Forgotten Ground Regained

Beor's Lament

Among the mead-cups, misery I suffered -- Sloshed with gesiðas, smashed at the feast, as hamstrung as Weland ‧ wandering backto bed and breakfast ‧ in back of beyond --consumed sufficient ‧ to stupefy legs --winter-cold exile -- waking in ditch.
That drunkenness passed, so may this.
And like Geat’s wife, woeful Mæþhild,sad at symbels, a sorrow-love --On wine I whine, wibble sleep-reft,A miserable man, maudlin-bladdered.
That drunkenness passed, so may this.
Like Theodric’s rule ‧ for thirty yearsin the stronghold ‧ of the hotel toilet,I seem to spend life ‧ spewing in cubicles.
That drunkenness passed, so may this.
Whetted on whiskey, wolfish I became.Like Eormanric, I ruled the meadbench --sixty gesithas ‧ by sorrow bound,grim while I regaled them ‧ with god-awful jokes --companions praying ‧ the punch line would come.
That drunkenness passed, so may this.
Of my present plight ‧ I plead to speak.I once was a wordsmith, a weaver of verseRemembered by many -- Martin my name --but cider and spirits ‧ I’ve supped with ale,and mixing mead ‧ with mulled winehas tied my tongue, ‧ taken my eloquence.Beor has broken ‧ my bardic spell.
That drunkenness passed, so may this.
  • Beor is the Old English word that became or modern English "beer". The title, "Beor's Lament" is an intentional pun referencing the famous Old English poem, "Deor's Lament", which this poem parodies.
  • Gesiðas ("gesiths") is an Old English word meaning (sworn) companions. In this context it refers to members of Ða Engliscan Gesithas, the British historical society for whose banquets Martin Vine composed his comic verse.
  • Weland was a famous smith from Germanic legend, who was hamstrung by a king who captured him and forced him to work for him, in order to make sure he could not escape.
  • Symbel means feast or banquet in Old English
This poem was originally publilshed in Withowinde 141, p. 7, Winter, 2006
Copyright © Martin Vine, 2006
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