How does this Old English text (from the dedication of the book “The White Horse King”) translate in Modern English?

Question

The dedication of the book The White Horse King (Merkle, 2009) contains the following:

Hwa Þeos, Þe gesihÞ swa swa se morgen
  Fæger swa se mona
  Beorht swa se sunne
  Torhtmod swa se scildweall.

I have not travelled to 9th century England ever since my time machine broke, so my Old English is a bit rusty, but I can identify the obvious, such as morgen = "morning", mona = "moon", sunne = "sun", and scildweall = "shield wall". How would a full translation read?

Jay · Answer

It roughly translates to:

What this, thee sight so as the morning 
  Beautiful as the moon 
  Bright as the sun 
  Glorious as the shield.

Hwa Þeos, Þe gesihÞ swa swa se morgen 
  Fæger swa se mona 
  Beorht swa se sunne 
  Torhtmod swa se scildweall.

hwa (pronoun) who/what
þéos (Pronoun) this
þé (pronoun) thee
gesihþ (nominative) 1. sight; vision 2. sight of a person or object; singular (se gesihþ)
sé (definite article/pronoun)- the/that
swá/swá - so or as
morgen (noun) morning
Fæger (adjective) beautiful; good-looking; attractive
mōna (noun) - moon
Beorht (strong adjective) (West Saxon) bright; clear
sunne (noun) - sun
Torhtmod - golorious/noble
scildweall (noun) sheild - wall; wall of shields; the shields held by a line of soldiers

How does this Old English text (from the dedication of the book “The White Horse King”) translate in Modern English?

One Answer

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question