Examples of Modern Gutnish ('The Garden of Love' by William Blake) and
Old Gutnish (Excerpt from the Gutasaga circa 1320 - Gotland's law code)
Modern Gutnish:
KERLAIKINS SKAVLGARD
Iak gikk til kerlaikins skavlgard
Ok sag hvat iak aldri haddi seit
A kýrko var der byggd
Der iak fýrr laikti pa de grýnu
Ok lukur til hissu kýrku varu lukte
Ok ”Dú skalt ikki”, ritet yvar duri
So iak vendi mik til kerlaikins skavlgard
Sum so mange sýme blómur buru,
Ok iak sag hann fylldr med gravar
Ok gravstainar der blómur skuddu vare
Ok prestar í svarte klédi, gaenes seine rundur
Ok bindenes med napltyrni, meine gledar ok kéar
av William Blake (1757-1827)
Original English:
THE GARDEN OF LOVE
I went to the Garden of Love,
And saw what I never had seen:
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.
And the gates of this Chapel were shut
,And Thou shalt not. writ over the door;
So I turn'd to the Garden of Love,
That so many sweet flowers bore.
And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tomb-stones where flowers should be:
And Priests in black gowns,
were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars, my joys & desires
by William Blake (1757-1827)
Old Gutnish (excerpt from the Gutasaga):
Þissi þieluar hafþi ann sun sum hit hafþi. En Hafþa kuna hit Huita Stierna þaun tu bygþu fyrsti a Gutlandi. Fyrstu nat sum þaun saman suafu þa droymdi henni draumbr. So sum þrir ormar warin slungnir saman i barmi hennar ok þytti henni sum þair scriþin yr barmi hennar. þinna draum segþi han firi Hafþa bonda sinum hann riaþ draum þinna so. Alt ir baugum bundit bo land al þitta warþa ok faum þria syni aiga. þaim gaf hann namn allum o fydum. Guti al Gutland aigha Graipr al annar haita ok Gunfiaun þriþi. þair sciptu siþan Gutlandi i þria þriþiunga. So at Graipr þann elzti laut norþasta þriþiung ok Guti miþal þriþiung. En Gunfiaun þann yngsti laut sunnarsta. siþan af þissum þrim aucaþis fulc i Gutlandi so mikit um langan tima at land elpti þaim ai alla fyþa þa lutaþu þair bort af landi huert þriþia þiauþ so at alt sculdu þair aiga ok miþ sir bort hafa sum þair ufan iorþar attu.
English Translation:
This Thielvar had a son called Hafthi. And Hafthi's wife was called Whitestar. Those two were the first to settle on Gotland. When they slept on the island for the first night, she dreamed that three snakes lay in her lap. She told this to Hafthi. He interpreted her dream and said: "Everything is bound with bangles, this island will be inhabited, and you will bear three sons." Although, they were not yet born, he named them Guti, who would own the island, Graip and Gunfiaun. The sons divided the island into three regions, and Graip, who was the eldest, took the north, Guti the middle, and Gunfjaun, who was the youngest, took the southern third. After a long time, their descendants became so numerous that the island could not support all of them. They drew lots and every third islander had to leave. They could keep everything they owned but the land.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaarcitcles 'Old Gutnish & 'Modern Gutnish'
Old Gutnish (Excerpt from the Gutasaga circa 1320 - Gotland's law code)
Modern Gutnish:
KERLAIKINS SKAVLGARD
Iak gikk til kerlaikins skavlgard
Ok sag hvat iak aldri haddi seit
A kýrko var der byggd
Der iak fýrr laikti pa de grýnu
Ok lukur til hissu kýrku varu lukte
Ok ”Dú skalt ikki”, ritet yvar duri
So iak vendi mik til kerlaikins skavlgard
Sum so mange sýme blómur buru,
Ok iak sag hann fylldr med gravar
Ok gravstainar der blómur skuddu vare
Ok prestar í svarte klédi, gaenes seine rundur
Ok bindenes med napltyrni, meine gledar ok kéar
av William Blake (1757-1827)
Original English:
THE GARDEN OF LOVE
I went to the Garden of Love,
And saw what I never had seen:
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.
And the gates of this Chapel were shut
,And Thou shalt not. writ over the door;
So I turn'd to the Garden of Love,
That so many sweet flowers bore.
And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tomb-stones where flowers should be:
And Priests in black gowns,
were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars, my joys & desires
by William Blake (1757-1827)
Old Gutnish (excerpt from the Gutasaga):
Þissi þieluar hafþi ann sun sum hit hafþi. En Hafþa kuna hit Huita Stierna þaun tu bygþu fyrsti a Gutlandi. Fyrstu nat sum þaun saman suafu þa droymdi henni draumbr. So sum þrir ormar warin slungnir saman i barmi hennar ok þytti henni sum þair scriþin yr barmi hennar. þinna draum segþi han firi Hafþa bonda sinum hann riaþ draum þinna so. Alt ir baugum bundit bo land al þitta warþa ok faum þria syni aiga. þaim gaf hann namn allum o fydum. Guti al Gutland aigha Graipr al annar haita ok Gunfiaun þriþi. þair sciptu siþan Gutlandi i þria þriþiunga. So at Graipr þann elzti laut norþasta þriþiung ok Guti miþal þriþiung. En Gunfiaun þann yngsti laut sunnarsta. siþan af þissum þrim aucaþis fulc i Gutlandi so mikit um langan tima at land elpti þaim ai alla fyþa þa lutaþu þair bort af landi huert þriþia þiauþ so at alt sculdu þair aiga ok miþ sir bort hafa sum þair ufan iorþar attu.
English Translation:
This Thielvar had a son called Hafthi. And Hafthi's wife was called Whitestar. Those two were the first to settle on Gotland. When they slept on the island for the first night, she dreamed that three snakes lay in her lap. She told this to Hafthi. He interpreted her dream and said: "Everything is bound with bangles, this island will be inhabited, and you will bear three sons." Although, they were not yet born, he named them Guti, who would own the island, Graip and Gunfiaun. The sons divided the island into three regions, and Graip, who was the eldest, took the north, Guti the middle, and Gunfjaun, who was the youngest, took the southern third. After a long time, their descendants became so numerous that the island could not support all of them. They drew lots and every third islander had to leave. They could keep everything they owned but the land.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaarcitcles 'Old Gutnish & 'Modern Gutnish'