Elene

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

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eorre wurde. We ðæt æbylgð nyton
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þe we gefremedon on þysse folcscere,
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þeodenbealwa, wið þec æfre."
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Elene maðelade ond for eorlum spræc,
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undearninga ides reordode
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hlude for herigum: "Ge nu hraðe gangað,
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sundor asecaþ þa ðe snyttro mid eow,
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mægn ond modcræft, mæste hæbben,
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þæt me þinga gehwylc þriste gecyðan,
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untraglice, þe ic him to sece."
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Eodon þa fram rune, swa him sio rice cwen,
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bald in burgum, beboden hæfde,
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geomormode, georne smeadon,
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sohton searoþancum, hwæt sio syn wære
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þe hie on þam folce gefremed hæfdon
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wið þam casere, þe him sio cwen wite.
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þa þær for eorlum an reordode,
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gidda gearosnotor, (ðam wæs Iudas nama,
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wordes cræftig): "Ic wat geare
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þæt hio wile secan be ðam sigebeame
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on ðam þrowode þeoda waldend,
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eallra gnyrna leas, godes agen bearn,
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þone orscyldne eofota gehwylces
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þurh hete hengon on heanne beam
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in fyrndagum fæderas usse.
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þæt wæs þrealic geþoht! Nu is þearf mycel
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þæt we fæstlice ferhð staðelien,
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þæt we ðæs morðres meldan ne weorðen
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hwær þæt halige trio beheled wurde
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æfter wigþræce, þy læs toworpen sien
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frod fyrngewritu ond þa fæderlican
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lare forleten. Ne bið lang ofer ðæt
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þæt Israhela æðelu moten
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ofer middangeard ma ricsian,
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æcræft eorla, gif ðis yppe bið,
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swa þa þæt ilce gio min yldra fæder
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sigerof sægde, (þam wæs Sachius nama),
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frod fyrnwiota, fæder minum,
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eaferan,
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wende hine of worulde ond þæt word gecwæð:
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'Gif þe þæt gelimpe on lifdagum
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þæt ðu gehyre ymb þæt halige treo
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frode frignan, ond geflitu ræran
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be ðam sigebeame on þam soðcyning
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ahangen wæs, heofonrices weard,
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eallre sybbe bearn, þonne þu snude gecyð,
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min swæs sunu, ær þec swylt nime.
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Ne mæg æfre ofer þæt Ebrea þeod
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rædþeahtende rice healdan,
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duguðum wealdan, ac þara dom leofað
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ond hira dryhtscipe,
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in woruld weorulda willum gefylled,
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ðe þone ahangnan cyning heriaþ ond lofiað.'
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þa ic fromlice fæder minum,
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ealdum æwitan, ageaf ondsware:
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'Hu wolde þæt geweorðan on woruldrice
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þæt on þone halgan handa sendan
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to feorhlege fæderas usse
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þurh wrað gewitt, gif hie wiston ær
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þæt he Crist wære, cyning on roderum,
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soð sunu meotudes, sawla nergend?'
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ða me yldra min ageaf ondsware,
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frod on fyrhðe fæder reordode:
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'Ongit, guma ginga, godes heahmægen,
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nergendes naman. Se is niða gehwam
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unasecgendlic, þone sylf ne mæg
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on moldwege man aspyrigean.
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Næfre ic þa geþeahte þe þeos þeod ongan
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secan wolde, ac ic symle mec
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asced þara scylda, nales sceame worhte
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gaste minum. Ic him georne oft
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þæs unrihtes ondsæc fremede,
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þonne uðweotan æht bisæton,
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on sefan sohton hu hie sunu meotudes
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ahengon, helm wera, hlaford eallra
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engla ond elda, æðelust bearna.
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Ne meahton hie swa disige deað oðfæstan,
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weras wonsælige, swa hie wendon ær,
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sarum settan, þeah he sume hwile
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on galgan his gast onsende,
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sigebearn godes. þa siððan wæs
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of rode ahæfen rodera wealdend,
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eallra þrymma þrym, þreo niht siððan
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in byrgenne bidende wæs
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under þeosterlocan, ond þa þy þriddan dæg
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ealles leohtes leoht lifgende aras,
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ðeoden engla, ond his þegnum hine,
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soð sigora frea, seolfne geywde,
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beorht on blæde. þonne broðor þin
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onfeng æfter fyrste fulwihtes bæð,
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leohtne geleafan. þa for lufan dryhtnes
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Stephanus wæs stanum worpod;
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ne geald he yfel yfele, ac his ealdfeondum
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þingode þrohtherd, bæd þrymcyning
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þæt he him þa weadæd to wræce ne sette,
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þæt hie for æfstum unscyldigne,
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synna leasne, Sawles larum
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feore beræddon, swa he þurh feondscipe
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to cwale monige Cristes folces
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demde to deaþe. Swa þeah him dryhten eft

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.