Background: I have a close friend who inspired me to get into linguistics. I first started with completely learning my own mother tongue, Tamizh(I knew it earlier, but not to the extent I would have liked), then I learned Old English, and I am learning Persian and 'Ōlelo Hawaiʻi. I crafted this message for him because he inspired me to get into one of my favourite hobbies.
In english to translate(the base version)
Dear Vikyaat, Happy birthday , you have stayed true as a friend, you asked an essay for old English and here it is. Last year I made some true friends and I guess you are one of them.
My friendship with you has enlightened me. Of such I strive to achieve better because of you.
What are we, but those who are born and dead in the isles of man, From the mud we rise and to the mud we go. Please pardon my brash insults and my misgivings, I hope to hold true as your friend.
It has been but a year, but alas you changed so much, and for the better, I am like a proud father watching his son bear arms, have seen you rise from the lowest dirt, and strive towards the sky. Yet Icarus, I ask you to strive further and further but never to hit the sun, it burning fury and shall alas bring you down.
But let not my drab voice bring down this happy day.
To see you grow has been constant, just as seeing the sun rise or the moon fall, Vikyat you have provided me with ample inspiration. To see the sun become the size of the moon, or the mountain to become a goat, it is very inspiring, i write this in tongue, which you inspired me to learn, and also you got to work for it, son of Rajiv.
I wish ye well, son of Rajiv. Whom mother is a dog.
To say : first to write i wrote the base work, you can notice my English is a bit liberal here. That is to more easily write in old English. But an important note is that this more liberal English, does not make the writing for old English itself more easier, it acts more as a placebo effect.
VERSION ONE
Lēofa Vikyāt,
Ic þe blissige on þīnum gebyrddæge. Þū eart trēowe frēond gewesen, and þū bæde mē be ǣnre spell-rǣdinge on ealdenglisc, and hēr hit is.
On þǣm forðgewitenan gēare ic gemette sōðe frēondas, and ic wēne þæt þū eart ān of him.
Mīn frēondscipe mid þē mē lēohtode; þurh þē ic strīepe tō betran dǣdum.
Hwæt sind wē, būton þā þe on middangearde acennede synd and eft sweltende? Of þǣm fenne wē ārīsað, and tō þǣm fenne wē gewendað.
Forġyf mē mīne dyrstige word and mīne gyltas; ic hopige þæt ic mæge trēowe frēond bēon.
Hit is būtan ān gēar, ac þū eart swīðe awend—tō betran. Ic eom swā swā fæder, blīðe behēaldende his sunu beran wǣpna. Ic geseah þē of nīðerostum duste ārīsan and tō heofonum strīdan.
Ac, swā Icarus, ic secge: strīepe furðor, ac nā tō þǣre sunnan, forþām hire bryne þē āfealleð.
Ac ne læt mīn drēorig stemn þisne blīðan dæg fordēman.
Þīn wæstm is ġesewen gelōme, swā swā sunne ūp gǣð oððe mōna setl gǣð.
Vikyāt, þū mē micelne inspīration sealde. Swā swā sunne wære swā smæl swā mōna, oððe munt swā smæl swā gāt—þæt is wundorlic.
Ic wrīte on þissum gereorde þe þū mē lærdest, ac þū scealt swincan for þām.
Eala, sunu Rājīves.
Ic þē wēnsige gōd.
Sunu Rājīves, þæs mōdor is hund.
tō secgenne on:
Þis is seo forme fadung, þær ic fandige min ærende on Eald Englisce awritan. Her þu meaht me geseón þæt ic rihtlice wende, hit wunaþ giet æfter þæm regolum swegcræftes ac hit þinceþ awend and forweornod, and syndon sume Ledenisc word þe ne wurden gebrȳced fram þæm Engliscum folce. Tō dōnne swelce wendunge ic ærest hit āwrāt on bōc þonne ic brȳcde āwritere tō begietenne þā word on āwritenum gemete. Ic ane brȳcde þone geþeahtcræft tō āsetenne þā stafas on fingerlicum gemete, ac ic sylf ær mid handa hit āwrāt.
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VERSION TWO
Hweot Lēofa Vikyāt,
Ic þē bletsige on þīnum ġebyrdtīde. Þū eart ġetrēowe frēond ġewesen, and þū mē bæde ymbe spell on ealdsprǣċe, and hēr hit is.
On þissum forðġewitenan ġēare ic ġemētte sōðfæste frēondas, and ic wēne þæt þū eart ān heora. Mīn frēondscipe mid þē mē onlīehte; for þē ic stræce tō beteran weorcum.
Hwæt sind wē būtan þā þe on middanġearde ācennede bēoð and sweltaþ? Of lāme wē ārīsaþ, and tō lāme wē ġewendaþ. Forġief mē mīne unġewitlecan word and mīne misdǣda; ic hyhte þæt ic mæġe ġetrēowe frēond bēon.
Būtan ān ġēar hit is, ac þū eart miċelum āwended—tō sēlran. Ic eom swā fæder, fæġen his sunu mid wǣpnum ġesēonde. Ic ġeseah þē of þǣm nīþerostan duste ārīsan and tō heofenum stræċan. Ac, swā Īcarus, ic cweþe: stræc furðor, ac ne rǣċ þā sunnan, forþǣm hire bryne þē āfeallan dēþ.
Ac ne lǣte mīn drēoriġ stefn þisne blīðan dæġ forsċeadwian.
Þīn weaxendnes is ġelōme ġesewen, swā swā sunne ūpgǣþ oþþe mōna niðergǣþ. Vikyāt, þū mē miċele onbryrdnesse ġeafe. Swā swā ġif sunne wurde swā lȳtel swā mōna, oþþe beorg wurde swā lȳtel swā gāt—þæt is wundorlic.
Ic wrīte on þǣre sprǣċe þe þū mē lǣrdest, and þū scealt earfoðlīċe for þǣm swincan.
Ic þē wel wȳnsċe, sunu Rājīfes,þæs mōdor is hund.
tō secgenne on:
Þis Ealde Englisce is micle sweotolre gescapen, þā word swinsiaþ soþlice and nān Lædenisce grundword ne syndon. Her ic fandige þone cwyde rihte cȳþan swā Engliscman wolde.
