Hover or tap the relevant row to see a translation.
[shuffle] [shorter set] [plain text]
| Wæs he Osrices sunu | He was Osrice's son |
| Of ælcum treowe ðises orcerdes ðu most etan | You may eat from every tree in this garden |
| On þysum geare wæs se mycla hungar geond Angelcynn | In this year there was the great hunger throughout the English people |
| He wunode on dunum dæges and nihtes | He lived in the mountains by day and by night |
| Þam gedonum andswarige eall chor | Having done those things, let the entire choir respond |
| Ða andwyrde se Wisdom him | Then Wisdom answered him (them) |
| Habbaþ we geascad þæt se ælmihtiga worhte wer ond wif | We have heard that the almighty made man and woman |
| Seo dene wæs deop and wid | The valley was deep and wide |
| Ða com oðer dæg, leoht æfter þeostrum | Then came the second day, light after dark |
| Ða wendon hi geond þæt land | Then they went throughout the land |
| Hine lufiað þa he clænsað | Those whom he purifies love him |
| Hwy ne meaht þu hit ongitan? | Why can't you understand? |
| Ænne cræft ic cann | There is one skill I have (i.e. know how to do) / I have one trade |
| He wearð acenned | He was born |
| Þæt me is sorga mæst, þæt Adam sceal minne stol behealdan | That is the greatest of griefs to me, that Adam will occupy my throne |
| Þu hine ongeate unweorðne | You saw him to be unworthy |
| Ða cwæð se hælend him to | Then the saviour said to him |
| Þa gebundon hie hine | Then they bound him |
| Ealle þa ðe onfoð sweord mid sweorde hi forwurðað | All those who take the sword perish by the sword |
| Her com Port on Brytene and his twegan sunan | Here [i.e. in this year] Port came to Britain, and his two sons |
| Unriht weaxeð ealles to wide | Injustice grows far too widely |
| Þa wæs gast ofer holm boren miclum spedum | Then the spirit was carried across the sea at greet speed |
| Wes þu on ofeste! | Be in haste! |
| Ic geseo minne cyning | I see my king |
| Eala þu cniht! | Hey, boy! |
| ...ealle unrihtwisnessa þa ic gefremde fram geoguðe minre æt ðysne andwerdan dæg | ...all the injustices which I have committed from my youth up to this present day |
| Þa sendon Romane ærendracan to him | Then the Romans sent messengers / a messenger to him / to them |
| Hige sceal þe heardra | The mind must be the firmer |
| He het þa cyrican halgian | He ordered for the church to be consecrated |
| Þa cwæð him hælend to | Then the saviour said to him/them |
| Her lið sweorde geheawen, beheafdod healdend ure | Here lies our ruler, struck with the sword, beheaded |
| Ic seo þone cyning | I see the king |
| Þu wære mid Iosepe in Egyptolande | You were in Egypt with Joseph |
| Þæs cyninges dohtor wæs micelra mægena fæmne | The king's daughter was a woman of great strengths |
| Þy geare wæs senoð æt Heorotforde | In that year, there was a synod at Hertford |
| Se þeoden sende his þegnas | The king sent his servants |
| Se deofol him þa abealh and þa fæmne forswelgan wolde | The devil then became angry and wanted to devour the woman |
| Hi hæfdon eac ane feawa fixa, þa he bletsode | They also had a few fish, which he blessed |
| Oft on gefeohte an feseð tyne and hwilum læs, hwilum ma | Often in battle one puts ten to flight, sometimes fewer, sometimes more |
| Ic giestron wæs geong acenned | Yesterday I was born young |
| Þa locode Petrus to Paule & cwæþ, "Rære up þin heafod and geseoh þis þæt Simon deþ" | Then Peter looked at Paul and said, "Raise up your head and see this thing that Simon is doing" |
| Barrabas wæs þær þy side on bendum | Barrabas was there in chains at that time |
| Ða com oðer dæg, leoht æfter þeostrum | Then came the second day, light after dark |
| Ic gehyre minne oðerne hlaford | I obey my other lord |
| Man gehalgode twegen biscopas | Two bishops were consecrated (or: they consecrated two bishops) |
| Dryhtnes cempa feonda þreatum wiðstod stronglice | The Lord's warrior firmly withstood the throngs of enemies |
| Ða wæron Hloðwiges sunu begen | They both were Hloðwig's sons |
