The Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem: A Word For Word Translation With Commentary

The Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem:
A Word For Word Translation With Commentary

ᚠᚢᚦ ᚩ ᚱ ᚳ ᚷ ᚹ ᚻ ᚾ ᛁᛄ ᛇ ᛈ ᛉ ᛋᛏ ᛒ ᛖᛗ ᛚ ᛝᛟᛞ ᚪᚫ ᚣ ᛡ ᛠ

Any interpretations or comments that have been made are placed either in parenthesis or after the stanza.

F ᚠ Feoh byþ frofur fira gehwylcum;
sceal ðeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dælan gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.

Wealth is a comfort to the living everyone(to everyone), should however man everyone(every man should however) much hide deal gift he swelling(keep very hidden how much money he has) because of the lords judgement alotted(to avoid inciting the envy of others).

The lords judgement as divine wrath occurs frequently through the old testament of The Bible and involves peoples homes and goods being stolen from them.

U ᚢ Ur byþ anmod ond oferhyrned,
felafrecne deor, feohteþ mid hornum
mære morstapa; þæt is modig wuht.

Aurochs are(of) one(an) mind(mod) and above(ofer, over) horned, very(fela) savage(frecne, dangerous?) animal, (they)make war with horns shown(maere, bared) moor-stepper(Aurochs range the moors); those are passionate creatures(wights is an old word for creatures).

Some claim this rune represents strength however it may represent wildness or in some cases perhaps recklessness. Maybe it symbolizes strength though.

Feohteþ means to make war. It has the word for wealth in it, feoh. Teþ is pronounced teth. Fighteth. Is teth related to tether? War as wealth tethering? The word fee is related to feoh and in the fairy tale Jack And The Beanstalk the giant says FEE fie foe fum. I fum(fiddle, to fiddle is what fum means) that for fee(wealth) the foe is fought.

TH ᚦ Ðorn byþ ðearle scearp; ðegna gehwylcum
anfeng ys yfyl, ungemetum reþe
manna gehwelcum, ðe him mid resteð.

Thorns are severely sharp; serving everyones defense is evil(everyone is defended by evil, self-defense requires aggression), (thorns are)immensely cruel(to) man everyone(all men), (thorns are)always(always cruel to) him with rest(who sits among them? or maybe to one who has dropped his guard and has been lulled into complacency?).

A rose is protected by thorns.

O ᚩ Os byþ ordfruma ælere spræce,
wisdomes wraþu ond witena frofur
and eorla gehwam eadnys ond tohiht.

God is the source of all speech, (this is)wisdoms pillar and witans(wise persons) comfort and (for) earls always ease and hope.

The first phrase if taken literally means: all statements made are the statements of God. Word is wyrd.

R ᚱ Rad byþ on recyde rinca gehwylcum
sefte ond swiþhwæt, ðamðe sitteþ on ufan
meare mægenheardum ofer milpaþas.

Riding is(seems) to those residing men(men sitting indoors) always soft and swift, that sit on above mare very hard over mileposts(after miles).

K ᚳ Cen byþ cwicera gehwam, cuþ on fyre
blac ond beorhtlic, byrneþ oftust
ðær hi æþelingas inne restaþ.

Torch is quick always, known by fire pale and bright, it burns often where the heroes within rest.

The word cen may be related to the words keen and ken.

Aethelingas means heroes and it carries the word homeland(aethel) in it as well as the word ing. The word ing in the rune poem refers to someone who is first among his men. Thus a hero can be considered the best people of ones homeland. But to be of ones homeland one must be loyal to ones homeland.

G ᚷ Gyfu gumena byþ gleng and herenys,
wraþu and wyrþscype and wræcna gehwam
ar and ætwist, ðe byþ oþra leas.

Gift(generosity) to men is a ornament(gleng, honorable thing to do) and a obedience(hýr-ness, necessity, harness, hireness, moral obligation), the angry(those who have been cheated) and worship(ers) this may refer to religious people who’ve vows of poverty) and homeless(outcast) (they)always (are)reverent(showing reverence, ar) and (they are always)begging, they are others without(wealth).

Wyrth(worth, worsh) and scype(ship) make up the word worship. Worship is a worth ship, ship represents journey or activity. Sailing upon the ship that is delivering worth to the object of ones worship.

Is God one or is God many? And what determines whether or not something can be considered a god?

W/V ᚹ Wenne bruceþ, ðe can weana lyt
sares and sorge and him sylfa hæfþ
blæd and blysse and eac byrga geniht.

Joy (those who)enjoy, (are)they (who)know(can, ken) woes little (such as)soreness and sorrow and themself(him sylfa) have offspring(blaed, blade of grass, leaf) and bliss and (are)with enclosed(secure, protected) abundance.

