Rudolf
A post from the early months of this blog, back in 2001, found when retweeted.
By Philip Chapman Bell.
incipit gestis Rudolphi rangifer tarandus
naefde thaet nieten unsciende naesthyrlas!
Glitenode and gladode godlice nosgrisele.
Tha hofberendas mid huscwordum hine gehifogodon;
nolden tha geneatas Hrodulf naeftig
to gomene hraniscum geador aetsomne.
Tha in Cristesmaesseaefne stormigum clommum,
Halga Claus thaet gemunde to him mathelode:
Neahfreond nihteage nosubeorhtende!
Min hroden hraedwaen gelaed thu, Hrodulf!
Tha gelufodon hira laddeor tha lyftflogan — waes glaednes and gliwdream; hornede sum gegieddode:
Hwaet, Hrodulf readnosa hrandeor,
Brad springth thin blaed: breme eart thu!
Here begin the deeds of Rudolph, Tundra-Wanderer
That beast didn't have unshiny nostrils!
The goodly nose-cartilage glittered and glowed.
The hoof-bearers taunted him with proud words;
The comrades wouldn't allow wretched Hrodulf
To join the reindeer games.
Then, on Christmas Eve bound in storms
Santa Claus remembered that, spoke formally to him:
'Dear night-sighted friend, nose-bright one!
You, Hrodulf, shall lead my adorned rapid-wagon!'
Then the sky-flyers praised their lead deer --
There was gladness and music; one of the horned ones sang
'Lo, Hrodulf the red-nosed reindeer,
Your fame spreads broadly, you are renowned!'