| Þa he hine slean wolde þa feoll he underbæc | When he wanted to strike him he fell back |
| Oft him gebyreð ðæt hie weorðað bereafod | It often happens to them (!him) that they are robbed |
| Lof sceolde he drihtnes wyrcean | He ought to have praised the Lord (lit. wrought the Lord's praise) |
| waldend þone godan | the good ruler ["ruler the good"] |
| Ofer ða hi sculon ricsian | Them they ought to govern |
| Dægtidum ic oft spæte sperebrogan | At daytime I often spit out the terror of spears |
| Ic com hider on dome on þisne middaneard | I came here into this world in judgement |
| Hi þa ferdon geond wegas | They then travelled across the roads |
| Þa gesawon þæt his þegnas | Then his disciples saw that |
| Crist namode Abel rihtwisne | Christ called Abel righteous |
| Be þissum ðinge ge habbað oft gehyred | You have often heard about this matter |
| Hi beoð gesælige gif hi soð lufiað | They are blessed if they love truth |
| Hie onlucað hiera mod | They unlock their thought |
| Lufiað eowre fynd | Love your enemies |
| Hie wæron englum gelice | They were like angels |
| Se sealmwyrhta Dauid sang be Criste | David the psalmist wrote about Christ |
| He geaf his dohtor Burgrede cyninge | He gave his daughter to King Burgred |
| Him wæs þearf micel | He had great need |
| Barrabas wæs þær þy siðe on bendum | At that time, Barrabas was in chains there |
| Þa wæron þa Filistei swiðe bliðe | Then the Philistines were very joyful |
| Ic ða Ælfred cyning þas togædere gegaderode | Then I, King Alfred, brought these things together |
| Ic wat þæt þu me gehyrst | I know that you hear me |
| Þa cwæð se engel to hyre | Then the angel said to her |
| Min broþor mec of earde adraf | My brother drove me from the land |
| Þa se cyning ðæt anfunde, þæt him mon geswicen hæfde, he ða hiene selfne forbærnde | When the king discovered that he had been deceived, he lit himself on fire |
| Nis na gedafenlic þæt þes man ana beo | It is not fitting for this man to be alone |
| Þy sweorde ic hine ofsloh | I killed him with the sword |
| Cynewulf benam Sigebryht his rices | Cynewulf deprived Sigebryht of his kingdom |
| Ðin eage is þines lichaman leohtfæt | Your eye is your body's lamp |
| Þa andswaredon þa Iudeas | Then the Jews answered |
| Hie gesetton tictator, þæt he sceolde bion hierra ofer þa consulas | They established a dictator, who was to be higher than the consuls |
| Flod blod gewod | Blood pervaded the water |
| Se palm þe drihten sylf sette his agenum handum | The palmtree which the Lord himself planted with his own hands |
| Ic wille sendan flod ofer ealne middaneard | I want to send a flood across all the world |
| Ælfred kyning hateð gretan Wærferð biscep his wordum luflice ond freondlice; ond ðe cyðan hate ðæt me com swiðe oft on gemynd, hwelce wiotan iu wæron giond Angelcynn, ægðer ge godcundra hada ge woruldcundra | King Alfred orders Bishop Wærferð to be greeted with his words in an affectionate and friendly manner; and I order to be announced to you that it has very often come to my mind what wise men there once were throughout England, both of divine and worldly occupations |
| Þar eode in ðæs cynges iunge dohtor and cyste hyre fæder | The king's young daughter went in there and kissed her father |
| hie hrædlice for mægenleaste swulton | they quickly died on account of [their] weakness |
| Se palm þe drihten sylf sette his agenum handum | The palm-tree which the Lord himself planted with his own hands |
| Sæs up stigon ofer stæðweallas | The seas went up above the city walls |
| Se casere wæs ofslagen | The emperor was killed |
| Heo ne mihte þæt cild gehyran | She could not hear the child |
| Se wer fremeþ unrihthæmed wiþ oþer wif | The man commits adultery with another woman |
| Angle sind swa fægeres hiwes menn | The Angles (English) are people of such fair complexion |
| Hwær synt þa cyningas þe geo wæron? | Where are the kings that once were? |