Offspring can include both a child of ones own or it can involve things one has created or general impact one has had on others or the world.

Wea means sorrow. It sounds like a baby making the “wa” sound.

H ᚻ Hægl byþ hwitust corna; hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte,
wealcaþ hit windes scura; weorþeþ hit to wætere syððan.

Hail is the whites grain, (the)circling(hail) hit(s) from high-ones lift, (it)moves (and after)hit(ing) winds (it becomes a hail)shower; worth(its classification) hit to (becomes)water (where it)sits.

N ᚾ Nyd byþ nearu on breostan; weorþeþ hi þeah oft niþa bearnum
to helpe and to hæle gehwæþre, gif hi his hlystaþ æror.

Need is(that which can) narrows (the)breast(breathing); worthy (is)he(or her) regardless (how)often(much) envy(nith means envy) (he)produces(in himself) (-) to help and to heal everything, if he had listened before.

Need can narrow the breathing, worthy is he regardless how much envy he begets(in himself); to help and to heal everything he must first listen.

Nyd is related to nith. Nith means envy.

The need rune is like a thorn piercing an ice rune, possibly indicating that something is disturbing ones stillness, ones peace of mind.

IH ᛁ Is byþ ofereald, ungemetum slidor,
glisnaþ glæshluttur gimmum gelicust,
flor forste geworuht, fæger ansyne.

Ice is very(ofer) old(eald), immeasurable slipperiness, glistening glittering gems-likeness, floor frost-wrought, beauty(fair) face.

Verse 1 of chapter 1 of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali mentions yoga as being to bring about an inner stillness. The ice rune can therefore be seen as symbolic of yogic meditation and peace of mind.

The peace of the ice rune is referenced in its immeasurable slipperiness. Like water sliding off a ducks back all trouble can be forgotten.

Comparing ice to a gem is making it clear the value of silence and inner silence.

J ᛄ Ger byþ gumena hiht, ðonne God læteþ,
halig heofones cyning, hrusan syllan
beorhte bleda beornum ond ðearfum.

Year(harvest) is (all)mens delight, when God allows(lets), holy high ones ruling, ground give brightly bled produce(beorn/born, fruits) and the poor(God allows both rich and poor to receive the fruits of the earth).

The harvest is likened to the earth sharing its blood with humanity. The harvest is the bleeding of the earth.

Interesting that the word God is written as God here rather than written as Os, Os is the more ancient term for God. Some have speculated that Os could be a force that animates idols. In that sense Os could be likened to breath.

IE ᛇ Eoh byþ utan unsmeþe treow,
heard hrusan fæst, hyrde fyres,
wyrtrumun underwreþyd, wyn on eþle.

Yew is outer unsmooth tree, hard surface stable, keeps fire, herbs underneath, joy upon homeland.

P ᛈ Peorð byþ symble plega and hlehter
wlancum [on middum], ðar wigan sittaþ
on beorsele bliþe ætsomne.

Peorth(jesters?) are continuous(without intermission) play and laughter merry(wlancum)[upon middle](on middum, maybe they cause a deep belly laugh?), their squabbling(wigan, fighting) (as they)sit at(the, in the) beerhall (is)pleasant (for us)together.

The elder futhark runic character for peorth resembles hands clapping. The futhork uses a different character.

Aetsomne means, etymologically, 8-sum. It refers to a group together. It can also refer to a clan.

Wig-out is an english language slang term for getting a bit “out of control”.

X ᛉ Eolh-secg eard hæfþ oftust on fenne
wexeð on wature, wundaþ grimme,
blode breneð beorna gehwylcne
ðe him ænigne onfeng gedeþ.

Thistle’s dwelling sanctuary (is)often upon fens growing by the water, injures cruelly, blood bringing born upon whom any receive infliction.

Thistle is the national symbol of Scotland. There is a legend of a group viking invaders being repelled due to a viking warrior stepping on a thorn and letting out a cry. The ᛉ rune is sometimes used as a sigil in apotropaic magic in order to ward off the evil eye.

S ᛋ Sigel semannum symble biþ on hihte,
ðonne hi hine feriaþ ofer fisces beþ,
oþ hi brimhengest bringeþ to lande.

The Sun inseminates always from on high, goes he his ferries over fishes bath, as his water-horse (is)brought(bringeth) to land.

The suns water-horse are the rays of light that cause a shimmering upon the surface of the ocean.

T ᛏ Tiw biþ tacna sum, healdeð trywa wel
wiþ æþelingas; a biþ on færylde
ofer nihta genipu, næfre swiceþ.

