The HyperTexts
THE RUIN in a Modern English Translation
with a Summary and Analysis of Theme, Genre, Plot, etc.
This page includes:
(1) A modern English translation of "The Ruin" by Michael R. Burch.
(2) A summary and analysis of "The Ruin" by the translator.
(3) The original Old English/Anglo-Saxon text of "The Ruin."
(3) A word-for-word translation, or gloss, of "The Ruin" by Bob Zisk.
"The Ruin" is one of the great poems of English antiquity. This
modern English translation of one of the very best Old English/Anglo-Saxon poems
is followed by footnotes and the translator's comments. Included in the notes
are a summary and analysis of the poem's plot, theme, genre, history,
context, references and techniques. The original Anglo-Saxon text
appears after the notes and is followed by Bob Zisk's gloss of the poem.
This elegy/lament may have been written by an Anglo-Saxon
scop (poet) who admired the
long-lasting construction-work of the ancient Romans. The references to
bath-houses and a stream gushing forth hot water suggest that the ruins in
question are those of Bath, England.
"The Ruin" appeared in the Exeter Book, which has been dated to around
960 to 990 AD. Of course the poems in the book could have been written at some
earlier date—perhaps considerably earlier.
Note: In Anglo-Saxon poetry the Wyrdes were like the Fates of Greek mythology,
and the Fates controlled human destinies. I have interpreted the poem to be a
war of sorts between human Giants and the Wyrdes, so I have chosen to capitalize
only the two warring parties. While it may seem that the Wyrdes won, the work of
the Giants still stands ...
THE RUIN
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
wondrous was this wall-stone, till Wyrdes wrecked it
and the Colossus sagged inward ...
broad battlements broken;
the Builders' work battered;
the high ramparts ransacked;
tall towers collapsed;
the great roof-beams shattered;
gates groaning, agape ...
mortar mottled and marred by scarring hoar-frosts ...
the Giants’ dauntless strongholds decaying with age ...
shattered, the shieldwalls,
the turrets in tatters ...
where now are those mighty Masons, those Wielders and Wrights,
those Samson-like Stonesmiths?
the grasp of the earth, the firm grip of the ground
holds fast those fearless Fathers
men might have forgotten
except that this slow-rotting siege-wall still stands
after countless generations!
for always this edifice, grey-lichened, blood-stained,
stands facing fierce storms with their wild-whipping winds
because those master Builders bound its wall-base together
so cunningly with iron!
it outlasted mighty kings and their clans!
how high rose those regal rooftops!
how kingly their castle-keeps!
how homely their homesteads!
how boisterous their bath-houses and their merry mead-halls!
how heavenward flew their high-flung pinnacles!
how tremendous the tumult of those famous War-Wagers ...
till mighty Fate overturned it all, and with it, them.
then the wide walls fell;
then the bulwarks buckled;
then the dark days of disease descended ...
as death swept the battlements of brave Brawlers;
as their palaces became waste places;
as ruin rained down on their grand Acropolis;
as their great cities and castles collapsed
while those who might have rebuilt them lay gelded in the ground—
those marvelous Men, those mighty master Builders!
therefore these once-decorous courts court decay;
therefore these once-lofty gates gape open;
therefore these roofs' curved arches lie stripped of their shingles;
therefore these streets have sunk into ruin and corroded rubble ...
when in times past light-hearted Titans flushed with wine
strode strutting in gleaming armor, adorned with splendid ladies’ favors,
through this brilliant city of the audacious famous Builders
to compete for bright treasure: gold, silver, amber, gemstones.
here the cobblestoned courts clattered;
here the streams gushed forth their abundant waters;
here the baths steamed, hot at their fiery hearts;
here this wondrous wall embraced it all, with its broad bosom.
... that was spacious ...
Footnotes and Translator's Comments, followed by a Word-for-Word
Translation of "The Ruin"
by Michael R. Burch
Summary
"The Ruin" is an ancient Anglo-Saxon poem. It appears in the Exeter Book, which has been dated
to around 960-990 AD. However, the poem may be older than the manuscript,
since many ancient poems were passed down orally for generations before being written down. The poem is an
elegy or lament for the works of "mighty men" of the past that have fallen into
disrepair and ruins. Ironically, the poem itself was found in a state of ruin.
There are holes in the vellum upon which it was written. It appears that a brand
or poker was laid to rest on the venerable book. It is believed the Exeter
Book was also used as a cutting board and beer mat. Indeed, we are lucky to
have as much of the poem as we do.
Author
The author is an unknown Anglo-Saxon scop (poet).
Genre
"The Ruin" may be classified as an elegy, eulogy, dirge and/or lament,
depending on how one interprets it.
