The Islamic State's Appointment of a New 'Caliph' (Old English Version)

I have long been interested in the divergence between Modern English and Old English. By the latter is meant the form of English that was spoken and written before 1066 CE. The divergence not only exists in the grammar but also in the vocabulary, as Modern English is now filled with borrowings from non-Germanic languages like Latin and French.

As an amusing exercise in illustrating this divergence, I decided to translate into Old English the new speech of ‘Abu Omar al-Muhajir’ (the Islamic State’s new spokesman) announcing the appointment of ‘Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi’ as caliph of the group in succession to ‘Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi,’ who was killed in a U.S. raid last month. I feature this Old English translation in this post, and raise the following points for discussion and comment.

(i) If you know only Modern English and not other Germanic languages, how much of this text can you understand? If you have no prior experience with Old English, are you surprised by the degree of difference?

(ii) If you are an academic specialist of Old English, how would you rate this translation, and what corrections or improvements would you suggest? Feel free to raise choice of words and structures in the comments.

(iii) If you are a native speaker of Germanic languages such as Swedish, German, or Dutch, how much of this text do you understand?

If you are a paying subscriber to this newsletter, try not to cheat by consulting the Modern English translation in the previous post.

Sy lof Gode þe biþ strang ond meahtig ond elnaþ His Godannesgeleafullan þegnas ond forbigeþ His ungeleafullan fiend, ond sy gebed ond sib ofer þæm þe wæs mid þæm sweorde gesended þæm woruldum to miltse, ond ofer his hiwrædene ond his geferum ond ælcum þara þe him mid rihtwitnesse oþ Domesdæge folgaþ.

Se Ælmihtiga cwæþ: “Of þæm geleafullum sind weras þe wæron Gode holde on þæm þe hie badodon, ond of him biþ se þe fulfremede and swealt, ond se þe basnaþ, and hie ne onhwurfon nan þing.”

We cyþaþ þæm muslimum on easte ond weste þære eorþan ond haligcempum þæs islamiscan rices deaþ þæs haligcempan ond cnæwan ond wyrcendan ond weorþiendan califes ond þæs sceices Abu Ibrahim al-Hascimi al-Curasci þe wæs þara geleafulra beothata, swa swa we cyþaþ deaþ ambehtrecceres þæs islamiscan rices þe wæs se ferenda sceic Abu Hamza al-Curasci (onfo God begen). Hie wurdon on þæm forestapolum dagum acwealde forþgangende, ne fleogende. Ond we biddaþ God þæt He begen mid þæm witegum ond freondum ond martyrum ond rihtlicum onfo, for þæm þe hie sind gode geferan, ond we hyraþ into Gode ond to Him we cyrraþ.

Eala, þu eage, aweall ond geot tearas of heofigum wolcnum
Ofer leon þæs gefeohtes.
Se greata sceic ond heretoga wearþ acweald,
Æfter twentig geara hildecyste,
Cniht guþe, se þe fram hiere niþer astah,
Onmiddan þæm heredracum ond þæm egesum.
Eala, þu beothata þara geleafullena, us genihtsumodest.
Ge sind byrnwigan
Þu bist wealdend þe let þa islamisce lage onmiddan us wealdan.
Þus bruce we hiere mid selestre scade.
Þu wære witodlice cnæwe ond weorþiende haligcempa,
Þu hæfdst anwisnesse ond manige mægnu.
Soþlice on manna cwale is mærþ,
Ond hie habbaþ bricge toweard selestum fintan.
Ond Abu Hamza se ferenda wæs leo,
Arlic on his wordum ond arlic on his weorcum.
He heow mid soþsægene ælcne eargne,
Mid arewum þe nabbaþ arewheafdu.
He geswælde þa guþe ond wæs ælc sweord gebroden,
Fram wigum þære islamiscan æfestnesse ond frecum.
Miltse God urum sceice swa swa we wendon
Þæt on cwale weorca ende wesan scolde.
Þa leon geteohhodon and cwædon: we gewrecaþæ
Oþ þæt seo eorþe weorþe mid wera blode gefylled.
Witodlice hierde we þæt þe man arecceþ, ond we cneowon,
Man ne fehþ heofoneardas hyhtum.