Tiw(Tyr rune) is mark(ed) some(more than once), protected always well with heroes, if(you) shall (go)upon (a)journey over(on a) night (that is)cloudy, (Tyr)never deceives.

The eddic poem Sigrdrifumal mentions carving Tyr runes prior to battle. The letter T is a mark associated with healing and regeneration of crops. T is called tau when used to symbolize healing. In this capacity it is associated with the god Tammuz. It may be related to the ankh symbol known as the breath of life. The ankh symbol appears as though it is a diagram representing a nostril breathing in air.

Breathing freely is the opposite of oppression. Tyr is the great liberator.

There is no indication in the stanza that Tyr refers to the north star, as some translators have suggested. Tyr is a rune warriors would have marked upon their weapons, sometimes multiple times. The Romans considered Tyr to be Mars. Tuesday is named after Tyr.

Tyr is a victory rune and can be invoked for healing, battle, and crops.

B ᛒ Beorc byþ bleda leas, bereþ efne swa ðeah
tanas butan tudder, biþ on telgum wlitig,
heah on helme hrysted fægere,
geloden leafum, lyfte getenge.

Birch does bleed least, producing ability that(it has) however (the)twigs (are)without fruit, but the branches delicate, high upon (the)helm shudders beautifully, golden leafs, air caressing.

In British poetry the word aspen has sometimes been used to refer to trembling, as in trembling with anxiety or anticipation, due to the fact aspen leaves tremble and shudder in the wind moreso than the leaves of other trees. Aspen is similar to the birch tree.

E ᛖ Eh byþ for eorlum æþelinga wyn,
hors hofum wlanc, ðær him hæleþ ymb[e]
welege on wicgum wrixlaþ spræce
and biþ unstyllum æfre frofur.

A charger(war horse) is for earls heroes joy, horse hoofs proud, there his health around well a steeds change speech and shall unstill all comfort.

A war horse is for earls a heroes joy, if the horse walks proudly his health is well, a steeds change through ones speech and can unsteady ones ease.

M ᛗ Man byþ on myrgþe his magan leof:
sceal þeah anra gehwylc oðrum swican,
forðum drihten wyle dome sine
þæt earme flæsc eorþan betæcan.

Man is in mirth (with)his close(good, strong, magan) friend(leof, love, leaf, kin): (friends are)obligated to be resolute always upon journey, long-ago (the)Lord’s crafts destined (that)oath-breakers be handed (as)flesh (for the)earths allotment.

Oath-breakers who betray friends are of now value, the ancients considered oath-breaking to be something harshly punished by God or The Gods(and Goddesses). “Fair weather friends” and oath-breakers, and betrayers, were looked upon with scorn.

Some believed that people who betrayed friends would be cursed to be as fertilizer for the earth.

L ᛚ Lagu byþ leodum langsum geþuht,
gif hi sculun neþan on nacan tealtum
and hi sæyþa swyþe bregaþ
and se brimhengest bridles ne gym[eð].

The sea can lead(to) longsome thinking, if his empty net on boat tilting and the waves strong throw and your water-horse bridle without regard.

A water-horse bridle being without regard refers to what one uses to steer a ship being hard to maneuver in a storm.

NG ᛝ Ing wæs ærest mid East-Denum
gesewen secgun, oþ he siððan est
ofer wæg gewat; wæn æfter ran;
ðus Heardingas ðone hæle nemdun.

Ing was risen-up(æ-rest) among East Danes visibly declaring, until he sent on over wall departed; when after ran; thus Heardings that heroe named.

Ing rose up from among the East Danes making visible declarations until he was sent beyond the wall and departed from us, after that he ran, he was the hero of The Hearding Clan.

OE ᛟ Eþel byþ oferleof æghwylcum men,
gif he mot ðær rihtes and gerysena on
brucan on bolde bleadum oftast.

Homeland is above(ofer, very?) loved(leof, leaf) all men(by all men), if he meet(socialize, behave) there right and properly a(he will have, or she) enjoying a house offspring(bleadum means offspring, it is related to blades of grass) often.

If a person behaves appropriately in society they will have a home, prosperity, and a legacy of their creativity.

D ᛞ Dæg byþ drihtnes sond, deore mannum,
mære metodes leoht, myrgþ and tohiht
eadgum and earmum, eallum brice.

Days are (to the)Lord(the heavens) (grains of) sand, dear men, lake meets light, mirth and hope, triumphant and powerful(armed), always breaking.

Day is always breaking somewhere upon the earth.

The White Yajurveda in book 30 mentions the pre-dawn god, savitr, as being associated with cleansing the mind. The gayatri mantra is a mantra spoken for spiritual cleansing.