Theme
The poem's theme is one common to Anglo-Saxon poetry and literature: that man
and his works cannot escape the hands of wyrde
(fate), time and death. Thus men can only
face the inevitable with courage, resolve, fortitude and resignation. Having
visited Bath myself, I can easily understand how the scop who wrote the poem
felt, and why, if I am interpreting the poem correctly.
Plot
The plot of "The Ruin" seems rather simple and straightforward: Things fall apart. The author of the
poem blames Fate for the destruction he sees. The builders are
described as "giants."
Techniques
"The Ruin" is an alliterative poem; it uses alliteration rather than
meter and rhyme to "create a flow" of words. This was typical of Anglo-Saxon
poetry.
History
When the Romans pulled their legions out of Britain around 400 BC, primarily because they
faced increasing threats at home, they left behind a number of immense stone
works, including Hadrian's Wall, various roads and bridges, and cities like
Bath. Bath, known to the Romans as Aquae Sulis, is the only English city fed by
hot springs, so it seems likely that the city in question is Bath. Another
theory is that the poem refers to Hadrian's Wall and the baths mentioned were
heated artificially. The
Saxons, who replaced the Romans as rulers of most of Britain, used stone only
for churches and their churches were small. So it seems safe to say that the
ruins in question were created by Roman builders.
Interpretation
My personal interpretation of the poem is that the poet is simultaneously
impressed by the magnificence of the works he is viewing, and discouraged that
even the works of the mighty men of the past have fallen to ruin.
Analysis of Characters and References
There are no characters, per se, only an anonymous speaker describing the ruins
and the men he imagines to have built things that have survived so long despite
battles and the elements.
Related Poems
Other Anglo-Saxon/Old English poems:
The Ruin,
Wulf and Eadwacer,
The Wife's Lament,
Deor's Lament,
Caedmon's Hymn,
Bede's Death Song,
The Seafarer,
Anglo-Saxon Riddles and Kennings
Original Old English/Anglo-Saxon Text
Wrætlic is þes wealstan,
wyrde gebræcon;
burgstede burston, brosnað enta geweorc.
Hrofas sind gehrorene, hreorge torras,
hrungeat berofen, hrim on lime,
scearde scurbeorge scorene, gedrorene,
ældo undereotone. Eorðgrap hafað
waldend wyrhtan forweorone, geleorene,
heardgripe hrusan, oþ hund cnea
werþeoda gewitan. Oft þæs wag gebad
ræghar ond readfah rice æfter oþrum,
ofstonden under stormum; steap geap gedreas.
Wunað giet se ...num geheapen,
fel on
grimme gegrunden
scan heo...
...g orþonc ærsceaft
...g lamrindum beag
mod mo... ...yne swiftne gebrægd
hwætred in hringas, hygerof gebond
weallwalan wirum wundrum togædre.
Beorht wæron burgræced, burnsele monige,
heah horngestreon, heresweg micel,
meodoheall monig mondreama full,
oþþæt þæt onwende wyrd seo swiþe.
Crungon walo wide, cwoman woldagas,
swylt eall fornom secgrofra wera;
wurdon hyra wigsteal westen staþolas,
brosnade burgsteall. Betend crungon
hergas to hrusan. Forþon þas hofu dreorgiað,
ond þæs teaforgeapa tigelum sceadeð
hrostbeages hrof. Hryre wong gecrong
gebrocen to beorgum, þær iu beorn monig
glædmod ond goldbeorht gleoma gefrætwed,
wlonc ond wingal wighyrstum scan;
seah on sinc, on sylfor, on searogimmas,
on ead, on æht, on eorcanstan,
on þas beorhtan burg bradan rices.
Stanhofu stodan, stream hate wearp
widan wylme; weal eall befeng
beorhtan bosme, þær þa baþu wæron,
hat on hreþre. þæt wæs hyðelic.
Leton þonne geotan
ofer harne stan hate streamas
un...
...þþæt hringmere hate
þær þa baþu wæron.
þonne is
...re; þæt is cynelic þing,
huse ...... burg....
Word-for-Word Translation of "The Ruin"
by Bob Zisk
Wrætlic is þes wealstan,
wyrde gebræcon;
Wondrous is this stonework, time has broken it;
burgstede burston, brosnað enta
geweorc.
The battlements have the work of giants
broken apart,
crumbles.
Hrofas sind gehrorene, hreorge
torras,
The roofs are fallen,
collapsing are
are the towers,
hrungeat berofen, hrim on lime,
The archway gates hoarfrost is on the mortar,
have been taken away,
5)scearde scurbeorge scorene,
gedrorene,
Scarred are the storm cut down,
fallen,
shelters,
ældo undereotone. Eorðgrap hafað
By old age eaten away. Earth's grasp has
waldendwyrhtan forweorone,
geleorene,
the mighty makers, decayed, passed away,
heardgripe hrusan, oþ hund cnea
In the earth's cruel grip, until a hundred generations
werþeoda gewitan. Oft þæs wag
of the nations of men Often the wall
have passed.