Ond feng se sceic Abu Ibrahim al-Hascimi to þara geleafullena rice for þæm he wæs eafora þæs sceices Abu Bacr al-Bagdadi (onfo God hine), ond þus he wæs selest eafora þæs selestan foregengan (we demaþ hie swa ond God biþ hiera demere). He feng to rice on timan on þæm man ne andaþ. He wæs þeah stedefæst, gelic þæm beorgum, ond he hit undernam swa swa weras undernimaþ, mid nanum þinge butan weorcsige of Gode (sy He eallmihtig and gehead), for þæm þe God him healp on þæm þe He hine afandode on, for þæm þe þa muslimas him holdaþ sworon, ond þa þa haligcempan under his segn geanlæhte wurdon, þa geanlæhte he þæt werod and feaht þæt gefeoht and brohte þæt sweord onto hneccum þara ungeleafulena ond apostatena ond ælces þara þe wiþ God ond His apostol þweoraþ, ond he acwicode þæt gewin wiþ hie and Zarcawisce dagas, ond his endeellen ond his seleste dæd wæs alysing manigra herenumena of carcerne, Gweiran gehaten, on ellenlicum gefeohte þe ne mæg nan butan wigan þæs islamican rices ond his heretogas, on gefeohte on þara ungelifendra earde, þæt gesceawode heora unmeahtiglicnesse ond tidernesse heora huses þe wæs ofer frecnestige gliddriendes stæþes getimbrod ond tofealleþ sona mid him gif God willþ. Þus wæs ende his dæda oþ þæt he wearþ acweald swa swa he wolde on herefelda, feohtende ond winnende wiþ rodweorþiende fiend Godes ond heora helpendas, forþgangende, ne fleogende (þus deme we hine ond God biþ his demere).

Ond gif we sprecaþ be sceice Abu Hamza al-Curasci (God hine onfo): þa he wæs eawfæst ond ungesewenlic cniht þære widmærsunge ond hæfde gespræce stefne, þære word dynodon ond dyne geond ealle eorþan ferde, þa scoc he mid his spræce þa deofolgild and gehælde mid his wilspellum þara geleafullra heortan, ond he wæs selest heahþegen ond helpend beothatan þara geleafullra, swa swa he wearþ to þæs islamiscan rices ambehtreccere gesett, þæt he wære eafora sceices Abu al-Hasan al-Muhagir (God hine onfo), ond he ofstod on his gemære, atyhtende þa geleafullan, geunsoþiende getweon þara þe sibbe tomeldaþ mid heora muþum, bodiende þone rihtlican weg mid his getreowfullan ond hluttoran tungan, oþ þæt com to him þæt witode þing (þus deme we hine ond God biþ his demere).

Ond þa witan þæs islamiscan rices ne bidon; þa se sciec Abu Ibrahim al-Curasci acweald wearþ, þa swor folc þære bindinge ond unbindinge of þæm haligcempum holdaþ þæm sceice Abu al-Hasan al-Hascimi al-Curasci (God him beorge) þe biþ hluttor haligcempa ond scinende sweord, þæt he þara geleafullra beothata ond þara muslima calif beon scolde, ond irfebec þæs sceices Abu Ibrahim fulfremede. Ond onfeng he (God hine bletsige) þone holdaþ, forþa bidde we God þæt He him helpe ond his recce, ond læte his geþoht ond his stapas on þæs soþes wege beon, swa swa we biddaþ Hine (sy He gehead) þæt He on hine rihtwisnesse inblawe ond underþeode to his handum þæt land.