AH ᚪ Ac byþ on eorþan elda bearnum
flæsces fodor, fereþ gelome
ofer ganotes bæþ; garsecg fandaþ
hwæþer ac hæbbe æþele treowe.

Oak is on earth long bearing flesh feed, ferries frequently over gannets(sea-bird) bath; ocean tests whether oak has glory true.

Boar feed upon acorns, the oak is upon the earth a long time. Oak was used to make boats.

ᚪ rune symbolizes longevity.

AE ᚫ Æsc biþ oferheah, eldum dyre
stiþ on staþule, stede rihte hylt,
ðeah him feohtan on firas monige.

Ash is over-high, old love stiff upon foundation, place straight holds, however him fight on men many.

Ash is very high, an old love that is stiff and stable, it holds steady in its place, however many men fight him.

Ash was used to make spears.

IA ᛡ Iar byþ eafix and ðeah a bruceþ
fodres on foldan, hafaþ fægerne eard
wætre beworpen, ðær he wynnum leofaþ.

Iar is a river-fish but however enjoys feeding on land, having beautiful earth(home) water surrounding, there he enjoys loved-ones.

Y ᚣ Yr byþ æþelinga and eorla gehwæs
wyn and wyrþmynd, byþ on wicge fæger,
fæstlic on færelde, fyrdgeatewa sum.

Ire is heroic and (to)earls each one(all of them) (a)joy and celebration, it is a steed beautiful, fast on foot, military(fyrd) equipment(geatewa) it is part of.

Ire may be related to Ares, god of war. Ire was considered something appropriate to be directed at enemies, it was not considered appropriate to be directed towards ones friends and family. Ones friends and family is ones frith.

This rune is not interpreted in the context of the icelandic rune poem because no other runes in this poem are interpreted in that way.

EA ᛠ Ear byþ egle eorla gehwylcun,
ðonn[e] fæstlice flæsc onginneþ,
hraw colian, hrusan ceosan
blac to gebeddan; bleda gedreosaþ,
wynna gewitaþ, wera geswicaþ.

Ear(spike, an ear of grain looks like a spike) is troublesome to earls everyone(of them),
Then hard flesh becomes(flesh hardens),
body cools, ground chooses pale to wed,
blood falls, joy departs, man departs.

The word spear has the word ear in it. The latin word for spike is also used to mean ear of grain.

The pagan norse would call Jesus “white christ” as perhaps an insult. This may be related to corpses being pale.

End of the rune poem.

The Futhork runic alphabet carries with it morphic fields associated with its use as an alphabet to write curses and blessings. Many old runic inscriptions have been found that demonstrate this to be so. The latin alphabet has been used for similar purposes but not to the same extent as the runic alphabet.

The runic alphabet would be appropriate to use as the standard english alphabet considering that it is the original alphabet of the english language. It would make more sense to use the futhork, instead of the latin alphabet, as a method of writing ordinary communications. Reviving the use of this alphabet is important for all english speakers across racial, national, and religious lines. This alphabet is part of the heritage of all speakers of the english speakers.

To learn more about morphic fields Rupert Sheldrake has written a lot of speculations about that. In addition to runes being used as an alphabet individual runes can be used as sigils. Reviving the use of runes as being the standard alphabet of the english language would not compromise its ability to be used as a magical alphabet.

It is clear from the changes that have occurred with regards to the english language that the english people have gone through alterations in their ethnic structure over the years. The modern english language is significantly different. That being said the runic alphabet is the indigenous alphabet of the english language.

The runic alphabet, the futhork in particular, would also be more appropriate for celtic languages in addition to germanic languages. The latin alphabet is most appropriate for latin languages. The number 9 treated as sacred within both irish and norse myth. The Irish also have a well of wisdom that is also found in the myths of The Norse.

Some of the stanzas were analyzed in light of information from The Vedas due to the fact The Merseburg Incantation is also contained in The Atharva Veda, hymn 4 of book 12.

This is the real alphabet of the english language and those people of all heritages who speak it as a primary language:

ᚠᚢᚦ ᚩ ᚱ ᚳ ᚷ ᚹ ᚻ ᚾ ᛁᛄ ᛇ ᛈ ᛉ ᛋᛏ ᛒ ᛖᛗ ᛚ ᛝᛟᛞ ᚪᚫ ᚣ ᛡ ᛠ

For a poetic translation see: https://steemit.com/runic/@patrick987/the-anglo-saxon-rune-poem-a-poetic-translation

For other translations see:
http://www.stavacademy.co.uk/mimir/arunetw.htm
http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/rune_poems.html