The Norwegian Rune Poem
Here you have both alliterative Fornyrðislag meter, and end rhyme.
Fé vældr frænda róge;
fðesk ulfr í skóge.
Úr er af illu jarne;
opt lypr ræinn á hjarne.
Þurs vældr kvinna kvillu;
kátr værðr fár af illu.
Óss er flæstra færða för;
en skalpr er sværða.
Ræið kveða rossom væsta;
Reginn sló sværðet bæzta.
Kaun er barna bölvan;
böl görver nán fölvan.
Hagall er kaldastr korna;
Kristr skóp hæimenn forna.
Nauðr gerer næppa koste;
nöktan kælr í froste.
Ís köllum brú bræiða;
blindan þarf at læiða.
Ár er gumna góðe;
get ek at örr var Fróðe.
Sól er landa ljóme;
lúti ek helgum dóme.
Týr er æinendr ása;
opt værðr smiðr blása.
Bjarkan er laufgroenstr líma;
Loki bar flærða tíma.
Maðr er moldar auki;
mikil er græip á hauki.
Lögr er, fællr ór fjalle foss;
en gull ero nosser.
Ýr er vetrgroenstr viða;
vænt er, er brennr, at sviða.
Translation:
Wealth is a source of discord among kinsmen;
the wolf lives in the forest.
Dross comes from bad iron;
the reindeer often races over the frozen snow.
Giant causes anguish to women;
misfortune makes few men cheerful.
Estuary is the way of most journeys;
but a scabbard is of swords.
Riding is said to be the hardest for horses;
Reginn forged the finest sword.
Ulcer is fatal to children;
death makes a corpse pale.
Hail is the coldest of grain;
Christ created the world of old.
Need gives scant choice;
a naked man is chilled by the frost.
Ice we call the broad bridge;
the blind man must be led.
Harvest is a boon to men;
I say that Froði was generous.
Sun is the light of the world;
I bow to the divine decree.
Týr is a one-handed God;
often has the smith to blow.
Birch has the greenest leaves of any shrub;
Loki was fortunate in his deceit.
Man is an augmentation of the dust;
great is the talon-span of the hawk.
Waterfall is a River falling from a mountain;
but ornaments are of gold.
Yew is the greenest of trees in winter;
it is wont to crackle when it burns.
May 12, 2014
May 12, 2014 at 2:42 PM UTC
sometimes, late at night
i lie awake, or sit, or even dance
i do not "sleep"
i might drowse, or snooze,
but only temporary reprive-
The Dark
holds its monsters and
pattering, clawed steps
outside of my candlelit chambers
and beyond the fragile makebelieve walls
of my lurking consciousness-
light a candle.
burn the Night.
Smolder your eyes upon the smoke
banish my fears, faint light-
but do not destroy my peace-
morning Light, cast not your hands over
this black scry-stone!
Look but so gently into the Dark's swirling
and staring stars
down upon a ritual laid bare-
agate eyes upon the crown
upon the head of the young Oracle
a story for another time, a
prayer for a beating heart
in another place,
another darkened midnight womb
or perhaps an obsidian tomb--.
fill a chalice and not a mind
tip the contents to then find
a wandering flame spread to the wind
devouring those violent souls that have sinned
as such, topics change like Gaia
dear, as such my mind roams when
I cower in fear--.
in the imaginary arms of a
man I love, the one who can't be near.
Night sings a quiet song of insane
love and gentle terror, a soft-soft
sound that rings eternal
and lulls its listener not to sleep
but into a spell that gathers deep
within the core of the mind
behind the third,
before the eye,
but loud and deafening guilt
that keeps the shade-drawn witch
awake, and the quivering fear
racing in their youthful heart--.
Ladle the light of the stars above
into the cupped hands tonight
and sing the damnation back
to the groping clouds
on the black horizon, the violet and
blue and grey and white
swirling in cohesion and roaring into a wave of
conscious nightmares
i cannot deal with these thoughts
on my mind, resting upon
my heart
my eyes
my mind
my very soul.
May 12, 2014
May 12, 2014 at 2:34 PM UTC
steeping by my feet
blowing wind that jostles me
against my faded seat
worn gray knitted sweater
khaki shorts and cold green tea
lightning cracks and thunder drumrolls
rain tip-tapping on the screen
and sudden warmth
as his hand rests on mine
bare feet, cold iron,
lounging in the mist
with his fine, strong fingers
fumbling my hair into a twist
-10.05.13
May 12, 2013
May 12, 2013 at 1:00 AM UTC