‘Warning Concerning Copyright Restrictions ‘The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyright material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furish a photocopy or ther reproduction. One of these specified conditions is thatthe photocopy or reproduction not bbe "used for any purposes other than private study, scholarship, or research.” Ifa user ‘makes a request for, ot later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of ‘air use,” that use may be liable for copyright infringement.The Wanderer Its now generally agreed that The Wanderer is a complete poem, dealing nn consistently Cristian tanner with «coherent theme. ‘Agreement in detail about the theme and stracture is however lacking, and the literature on the poem is copious and shows no sign of abating. A summary of my interpretation follows. The paradox is propounded that despite the hardships of his life the lonely exile often feels the grace of God (i. x-5). Someone then ‘narrates his personal experiences of exile (I. 8-29), which he gives ‘a more general application by appealing to others who have had similar experiences (IL 29-57). This consideration leads him to fe tint cannot enna why nth cn oe ach eer ‘and the general prospect of deeay he isnot depressed (I. 65). Varios precepts are advanced about how one sould Live, leading to the statement that one must understand the nature of ‘the end ofthe world, of which the present signs of decline and the historical example of the Flood are tokens (U 64-87).° He who has thought deeply about all this may well ask: Where have all ‘the former glories of earth gone? Only ruins and the dark and cold remain, Everything earthly is transitory’ (I. 88x20). It will be well for those with faith, forall our security is with God (I. 131— 3). ‘Even if one disagrees in detail with the line of thought sketched in this summary, some such coherent theme can be seen to work, through the poem. The problems are greatly increased by the “uncertainty about where the speeches in the poem begin and end. ‘The punctuation of the manuscript gives no help, and itis worth ‘remembering that the placing of averted commas in the editions is purely according to the opinion of the editors. There are three *J-A. Burrow," Wander. 73-87, Nola and Qurey, NS. 98. Oe Kershaw THE WANDERER clues, at Il. 6, 9r, and 111. The second of these is unambiguous: a speech is about to begin. The other two could mean that a speech has ended or is about to begin, or even that it has already begun @ and is going to continue. The word cad at |. 11x may mean that the speech which began at 1. g2 has ended, but it is strange that 1. or has dewid in the present whereas cwad is past. Most of the suggestions which have been advanced are listed here: a speech begins at 1.8, or at 1.x and continues at 1.8; this speech ends uring 1 29 or atl. §7 oF 1.63 oF L. 87 orl. 210 orl. 115, inthe last ‘two cases containing another speech; the speech beginning at 1.92 ends at 1. x10 or 1.96; or the whole poem may be one speech containing another with ‘the exception of stage directions at U. 6-7 and x11; oF the whole poem may be a dramatic monologue ‘containing two reported speeches ll. 1-5 and ll. g2-110. I offer the last suggestion and have printed it so, but the reader must make his own decision. tis surprising that the first separate edition of this poem was that of R. F. Leslie in 1966. The second, by T. P. Dunning and A. J. Bliss, has appeared since this book fist went to the printers. ‘These two editions are invaluable to anyone who takes a serious interest in the poem. Between them they supply a full and up to date bibliography and summarise all the earlier disputes, adding important new suggestions. DIBLiocRAPHY AsPR it Sweet ASR RF. Leslie, The Wanderer, Manchester, 1966 | T-P.Dunning and A. J. Bliss, The Wanderer, Methuen's Old “English Library, London, x969 "3The Wanderer ‘Oft him anhaga Are geblded, Metuies mise, yah e Bt mode eran id ondum hres 45 wadan wreclistas; wyrd bid ful Ard.” Set crab eartatape crete genni, wrijra walsleahta, . ( ‘Oft ic eceolde tna ‘Ahtna gehwylce rine ceare ewipan. Nis nd ewicra nin peichim médsefan _ minne dure sweotule isecgan, Ic tB ade wit at bip in eorle indryhten peaw ‘et bE his ferDlocan teste binde, Dealde his hordootan, _hyoge swab wile, 15 Ne mag wérigméd " wyrde widstondan, ne ae bréo hyge _helpe