| Þa wæs gast ofer holm boren miclum spedum | Then the spirit was carried across the water at great speed |
| XX daga ic þær mid minre fyrde wið him wicode | For 20 days I dwelt there with him with my army |
| On þam fifteoþan geare com Godes word ofer Iohannem | In the fifteenth year, God's word came to John |
| Saga hwæt ic hatte | Say what I am called |
| Ic wat þæt us cymð se Mæssias | I know that the Messiah will come to us |
| Beon eower lendena ymbgyrde | Let your limbs be girt about |
| God lufode Iacob | God loved Jacob |
| Nyde hit sceal eac on worulde for folces synnan yfelian swyðe | It must necessarily also grow worse in the world on account of the sins of the people |
| He forspilde hie þurh forligre | He ruined her (them) through fornication |
| Ðu geherdest reccan þætte Iob sceolde bion se hehsta god | You have heard it said that Jove is the highest god |
| He geascode þone cyning lytle werode on wifcyþþe | He discovered that the king was in a woman's company with a small troop |
| Dæges and nihtes he wurðode hine mid lofsangum | By day and by night he glorified him with songs of praise |
| Ic hiere þam cyninge | I obey the king |
| Se bið ðin eage se þe ðe wisdom tæcð | It is your eye that teaches you wisdom |
| He wolde hine to deaðe gedon | He wanted to put him to death |
| Gyt ne com min tid; eower tid is symble gearu | My time has not yet come; your time is ever ready |
| he hearde feoll | he fell hard |
| Þa se tyma com þe God foresceawode, þa asende he his engel | When the time came that God had ordained, he sent his angel |
| Beo ge underðiodde eowrum ieldrum magum | Be subservient to your elder kinsmen |
| He sende ða sona syððan to þam cyninge beotlic ærende | He then soon afterwards sent a threatening message to the king |
| Þonne we sind gelaðode, þonne sind we untigede | When we are vindicated, we will be untied |
| Þa arleasan ealle forweorðað | The dishonourable ones will all perish |
| Þa het se cyning hie sittan, and hie swa dydon | Then the king ordered them (!her) to sit, and they did so |
| Þu alysdest þine sawla mid þære mynegunge | You redeemed your soul with that admonition |
| Se yrðling lufað þone æcer | The farmer loves the field |
| Ic mærsode ðe ofer eorðan | I made you great across the earth |
| Sum consul Boetius wæs haten | A certain consul was called Boethius |
| Bewepað eowre synna | Lament your sins |
| La ælmihtiga God and ealra cyninga cyning | Oh almighty God and king of all kings |
| Se ærendraca ða hine gemette deadne | The messenger then found him dead |
| Þa mæssepreostas beoþ Godes cyricena lareowas | The priests are the teachers of God's churches |
| Ne gecneow se gerefa þara namena nan ðing þe he þær namode | The reeve did not know anything of the words which he mentioned here |
| Se stan is ormætlice micel | The stone is immeasurably large |
| Þa he swilce ungewitt gehyrde, he wearð sarig on his mode | When he heard such nonsense, he became sorrowful at heart |
| Þæt sweord acwellað þone lichaman, ac hit ne mæg þa sawle acwellan | The sword kills the body, but it cannot kill the soul |
| Leoht wæs ærest þurh drihtnes word dæg genemned | Light was first named "day" by the Lord's word |
| Fiftyna sum sundwudu sohte | I sought out the ship as one of fifteen |
| Hie sind an god, on anre godcundnesse and on anum gecynde | They are one god, in one divinity and in one nature |
| Þæt folc wæs todrifen ofer eall Egypta land | The people was dispersed across all of Egypt |
| Ða hie þa Crist oferfangenne hæfdon, þa gebundon hie hine | When they had caught Christ, they bound him |
| He fremede swa and frean hierde | He did so and obeyed his lord |
| Sio tunge sendeð þa sawle in hellegrund | The tongue sends the soul into the abyss of hell |
| Se cyning is dead | The king is dead |
| Þone cyning seceð se þeow | It is the king whom the servant seeks |
| Þa gesawon hi þær twegen englas | Then they saw two angels there |
| Ic wat þæt he inc abolgen wyrð | I know that he will become angry with you |
