R's Battle Of Brunanburh

Question 1

Her Æþelstan cyning eorla dryhten, /
berona beahgifa ond his broþor eca, / 
Eadmund æþeling, ealdorlangne tir / 
geslogon æt sæcce sweorda ecgum / 
ymbe Brunanburh. ...

Answer 1

Here Æthelstan, lord of men, warriors’ ring giver and also his brother, Prince Eadmund, life-long glory won in battle at sword’s edge at Brunanburh.

Question 2

Bordweal clufan, / 
heowan heaþolinde hamora lafan, /
afaran Eadweardes, swa him geæþele wæs / 
from cneomægum þæt hi æt campe oft / 
wiþ laþra gehwæn land ealgodon, / 
hord ond hamas.

Answer 2

They split the shield wall, hacked (the) linden shield with the remnants of the hammer, Eadweard’s sons, as in them was inborn from their ancestors, they that often at combat defended land, treasure hoard and homes against their foes.

Question 3

Hettend crungun, / 
Sceotta leoda ond scipflotan / 
fæge feollan, feld dænede / 
secga swats siðþan sunne up / 
on morgentid, mære tungol, / 
glad ofer grundas, Godes condel beorht / 
eces Drihtnes, oð sio æþele gesceaft / 
sah to setle.

Answer 3

Enemies fell, Scot’s people and sea farers fated to fall, field flowed with the blood of men from when the sun rose in the morning, glorious star, gliding over the ground, God’s bright candle, eternal Lord, until the noble creation sank to rest.

Question 4

Þær læg secg mænig /
garum ageted, guma norþerna /
ofer scild scoten, swilce Scittisc eac, /
werig, wiges sæd.

Answer 4

There lay many men destroyed by spears, northern men hit above the shield, likewise each Scotsman, weary, battle sated.

Question 5

Wesseaxe forð /
ondlongne dæg eorodcistum / 
on last legdun laþum þeodum, / 
heowan herefleman hindan þearle / 
mecum mylenscearpan.

Answer 5

The West Saxons followed onwards for an entire day in their troops, followed in the tracks of the hostile people hacked fugitives violently from behind with swords sharp from grinding.

Question 6

Myrce ne wyrndon / 
heardes hondplegan hæleþa nanum / 
Þæera þe mid Anlafe ofer æra gebland / 
on lifes bosme land gesohtun, /
fæge to gefeohte.

Answer 6

Mercenaries did not withhold hard hand to hand combat from any one of the warriors that with Anlaf, over churning waves on a ship’s bossum, sought land.

Question 7

Fife lægun / 
on þam campstede cyningas giunge, / 
sweordum aswefede, swilce seofene eac / 
eorlas Anlafes, unrim heriges / 
flotan ond Sceotta.

Answer 7

Five lay in the battlefield, young kings, put to sleep by swords, likewise also seven of Anlaf’s warriors, a countless number of the army of seafarers and Scots.

Question 8

Þær geflemed wearð / 
Norðmanna bregu, nede gebeded, /
to lifes stefne little weorode; /
cread cnear on flot, cyning ut gewat / 
on fealene flod, feorh generede.

Answer 8

Northmen’s chief was put to flight there, forced by necessity, to the ship’s prow with little company, boat hastened on the sea, the king went out on brown tide, life saved.

Question 9

Swilce þær eac se froda mid fleame com /
on his cyþþe norð Costontinus /
har hilderinc hreman ne þorfte /
mæcan gemanan.

Answer 9

Likewise also the wise man, Costontinus, went with (them) there in flight to his North native land, hoary warrior did not have cause to exult shared swords.

Question 10

He wæs his maēga sceard /
freonda gefylled on folcstede / 
beslagen æt sæcce ond his sunu forlet / 
on wælstowe wundun forgrunden, / 
giunge æt guðe.

Answer 10

He was bereft if his kinsmen with (his) friends felled on the battlefield, struck down at battle and his son left on slaughter place destroyed by wounds, young at battle.

Question 11

Gelpan ne þorfte /
beorn blandenfeax bilgeslehtes, /
eald inwidda, me Anlaf þy ma.

Answer 11

They did not have occasion to boast (the) grey haired warrior’s sword clash, old malicious foe, nor the more did Anlaf.

Question 12

Mid heora herelafum helhhan be þorftun / 
Þæt heo beaduweorca beteran wurdun / 
on campstede cumbolgehnastes, / 
garmittinge, gumena gemotes, / 
wæpengewrixles, þæs hi on wælfelda /
wiþ Eadweardes afaran plegodan.

Answer 12

Among the army remnants, they did not have occasion to rejoice that they were better in warlike deeds on the battlefield’s clash of standards, the meeting of spears, the warriors’ encounter, exchange of weapons, after they contended with Eadward’s son in the field of slaughter.

Question 13

Gewitan him þa Norþmen nægledcnearrum, /
dreorig daraða laf, on Dinges-Mere /
ofer deop wætere Difelin secan /
eft Iraland, æwiscmode.

Answer 13

He departed the northern men in their nailed ships, sad of those left untouched, on Dinges-Mere (the wetland of things) over deep water, again to Ireland seeking Dublin, humiliated.

Question 14

Swilce þa gebroþer begen ætsamne, /
cyning ond æþeling, cyþþe sohton /
Wessexena land, wiges hremige.

Answer 14

Likewise the brothers both together, king and prince, sought native land, West-Saxon’s land, exulting in their battle.

Question 15

Letan him behindan hræ bryttian / 
saluwigpadan, þone swearan hræn / 
hrynednebban, ond þane hasewanpadan / 
earn æftan hwit, æses bruncan / 
grædigne guðhafoc ond þæt græge deor, / 
wulf on wealde.

Answer 15

They left behind them corpses to divide out (between) dark-plummeted, the black raven, horny beaked, and the dark-coated eagle, white from behind, carrion to enjoy, greedy war-hawk and that grey beast, the wolf from the forest.

Question 16

Ne wearð wæl mare / 
on þis eiglande æfre gieta / 
folces gefylled beforan þissum / 
sweordes ecgum, þæs þe us secgað bec, 
ealde uðwitan...

Answer 16

Not yet was this much slaughter on England before this, felled people of the sword’s edge, according to what books tell us, old authorities…

Question 17

... siþþan eastan hider / 
Engle ond Seaxe up becoman / 
ofer brad brimu Brytene sohtan, / 
wlance wigsmiþas Wealas ofercoman / 
eorlas arhwate eard begeatan.

Answer 17

Since here from the east Angles and Saxons came from the shore, over broad oceans Britain sought, overcoming the proud war-smith Welsh, warriors eager for glory, seized the land.