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Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 1,322 sections

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þa wæs agangen geara hwyrftum
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tu hund ond þreo geteled rimes,
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swylce XXX eac, þinggemearces,
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wintra for worulde, þæs þe wealdend god
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acenned wearð, cyninga wuldor,
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in middangeard þurh mennisc heo,
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soðfæstra leoht. þa wæs syxte gear
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Constantines caserdomes,
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þæt he Romwara in rice wearð
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ahæfen, hildfruma, to hereteman.
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Wæs se leodhwata lindgeborga
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eorlum arfæst. æðelinges weox
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rice under roderum. He wæs riht cyning,
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guðweard gumena. Hine god trymede
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mærðum ond mihtum, þæt he manegum wearð
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geond middangeard mannum to hroðer,
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werþeodum to wræce, syððan wæpen ahof
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wið hetendum. Him wæs hild boden,
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wiges woma. Werod samnodan
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Huna leode ond Hreðgotan,
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foron fyrdhwate Francan ond Hugas.
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Wæron hwate weras,
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gearwe to guðe. Garas lixtan,
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wriðene wælhlencan. Wordum ond bordum
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hofon herecombol. þa wæron heardingas
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sweotole gesamnod ond eal sib geador.
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For folca gedryht. Fyrdleoð agol
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wulf on wealde, wælrune ne mað.
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Urigfeðera earn sang ahof,
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laðum on laste. Lungre scynde
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ofer burg enta beaduþreata mæst,
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hergum to hilde, swylce Huna cyning
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ymbsittendra awer meahte
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abannan to beadwe burgwigendra.
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For fyrda mæst. Feðan trymedon
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eoredcestum, þæt on ælfylce
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deareðlacende on Danubie,
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stærcedfyrhðe, stæðe wicedon
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ymb þæs wæteres wylm. Werodes breahtme
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woldon Romwara rice geþringan,
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hergum ahyðan. þær wearð Huna cyme
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cuð ceasterwarum. þa se casere heht
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ongean gramum guðgelæcan
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under earhfære ofstum myclum
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bannan to beadwe, beran ut þræce
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rincas under roderum. Wæron Romware,
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secgas sigerofe, sona gegearwod
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wæpnum to wigge, þeah hie werod læsse
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hæfdon to hilde þonne Huna cining;
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ridon ymb rofne, þonne rand dynede,
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campwudu clynede, cyning þreate for,
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herge to hilde. Hrefen uppe gol,
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wan ond wælfel. Werod wæs on tyhte.
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Hleopon hornboran, hreopan friccan,
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mearh moldan træd. Mægen samnode,
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cafe to cease. Cyning wæs afyrhted,
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egsan geaclad, siððan elþeodige,
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Huna ond Hreða here sceawede,
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ðæt he on Romwara rices ende
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ymb þæs wæteres stæð werod samnode,
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mægen unrime. Modsorge wæg
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Romwara cyning, rices ne wende
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for werodleste, hæfde wigena to lyt,
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eaxlgestealna wið ofermægene,
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hrora to hilde. Here wicode,
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eorlas ymb æðeling, egstreame neah
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on neaweste nihtlangne fyrst,
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þæs þe hie feonda gefær fyrmest gesægon.
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þa wearð on slæpe sylfum ætywed
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þam casere, þær he on corðre swæf,
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sigerofum gesegen swefnes woma.
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þuhte him wlitescyne on weres hade
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hwit ond hiwbeorht hæleða nathwylc
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geywed ænlicra þonne he ær oððe sið
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gesege under swegle. He of slæpe onbrægd,
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eofurcumble beþeaht. Him se ar hraðe,
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wlitig wuldres boda, wið þingode
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ond be naman nemde, (nihthelm toglad):
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"Constantinus, heht þe cyning engla,
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wyrda wealdend, wære beodan,
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duguða dryhten. Ne ondræd þu ðe,
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ðeah þe elþeodige egesan hwopan,
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heardre hilde. þu to heofenum beseoh
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on wuldres weard, þær ðu wraðe findest,
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sigores tacen." He wæs sona gearu
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þurh þæs halgan hæs, hreðerlocan onspeon,
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up locade, swa him se ar abead,
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fæle friðowebba. Geseah he frætwum beorht
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wliti wuldres treo ofer wolcna hrof,
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golde geglenged, (gimmas lixtan);
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wæs se blaca beam bocstafum awriten,
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beorhte ond leohte: "Mid þys beacne ðu
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on þam frecnan fære feond oferswiðesð,
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geletest lað werod." þa þæt leoht gewat,
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up siðode, ond se ar somed,
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on clænra gemang. Cyning wæs þy bliðra
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ond þe sorgleasra, secga aldor,
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on fyrhðsefan, þurh þa fægeran gesyhð.
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Heht þa onlice æðelinga hleo,
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beorna beaggifa, swa he þæt beacen geseah,

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.