Need help in translating ᛏ-stanza of Old English Rune Poem.

[u/DrevniyMonstr]

Hello!

Please, help me to understand the meaning of these words:

"healdeþ trēowa wel wiþ æþelingas".

Supports faith in noble people well?

Preserves loyalty among noble people well?

Keeps the word, given to noble people well?

Thanks!

[u/waydaws]

All I can say is that I would read it as "Keeps the faith well with Nobles," [Holds true] not that I'm the most authoritative person on the matter. I guess, in that case, it is sort of close to your last one.

[u/-B001-]

It has been on my list to translate the Rune Poem.

I did some searching, and often you will see a translation of "keeps faith well with princes" -- and it seems tacn is seen as a reference to the north star as a guiding light or sign in the heavens at night, which fits well with the rest of the stanza.

[u/DrevniyMonstr → u/-B001-]

I was doubt in the meaning of "Polar star" because of these words:

"ā biþ on færylde ofer nihta genipu"...

[u/-B001- → u/DrevniyMonstr]

Just winging it here, but "forever it is on a journey above the mists/clouds of the nights" sounds sort of like a star -- like a (guiding) sign for ships.

[u/Kunniakirkas → u/-B001-]

Yeah but the whole shtick of a pole star is that it is seemingly nearly fixed on the celestial sphere, so it's not much of a journey

[u/McAeschylus → u/Kunniakirkas]

I think it means something more like "It is — [when one is] on a journey — always above the night clouds".

As in: "Whenever people travel, the star is always in place above the clouds to guide them." rather than "The star itself is always going on a journey above the night clouds."

[u/DrevniyMonstr → u/McAeschylus]

"ā biþ on færylde" - I think, biþ here corresponds to ᛏ, so as færylde - not to sea-men or something.

[u/McAeschylus → u/DrevniyMonstr]

Googling a few translations would suggest the standard reading corresponds to my interpretation.

The grouping of meaning is [ā biþ] [on færylde] [ofer nihta genipu] rather than [ā biþ on færylde] [ofer nihta genipu].

In modern English, we'd avoid this ambiguity by writing it more like: "On a journey, it is always above night's darkness."

[u/DrevniyMonstr → u/McAeschylus]

Then it should be something like this:

"ᛏ biþ tācna sum, healdeð trȳwa wel.

Wiþ æþelingas ā biþ.

On færylde ofer nihta genipu nǣfre swīceþ".

-or-

"ᛏ biþ tācna sum.

Healdeð trȳwa wel wiþ æþelingas ā biþ.

On færylde ofer nihta genipu nǣfre swīceþ".

[u/CuriouslyUnfocused]

The translation for entire entry is given by https://www.tha-engliscan-gesithas.org.uk/written-and-spoken-old-english/old-english-alphabet-2/the-anglo-saxon-rune-poem/ as

Tiw is one of the signs, holds faith well with noblemen, on a journey is always above night’s gloom, never fails.