Eala, ge muslimas on gehwelcum stowe, arisaþ ond sweriaþ holdaþ þara geleafullra beothatan ond þara muslima calife, for þæm þe he biþ of folce anwisnesse ond soþes (we demaþ hine swa ond God biþ his demere), ond gif hit us mihtelic wære, inwrige we his naman ond his lichaman, ac is ælcum þingum his tima ond his stow. Forþa ne bidaþ ond ne getweogaþ þæt ge swerien him holdaþ, for þæm þe imam Muslim reahte on his soþlican bec þæt Abdullah bin Omar (begen Gode gecweme sien) sægde þæt he hierde Godes apostol (sy Godes sibb ond bletsung ofer him) cweþende: “Swa hwa swa animþ hand of gehiersumnesse, gemeteþ God on Domesdæge ond næfþ nanne gelefenscipe, ond swa hwa swa swelteþ ond næfþ nanne holdaþ ofer his hneccan, swelteþ deaþe unislamisces unwisdomes. Witodlice we ne cnawaþ wealdend butan hine þe lætt Godes lage wealdan on þæm þe God him mæht geaf, ond fieht for Godes intingan.

Eala, ge wigan þæs islamiscan rices on eallum mægþum, wesaþ geþyldige ond þoliaþ ond beorgaþ þæm gemærum ond forhtiaþ God, þæt ge weorcsige nimen, ond wesaþ gearwe ond deorfaþ, for þæm seo guþ barode hiere teþ, ond hiere fyr greow mid heaþ, ond nam ellenlic imam ond bald cniht hiere bridelþwangas, ond on his eagum biþ hiere segn ond on his handum biþ hiere ladscipe, ond he gierwede to þæm egesum hleapende ond weamode leon, forþa ne fægniaþ þa ungleafullan ond deofolgyldan ond apostatan cwale urra heretogena ond imama, for þæm þe ure blod ne flewþ on idel, ond ure sweord ne wierþ astunten, and witodlice Americaland þe þære rodehengenne bierhþ ne mæg Godes leoht drysnan, þeah þe hit eornostlice onginne to cyþenne dilignesse oþþe awæcunge þæs islamican rices (God hit elnige), þanecan þe hit cwelleþ sumne imam of imamum þara Godannesgeleafulra, ac God gewægþ hit on gehwilcum cyrre ond þis þing biþ behwyrfed swa þæt costnung werodes þara Muslima ond haligcempena wierþ heora strangung ond heora truwan elnung, for þæm þe hie seoþ heora heretogas onfonde deaþ butan ege, acwealde on þæm herefeldum ond aworpene, and þis is selest tacn soþes þæs pæþes ond rihtwisnesse þæs weges.

Eala, ge leon Godannesse ond cnihtas þara felda ond geborgan þæs geleafan ond þære æfestnesse, God biþ God on eowrum halgan gefeohte ond hlyste ond gehiersumnesse ond gebundennesse eowres werodes, forþa bodiaþ Drihtnes weg be eowrum tungum ond sperum, and wyrcaþ samod ofer eawfæstnesse ond Godes ege ond ne wyrcaþ samod ofer synunge ond fæhþu, ond helpaþ þæm forhynedum muslimum swa hwær swa hie sind, ond deorfaþ to alysenne eowre herenuman for þæm þe hie ne wæron forsawenlice ond þus beodeþ eow Godes apostol (sy Godes sibb ond bletsung ofer him) ond hit biþ irfebec beothatan þara geleafulra (God hine onfo), þa þe he eow mid dædum, ne wordum, fulfreman let. Ond we halsiaþ eow þæt ge eowre imamas ond broþru ond sweostor gewrecen. Genealæcaþ Gode mid gesnide his heafodfeonda ond cwale heora sawla. Ond cnawaþ þæt se sige mid þolebyrdnesse biþ, ond mid wiþermodnesse eaþe, ond se finta biþ for þæm eawfæstum.

Beo gearu, and efne! Deadlice fandunge,
Ac hwær biþ se weg, ond hwær seo hals?
Þin hals biþ swa hwær swa biþ þæt werod,
Ond swa hwær swa biþ se imam on him mid þæm læderum.
Þis is þin weg to soþe, forþa folga him,
Þæt þu swelte ond beo deaþ cymlic.
Ure califat gesamnode us,
Ond foranto him we wæron gedælede.
Þa getreowfullan getimbrodon hit be heora lichamum.
Witodlice we sind healsfæste leon on þæm wege,
To fultumienne urre æfestnesse ond lætenne lage wealdan,
Mid earde on þæm þa sceamfullan hlæfdigan sind hæle.

Ond ure endneste gebed biþ: sy lof Gode þe biþ Drihten Worulda.