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A Prayer

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 79 sections

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   æla, drihten leof! æla, dema god!

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   Geara me, ece waldend.

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   Ic wat mine saule synnum forwundod;

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   gehæl þu hy, heofena drihten,

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   and gelacna þu hy, lifes ealdor,

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   forþan ðu eðest miht ealra læca

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   ðæra þe gewurde side oððe wyde.

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   æla, frea beorhta, folkes scippend!

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   Gemilsa þyn mod me to gode,

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    sile þyne are þynum earminge.

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    Se byð earming þe on eorðan her

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    dæiges and nihtes deofle campað

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    and hys willan wyrcð; wa him þære mirigðe,

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    þonne he ða handlean hafað and sceawað,

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    bute he þæs yfeles ær geswyce.

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    Se byð eadig, se þe on eorðan her

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    dæiges and nyhtes drihtne hyræð

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    and a hys willan wyrcð; wel hym þæs geweorkes,

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    ðonne he ða handlean hafað and sceawað,

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    gyf he ealteawne ende gedreogeð.

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    æla, leohtes leoht! æla, lyfes wynn!

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    Getiþa me, tireadig kyning,

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    þonne ic minre sawle swegles bydde,

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    ece are. þu eart eaðe, god,

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    hæfst and waldest

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    ana ofer ealle eorðan and heofonas

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    syddra gesceafta. ðu eart soð meotod,

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    ana ofer ealle eorðbugende,

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    swilce on heofonum up þu eart hælend god.

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    Ne mæg þe aherian hæleða ænig;

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    þeh us gesomnie geond sidne grund,

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    men ofer moldan, geond ealne middaneard,

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    ne mage we næfre asæcgan, ne þæt soðe witan,

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    hu þu æðele eart, ece drihten.

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    Ne þeah engla werod up on heofenum

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    snotra tosomne sæcgan ongunnon,

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    ne magon hy næfre areccean, ne þæt gerim wytan,

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    hu þu mære eart, mihtig drihten.

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    Ac is wunder mycel, wealdend engla,

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    gif þu hit sylfa wast, sigores ealdor,

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    hu þu mære eart, mihtig and mægenstrang,

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    ealra kyninga kyning, Crist lifiende,

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    ealra worulda scippend, wealdend engla,

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    ealra dugeþa duguð, drihten hælend.

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    ðu eart se æðela þe on ærdagum

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    ealra femnena wyn fægere akende

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    on Bethleem ðære byrig beornum to frofre,

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    eallum to are ylda bearnum,

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    þam þe gelyfað on lyfiendne god

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    and on þæt ece leoht uppe on roderum.

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    ðyn mægen ys swa mære, mihtig drihten,

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    swa þæt ænig ne wat eorðbuende

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    þa deopnesse drihtnes mihta,

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    ne þæt ænig ne wat engla hades

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    þa heahnisse heofena kyninges.

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    Ic þe andette, ælmihtig god,

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    þæt ic gelyfe on þe, leofa hælend,

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    þæt þu eart se miccla and se mægenstranga

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    and se eadmoda ealra goda

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    and se ece kyning ealra gesceafta,

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    and ic eom se litla for þe and se lyðra man,

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    se her syngige swiðe genehhe,

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    dæges and nihtes do, swa ic ne sceolde,

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    hwile mid weorce, hwile mid worde,

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    hwile mid geþohte, þearle scyldi,

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    inwitniðas oft and gelome.

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    Ac ic þe halsige nu, heofena drihten,

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    and gebidde me to þe, bearna selost,

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    þæt ðu gemilsige me, mihtig drihten,

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    heofena heahkyning and se halga gast,

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    and gefylste me, fæder ælmihtig,

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    þæt ic þinne willan gewyrcean mæge,

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    ær ic of þysum lænan lyfe gehweorfe.

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    Ne forweorn þu me, wuldres drihten,

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    ac getyþa me, tyreadig kyning,

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    læt me mid englum up siðian,

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    sittan on swegle,

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    herian heofonas god haligum reorde

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    a butan ende. Amen.

The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, transcribed by sacred-texts.com (sacred-texts.com/neu/ascp/), via CLTK's old_english_text_sacred_texts mirror; released into the public domain. Licence: Public domain (Unlicense). Source.