An Exhortation to Christian Living
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Nu lære ic þe swa man leofne sceal.
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Gif þu wille þæt blowende rice gestigan,
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þænne beo þu eadmod and ælmesgeorn,
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wis on wordum, and wæccan lufa
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on hyge halgum on þas hwilwendan tid,
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bliðe mode, and gebedum filige
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oftost symle þær þu ana sy.
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Forðan þæt halige gebed and seo hluttre lufu
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godes and manna and seo ælmessylen
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and se miccla hopa to þinum hælende,
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þæt he þine synna adwæscan wylle,
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and eac oþera fela
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godra weorca glengað and bringað
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þa soðfæstan sauwle to reste
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on þa uplican eadignesse.
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Wyrc þæt þu wyrce, word oððe dæda,
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hafa metodes ege on gemang symle;
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þæt is witodlice wisdomes ord,
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þæt þu þæt ece leoht eal ne forleose.
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þeos woruld is æt ende, and we synd wædlan gyt
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heofena rices; þæt is hefig byrden.
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And þeah þu æfter þinum ende eall gesylle
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þæt þu on eorðan ær gestryndes
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goda gehwylces, wylle gode cweman,
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ne mihtu mid þæm eallum sauwle þine
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ut alysan, gif heo inne wyrð
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feondum befangen, frofre bedæled,
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welena forwyrned; ac þu wuldres god,
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ece ælmihtigne, ealninga bidde
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þæt he þe ne forlæte laðum to handa,
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feondum to frofre, ac þu fleoh þanan,
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syle ælmessan oft and gelome
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digolice; þæt bið drihtnes lac
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gumena gehwylces þe on god gelyfð.
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Ceapa þe mid æhtum eces leohtes,
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þy læs þu forweorðe, þænne þu hyra geweald nafast
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to syllanne. Hit bið swiðe yfel
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manna gehwilcum þæt he micel age,
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gif he him god ne ondræt
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swiðor micle þonne his sylfes gewil.
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Warna þe georne wið þære wambe fylle,
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forþan heo þa unþeawas ealle gesomnað
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þe þære saule swiðost deriað,
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þæt is druncennes and dyrnegeligere,
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ungemet wilnung ætes and slæpes;
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þa man mæg mid fæstenum
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and forhæfdnessum heonon adrifan,
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and mid cyricsocnum cealdum wederum
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eadmodlice ealluncga biddan
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heofena drihten þæt he þe hæl gife,
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milde mundbora, swa him gemet þince.
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And ondræd þu ðe dihle wisan,
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nearwe geþancas, þe on niht becumað,
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synlustas foroft swiðe fremman
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earfoðlice, þy þu earhlice scealt
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gyltas þine swiðe bemurnan,
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har hilderinc; hefie þe ðincaþ
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synna þine. Forþam þu sylf ongyte
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þæt þu alætan scealt læne staþelas,
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eard and eþel. Uncuð bið þe þænne
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tohwan þe þin drihten gedon wille,
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þænne þu lengc ne most lifes brucan,
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eardes on eþle, swa þu ær dydest,
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blissum hremi. Nu þu ðe beorgan scealt,
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and wið feonda gehwæne fæste healdan
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sauwle þine; a hi winnað
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embe þæt
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dæges and nihtes ongean drihtnes lif.
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þu miht hy gefleman, gif þu filian wilt
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larum minum, swa ic lære þe
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digollice þæt þu on dægred oft
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ymbe þinre sauwle ræd swiðe smeage,
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hu þu þæt ece leoht æfre begytan mæge,
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siðe gesecan; þu scealt glædlice swiðe swincan
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wið þæs uplican eþelrices
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dæges and nihtes, þu scealt druncen fleon
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and þa oferfylle ealle forlætan.
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Gif þu wilt þa upplican eardwic ceosan,
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þænne scealt þu hit on eorðan ær geþencan,
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and þu þe sylfne swiðe gebindan
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and þa unþeawas ealle forlætan
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þe þu on þis life ær lufedest and feddest.
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.