Andreas

"Næfre ic geferde mid frean willan

under heofonhwealfe heardran drohtnoð,

þær ic dryhtnes æ deman sceolde.

Sint me leoðu tolocen, lic sare gebrocen,

banhus blodfag, benne weallað,

seonodolg swatige. Hwæt, ðu sigora weard,

dryhten hælend, on dæges tide

mid Iudeum geomor wurde

ða ðu of gealgan, god lifigende,

fyrnweorca frea, to fæder cleopodest,

cininga wuldor, ond cwæde ðus:

'Ic ðe, fæder engla, frignan wille,

lifes leohtfruma, hwæt forlætest ðu me?'

Ond ic nu þry dagas þolian sceolde

wælgrim witu. Bidde ic, weoroda god,

þæt ic gast minne agifan mote,

sawla symbelgifa, on þines sylfes hand.

ðu ðæt gehete þurh þin halig word,

þa ðu us twelfe trymman ongunne,

þæt us heterofra hild ne gesceode,

ne lices dæl lungre oððeoded,

ne synu ne ban on swaðe lagon,

ne loc of heafde to forlore wurde,

gif we þine lare læstan woldon.

Nu sint sionwe toslopen, is min swat adropen,

licgað æfter lande loccas todrifene,

fex on foldan. Is me feorhgedal

leofre mycle þonne þeos lifcearo."

Him þa stefn oncwæð, stiðhycgendum,

wuldorcyninges word hloðrode:

"Ne wep þone wræcsið, wine leofesta,

nis þe to frecne. Ic þe friðe healde,

minre mundbyrde mægene besette.

Me is miht ofer eall,

sigorsped geseald. Soð þæt gecyðeð

mænig æt meðle on þam myclan dæge,

þæt ðæt geweorðeð, þæt ðeos wlitige gesceaft,

heofon ond eorðe, hreosaþ togadore,

ær awæged sie worda ænig

þe ic þurh minne muð meðlan onginne.

Geseoh nu seolfes swæðe, swa þin swat aget

þurh bangebrec blodige stige,

lices lælan. No þe laðes ma

þurh daroða gedrep gedon motan,

þa þe heardra mæst hearma gefremedan."

þa on last beseah leoflic cempa

æfter wordcwidum wuldorcyninges.

Geseh he geblowene bearwas standan

blædum gehrodene, swa he ær his blod aget.

ða worde cwæð wigendra hleo:

"Sie ðe ðanc ond lof, þeoda waldend,

to widan feore wuldor on heofonum,

ðæs ðu me on sare, sigedryhten min,

ellþeodigne, an ne forlæte."

Swa se dædfruma dryhten herede

halgan stefne oððæt hador sægl

wuldortorht gewat under waðu scriðan.

þa þa folctogan feorðan siðe,

egle ondsacan, æðeling læddon

to þam carcerne, woldon cræfta gehygd,

magorædendes mod oncyrran

on þære deorcan niht. þa com dryhten god

in þæt hlinræced, hæleða wuldor,

ond þa wine synne wordum grette

ond frofre gecwæð, fæder manncynnes,

lifes lareow, heht his lichoman

hales brucan: "Ne scealt ðu in henðum a leng

searohæbbendra sar þrowian."

Aras þa mægene rof, sægde meotude þanc,

hal of hæfte heardra wita.

Næs him gewemmed wlite, ne wloh of hrægle

lungre alysed, ne loc of heafde,

ne ban gebrocen, ne blodig wund

lice gelenge, ne laðes dæl,

þurh dolgslege dreore bestemed,

ac wæs eft swa ær þurh þa æðelan miht

lof lædende, ond on his lice trum.

Hwæt, ic hwile nu haliges lare,

leoðgiddinga, lof þæs þe worhte,

wordum wemde, wyrd undyrne

ofer min gemet. Mycel is to secganne,

langsum leornung, þæt he in life adreag,

eall æfter orde. þæt scell æglæwra

mann on moldan þonne ic me tælige

findan on ferðe, þæt fram fruman cunne

eall þa earfeðo þe he mid elne adreah,

grimra guða. Hwæðre git sceolon

lytlum sticcum leoðworda dæl

furður reccan. þæt is fyrnsægen,

hu he weorna feala wita geðolode,

heardra hilda, in þære hæðenan byrig.

He be wealle geseah wundrum fæste

under sælwage sweras unlytle,

stapulas standan, storme bedrifene,

eald enta geweorc. He wið anne þæra,

mihtig ond modrof, mæðel gehede,

wis, wundrum gleaw, word stunde ahof:

"Geher ðu, marmanstan, meotudes rædum,

fore þæs onsyne ealle gesceafte

forhte geweorðað, þonne hie fæder geseoð