Elene

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

800
a butan ende ecra gestealda."
801
ða of ðære stowe steam up aras
802
swylce rec under radorum. þær aræred wearð
803
beornes breostsefa. He mid bæm handum,
804
eadig ond ægleaw, upweard plegade.
805
Iudas maþelode, gleaw in geþance:
806
"Nu ic þurh soð hafu seolf gecnawen
807
on heardum hige þæt ðu hælend eart
808
middangeardes. Sie ðe, mægena god,
809
þrymsittendum þanc butan ende,
810
þæs ðu me swa meðum ond swa manweorcum
811
þurh þin wuldor inwrige wyrda geryno.
812
Nu ic þe, bearn godes, biddan wille,
813
weoroda willgifa, nu ic wat þæt ðu eart
814
gecyðed ond acenned allra cyninga þrym,
815
þæt ðu ma ne sie minra gylta,
816
þara þe ic gefremede nalles feam siðum,
817
metud, gemyndig. Læt mec, mihta god,
818
on rimtale rices þines
819
mid haligra hlyte wunigan
820
in þære beorhtan byrig, þær is broðor min
821
geweorðod in wuldre, þæs he wære wið þec,
822
Stephanus, heold, þeah he stangreopum
823
worpod wære. He hafað wigges lean,
824
blæd butan blinne. Sint in bocum his
825
wundor þa he worhte on gewritum cyðed."
826
Ongan þa wilfægen æfter þam wuldres treo,
827
elnes anhydig, eorðan delfan
828
under turfhagan, þæt he on XX
829
fotmælum feor funde behelede,
830
under neolum niðer næsse gehydde
831
in þeostorcofan. He ðær III mette
832
in þam reonian hofe roda ætsomne,
833
greote begrauene, swa hio geardagum
834
arleasra sceolu eorðan beþeahton,
835
Iudea cynn. Hie wið godes bearne
836
nið ahofun, swa hie no sceoldon,
837
þær hie leahtra fruman larum ne hyrdon.
838
þa wæs modgemynd myclum geblissod,
839
hige onhyrded, þurh þæt halige treo,
840
inbryrded breostsefa, syððan beacen geseh,
841
halig under hrusan. He mid handum befeng
842
wuldres wynbeam, ond mid weorode ahof
843
of foldgræfe. Feðegestas
844
eodon, æðelingas, in on þa ceastre.
845
Asetton þa on gesyhðe sigebeamas III
846
eorlas anhydige fore Elenan cneo,
847
collenferhðe. Cwen weorces gefeah
848
on ferhðsefan, ond þa frignan ongan
849
on hwylcum þara beama bearn wealdendes,
850
hæleða hyhtgifa, hangen wære:
851
"Hwæt, we þæt hyrdon þurh halige bec
852
tacnum cyðan, þæt twegen mid him
853
geþrowedon, ond he wæs þridda sylf
854
on rode treo. Rodor eal geswearc
855
on þa sliðan tid. Saga, gif ðu cunne,
856
on hwylcre þyssa þreora þeoden engla
857
geþrowode, þrymmes hyrde."
858
Ne meahte hire Iudas, ne ful gere wiste,
859
sweotole gecyþan be ðam sigebeame,
860
on hwylcne se hælend ahafen wære,
861
sigebearn godes, ær he asettan heht
862
on þone middel þære mæran byrig
863
beamas mid bearhtme, ond gebidan þær
864
oððæt him gecyðde cyning ælmihtig
865
wundor for weorodum be ðam wuldres treo.
866
Gesæton sigerofe, sang ahofon,
867
rædþeahtende, ymb þa roda þreo
868
oð þa nigoðan tid, hæfdon neowne gefean
869
mærðum gemeted. þa þær menigo cwom,
870
folc unlytel, ond gefærenne man
871
brohton on bære beorna þreate
872
on neaweste, (wæs þa nigoðe tid),
873
gingne gastleasne. þa ðær Iudas wæs
874
on modsefan miclum geblissod.
875
Heht þa asettan sawlleasne,
876
life belidenes lic on eorðan,
877
unlifgendes, ond up ahof
878
rihtes wemend þara roda twa
879
fyrhðgleaw on fæðme ofer þæt fæge hus,
880
deophycgende. Hit wæs dead swa ær,
881
lic legere fæst. Leomu colodon
882
þreanedum beþeaht. þa sio þridde wæs
883
ahafen halig. Hra wæs on anbide
884
oððæt him uppan æðelinges wæs
885
rod aræred, rodorcyninges beam,
886
sigebeacen soð. He sona aras
887
gaste gegearwod, geador bu samod
888
lic ond sawl. þær wæs lof hafen
889
fæger mid þy folce. Fæder weorðodon,
890
ond þone soðan sunu wealdendes
891
wordum heredon. Sie him wuldor ond þanc
892
a butan ende eallra gesceafta!
893
ða wæs þam folce on ferhðsefan,
894
ingemynde, swa him a scyle,
895
wundor þa þe worhte weoroda dryhten
896
to feorhnere fira cynne,
897
lifes lattiow. þa þær ligesynnig
898
on lyft astah lacende feond.
899
Ongan þa hleoðrian helledeofol,

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.