Andreas

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 1,722 sections

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Hwæt! We gefrunan on fyrndagum
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twelfe under tunglum tireadige hæleð,
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þeodnes þegnas. No hira þrym alæg
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camprædenne þonne cumbol hneotan,
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syððan hie gedældon, swa him dryhten sylf,
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heofona heahcyning, hlyt getæhte.
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þæt wæron mære men ofer eorðan,
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frome folctogan ond fyrdhwate,
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rofe rincas, þonne rond ond hand
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on herefelda helm ealgodon,
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on meotudwange. Wæs hira Matheus sum,
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se mid Iudeum ongan godspell ærest
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wordum writan wundorcræfte.
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þam halig god hlyt geteode
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ut on þæt igland þær ænig þa git
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ellþeodigra eðles ne mihte
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blædes brucan. Oft him bonena hand
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on herefelda hearde gesceode.
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Eal wæs þæt mearcland morðre bewunden,
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feondes facne, folcstede gumena,
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hæleða eðel. Næs þær hlafes wist
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werum on þam wonge, ne wæteres drync
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to bruconne, ah hie blod ond fel,
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fira flæschoman, feorrancumenra,
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ðegon geond þa þeode. Swelc wæs þeaw hira
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þæt hie æghwylcne ellðeodigra
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dydan him to mose meteþearfendum,
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þara þe þæt ealand utan sohte.
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Swylc wæs þæs folces freoðoleas tacen,
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unlædra eafoð, þæt hie eagena gesihð,
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hettend heorogrimme, heafodgimmas
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agetton gealgmode gara ordum.
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Syððan him geblendan bitere tosomne,
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dryas þurh dwolcræft, drync unheorne,
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se onwende gewit, wera ingeþanc,
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heortan on hreðre, (hyge wæs oncyrred),
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þæt hie ne murndan æfter mandreame,
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hæleþ heorogrædige, ac hie hig ond gærs
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for meteleaste meðe gedrehte.
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þa wæs Matheus to þære mæran byrig
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cumen in þa ceastre. þær wæs cirm micel
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geond Mermedonia, manfulra hloð,
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fordenera gedræg, syþþan deofles þegnas
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geascodon æðelinges sið.
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Eodon him þa togenes, garum gehyrsted,
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lungre under linde, (nalas late wæron),
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eorre æscberend, to þam orlege.
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Hie þam halgan þær handa gebundon
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ond fæstnodon feondes cræfte,
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hæleð hellfuse, ond his heafdes segl
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abreoton mid billes ecge. Hwæðre he in breostum þa git
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herede in heortan heofonrices weard,
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þeah ðe he atres drync atulne onfenge.
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Eadig ond onmod, he mid elne forð
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wyrðode wordum wuldres aldor,
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heofonrices weard, halgan stefne,
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of carcerne. Him wæs Cristes lof
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on fyrhðlocan fæste bewunden.
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He þa wepende weregum tearum
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his sigedryhten sargan reorde
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grette, gumena brego, geomran stefne,
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weoruda wilgeofan, ond þus wordum cwæð:
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"Hu me elþeodige inwitwrasne
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searonet seowað! A ic symles wæs
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on wega gehwam willan þines
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georn on mode; nu ðurh geohða sceal
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dæde fremman swa þa dumban neat.
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þu ana canst ealra gehygdo,
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meotud mancynnes, mod in hreðre.
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Gif þin willa sie, wuldres aldor,
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þæt me wærlogan wæpna ecgum,
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sweordum, aswebban, ic beo sona gearu
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to adreoganne þæt ðu, drihten min,
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engla eadgifa, eðelleasum,
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dugeða dædfruma, deman wille.
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Forgif me to are, ælmihtig god,
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leoht on þissum life, þy læs ic lungre scyle,
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ablended in burgum, æfter billhete
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þurh hearmcwide heorugrædigra,
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laðra leodsceaðena, leng þrowian
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edwitspræce. Ic to anum þe,
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middangeardes weard, mod staþolige,
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fæste fyrhðlufan, ond þe, fæder engla,
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beorht blædgifa, biddan wille
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ðæt ðu me ne gescyrige mid scyldhetum,
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werigum wrohtsmiðum, on þone wyrrestan,
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dugoða demend, deað ofer eorðan."
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æfter þyssum wordum com wuldres tacen
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halig of heofenum, swylce hadre segl
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to þam carcerne. þær gecyðed wearð
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þæt halig god helpe gefremede,
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ða wearð gehyred heofoncyninges stefn
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wrætlic under wolcnum, wordhleoðres sweg
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mæres þeodnes. He his maguþegne
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under hearmlocan hælo ond frofre
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beadurofum abead beorhtan stefne:
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"Ic þe, Matheus, mine sylle sybbe
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under swegle. Ne beo ðu on sefan to forht,
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ne on mode ne murn. Ic þe mid wunige
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ond þe alyse of þyssum leoðubendum,

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.