Cry of a Wanderer

Cyrm ðæra Wræcca

Wideferhð in elra weoruld,
Swefn hwæs magon habban gebeon,
Ahte heo in ever missenlic fierst libban,
Of sliðen eagan,
Ac ða hwone wold naht oncnawan,
For ðæm seo drohtnian.

Ond ðe heo uppan ða ecge standan,
Ac ofer ða munt geseon,
Heo wiste hwær hire modsefa ahte simle wunian;
Ða wind ofer feld liðe asingan,
Ða swice swa swete.

Gliwcræft ðæra frod floc,
Fyllan hire heorte mid gefea,
Be ðam ðe hie ofer lyft merehrægl,
Hire gast mid hie fleogan.

Hwy locian heo hrycg fram hwanon heo cwom?
Anga lyre ac gyrn ða eardian.
Mid ða leoht ðæra niwe morgen,
Heo cierr aweg æt eall heo wiste,
To secan ða freols hire heorte giernan,
Ac folgian ða windan acigan,
Ða hreosan ðæra rinan,
Ða acerran bleo ðæra leafan.

Fram eall ðæt salnes hire sefa,
Heo æthleapan arn onweg,
eall lecgan feor beæftan.
Ever niwe weg wæs ætforan hire,
Hefig byrðenn fram hire heo beweorpan,
Ac locian on ða wlite,
fea ðon sceawian.

Hire hyht in ða folme ðæra hruse,
Hire wogerlic earmas healdan hire gelic nænig oðer.
eall sorg wæron geboren heonon,
be ðam ðe beamas hwisprian leoð geara,
ac mænan feorh geardagas ac andweard.

Ever niwe feorh beclyppan,
Swa sweotol ac beorht,
Æt forðwegas ende,
Hire sawol wæs freolic.


Translation:

Always in another realm,
Dreaming of what could have been,
Had she lived in a different time,
Away from hard eyes,
And those who would not see,
All that she lived for.

But when she stood upon the brink,
And looked across the mountains,
She realised where her heart had always lived;
The wind over plain softly singing,
The smell so sweet.

Music of the old people,
Filled her heart with joy,
As they sailed across the sky,
Her spirit with them soared.

Why looked she back from whence she came?
Only loss and pain dwelt there.
With the light of a new morning,
She turned away from all she knew,
To seek the freedom her heart yearned,
And follow the wind's call,
the fall of the rain,
the turning colour of the leaves.

From all that silenced her spirit,
she ran away,
all lay far behind.
A new path was before her,
Heavy burdens from her she cast,
And looked on the beauty,
few now saw.

Her trust in the hands of the earth,
Its nurturing arms held her like no other.
All sorrows were born away,
As the trees whispered lays of yore,
And spoke of life past and present.

A new life embraced,
So clear and bright,
At journey's end,
Her soul was free.