10)ræghar ond readfah rice æfter
oþrum,
gray with lichen and
during other reigns
stained red
ofstonden under stormum; steap
geap
gedreas.
high spacious
having stood firm under
assaults it declined.
W[u]nað giet s[e] ...[n]um geheapen.
remains still the
piled high.
felon [i] .....
...............[e]
persisted [ ]
grimme gegrunde[n] ...............
harshly ground
15)............r[e] scan heo.........
shone
................g orþonc
ærsceaft.............
ingenious ancient work
...............g..............
lamrindum beag
in clay bowed
mod mo[nade ...m]yneswiftne gebrægd
the heart prompted a keen minded idea
hwætred in hringas, hygerof
gebond
Keen witted in circular the
stouthearted one structures bound
20)weallwalan wirum wundrum
togædre.
the wall with metal straps wonderfully together.
Beorht wæron burgræced, burnsele
monige,
bright were the buildings,
many bathhouses
heah horngestreon, heresweg
micel,
high arched gables, the great din of
men at
arms,
meodoheall monig, mondreama
full,
many a meadhall,
full of merriment
oþþæt þæt onwende wyrd seo swiþe.
until changed it.
fate the irresistable
25)Crungon walo wide, cwoman
woldagas,
The battle-slain have fallen days of pestilence
far and wide,
have come,
swylt eall fornom secgrofra wera;
death has taken all (of) those men, brave with
the sword;
wurdon hyra wigsteal westenstaþolas,
their bastions have deserted places,
become
brosnade burgsteall. Betend
crungon
Their cities have
The repairmen have
crumbled,
fallen
hergas to hrusan. Forþon þas hofu dreorgiað
armies have fallen Therefore have their
To the earth.
dwellings grown dismal
30)ond þæs teaforgeapa tigelum
sceadeð
and their red stone arches have separated
from the tiles
hrostbeames rof. Hryre wong
gecrong
the column's vault. To ruin has the place fallen
gebrocen to beorgum, þær iu
beorn monig
broken to mounds,
there long ago many
a warrior
glædmod ond goldbeorht, gleoma gefrætwed,
heart joyful and brilliant brightly adorned,
with gold,
wlonc ond wingal wighyrstum
scan;
proud and uplifted with with the
wine
trappings of war he
shone;
35)seah on sinc, on sylfor, on
searogimmas,
One looked on treasure, on on cleverly worked
silver,
jewels,
on ead, on æht, on eorcanstan,
on riches, on precious stones,
on possessions,
on þas beorhtan burg bradan
rices.
on that bright city of the wide kingdom.
Stanhofu stodan, stream hate wearp
Stone dwellings stood, hot water gushed
widan wylme; weal eall befeng
Surging wide; the wall
encompassed
all
40)beorhtan bosme, þær þa baþu
wæron,
In its bright bosom, where the
baths were,
hat on hreþre. þæt wæs hyðelic.
hot in its innards. That was suitable.
Leton þonne geotan [I]..........
Let gush ............
ofer h[arne] stan hate streamas
over gray stone hot
streams
un[d]...................
.........................
45[o])þþæt hringmere hate
(until) rippling [lit. circular] hot
pools
þær þa baþu wæron.
where the baths were.
þonne is..............................
Then is................................
...re; þæt is cynelic þing,
..........; that is a kingly thing,
hu se ...... .....burg....m,
how that.... ....fortress (city?)
If you want to learn more about the origins of English poetry, please check out
English Poetic Roots: A Brief History of Rhyme.
The following are links to other translations by Michael R. Burch:
The Seafarer
The Ruin
Wulf and Eadwacer
The Love Song of Shu-Sin: The Earth's Oldest Love Poem?
Sweet Rose of Virtue
How Long the Night
Caedmon's Hymn
Anglo-Saxon Poems
Anglo-Saxon Riddles and Kennings
Bede's Death Song
The Wife's Lament
Deor's Lament
Lament for the Makaris
This World's Joy
Tegner's Drapa
Alexander Pushkin's tender, touching poem "I Love You"
Whoso List to Hunt
Ancient Greek Epigrams and Epitaphs
Meleager
Sappho
Basho
Oriental Masters/Haiku
Miklós Radnóti
Rainer Maria Rilke
Marina Tsvetaeva
Renée Vivien
Ono no Komachi
Allama Iqbal
Bertolt Brecht
Ber Horvitz
Paul Celan
Primo Levi
Ahmad Faraz
Sandor Marai
Vera Pavlova
Wladyslaw Szlengel
Saul Tchernichovsky
Robert Burns: Original Poems and Translations
The Seventh Romantic: Robert Burns
Free Love Poems by Michael R. Burch
For an expanded bio, circum vitae and career timeline of the translator, please click
here:
Michael R.
Burch Expanded Bio.
The HyperTexts