The Wifes Lament by Anonymous Lyrics

Ic þis giedd wrece — bi me ful geomorre,
mīnre sylfre sīð. — Ic þæt secgan mæg
hwæt ic yrmþa gebad, — siþþan ic up weox,
nīwes oþþe ealdes, — nomā þonne nu.
Ā ic wite wonn — mīnra wræcsīþa.
Ærest mīn hlāford gewāt — heonan of leodum
ofer yþa gelāc; — hæfde ic uhtceare
hwær min leodfruma — londes wære.
Ðā ic me feran gewāt — folgað secan,
wineleas wraecca — for mīnre weþearfe,
ongunnon þæt þæs monnes — māgas hycgan
þurh dyrne geþoht — þæt hy todlæden unc,
pæt wit gewīdost — in woruldrice
lifdon lāðlicost; — and mec longade.
Het mec hlāford min — her eard niman;
āhte ic leofra lyt — on þissum londstede,
holdra freonda; — forþon is mīn hyge geomor.
Ðā ic me ful gemæcne — monnan funde,
heardsæligne, — hygegeomorne,
mod mīþendne, — morþor hycgendne,
blīþe gebræo. — Ful oft wit beotedan
pæt unc ne gedælde — nemne deað āna,
o wiht elles; — eft is þæt onhworfen,
is nu fornumen — swā hit no wære
freondscipe uncer. — Sceal ic feor ge neah
mīnes felaleofan — fæhðu dreogan.
Heht mec mon wunian — on wuda bearwe,
under āctreo — þām eorðscræfe.
Eald is þes eorðsele, — eal ic eom oflongad;
sindon dena dimme, — duna uphea,
bitre burgtunas — brerum beweaxne,
wīc wynna leas. — Ful oft mec her wrāþe begeat
fromsīþ frean. — Frynd sind on eorþan,
leofe lifgende, — leger weardiað,
þonne ic on uhtan — āna gonge
under āctreo — geond þās eorðscrafu.
Þaer ic sittan mot — sumorlangne dæg,
þaere ic wepan mæg — mīne wræcsiþas,
earfoþa fela; — forþon ic aefre ne mæg
þaere modceare — mīnre gerestan
ne ealles þæs longaþes — þe mec on þissum līfe begeat.

Ā scyle geong mon — wesan geomormod,
heard heortan geþoht; — swylce habban sceal
blīþe gebaero — eac þon breostceare,
sinsorgna gedreag; — sy æt him sylfum gelong
eal his worulde wyn. — Sy ful wīde fāh
feorres folclondes — þæt mīn freond siteð
under stānhliþe — storme behrīmed,
wine werigmod, — wætre beflowen
on dreorsele, — dreogeð se mīn wine
micle modceare; — he gemon to oft
wynlicran wīc. — Wā bið þām þe sceal
of langoþe — leofes ābīdan.