Mortaine’s Blog

Colloquy on the
Occupations, An Addendum

By, Stephanie Bryant

December 13, 2001

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Introduction:

These brief passages are original works designed to fit into the Colloquy on the Occupations, written in Latin by Ælfric, translated into Anglo Saxon by an anonymous scholar, and revised in the 19th century by Henry Sweet.

Studying the Colloquy was one of the most pleasant experiences in starting to learn Old English for me. In part, this is because the passages are repetitive, which reinforces the vocabulary words. Because words are declined in Old English, the different word endings are more easily distinguished in a repetitive passage, and as a beginning student, I was able to understand the differences between the different endings and how they indicated the declension. In addition, the prose form avoided any confusion I may have had with the poetic meter and line, especially as relates to various phrasings.

Finally, I probably had a great deal of enthusiasm for the Colloquy because it reminded me of early language exercises from learning French. The everyday subject matter and idiomatic language caused me to perceive Old English not solely as the language of Beowulf, but as a once-living, once-thriving mode of communication for an entire people.

Translations have been provided following each text.

The Writer

"The Writer" describes the working life of a writer and the complaints he has about his "lord" or, more appropriately, editor or publisher. Since the concept of a "publisher" did not exist during the Anglo-Saxon period, the word "hlaford" has been used as a more generic term for a figure of authority who has a reciprocal relationship with the speaker, but who does not always live up to his responsibilities. The way the speaker chooses to deal with his lord is appropriate to his craft.

I found several words and concepts very difficult to translate. In addition to the above-mentioned "publisher/lord" issue, I was unable to find a word meaning "intellectual subject matter," or "topic" in Old English. For the time being, I decided to follow in the footsteps of my linguistic ancestors and invent a compound word essentially meaning "intellect-thing."

The Text:

Hwæt segst þu, writer? Hwæt dest þu?

La leof, micel deorf hæbbe ic! Ic sceal rædan larwitena writa ealle dagas, swa þæt ic mæg gietan lar heora on witan hygecræft. Þonne ic swinceþ on writing, þonne ic sceal secan mine andgitþing mid hogu, swa oðeras ðynceþ min gewritas onwealdas. Oft, ic sceal scieppan andgitþing gehal, swa mid þam, ic writeð leoð oþþe giedde, on þa ic sceal onmunan godlic, elles þa gehal min gesceafte nilleð swincan. þonne ic ne ceose mina word mid hogu, þonne ic sceal gecierran þa ond findan þæs beteras. Ece, ic sceal beran þa heardlic bismerword fra þas þæt min andgitþing ne liciaþ, oþþe þæt sind grædig min leoðcræftes.

For hwam writeð þu?

For min hlaford, on þonne ic eom onbærnen, ond ece for þe þæt willeð me gieldan mæst.

Hwæt se gieldeð þu þa hlaford?

Eala! Ic eom oft gielden nawiht. Þonne ic eom onbærnen, þonne ic eom gielden mid Godes bletsung, ac þis ne fyllan min wombe mid flescmetes. Þonne ic write for hlaforde, he sceal mec gieldan for min gedeorf, butan oft þa hlaford willeð me gieldan on bocce, þæt ic ne mæg etan ne neoteð fram þa bæcare þa hlafe. Oft, þa hlaford gehateð gieldan mec gielde, þæt ic mæg brucan. But þa he breceð his gehat ond ne gieldan mec. Þonne ic eom onbærnen him leanian mid þa wordcræft þæt he hæfþ bysmerian. Ic scieppeð leoð þæt singeþ se hlafordes lastword: grædig ond reþe.

Translation:

What do you say, writer? What do you do?

Well sir, I have much work! I must read learned men’s writings every day, so that I may learn from them and
become wise. When I am working on a piece of writing, I must research my subject carefully, as others my writings will seem to others to be an authority. Often, I must create the whole subject, as when I am writing a poem or story, and then I must pay God-like attention, or the whole of my creation will not work. When I do not choose my words carefully, I must return to them and find better ones. Also, I must bear the harsh insults from those to whom my subject is not pleasing, or who are jealous of my skill.

For whom do you write?

For my lord, and when I am inspired, and also for whomever will pay me most.

What does he pay you?

Alas! I am often paid nothing. When I am inspired, I am paid in God’s blessing, but this does not keep my stomach full. When I write for a lord, he should pay me for my work, except often the lord wishes to pay me in books, which I can neither eat nor use to buy bread from the baker. Often, the lord promises to pay me with money, which I can use. But then he breaks his promise and does not pay. Then I am inspired to repay him with the same craft that he has reviled. I create a poem that sing’s the lord’s everlasting fame: greedy and cruel.

The Teacher: [Note: still needs some work.]

"The Teacher" is the second
new passage for the Colloquy, expressing sentiments to which
all teachers can probably relate. In it, the teacher describes his
job responsibilities and his workplace. In keeping with the theme
introduced in "The Writer," the teacher is asked about how
he makes his money. He then explains the sorry state of teachers, who
are paid by their students and are therefore expected to deliver
services as if they were merchants instead of scholars.

