Ælfred se Lytel and the First Snow
As we wrap up another season…
Eala! This week where I live, we’ve enjoyed our first two spring-like days, after what felt like the most rugged and chilly winter in my memory. Of course, it’s cold and grey again today, and we have flurries on the forecast once again, so I thought there was no better time to post the latest installment of Ælfred se Lytel. He admittedly has a much more positive outlook on the wintery weather than I do, after so many months of bluster and single-digit temperatures.
In terms of kernels of Old English learning within this story, I would point your attention to the imperative, “aspera” in line 5, which takes this form to deliver a direct command. There are also a few compound words I created for this chapter, such as (one of the loveliest delights of the winter) “lec-brune meolc”, (milk with sweet-brown), or hot chocolate. There is also mamor-hraglunge (sleep-clothing) for pajamas, another of my favorite comforts. I would like to stress, as always, that these words are just my own solutions to historical and linguistic gaps I might come across; I entreat you to ponder how you might fill these gaps, contributing your own unique perspective and worldview to the language. Creative and diverse contributions keep languages alive, never stagnant or complete, but constantly evolving with every new scholar and new idea.
Ælfred the Small and The First Snow
Ælfred se Lytel ond se Ærist Snaw
Ælfred the Small woke in his bed
Ælfred se Lytel a-wacð in his bedde
Something is not right!
Nat-hwæt biþ ne riht!
He peeps out the window
He totaþ ut þam eh-þyrle
All was white and sparkling like sugar
Eall biþ hwit ond spircende swa lec-melu
Ælfred, investigate!
Ælfred, aspera!
He creeps out the door
He crypþ ut þære dure
An icy wind dances with his pajamas
An isig wind fricaþ mid his mamor-hraglunge
Ælfred tastes a tiny taste of the white
Ælfred gebirgþ an lytel gebirg þæs hwites
He loves the snow!
He lufaþ þone snaw!
Ælfred plays all morning in the snow
Ælfred gamnaþ eall morgene in þam snawe
He makes angels
He wlencþ ængel
He builds a snow-friend
He tymbraþ an snaw-freond
“Hello, friend! Do you like this weather?”
“Eala, freond! Gebrūcst þū þisses gewyderes?”
(The friend does not answer)
(Se freond ne andsweraþ)
Ælfred is very cold
Ælfred biþ þurh-ciele
He says farewell to his snow friend
He secgþ “beo tela” his snaw-freonde
And he journeys back in the hard-to-trudge-through snow
Ond he farþ bæc on þam earfoþ-fēruman snawe
What a surprise!
Hwæt an unþinged gifu!
Grandmother is making hot chocolate!
Ealdmodor biþ brædan wearme lec-brune meolc!