“God-night, Rune”: An Old English Translation

Cassandra Rasmussen’s last Old English translation for The Toast (“The Cat in the Hwæt”) can be found here.

Goodnight, Rune. Goodnight, Stone.

Goodnight to the sleeping king, laid alone.

Goodnight goblets, and golden plates,

Wondrous workmanship, wrecked by the Fates.

Farewell to the Feasting Hall, felled by time,

Goodnight to the ancient Gates, engraved with grime.

Where has gone the great hall, where the golden seats?

Goodnight to the grain bowl, the goodly meats.

Goodnight glories of tale-tellers, gifts to long ears,

Longing to listen, for legends of years.

Where now is the wall-clock, where the socks and mouse?

Where the comb and the cow, the carpet and house?

Alas for the song-spinners, the slurpers of mush.

Where is the old woman, whispering ‘hush’?

Goodnight to the earth-grip, goodnight giver of gold

who slumbers in silence, sun-robbed and cold.

Words wrought on tombs, worn beyond study.

Goodnight forgotten graves: goodnight nobody.

Goodnight, steely stars. Goodnight, silent air.

Goodnight to noises everywhere.