Ænglisc Ƿikipǣdia

[Ardent]

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

Not long at all. Here it is (breaking off in the middle of a sentence):

Nu wé sculon sécan mid searwe and cræfte,
déop and díegol, þæt deorc andweorc,
þa gastlican grot þa þone gang rǽdaþ
héara fýra in feldum heofona,

ymbhweorfaþ and stíeraþ þa steorra-hwéol,
þa tungol-wolcen, téoþ and lædaþ.
Þás floccas úþmǽte fýrenra gimma
swa sandgrotu sind þurh sweglu ge-stréawode.

Wíd-brádran gíet, swa webbes þrædas,
þá sigel-hordas in swælendum hefeldum,
þurh rýmetu unrime rodores a-þeniaþ,
be ge-wealde ge-wefene þara wácra grot.
Timbren wé þoðor þrymmfæstes styles,

Literal translation:

Now we must seek with art and skill,
Deep and hidden, the dark matter,
The ghostly particles that govern the course
Of high fires in the fields of the heavens,

[That] turn round and steer the star-wheels,
[That] pull and lead the star-clouds.
Those immense companies of fiery gems
Like sand-grains are strewn through the skies.

Vaster still, like the strands of a web,
The sun-hordes extend in burning threads
Through immeasurable spaces of the firmament,
Woven by the power of the weak [i.e. interacting via the 'weak force'] particles.
Let us build a sphere of mighty steel,
.

Wow. The whole thing makes me imagine R. Dawkins, S. Hawking, B.Cox and D.Attenborough wearing furs and sitting around a fire telling tales of old. You've even managed to get the name Deagol in there [díegol = hidden/secretive]. Was that an intentional reference to how you see yourself, as the finder of the Ring? If so watch out, Mr Hawking wants a birthday present.

[Aiwendil]

Originally Posted by Ardent

Was that an intentional reference to how you see yourself, as the finder of the Ring?

Oh goodness, no. For one thing, there are lots and lots of dark matter searches going on these days and the chances that the particular effort I work on will be the one to find it are very slim indeed. Moreover, dark matter (despite the sinister-sounding name) is about as far from the Ring as you could imagine; if found, it'll have no practical applications at all, let alone malevolent ones. I certainly did think of a certain unfortunate hobbit when I wrote that line though.

I seem to have inadvertantly hijacked this thread, for which I apologize.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

I seem to have inadvertantly hijacked this thread, for which I apologize.

Oh, not at all. I did ask if we could see the alliterative verse, after all.

I had been hoping it would not be long so as not to tax my very rusty (decades old) OE skills. The first verse I could muster a translation of, but your kennings would have defeated me.

It reads very well, rhythm and cadence. That's what won me over to OE (I was rather obstreperous as we had to take it)--its aural beauty. I can imagine Tolkien enjoying this, thinking of how to work dark matter into yet another niggling of the Legendarium.

Thanks, Aiwendil. Can I send this on to a friend I have who teaches Old English?

[Aiwendil]

Originally Posted by Bethberry

Can I send this on to a friend I have who teaches Old English?

Certainly. And if he or she has any suggestions or corrections, I'd love to hear them. My OE is completely self-taught, and it would not astonish me if I had gotten an inflection wrong somewhere.