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lishesquexUgh.
Such a tiring day. I was up all night (until 3:30am) translating Old English poetry, then got up at 6:30 am to go to uni. It was a pretty good day though. I love Old English and I love Old Norse, and all my subjects today were lectures and tutorials for those two subjects. So today was very interesting. :-)
Right now, we're translating an Old English poem from the Exeter codex called The Wanderer. It's so awesome. I love it. The translating can get a wee bit monotonous, but the poem itself is beautiful - especially when you pull apart the Old English and look at it properly. It just isn't the same in Modern English (for those who don't know, Old English is about as intelligible to Modern English speakers as say... German - unless you happen to know German, that is.) Nevertheless, I'll stick some of my translation up here. Just keep in mind that the Old English version is about 100 times better. :P
Always, the solitary one waits for prosperity,
for the favour of fate although he, sad at heart,
through the water-ways has long had to stir
with his hands the ice cold sea and
traverse the path of exile. Fate is wholly inexorable!
Thus said the earth-stepper, mindful of hardships,
of cruel slaughter, of the deaths of kinsmen:
"Often I must alone before each dawn
my cares lament. There is none now living
to whom my heart I dare to
openly express. In truth I know
that it is, in a warrior, a very noble custom
that he his mind should firmly hold
keep closed his heart whatever he may think.
The weary minded cannot fate withstand,
nor does the troubled heart bring about help.
Wherefore those eager for glory their dreary spirit
in their breast-chamber bind fast.
So I must my spirit
always wretched and troubled, deprived of homeland,
and far from beloved kinsmen, fasten with fetters,
since years ago my generous lord was
covered in earth's darkness, and I wretched thence
went on, desolate as winter over the binding waves.
Sad for the lack of a hall, I sought a bestower of treasures
where I, far or near, might find
him who in a meadhall might know of my own
or who my friendlessness would console
and entertain me with joys. He who has experienced it
knows how bitter sorrow is as a companion.
To him who has few beloved friends
the path of exile preoccupies him, not at all twisted gold
spirit chamber frozen, not at all the glory of the earth.
He remembers the hall warriors and treasure taking,
how he in his youth his generous lord
entertained him with feasting. All joy has collapsed!
And so he knows that he must his dear lord's
counsel long forgo.
When sorrow and sleep both together
the wretched solitary one often bind,
he thinks in his mind that he his beloved liege
is clasping and kissing and on his knee laying
his hands and head, just as he sometimes before
in days of yore the gift throne enjoyed.
Then wakes again the friendless man,
sees before him the fallow waves
the seabirds bathing, preening their feathers,
frost and snow falling mingled with hail.
Then will those heart wounds be the heavier,
grieved with long for beloved ones. Sorrow is renewed.
[I shall leave it at that. Haven't translated the rest yet. :)]
In more depressing news... has anyone else heard that they're RAZING the ERC library? Apparently the books will be moved to closed storage site in Bundoora (of all places) where nobody can access them (unless they put in a special request). Some of them aren't even going to be catalogued. Some might even be pulped. O.O Many of the books will be early medieval primary sources, such as the Old Norse sagas. Our lecturer has already told us that we'd better do all our research for our assignments before September because the books will be gone after that. It's stuff like that that really brings it home. Never mind that there will be no Old Norse classes next year - you won't even be able to find a copy of the sagas by the time they're through removing all the books. I can't believe what they're doing to this university. -.-
And there are Xena DVDs in the ERC! HOW DARE THEY GET RID OF IT? *wails*
Such a tiring day. I was up all night (until 3:30am) translating Old English poetry, then got up at 6:30 am to go to uni. It was a pretty good day though. I love Old English and I love Old Norse, and all my subjects today were lectures and tutorials for those two subjects. So today was very interesting. :-)
Right now, we're translating an Old English poem from the Exeter codex called The Wanderer. It's so awesome. I love it. The translating can get a wee bit monotonous, but the poem itself is beautiful - especially when you pull apart the Old English and look at it properly. It just isn't the same in Modern English (for those who don't know, Old English is about as intelligible to Modern English speakers as say... German - unless you happen to know German, that is.) Nevertheless, I'll stick some of my translation up here. Just keep in mind that the Old English version is about 100 times better. :P
Always, the solitary one waits for prosperity,
for the favour of fate although he, sad at heart,
through the water-ways has long had to stir
with his hands the ice cold sea and
traverse the path of exile. Fate is wholly inexorable!
Thus said the earth-stepper, mindful of hardships,
of cruel slaughter, of the deaths of kinsmen:
"Often I must alone before each dawn
my cares lament. There is none now living
to whom my heart I dare to
openly express. In truth I know
that it is, in a warrior, a very noble custom
that he his mind should firmly hold
keep closed his heart whatever he may think.
The weary minded cannot fate withstand,
nor does the troubled heart bring about help.
Wherefore those eager for glory their dreary spirit
in their breast-chamber bind fast.
So I must my spirit
always wretched and troubled, deprived of homeland,
and far from beloved kinsmen, fasten with fetters,
since years ago my generous lord was
covered in earth's darkness, and I wretched thence
went on, desolate as winter over the binding waves.
Sad for the lack of a hall, I sought a bestower of treasures
where I, far or near, might find
him who in a meadhall might know of my own
or who my friendlessness would console
and entertain me with joys. He who has experienced it
knows how bitter sorrow is as a companion.
To him who has few beloved friends
the path of exile preoccupies him, not at all twisted gold
spirit chamber frozen, not at all the glory of the earth.
He remembers the hall warriors and treasure taking,
how he in his youth his generous lord
entertained him with feasting. All joy has collapsed!
And so he knows that he must his dear lord's
counsel long forgo.
When sorrow and sleep both together
the wretched solitary one often bind,
he thinks in his mind that he his beloved liege
is clasping and kissing and on his knee laying
his hands and head, just as he sometimes before
in days of yore the gift throne enjoyed.
Then wakes again the friendless man,
sees before him the fallow waves
the seabirds bathing, preening their feathers,
frost and snow falling mingled with hail.
Then will those heart wounds be the heavier,
grieved with long for beloved ones. Sorrow is renewed.
[I shall leave it at that. Haven't translated the rest yet. :)]
In more depressing news... has anyone else heard that they're RAZING the ERC library? Apparently the books will be moved to closed storage site in Bundoora (of all places) where nobody can access them (unless they put in a special request). Some of them aren't even going to be catalogued. Some might even be pulped. O.O Many of the books will be early medieval primary sources, such as the Old Norse sagas. Our lecturer has already told us that we'd better do all our research for our assignments before September because the books will be gone after that. It's stuff like that that really brings it home. Never mind that there will be no Old Norse classes next year - you won't even be able to find a copy of the sagas by the time they're through removing all the books. I can't believe what they're doing to this university. -.-
And there are Xena DVDs in the ERC! HOW DARE THEY GET RID OF IT? *wails*
