011

[1] WAS NW EN STRÁM. ÀND BUTA HIRA TEX WAS THÉR.IN ELLA BIDVLWEN HWAT FON HJRA HÔNDUM KÉMEN WAS.	was now a stream, and except for her Tex, all that had come from her hands was overwhelmed.
HÉRIGA.BÀRN. [5] THA HJA TO.RA SELVA WÉRON. THA MÁKADON HJA THIT HÁGE THERP BVWADON THÁS BURCH THÉR VPPA. ANDA WÀGRUM THESSA WRYTON HJA THENE TEX. ÀND VMBE THAT ALLERA MANNALIK HJA SKOLDE MÜGA FINDA HÀVATH HJA THÀT LAND ROND.OMME [10] TEX.LAND HÉTEN. THÉRVMBE SKIL.ÀT BILÍWA ALWENNE JRTHA. JRTHA SÍ.	Attentive children! When they came to themselves again, they made this high mound and built the burg. On its walls they wrote the Tex. And in order that everyone should be able to find it, they called the surrounding land ‘Texland’. Therefore, it shall remain as long as earth is earth.

[2d. Frya's Tex]

TEX. FRYA.S.	Frya's Tex
HELD BÉID THA FRYA. TO THA LESTA SKILUN HJA MY [15] HWITHER.SJA. THACH THÉRA ALLÉNA MÉI IK AS FRY KÀNNA THÉR NÉN SLÁF IS FON ÉN ÔTHER NI FON SINE TOCHTA. HÍR IS MIN RÉD.	Prosperity awaits the free. At the end they shall see me again. But only those can I consider as free whom is neither the slave of another, nor of an addiction.(1) Here is my counsel:
1. SAHWERSA THJU NÉD ÀRG SY. ÀND GODE RÉD ÀND GODE DÉD NAWET MAR NE FORMÜGE HROP [20] THÀN THI GÁST WR.ALDAS AN. MEN J NE MOT.IM NAVT ANHROPA BIFÁRA ALLE THINGA PRVVATH SEND. THA IK SEZ JO MITH RÉDENE ÀND TID SKIL.ET WÁRA THA MODELÁSA SKILUN ÀMMAR SWIKA VNDER.HJARA AJN LÉD.	1. When great is the need, and good counsel and good deed have proven futile, then call upon the spirit of Wralda.(2) But you must not call upon him before everything has been tried, for I tell you with good reason, and time will confirm it: the dispirited will always collapse under their own sorrow.
[25] 2. WR.ALDAS GÁST MÉI MÀN ALLÉNA KNIBUWGJANDE TÁNK TOWÍA. JÁ THRJU WARA. FAR HWAT JV FON HIM NOTEN HÀVE FAR HWAT JV NITH ÀND FARA HÁPE THÉR HY JO LÉT AN ANGA TIDA.	2. To Wralda's spirit alone should the knee be bent in gratitude, yes, thrice-fold: for what you have consumed from him, for what you avail yourself of, and for the hope of provision in troubled times to come.
[30] 3. J HÀWED SJAN HO RING IK HELPE LÉNDE. DVA AL ÉN MITH JO NÉSTON. MEN NE TOF NAVT TIL MÀN	3. You have seen how rapidly I offered help. Do the same for your kinsmen, but do not wait until

(1) 'an addiction' (SINE TOCHTA) — lit. 'his ...'; TOCHTA can have various meanings (cognate 'thought'), but was usually interpreted as 'passions' here. However, being 'passionate' would not be negative. The Dutch word for 'addiction' is 'verslaving' (i.e. 'enslavement') and the German word is 'Sucht'. In the context, this translation makes most sense.
(2) ‘spirit’ (GÁST) — can also be read as ‘ghost’.

previous page

-

next page