gefremman. For bon domgeome —dréorigne oft in hyra brtostoofan_bindad ste. ‘Swi fe mBdsefan inne sceolde, 20 oft earmeearig, tle bidaled, ‘rtomfgum feor, _feterum san, sipyan gtara it” goldwine minne Inrdsan heolstre biwrth and ie héan ponan ‘wOd wintercearig ofer wapema gebind, 1, gebided, dite an translators have vatiouly stated or implied that this form la part of gobidan or gobdden, and there is further daagreement ‘about whether th - makes th verb perfective. The Peah p clause makes Ie clear that the sentence laa paradox, so we can dlnasnthove interpreta: ‘dona which give walla for, pays for osha for’ ee, au 20 Chitin would bereurprised that one abould wait, pray or eck for God's grace whea sur- ‘Founded by hardaip; but lt would be important and lteretng that one ‘Sold esperince grace despite earthly roubles. 6, Whether swe ced meant a speach precedes or follows as been much ‘bat iconclunvely debated. oy The Wanderer ‘Often the solitary man enjoys ‘The grace and mercy of the Lord, though he Careworn has long been forced to stir by hand ‘The ice-cold sea on many waterways, ‘Travel the exile's path; fate is relentless. ‘So spoke a wanderer wo called to mind ‘Hardships and cruel wars and deaths of lords. Frequently have I had to mourn alone ‘My cares each morning; now no living man Exists to whom I dare reveal my heart Openly; and T know it for a truth That in a man it is a noble virtue To hide his thoughts, lock up his private feelings, However he may feel. A weary heart Cannot oppose inexorable fate, ‘And anxious thoughts can bring no remedy. ‘And so those jealous of their reputation Often bind fast their sadness in their breasts, So I, careworn, deprived of fatherland, Far from my noble kin, have often had. To tie in fetters my own troubled spirit, Since long ago I wrapped my lord’s remains In darkness of the earth, and sadly thence Journeyed by winter over icy wa "sas sohte sele dréorig sinces bryttan, Ihwar ic feor oppe néah —findan meahte ‘pone pe in meoduhealle min mine wisse, ope mec fréondléasne _fréfran wolde, ‘wéman mid wynnum. Wat se pe cunnad 30 10 slfpen bid sorg t6 geféran yim pe him I9t hafad —Mofra geholena; wwarad hine wreclist, niles wunden gol, ferDloca frforig, nls foldan bled; igemon hé selesecgas 35 hi hine on geogude wenede t8 wiste; ‘and sincbege, his goldwine ‘wym eal gedréas. For pon wat se pe sceal. his winedryhtnes Wofes liewidum — longe forpélian, Bonne sorg and slp somod atgredre 49 earmne anhogan oft gebindad: yyinced him on méde clyppe and cysse hhonda and héafod, in géardagum gil 45 Bonne onwacned eft sgesihd him biforan Dapian brimfuglas, ‘pet é his mondryhten and on enéo lecge ‘sw hi hwilum ar istoles bréac Ihréosan hrim and sndw —hagle gemenged. Ponne béod pj hefigran _heortan benne, ge sire after swine. pone miga gemynd gréted glivstafum, ‘Sorg bid gentwad med geondhweorfed, geome geondactawad. Seega geseldan swimmad oft on weg, figotendra ferd nd par fela bringed 135 cfidra ewidegiedda. pm pe sendan sceal ‘fer wapema gebind 41-4, Traalation paraphrased to clarify the satsre of the riteal described, Cearo bid geniwad ‘swipe geneahbe ‘wErigne sefan. 16 THE WANDERER ‘And suflering sought the hall of a new patron, Uf Tin any land might find one willing To show me recognition in his mead-hall, Comfort my loneliness, tempt me with pleasures. ‘He knows who has experienced it how bitter Is sorrow as a comrade to the man ‘Who lacks dear human friends; fair twisted gold Is not for him, but rather paths of exile, CColdness of heart for the gay countryside. He calls to mind receiving gifts of treasure ‘And former hall-retainers, and remembers low in his younger years his lordly patron ‘Was wont to entertain him at the feast. Now all that joy has gone. He understands ‘Who long must do without the kind advice Ot his beloved lord, while sleep and sorrow ‘Together often bind him, sad and lonely, How in his mind it seems that he embraces ‘And kisses his liege lord, and on his knee Lays hand and head, as when he formerly Received as a retainer in the hall Gilts from the throne; but then the joyless man Wakes up and sees instead the yellow waves, ‘The sea-birds bathing, stretching out their wings, ‘While snow and hail and frost fall all together. ‘The heart's wounds seem by that yet heavier, Grief for the dear one gone: care is renewed, ‘When memories of kinsmen fill the mind, ‘He greets them gladly, contemplates them keenly, ‘Bat his old friends swim frequently away; ‘The floating spirits bring him all too few Of the old well-known songs; care is renewed For him who must continually send His weary spirit over icy waves. 