This passage posed fewer difficulties
in terms of vocabulary. When I encountered unknown verbs, I was
usually able to find a noun that was similar and which suggested a
verb form. The word "class," meaning course of study, was
difficult for me, and since this goes hand in hand with the previous
difficult concept of "intellectual subject," I suppose I am
not surprised by my trouble.

The Text:

Hwæt of
þu, tæcere? Hwæt dest þu?

Ic eom
tæcere. Ic sceal mid hogu hicgan ond gyrwan gehwelc larbysn for
min leorneres swa þa hie willaþ leornan betst. Ic spricþ
hie be grammaticcræft ond geþiode, ond tæceþ
hie by boccræft ond leoðsong. Ic tæceþ hie min
ongytenes, swa þæt hie willaþ wisian. Ic sceal ece
deman heora weorc, ond giefan raed by hu hie mæg þa
gebetan. On ende lenctenmonaðas, ic sceal fandian hie, ond talian
heora ongytenes. Gif ic gemeteþ þæt hie nabbath þæs
ongytenes, þonne hie sceal niman min larbysene ongean, oþþ
elles ætstandian cunnan lærnan.

Hwær
gedeorfan þu?

On larhuse.

Hu aer þu
gielden? Hæfst þu hlaford?

Ic hæbbe
micel, leof! Ealle min leorneres gieldað þa gield swa þæt
hie magon faran min larbysene ond fra me leornan. Fram þæt
gielde, min sceatt is gielden. For þon þa hie gieldon,
hie sind hlafordas, ond ic eom weorðeow. Swa þæs þæt
sculon hieran swa þæt hie moton lærnan intingon he
þæt sceal lædan to kæstan!

Translation:

What of you, teacher? What do you do?

I am a teacher. I must carefully plan
and prepare each lesson for my students so that they will learn best.
I speak to them about grammar and language, and teach them about
literature and poetry. I transfer my knowledge to them, so that they
will become wise. I must also judge their work, and give advice on
how they can improve it. At the end of spring, I must test them, and
score their knowledge. If I find that they do not have this
knowledge, then they must take my lessons again, or else stop trying
to learn.

Where do you work?

In a school.

How are you paid? Do you have a lord?

I have many, sir! All of my students
pay money to attend my lessons and to learn from me. From that money,
my fee is paid. Because they have paid, they are the lords, and I am
the servant. So those who must be obedient in order to learn cause he
who should lead to follow!

The Web Designer: [Still needs some work.]

"The Web Designer" is the
last of the three additions to the Colloquy, and it
distinguishes itself most as being completely anachronistic to Anglo
Saxon culture and technology. The web designer describes his job as
making web pages, usually by converting other people’s words into
hypertext for distribution online. Once again, the web designer is
asked to define his relationship to his lord, and the web designer
describes himself as being a freelance worker. He also proudly says
that he makes others into lords, because with his craft, he turns
others into widely-read authorities and experts. Again, I had to work
around some difficulty with the concept of publishing authority, but
the sense is still there.

The web designer’s profession relies
entirely on computers and networks– something that would hardly have
even had an analogy in an era before even a standardized postal
system existed. Nonetheless, many words used in describing
technological concepts are compounds based on Anglo Saxon
derivatives, so that the phrase "World Wide Web" is easily
translated "woruldwidewebb."

For this section, I was fortunate that
much of the work of creating computer jargon had already been done in
a resource I found online. The Cyrcelwyrde Wordhord is an
excellent resource for anyone currently writing original, modern
works in Old English today.

The Text:

Hwelcne cræft
canst þu?

Ic eom webb.
Ic maceþ webbleafas mid circolwyrdum. Eart þu writere? Ne
geneahhe. A mæst, ic nimeð þa writeres word ond hie
taeceð for þa circolwyrdas. Þa, folc þæt
libbað feor mihtum gespannan on nettweorc circolwyrdenes. Þonne
hie þæt doþ, þa word ætywa for hie for
rædan.

Hwa is þin
hlaford?

Ic eom
freogar, ond gedeorf for hwahwæþre me gieldeð. For
þon þa min cræft ancierreð ænig to
widelic oncnawend onweald, ic mæg oncierreð ænig
ceorl to hlaford.

Is þin
gedeorf þearlic?

Mæst,
ic þearf uton oncienneð word, swa þæt is swiðe
eaðe. Ic ne hæbbe secan oþþe scieppan, swa þa
wrtiere mot, ne tæcan þæt ic cann to oþere
moras, swa þa tæcere mot. Git ic eom gieldende mara
gehwæðer on þurfeð swincan læssa to
gearnian min healdend.

Translation:

What craft do you know?

I am a webmaster. I make web pages with
computers.

Are you a writer? No often. Mostly, I
take the writer’s words and transform them for the computers. Then,
people who live far away may connect to the network of computers.
When they do that, the words appear for them to read.

Who is your lord?

I am a freelancer, and work for whoever
pays me. Because my craft makes anyone into a widely-known authority,
I may make any ordinary man into a lord.

Is your work very hard?

Mostly, I need only transform words, so
it is very easy. I do not have to research or create, as the writer
must, nor teach what I know to someone else, as the teacher must. Yet
I am paid more than either, and need work much less to earn my
keeping.

Bibliography

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