Old English Poem: Deor (Modernised)

Weyland himself by worms / knew wretchedness,
the one-minded earl / through hardship he went,
he had for his wards / sorrow and longing,
winter-cold wrack / woes he often found
since then King Nidhad / had bound
lithe sinew-bonds / on the selfless man.
That was overcome, / so may this be.


Beadohilde was not / of her brothers' death
in soul so sore / as for her own self-thing,
that she now / could understand
that with child was she; / she could not
earnestly think / how that should go.
That was overcome, / so may this be.


Of Mathilde / whose moans have
become reckonless; / Geat's lady,
whose sorrowful love / kept her from all sleep.
That was overcome, / so may this be.


Theodric owned for / thirty winters
Meringsburgh; / that was to many known.
That was overcome, / so may this be.


We have heard of / Eormanric's
wolfish thought; / he led widely his folk
in Gothenric; / that was a grim king.
Sat swords many / sorrow bound,
woes in thought, / wished they often
that these lands / were overcome.
That was overcome, / so may this be.


Sits he in sorrow and stress, / without mirth,
his mind filled with murk; / he thinks
that endless are / his woes.
May then he think / that throughout this world
the wise lord / wends his way onward
to many earls / and shows them wealth,
well-known wonder, / and worth of woes.


That of myself / I will say this,
that I was for a while / the Heodenings' scop;
to my daring laird was I dear; / my name was Deor.
I had for many winters / followed faithfully
the true-hearted lord, / until Heorrenda now,
a skilled song-crafter, / my lands has taken
that the earl-shelterer / earlier gave unto me.
That was overcome, / so may this be.