The Husband's Message

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The Husband's Message is an Anglo-Saxon poem from the Exeter Book, which is often read as a companion piece to The Wife's Lament. Spoken by what appears to be the message itself, carved upon a stave, the poem may well be riddlic in nature, as is indicated by the runic clues at the end of the piece. The solution has been proposed variously as either 'Christ' or 'The Gospel'.

   Nu ic onsundran þe         secgan wille
   ...... treocyn         ic tudre aweox;
   in mec æld... sceal         ellor londes
   settan ......         sealte streamas

5

   ...sse.         Ful oft ic on bates
           gesohte
   þær mec mondryhten         min ......
   ofer heah hofu;         eom nu her cumen
   on ceolþele,         ond nu cunnan scealt

10

   hu þu ymb modlufan         mines frean
   on hyge hycge.         Ic gehatan dear
   þæt þu þær tirfæste         treowe findest.
   Hwæt, þec þonne biddan het         se þisne beam agrof
   þæt þu sinchroden         sylf gemunde

15

   on gewitlocan         wordbeotunga,
   þe git on ærdagum         oft gespræcon,
   þenden git moston         on meoduburgum
   eard weardigan,         an lond bugan,
   freondscype fremman.         Hine fæhþo adraf

20

   of sigeþeode;         heht nu sylfa þe
   lustum læran,         þæt þu lagu drefde,
   siþþan þu gehyrde         on hliþes oran
   galan geomorne         geac on bearwe.
   Ne læt þu þec siþþan         siþes getwæfan,

25

   lade gelettan         lifgendne monn.
   Ongin mere secan,         mæwes eþel,
   onsite sænacan,         þæt þu suð heonan
   ofer merelade         monnan findest,
   þær se þeoden is         þin on wenum.

30

   Ne mæg him worulde         willa gelimpan
   mara on gemyndum,         þæs þe he me sægde,
   þonne inc geunne         alwaldend god
   ...... ætsomne         siþþan motan
   secgum ond gesiþum         s...

35

   næglede beagas;         he genoh hafað
   fædan goldes        
   ...d elþeode         eþel healde,
   fægre foldan        
   ...ra hæleþa,         þeah þe her min wine...

40

   nyde gebæded,         nacan ut aþrong,
   ond on yþa geong         ...... sceolde
   faran on flotweg,         forðsiþes georn,
   mengan merestreamas.         Nu se mon hafað
   wean oferwunnen;         nis him wilna gad,

45

   ne meara ne maðma         ne meododreama,
   ænges ofer eorþan         eorlgestreona,
   þeodnes dohtor,         gif he þin beneah
   ofer eald gebeot         incer twega.
   Gecyre ic ætsomne         sigel rad geador

50

   ear wen ond dæg         aþe benemnan,
   þæt he þa wære         ond þa winetreowe
   be him lifgendum         læstan wolde,
   þe git on ærdagum         oft gespræconn.