Here’s another version of Herr Mannelig, this time in Old English, translated from the original Swedish and arranged by me, and performed by me and my wife. This is her first time singing in Old English, and I think she did a wonderful job!

Herr Mannelig is a very popular Swedish folk song dating back centuries. A young Christian man is tempted by a pagan woman who offers him a plethora of worldly goods in order to win his heart. Resolutely standing by his Christian principles, the young man rejects her advances on account of his mortal soul.

There are several possible interpretations of the name “Herr Mannelig” quite, which literally means “Sir Manly”. It refers not only to his manliness as a young, virile male, but possibly also to his human nature; the lady in the song is called a “mountain troll” in the original Swedish, which may refer to not only her pagan nature, but possibly her supernatural form. As the word “troll” is not native to English, I opted for “mountain witch” in Old English – the word “witch” similarly pointing to her supernatural, pagan nature.

I hope you enjoy the song. Do leave a comment if you did and subscribe to the channel if you’d like to see more!

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Lyrics:
On ǣrmorgen ǣr upgange sunnan,
ǣr þām dæghwāmlīċan fugolsange,
ān firgenwiċċe wolde hagosteald ċeorlian
ac twisprǣċe wæs hire tunge.

Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.

Þē wille iċ ġiefan þā twelf stēdan,
þe sind gongende on rōsebearwe funden.
Nǣfre ne stōd sadol ānum þāra
ne on bitole næs nān ċēace ġebunden.

Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.

Þē wille iċ ġiefan þā twelf cweornan
þe betweox twām īeġum standaþ samen.
Þā stānas sind of rēodostum golde
and þā hwēol sind seolforhammen.

Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.

Þē wille iċ ġiefan eallgylden sweord
þæt þe hringmǣled is fīftīnefeald.
Sam þū wīġst wel, sam þū wīġst lȳðre
sċealt þū þīnra fēonda habban onweald.

Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.

Þē wille iċ ġiefan nīwe sierċan,
mid hire wilt þū sōðlīċe þec sċrȳdan,
Hēo nis ġesiwod mid nǣdle ne þrǣde,
ac mid mērehwītum seolce handġewriden.

Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.

Swelċa ġifa wǣren mē ġecwēma
ġif þū crīsten wīfmann wǣre.
Hwæðre þēah þū eart sēo wierreste firgenwiċċe,
sōðlīċe sibb deofla and nicora.

Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.

Sēo firgenwiċċe on dūru arn.
Sāre hēo hrisede and hrȳmde.
Hæfde iċ þone hagosteald beġiet,
iċ hæfde mē ālȳsed of mīnre wyrde.

Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.

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