| Þonne him þince, þæt he fiscas geseo, þæt byð regn | When it seems to him that he is seeing fish, it is rain |
| Neron cwæþ, "Gang me near hider, and sege me hwæt þu þence" | Nero said, "Come closer to me here, and tell me what you think" |
| Ne mihtest ðu ane tide wacian? | Were you unable to stay awake for one hour? |
| Seo halgung þæs mæran naman godes | The glorification of God's great name |
| Þa men ðe Iohannes fullode, ða wæron eft gefullode on Cristes fulluhte | The people whom John baptized, they were baptized again at Christ's baptism [or: drop the comma, and read "were then baptized again..."] |
| Þa wearð God þam werode wrað | Then God became angry with that host |
| Geweorðod ofer werþeoda | Honoured among the nations of men |
| Iohannes fulluht ðwoh þone mannan wiðutan, and nan ðing wiðinnan | John's baptism washed that man on the outside, and nothing on the inside |
| Þis is landa betst | This is the best of lands |
| On eorðlicere cyrcan lið stan ofer stane | In the earthly church, stones lies upon stone |
| Ða slog se wind þone leg on þæt hus | Then the wind blew the flame against the house |
| Iohannes eode in þone cafertun | John went into the courtyard |
| Heo cuðe Godes æ | She knew God's law |
| Mæg wæs his agen þridda and he feorða sylf | His own son was the third and he himself the fourth |
| Wel þu cwæde | You have spoken well |
| Þu þæt cwæde | You said it |
| Man brohte his heafod on anum disce | They brought his head on a platter (or: his head was brought on a platter) |
| Se cyning is god | The king is good |
| Þa Eadmund clypode ænne bisceop þe him þa gehendost wæs | Then Edmund called a bishop who was then the nearest to him |
| Ne mihte nan læcewyrt awiht geliðian | No medicinal herb would be able to soothe at all |
| Ic beo him fæder, and he bið me sunu | I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me |
| We budon ðe þæs þe we sylfe brucað | We offered you of that which we ourselves eat |
| Sage me hwær God sæte þa he geworhte heofonas and eorðan | Tell me where God was when he created heavens and earth |
| Þisne ic wille sendan | I want to send this one |
| Man bið þy strengra þe he bið micel on his lichoman | One is the stronger as one is large in body |
| Hwilum Brettas, hwilum eft Seaxan sige geslogon | Sometimes the British won the victory, and sometimes the Saxons |
| On fyrbæðe wunodest, suslum beþrungen | You lived in a bath of fire, pressed about with torments |
| Ða clypode se cyning mid micelre stemne: "Mære is se god þe Daniel on belyfð" | Then the king called out with a loud voice, "Great is the god in whom Daniel believes" |
| Forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum | Forgive us our offences just as we forgive our offenders |
| On þære tide cwæð Petrus "X" | At that time, Peter said "X" |
| Hie habbað feala morðres gefremed | They have committed many crimes |
| Her com Port on Brytene and his twegan sunan | Here [i.e. in this year] came Port to Britain with his two sons |
| Ælce niht on minum bedde ic sice and wepe | Every night in my bed I sigh and weep |
| Ic ðe mæg sum bispell secgan, þæt þu meaht þy sweotolor ongitan | I can tell you an example, so that you may understand the more clearly |
| Sciþþie hæfdon maran monmenie, and self hwætran wæron | The Scythians had a greater host, and they were themselves braver |
| Men her on eorðan fremedon morðor wið heora scyppend | People here on earth committed sin against their creator |
| Se cyning seceð þone þeow | The king seeks the servant |
| Hie him on ðæt nebb spæton, forðon ðe he nyle giefan ðæt him God geaf | They spat him (!them) on the nose, because he would not give what God had given him (them) |
| Ne fremest þu riht wið me | You are not doing right by me |
| Se þeow seceð þone cyning | The servant seeks the king |
| Ealle cyningas onbugað him | All kings bow before him |
| Ic geseah mines folces geswinc on Egypta lande, and heora hream ic gehyrde | I saw the toil of my people in Egypt, and I heard their outcry |