2THE WANDERER For pon ic gepencan ne meg _geond pis woruld for hwan madsefa-_ min ne gesweorce © ponne ic corla if eal geondpence, IO hi fice Set ofgéafon, a ridge magupegnas. Swi pes middangeat calra dogra gehwim drtoseb and feallep. For pon ne mag weorpan wis wer dr bé ge 5 wintra dB in woruldrice. —Wita sceal gepyldig, ne sceal nd tO hitheort ne t8 hraedwyrde, ne t0 wic wiga ne t8 wanhpdig, ne t8 forht ne t8 fegen ne t8 feohgttre, ne nite gielpes t3 geom dr hé geare cunne. ze Beom sceal gebidanponne hé bat spriced ‘op pet collenferdcunne gearwe hwider hrepra gehygd—hweorfan will Ongietan sceal gltaw hele i gastlc bid ponne eall yisse worulde wela _wéste stonded, 15 swA.nG missenlice _geond pisne middangeard ‘winde biwdune — weallas stondap, Ihrime bihrorene, _ryOge pl ederas. Woriad pA winsalo, waldend lcgad réame bidrorene, '_ dugud eal gecrong, te wlonc bi wealle. Sume wig forntm, ferede in forbwege; sumne fugel opber ofer héanne holm; samne se blra walt abe gedide; sumne dréorighléor in eordscrasfe corl gehfdde. 71-2. I have expanded the tranalaton to carly what I belive these ‘woes to meas. 178 THE WANDERER Therefore I 00 no reason in the woe Why my heart grows not dark, when I consider “The lives of watriors, how they suddenly Fave left ther hall, the bold ad noble thane, ‘Just as thin earth and everything thereon Destinos end weakens cad and Sry doy Certainly no man may be wise before e's lived hs sre of winters in the world. ‘A’wise man mast be patent, not too hasty In speech, or pemonate,inpetuous Or tind as fighter, nor too anxious Or caretee of too covetous of weal [Nor ever must he be too quick to boast Before he's gained experience of himoelt ‘Arman should wat, before he makes 8 vow, Until in pride he trly can esean, How, when aerials comes, he wil react. “The wise must know how aweaome it willbe When al the wealth of earth stands desolate, ‘As now in vious parts throughout the world Stand wiod-biown wall, fror-covered, ruined buildings. ‘The winedhalls crumble; monarchs Ifeles le, Deprived of pleasures, all the doughty troop Dead by th wall; some battle eatied of, “Took fom this world; one the die bird removed ‘Over the ocean deep; one the grey wolf Consigned to death; and one a tear-stained ero 79‘THE WANDERER 5 Ypde swt pisne eardgeard eda Scyppend op pet burgwara breahtma léase ald enta geweore {du st6don, ‘Se ponne pisne wealsteal wise gepohte ‘and pis deorce lif dBope geondpenced, ‘90 frod in ferbe {cor oft gemon ‘walsleahta worn, and pls word Acwid: “‘Hwar cwom mearg, hw2r cw6m mago? Hw cwom mippumgyla? Hwats cwom symbla gesetu? —_-Hwar sindon seledréamas? Eall beorht bine, &alA bymwiga, 95 Halk péodnes prym. HO sto prig gewat, gent under nihthelm sw héo nd wire, Stonded nd on liste — Wofre dugupe weal wundrum héah —_ wyrmllcum fth, ‘Eorlas forndmon sca Pr¥pe, 100 witpen welgiiru, —_ wyrd s8o mitre, 105 hréo heglfare helepum on andan, Eall is earfoblic — eorpan rice; ‘onwendeS wyrda gesceaft _weoruld under heofonum, ‘Her bib feoh Ine, fr bid frond lene, hér bid mon line, br bid mitg Ine, ‘uo Eal pis eorpan gesteal —_Idel weorped’ Sn cwnd cottr ca made, geet hc mundo wt rn, THT, at rane omitted in translation. Its meaning le not clear; perhaps ‘ta meditation’. 380 THE WANDERER cero on apna or Soo Taco sateskenee ae tenet pees Sacre, Etoerperels iceg as oe ae aot ioeae ast ent ae iia erent ewworsacmra Sa een ere Passed into night as it had never been. alee Secale aan iacnemeee, ata tame mene a eae coer Bee te ge het cocm aries Sesceerhens aoe Daca See SS rm aa imran, Sracte a ‘Thus spoke the thoughtful sage, he sat apart.@ THE WANDERER ip se pe his tréowe me seal ne his ‘Tl bp se pe his tréowe gehealdep: aoa ‘beom of his bréostum ScYpan, nempe hé &r pl bite cunne, ‘cor! mid elne gefremman, Wel bid pm pe him le s&ced, 15 frdfre tO Feeder on heofonum, pir Os eal so faestnung THE WANDERER Blessed is he who keeps his faith; a man ‘Must never be too eager to reveal His cares, unless he knows already how To bring about a cure by his own zeal. ‘Well shall it be for him who looks for grace ‘And comfort from our father in the heavens, ‘Where is ordained all our security. 183