Exodus

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 590 sections

200
atol æfenleoð, egesan stodon,
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weredon wælnet, þa se woma cwom.
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Flugon frecne spel, feond wæs anmod,
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werud wæs wigblac, oðþæt wlance forsceaf
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mihtig engel, se ða menigeo beheold,
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þæt þær gelaðe mid him leng ne mihton
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geseon tosomne; sið wæs gedæled.
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Hæfde nydfara nihtlangne fyrst,
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þeah ðe him on healfa gehwam hettend seomedon,
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mægen oððe merestream; nahton maran hwyrft.
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Wæron orwenan eðelrihtes,
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sæton æfter beorgum in blacum reafum,
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wean on wenum; wæccende bad
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eall seo sibgedriht somod ætgædere
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maran mægenes, oð Moyses bebead
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eorlas on uhttid ærnum bemum
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folc somnigean, frecan arisan,
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habban heora hlencan, hycgan on ellen,
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beran beorht searo, beacnum cigean
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sweot sande near. Snelle gemundon
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weardas wigleoð, werod wæs gefysed,
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brudon ofer burgum, (byman gehyrdon),
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flotan feldhusum, fyrd wæs on ofste.
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Siððan hie getealdon wið þam teonhete
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on þam forðherge feðan twelfe
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moderofra; mægen wæs onhrered.
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Wæs on anra gehwam æðelan cynnes
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alesen under lindum leoda duguðe
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on folcgetæl fiftig cista;
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hæfde cista gehwilc cuðes werodes
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garberendra, guðfremmendra,
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X hund geteled, tireadigra.
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þæt wæs wiglic werod; wace ne gretton
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in þæt rincgetæl ræswan herges,
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þa þe for geoguðe gyt ne mihton
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under bordhreoðan breostnet wera
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wið flane feond folmum werigean,
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ne him bealubenne gebiden hæfdon
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ofer linde lærig, licwunde swor,
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gylpplegan gares. Gamele ne moston,
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hare heaðorincas, hilde onþeon,
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gif him modheapum mægen swiðrade,
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ac hie be wæstmum on wig curon,
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hu in leodscipe læstan wolde
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mod mid aran, eac þan mægnes cræft,
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garbeames feng.
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þa wæs handrofra here ætgædere,
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fus forðwegas. Fana up gerad,
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beama beorhtost; bidon ealle þa gen
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hwonne siðboda sæstreamum neah
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leoht ofer lindum lyftedoras bræc.
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Ahleop þa for hæleðum hildecalla,
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bald beohata, bord up ahof,
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heht þa folctogan fyrde gestillan,
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þenden modiges meðel monige gehyrdon.
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Wolde reordigean rices hyrde
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ofer hereciste halgan stefne,
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werodes wisa wurðmyndum spræc:
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"Ne beoð ge þy forhtran, þeah þe Faraon brohte
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sweordwigendra side hergas,
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eorla unrim! Him eallum wile
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mihtig drihten þurh mine hand
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to dæge þissum dædlean gyfan,
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þæt hie lifigende leng ne moton
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ægnian mid yrmðum Israhela cyn.
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Ne willað eow andrædan deade feðan,
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fæge ferhðlocan, fyrst is æt ende
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lænes lifes. Eow is lar godes
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abroden of breostum. Ic on beteran ræd,
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þæt ge gewurðien wuldres aldor,
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and eow liffrean lissa bidde,
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sigora gesynto, þær ge siðien.
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þis is se ecea Abrahames god,
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frumsceafta frea, se ðas fyrd wereð,
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modig and mægenrof, mid þære miclan hand."
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Hof ða for hergum hlude stefne
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lifigendra leod, þa he to leodum spræc:
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"Hwæt, ge nu eagum to on lociað,
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folca leofost, færwundra sum,
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hu ic sylfa sloh and þeos swiðre hand
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grene tacne garsecges deop.
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Yð up færeð, ofstum wyrceð
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wæter wealfæsten. Wegas syndon dryge,
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haswe herestræta, holm gerymed,
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ealde staðolas, þa ic ær ne gefrægn
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ofer middangeard men geferan,
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fage feldas, þa forð heonon
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in ece tid yðe þeahton,
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sælde sægrundas. Suðwind fornam
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bæðweges blæst, brim is areafod,
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sand sæcir spaw. Ic wat soð gere
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þæt eow mihtig god miltse gecyðde,
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eorlas ærglade. Ofest is selost
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þæt ge of feonda fæðme weorðen,
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nu se agend up arærde
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reade streamas in randgebeorh.
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Syndon þa foreweallas fægre gestepte,
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wrætlicu wægfaru, oð wolcna hrof."
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æfter þam wordum werod eall aras,
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modigra mægen. Mere stille bad.

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.