviations:
| Abbrev. | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | = | 1st (person) |
| 2. | = | 2nd (person) |
| 3. | = | 3rd (person) |
| acc. | = | accusative (case) |
| adv. | = | adverb |
| conj. | = | conjunction |
| dat. | = | dative (case) |
| fem. | = | feminine (gender) |
| gen. | = | genitive (case) |
| imp. | = | imperative (mood) |
| inf. | = | infinitive (verb form) |
| infl. | = | inflected |
| inst. | = | instrumental (case) |
| inter. | = | interrogative (mood) |
| masc. | = | masculine (gender) |
| neut. | = | neuter (gender) |
| nom. | = | nominative (case) |
| pl. | = | plural (number) |
| ppl. | = | participle (verb form) |
| prep. | = | preposition |
| pres. | = | present (tense) |
| pret. | = | preterite (tense) |
| pron. | = | pronoun |
| ptc. | = | particle |
| rel. | = | relative |
| sg. | = | singular (number) |
| subj. | = | subjunctive (mood) |
| vb. | = | verb |