Gothic poem, Lady Ranilo's Dream

[Arthur Jones]

Hails, Barnilo!
 
I have now done as much damage as I can --at the moment-- to modern English and to Wulfilan Gothic, in that the following text is one poem in English, four verses in Gothic (the first two of which were easily and perfectly rendered by llama_non, the second pair of quatrains are shameful attempts on my part to write in Gothic. All gothic-l readers will detect the sudden drop in quality. 
Here goes:
 
Drauma Ranilons Fraujons
 
I dreamt of raging borderlords,
whose wrath consumed the plain,
for ancient wrongs, hard-riding hordes
did burn and burn again.
 
I dreamt of Greuthung warrior men,
Like mice in great cat claws,
First caught, then freed, then caught again,
And slain against our walls.
 
And enemy heads lay all around
Before a golden throne,
I looked away, then to the ground,
The heads were now our own.
 
I dreamt three thousand widows keened
and came to claim their dead;
they cut from each one lock of hair,
then buried but the heads.
 
They stacked the trunks in funeral pyres,
and woefully tindered flame,
then circling round the blood-cursed fire
sang Kannabaudes' name.
 
Our couriers rode before the dawn,
through dark Moesian moor,
to hill forts of the Thiudan
and pounded at the doors.
 
Runa niman! Through the gates
came Kannabaudes' men,
then Kniwa of the silver blade
and all his Amal kin.
 
Young soldiers ran, mere stiuriligg,
down country swift as hinds,
past gathering stench of charnel fires,
toward gathering Roman lines.
 
Then Kniwa, snared in leather straps,
was dragged by Velius' steeds,
our troops gave chase into the trap,
to be axed down like trees.
 
I dreamt that Greuthungs who took flight
were slain against our walls;
now Ranilo roams by candlelight
Baurg-Kaulbrunna's empty halls.
 
I see them still, the grim-eyed dead,
I hear their whispered gloom,
faint lights their blood-soaked path must tread
ere they shine into the tomb.
 
 
Note: The change to third person, in verse ten, is intentional: It is still Ranilo talking, but emphasizes the sense of isolation she feels.
 
Drauma Ranilons Fraujons
 
Mik markafraujans modagans draumida
thizeei thwairhei gathars ibnassuns
harjos ushofun hardureidandans
und frawaurhtim fairnjaim haurja
fon jah aftra fon.
 
Mik Griutugge draumida gadrauhtins, swe mus in mikilaim katturampom
frumist gafahanans, thathroh than galausidans, thathroh than aftra
gafahanans
jah afslahanans withra baurgswaddjuns unsaros.
 
Jah fijandaleika haubida galagidedun bi,
faura thamma gultheinssitla;
sahwuh ik fairns, thathroh aftra du airtha,
haubida nu wasun unsara aigna.
 
Mik thris thusundjos widuweis wopidans draumida,
qamunuh du niman leika thize gadrauhteins seinamma
Afsneidedun eis fram hwarjizuh ain kluft,
thathroh than ganawistrohun eis thatainei haubida.
 
 
---Help! 
 
 
With kind greetings,
 
Aihwareiks.
 
arthurobin2002 at yahoo.com
 
 
 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
Life without art & music? Keep the arts alive today at Network for Good!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/FXrMlA/dnQLAA/Zx0JAA/wWMplB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

You are a member of the Gothic-L list.  To unsubscribe, send a blank email to <gothic-l-unsubscribe at egroups.com>. 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gothic-l/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    gothic-l-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/