Elene

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

900
eatol æclæca, yfela gemyndig:
901
"Hwæt is þis, la, manna, þe minne eft
902
þurh fyrngeflit folgaþ wyrdeð,
903
iceð ealdne nið, æhta strudeð?
904
þis is singal sacu. Sawla ne moton
905
manfremmende in minum leng
906
æhtum wunigan. Nu cwom elþeodig,
907
þone ic ær on firenum fæstne talde,
908
hafað mec bereafod rihta gehwylces,
909
feohgestreona. Nis ðæt fæger sið.
910
Feala me se hælend hearma gefremede,
911
niða nearolicra, se ðe in Nazareð
912
afeded wæs. Syððan furþum weox
913
of cildhade, symle cirde to him
914
æhte mine. Ne mot ænige nu
915
rihte spowan. Is his rice brad
916
ofer middangeard. Min is geswiðrod
917
ræd under roderum. Ic þa rode ne þearf
918
hleahtre herigean. Hwæt, se hælend me
919
in þam engan ham oft getynde,
920
geomrum to sorge! Ic þurh Iudas ær
921
hyhtful gewearð, ond nu gehyned eom,
922
goda geasne, þurh Iudas eft,
923
fah ond freondleas. Gen ic findan can
924
þurh wrohtstafas wiðercyr siððan
925
of ðam wearhtreafum, ic awecce wið ðe
926
oðerne cyning, se ehteð þin,
927
ond he forlæteð lare þine
928
ond manþeawum minum folgaþ,
929
ond þec þonne sendeð in þa sweartestan
930
ond þa wyrrestan witebrogan,
931
þæt ðu, sarum forsoht, wiðsæcest fæste
932
þone ahangnan cyning, þam ðu hyrdest ær."
933
Him ða gleawhydig Iudas oncwæð,
934
hæleð hildedeor, (him wæs halig gast
935
befolen fæste, fyrhat lufu,
936
weallende gewitt þurh witgan snyttro),
937
ond þæt word gecwæð, wisdomes ful:
938
"Ne þearft ðu swa swiðe, synna gemyndig,
939
sar niwigan ond sæce ræran,
940
morðres manfrea, þæt þe se mihtiga cyning
941
in neolnesse nyðer bescufeð,
942
synwyrcende, in susla grund
943
domes leasne, se ðe deadra feala
944
worde awehte. Wite ðu þe gearwor
945
þæt ðu unsnyttrum anforlete
946
leohta beorhtost ond lufan dryhtnes,
947
þone fægran gefean, ond on fyrbæðe
948
suslum beþrungen syððan wunodest,
949
ade onæled, ond þær awa scealt,
950
wiðerhycgende, wergðu dreogan,
951
yrmðu butan ende." Elene gehyrde
952
hu se feond ond se freond geflitu rærdon,
953
tireadig ond trag, on twa halfa,
954
synnig ond gesælig. Sefa wæs þe glædra
955
þæs þe heo gehyrde þone hellesceaþan
956
oferswiðedne, synna bryttan,
957
ond þa wundrade ymb þæs weres snyttro,
958
hu he swa geleafful on swa lytlum fæce
959
ond swa uncyðig æfre wurde,
960
gleawnesse þurhgoten. Gode þancode,
961
wuldorcyninge, þæs hire se willa gelamp
962
þurh bearn godes bega gehwæðres,
963
ge æt þære gesyhðe þæs sigebeames,
964
ge ðæs geleafan þe hio swa leohte oncneow,
965
wuldorfæste gife in þæs weres breostum.
966
ða wæs gefrege in þære folcsceare,
967
geond þa werþeode wide læded,
968
mære morgenspel manigum on andan
969
þara þe dryhtnes æ dyrnan woldon,
970
boden æfter burgum, swa brimo fæðmeð,
971
in ceastra gehwære, þæt Cristes rod,
972
fyrn foldan begræfen, funden wære,
973
selest sigebeacna þara þe sið oððe ær
974
halig under heofenum ahafen wurde,
975
ond wæs Iudeum gnornsorga mæst,
976
werum wansæligum, wyrda laðost,
977
þær hie hit for worulde wendan meahton,
978
cristenra gefean. ða sio cwen bebead
979
ofer eorlmægen aras fysan
980
ricene to rade. Sceoldon Romwarena
981
ofer heanne holm hlaford secean
982
ond þam wiggende wilspella mæst
983
seolfum gesecgan, þæt ðæt sigorbeacen
984
þurh meotodes est meted wære,
985
funden in foldan, þæt ær feala mæla
986
behyded wæs halgum to teonan,
987
cristenum folce. þa ðam cininge wearð
988
þurh þa mæran word mod geblissod,
989
ferhð gefeonde. Næs þa fricgendra
990
under goldhoman gad in burgum,
991
feorran geferede. Wæs him frofra mæst
992
geworden in worlde æt ðam willspelle,
993
hlihende hyge, þe him hereræswan
994
ofer eastwegas, aras brohton,
995
hu gesundne sið ofer swonrade
996
secgas mid sigecwen aseted hæfdon
997
on Creca land. Hie se casere heht
998
ofstum myclum eft gearwian
999
sylfe to siðe. Secgas ne gældon

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.