A L D U S , A J O U R N A L O F T R A N S L AT I O N
Translator’s Note Judith: Lines 83-132 Translated by Hannah Newman
from the Old English
Judith is an Old English poem, probably written somewhere in the 10th century. Its author is unknown, and only three full sections (and a bit of a fourth) remain out of the original twelve. It is highlyregarded, though: there is some thought that if the whole work had survived it would be among the most lauded Old English poems in existence today. It is based on the biblical story of Judith and Holofernes, although the author has taken many liberties with the text.
24
“Ic ðe, frymða god ond frofre gæst, bearn alwaldan, biddan wylle miltse þinre me þearfendre, ðrynesse ðrym. þearle ys me nu ða heorte onhæted ond hige geomor, swyðe mid sorgum gedrefed. Forgif me, swegles ealdor, sigor ond soðne geleafan, þæt ic mid þys sweorde mote geheawan þysne morðres bryttan; geunne me minra gesynta, þearlmod þeoden gumena. Nahte ic þinre næfre miltse þon maran þearfe. Gewrec nu, mihtig dryhten, torhtmod tires brytta, þæt me ys þus torne on mode,