The Wife’s Lament

Toronto electronic text: the4 entries are by sentence, note line.

1 Ic þis giedd wrece bi me ful geomorre, minre sylfre sið. / Read Bake’s note on “minre sylfra síð”
2 Ic þæt secgan mæg, hwæt ic yrmþa gebad, siþþan ic up weox, niwes oþþe ealdes, no ma þonne nu. / yrmðu, strong feminine. misery; poverty; crime.
(ge)bīdan, class 1 strong verb (with acc. or gen. object). wait; wait for; experience; endure.
5 A ic wite wonn minra wræcsiþa. / wīte, strong neuter. punishment; perdition; torment.
winnan, class 3 strong verb. labor; struggle; contend; suffer.
6 Ærest min hlaford gewat heonan of leodum ofer yþa gelac; hæfde ic uhtceare hwær min leodfruma londes wære. / ūhtċearu, strong feminine. dawn-care; sorrow at dawn. -- Wanderer: Ofticsceoldeānaūhtnagehwylcemīnecearecwīþan.
9 Ða ic me feran gewat folgað secan, wineleas <wræcca,> for minre weaþearfe. / folgað, strong masculine. service; office; authority.
wēaþearf, strong feminine. woeful need.
11 Ongunnon þæt þæs monnes magas hycgan þurh dyrne geþoht, þæt hy todælden unc, þæt wit gewidost in woruldrice lifdon laðlicost, ond mec longade. / dyrne, adjective. secret.
geþōht, strong masculine. thought.
yearned
15 Het mec hlaford min herheard niman, ahte ic leofra lyt on þissum londstede, holdra freonda. / 1 herh-eard, herheard, strong masculine. residence in a pagan shrine grove, sanctuary; “hörg”
2 her heard 3 her eard niman
17 Forþon is min hyge geomor, ða ic me ful gemæcne monnan funde, heardsæligne, hygegeomorne, mod miþendne, morþor <hycgendne.> / follows on from folgað secan 9?
heardsǣliġ, adjective. unfortunate.
mīþan, class 1 strong verb. conceal; be concealed; refrain from.
21 Bliþe gebæro ful oft wit beotedan þæt unc ne gedælde nemne deað ana owiht elles: eft is þæt onhworfen, is nu <swa> hit no wære freondscipe uncer. / No stop before blíþe
gebǣre, strong neuter (indeclinable in sg.). conduct; demeanor; gesture; cry. Instr.
onhweorfan, class 3 strong verb. change.
frēondscipe, strong masculine. friendship; love.
25 <Sceal> ic feor ge neah mines felaleofan fæhðu dreogan. / ge, conjunction. and; both.
fǣhðo, strong feminine. feud; enmity.
drēogan, class 2 strong verb. perform; commit; experience; endure.
27 Heht mec mon wunian on wuda bearwe, under actreo in þam eorðscræfe. / bearu, strong masculine. wood; grove.
eorðscræf, strong neuter. earthen cave.
29 Eald is þes eorðsele, eal ic eom oflongad, sindon dena dimme, duna uphea, bitre burgtunas, brerum beweaxne, wic wynna leas. / oflongad, adjective (past part. of -longian). seized with longing.
denu, strong feminine. valley.
dūn, strong feminine. hill.
brēr, strong feminine. briar.
wīc, strong neuter. habitation.
32 Ful oft mec her wraþe begeat fromsiþ frean. / wrāþe, adverb. fiercely; cruelly.
beġytan, class 5 strong verb. acquire; seize.
fromsīþ, strong masculine. journey away; departure.
33 Frynd sind on eorþan, leofe lifgende, leger weardiað, þonne ic on uhtan ana gonge under actreo geond þas eorðscrafu. / frēond, masculine nd-stem. friend; loved one.
leġer, strong neuter. bed.
37 Þær ic <sittan> mot sumorlangne dæg, þær ic wepan mæg mine wræcsiþas, earfoþa fela; forþon ic æfre ne mæg þære modceare minre gerestan, ne ealles þæs longaþes þe mec on þissum life begeat. / must
can
ġerestan, class 1 weak verb. rest; find rest from something (gen.).
42 A scyle geong mon wesan geomormod, heard heortan geþoht, swylce habban sceal bliþe gebæro,
eac þon breostceare, sinsorgna gedreag, sy æt him sylfum gelong eal his worulde wyn,
sy ful wide fah feorres folclondes, þæt min freond siteð under stanhliþe storme behrimed, wine werigmod, wætre beflowen on dreorsele. / Baker: “Of the various interpretations offered of this and the following lines (to 45a), the most persuasive is that they are gnomic--a statement of a universal truth. Such gnomic statements are common in Old English poetry: see, for example, The Wanderer, ll. 65-77. Subjunctive scyle is frequent in such statements, though it should be translated as an indicative.
swylce also
gebǣre, strong neuter (indeclinable in sg.). conduct; demeanor; gesture; cry.
in adition to that
ġedreag, strong neuter. assembly; multitude.
gelong goes with wyn.
He is responsible for his own joy; his joy is of his own making
Baker says “se´….sé…”
fāh, adjective. guilty of something (dat.); outlawed.; in a distant nation
wine masc nom
50 Dreogeð se min wine micle modceare; he gemon to oft wynlicran wic.
52 Wa bið þam þe sceal of langoþe leofes abidan. / ābīdan, class 1 strong verb. await (with gen. object).