| Ure aliesend is mara and mærra eallum gesceaftum | Our redeemer is greater and more illustrious than all creatures |
| Hie beoð alysede ær þam mycclum dome | They will be redeemed before the great judgement |
| Ða com Willelm eorl fram geondan sæ | Then Earl William came from across the sea |
| Æðelflæd wæs þæs cyninges dohtor | Æðelflæd was the king's daughter |
| Him wæs metes micel lust | He had a great appetite for food |
| Sume men wæron þe sægdon þæt hine wulfas abiton and fræton | There were some men who said that wolves tore him up and devoured him |
| Þa wæs Sarran sar on mode | Then Sarah was sorrowful at heart |
| Crist mid drium fotwylmum ofer yþum eode | Christ walked across the waves with dry footsoles |
| Ic eom þes cyninges sunu | I am the king's son |
| Ælc cristen man sceal pater noster cunnan | Every Christian has to know the paternoster |
| Nu ic geare geseo minne soþan cyning; ic stande on his gesihðe to him me gebiddende | Now I readily see my true king; I am standing in his sight praying to him |
| Ualentinianus ofsloh Maximum and feng to rice | Valentinian killed Maxim and succeeded to the empire |
| God þa geswefode þone Adam and þa þa he slep ða genam he an rib of his sidan | God then put Adam to sleep and, when he was asleep, he took a rib from his side |
| Moyses rædde his boc þam folce | Moses read his book to the people |
| Þa þæt se ealdormon hierde, þa adrencte he hiene selfne | When the general heard that, he drowned himself |
| We willaþ us to scype gangan | We want to go to the ship / embark |
| Hwylce þæt ic on þæm medmestan geðohte gesyngode, ealle ða wæron ðær on awritene | All that I sinned in my innermost thought, all those things were written on there |
| Þa seo fæmne cwæð | Then the woman said |
| Man bið þy strengra þe he bið micel on his lichoman | One is stronger by as much as one is large in one's body |
| Bidde eac godra manna bletsunge, and æt halgum reliquium his hæle gesece | Also ask for the blessing of holy men, and seek his cure at the holy relic |
| He fremede swyðe fela yfela | He committed very many crimes |
| Æt þisses ofetes! | Eat of this fruit! |
| Hi sendon þam cyninge sumne bisceop | They sent a certain bishop to the king |
| He geseah man westweardes on þæt westen efstan | He saw a person hastening westwards into the desert |
| Iosue ða fleah andlang ðæs westenes | Joshua then fled along the desert |
| Hwy þu la drihten æfre woldest þæt seo wyrd swa hwyrfan sceolde? | Why, o Lord, would you ever want for fate to turn thus? |
| Ðes is min leofa sunu þe me wel licað | This is my beloved son who pleases me |
| Ælfred wæs Westseaxna cyning | Alfred was the (a) king of the West Saxons |
| He nat hwæt him toweard bið | He does not know what he has coming to him (what they have coming to them) |
| He hæfde twegene sunu, Ermenred and Ercenberht | He had two sons, Ermenred and Ercenberht |
| Se wæs þara manna modgast ealra | He was the bravest of all those men |
| Se arwurþe Nicolaus todælde þæt corn þe he begeoten hæfde | The honourable Nicholas divided the corn that he had obtained |
| Nan man hine ne cuðe gecnawan | No-one was able to recognize him |
| On ðæm dæge he gemette ane ea | On that day he came upon a river |
| Ne sece ic no her þa bec, ac þæt ðæt þa bec forstent | I do not here seek the books, but that which the books represent |
| He arn þa to þam hælende þa he hine geseah | Then he ran to the saviour when he saw him |
| Þu scealt greot etan þine lifdagas | You will eat dirt [all] the days of your life |
| Ðonne byrnð seo eorðe | Then the earth will burn |
| On þinum þam haligan naman, gedo me halne | In your holy name, make me whole |
| Þær gadorod wæs hundteontig muneca and feowertig ealles | There were gathered 140 monks in all |
| Samuhel ða ferde be Godes hæse to Bethleem | Samuel then travelled to Bethlehem at God's command |
| se tila cyning | the good king |
| On ðisum namum byð se a lang on eallum casum | In these words, the a is long in all cases |