Exodus

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 590 sections

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Hwæt! We feor and neah gefrigen habað
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ofer middangeard Moyses domas,
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wræclico wordriht, wera cneorissum,--
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in uprodor eadigra gehwam
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æfter bealusiðe bote lifes,
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lifigendra gehwam langsumne ræd,--
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hæleðum secgan. Gehyre se ðe wille!
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þone on westenne weroda drihten,
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soðfæst cyning, mid his sylfes miht
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gewyrðode, and him wundra fela,
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ece alwalda, in æht forgeaf.
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He wæs leof gode, leoda aldor,
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horsc and hreðergleaw, herges wisa,
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freom folctoga. Faraones cyn,
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godes andsacan, gyrdwite band,
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þær him gesealde sigora waldend,
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modgum magoræswan, his maga feorh,
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onwist eðles, Abrahames sunum.
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Heah wæs þæt handlean and him hold frea,
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gesealde wæpna geweald wið wraðra gryre,
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ofercom mid þy campe cneomaga fela,
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feonda folcriht. ða wæs forma sið
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þæt hine weroda god wordum nægde,
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þær he him gesægde soðwundra fela,
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hu þas woruld worhte witig drihten,
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eorðan ymbhwyrft and uprodor,
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gesette sigerice, and his sylfes naman,
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ðone yldo bearn ær ne cuðon,
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frod fædera cyn, þeah hie fela wiston.
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Hæfde he þa geswiðed soðum cræftum
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and gewurðodne werodes aldor,
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Faraones feond, on forðwegas.
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þa wæs ingere ealdum witum
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deaðe gedrenced drihtfolca mæst;
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hordwearda hryre heaf wæs geniwad,
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swæfon seledreamas, since berofene.
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Hæfde mansceaðan æt middere niht
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frecne gefylled, frumbearna fela,
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abrocene burhweardas. Bana wide scrað,
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lað leodhata, land drysmyde
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deadra hræwum, dugoð forð gewat,
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wop wæs wide, worulddreama lyt.
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Wæron hleahtorsmiðum handa belocene,
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alyfed laðsið leode gretan;
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folc ferende, feond wæs bereafod,
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hergas on helle. Heofung þider becom,
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druron deofolgyld. Dæg wæs mære
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ofer middangeard þa seo mengeo for.
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Swa þæs fæsten dreah fela missera,
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ealdwerige, Egypta folc,
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þæs þe hie wideferð wyrnan þohton
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Moyses magum, gif hie metod lete,
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on langne lust leofes siðes.
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Fyrd wæs gefysed, from se ðe lædde,
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modig magoræswa, mægburh heora.
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Oferfor he mid þy folce fæstena worn,
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land and leodweard laðra manna,
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enge anpaðas, uncuð gelad,
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oðþæt hie on Guðmyrce gearwe bæron,
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(wæron land heora lyfthelme beþeaht),
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mearchofu morheald. Moyses ofer þa,
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fela meoringa, fyrde gelædde.
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Heht þa ymb twa niht tirfæste hæleð,
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siððan hie feondum oðfaren hæfdon,
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ymbwicigean werodes bearhtme
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mid ælfere æthanes byrig,
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mægnes mæste mearclandum on.
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Nearwe genyddon on norðwegas,
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wiston him be suðan Sigelwara land,
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forbærned burhhleoðu, brune leode,
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hatum heofoncolum. þær halig god
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wið færbryne folc gescylde,
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bælce oferbrædde byrnendne heofon,
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halgan nette hatwendne lyft.
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Hæfde wederwolcen widum fæðmum
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eorðan and uprodor efne gedæled,
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lædde leodwerod, ligfyr adranc,
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hate heofontorht. Hæleð wafedon,
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drihta gedrymost. Dægsceades hleo
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wand ofer wolcnum; hæfde witig god
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sunnan siðfæt segle ofertolden,
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swa þa mæstrapas men ne cuðon,
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ne ða seglrode geseon meahton,
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eorðbuende ealle cræfte,
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hu afæstnod wæs feldhusa mæst,
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siððan he mid wuldre geweorðode
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þeodenholde. þa wæs þridda wic
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folce to frofre. Fyrd eall geseah
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hu þær hlifedon halige seglas,
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lyftwundor leoht; leode ongeton,
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dugoð Israhela, þæt þær drihten cwom
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weroda drihten, wicsteal metan.
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Him beforan foran fyr and wolcen
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in beorhtrodor, beamas twegen,
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þara æghwæðer efngedælde
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heahþegnunga haliges gastes,
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deormodra sið dagum and nihtum.
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þa ic on morgen gefrægn modes rofan
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hebban herebyman hludan stefnum,
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wuldres woman. Werod eall aras,

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.