Elene

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

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ond fram unclænum oft generede
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deofla gastum. Ge to deaþe þone
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deman ongunnon, se ðe of deaðe sylf
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woruld awehte on wera corþre
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in þæt ærre lif eowres cynnes.
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Swa ge modblinde mengan ongunnon
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lige wið soðe, leoht wið þystrum,
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æfst wið are, inwitþancum
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wroht webbedan. Eow seo wergðu forðan
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sceðþeð scyldfullum. Ge þa sciran miht
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deman ongunnon, ond gedweolan lifdon,
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þeostrum geþancum, oð þysne dæg.
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Gangaþ nu snude, snyttro geþencaþ,
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weras wisfæste, wordes cræftige,
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þa ðe eowre æ æðelum cræftige
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on ferhðsefan fyrmest hæbben,
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þa me soðlice secgan cunnon,
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ondsware cyðan for eowic forð
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tacna gehwylces þe ic him to sece."
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Eodan þa on geruman reonigmode
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eorlas æcleawe, egesan geþreade,
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gehðum geomre, georne sohton
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þa wisestan wordgeryno,
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þæt hio þære cwene oncweðan meahton
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swa tiles swa trages, swa hio him to sohte.
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Hio þa on þreate M manna
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fundon ferhðgleawra, þa þe fyrngemynd
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mid Iudeum gearwast cuðon.
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þrungon þa on þreate þær on þrymme bad
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in cynestole caseres mæg,
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geatolic guðcwen golde gehyrsted.
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Elene maþelode ond for eorlum spræc:
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"Gehyrað, higegleawe, halige rune,
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word ond wisdom. Hwæt, ge witgena
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lare onfengon, hu se liffruma
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in cildes had cenned wurde,
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mihta wealdend. Be þam Moyses sang,
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ond þæt word gecwæð weard Israhela:
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'Eow acenned bið cniht on degle,
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mihtum mære, swa þæs modor ne bið
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wæstmum geeacnod þurh weres frige.'
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Be ðam Dauid cyning dryhtleoð agol,
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frod fyrnweota, fæder Salomones,
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ond þæt word gecwæþ wigona baldor:
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'Ic frumþa god fore sceawode,
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sigora dryhten. He on gesyhðe wæs,
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mægena wealdend, min on þa swiðran,
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þrymmes hyrde. þanon ic ne wende
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æfre to aldre onsion mine.'
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Swa hit eft be eow Essaias,
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witga for weorodum, wordum mælde,
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deophycggende þurh dryhtnes gast:
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'Ic up ahof eaforan gingne
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ond bearn cende, þam ic blæd forgeaf,
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halige higefrofre, ac hie hyrwdon me,
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feodon þurh feondscipe, nahton foreþances,
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wisdomes gewitt; ond þa weregan neat,
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þe man daga gehwam drifeð ond þirsceð,
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ongitaþ hira goddend, nales gnyrnwræcum
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feogað frynd hiera þe him fodder gifað,
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ond me Israhela æfre ne woldon
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folc oncnawan, þeah ic feala for him
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æfter woruldstundum wundra gefremede.'
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Hwæt, we þæt gehyrdon þurh halige bec
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þæt eow dryhten geaf dom unscyndne,
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meotod mihta sped, Moyse sægde
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hu ge heofoncyninge hyran sceoldon,
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lare læstan. Eow þæs lungre aþreat,
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ond ge þam ryhte wiðroten hæfdon,
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onscunedon þone sciran scippend eallra,
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dryhtna dryhten, ond gedwolan fylgdon
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ofer riht godes. Nu ge raþe gangaþ
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ond findaþ gen þa þe fyrngewritu
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þurh snyttro cræft selest cunnen,
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æriht eower, þæt me ondsware
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þurh sidne sefan secgan cunnen."
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Eodan ða mid mengo modcwanige,
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collenferhðe, swa him sio cwen bead.
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Fundon þa D forþsnottera
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alesen leodmæga, þa ðe leornungcræft
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þurh modgemynd mæste hæfdon,
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on sefan snyttro. Heo to salore eft
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ymb lytel fæc laðode wæron,
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ceastre weardas. Hio sio cwen ongan
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wordum genegan, (wlat ofer ealle):
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"Oft ge dyslice dæd gefremedon,
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werge wræcmæcggas, ond gewritu herwdon,
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fædera lare, næfre furður þonne nu,
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ða ge blindnesse bote forsegon,
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ond ge wiðsocon soðe ond rihte,
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þæt in Bethleme bearn wealdendes,
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cyning anboren, cenned wære,
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æðelinga ord. þeah ge þa æ cuðon,
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witgena word, ge ne woldon þa,
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synwyrcende, soð oncnawan."
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Hie þa anmode ondsweredon:
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"Hwæt, we Ebreisce æ leornedon,
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þa on fyrndagum fæderas cuðon
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æt godes earce, ne we geare cunnon
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þurh hwæt ðu ðus hearde, hlæfdige, us

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.