Exodus

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 590 sections

400
in bælblyse beorna selost,
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his swæsne sunu to sigetibre,
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angan ofer eorðan yrfelafe,
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feores frofre, ða he swa forð gebad,
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leodum to lafe, langsumne hiht.
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He þæt gecyðde, þa he þone cniht genam
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fæste mid folmum, folccuð geteag
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ealde lafe, (ecg grymetode),
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þæt he him lifdagas leofran ne wisse
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þonne he hyrde heofoncyninge.
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Up aræmde Abraham þa;
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se eorl wolde slean eaferan sinne
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unweaxenne, ecgum reodan
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magan mid mece, gif hine metod lete.
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Ne wolde him beorht fæder bearn ætniman,
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halig tiber, ac mid handa befeng.
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þa him styran cwom stefn of heofonum,
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wuldres hleoðor, word æfter spræc:
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"Ne sleh þu, Abraham, þin agen bearn,
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sunu mid sweorde! Soð is gecyðed,
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nu þin cunnode cyning alwihta,
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þæt þu wið waldend wære heolde,
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fæste treowe, seo þe freoðo sceal
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in lifdagum lengest weorðan,
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awa to aldre unswiciendo.
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Hu þearf mannes sunu maran treowe?
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Ne behwylfan mæg heofon and eorðe
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his wuldres word, widdra and siddra
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þonne befæðman mæge foldan sceattas,
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eorðan ymbhwyrft and uprodor,
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garsecges gin and þeos geomre lyft.
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He að swereð, engla þeoden,
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wyrda waldend and wereda god,
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soðfæst sigora, þurh his sylfes lif,
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þæt þines cynnes and cneowmaga,
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randwiggendra, rim ne cunnon,
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yldo ofer eorðan, ealle cræfte
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to gesecgenne soðum wordum,
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nymðe hwylc þæs snottor in sefan weorðe
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þæt he ana mæge ealle geriman
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stanas on eorðan, steorran on heofonum,
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sæbeorga sand, sealte yða;
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ac hie gesittað be sæm tweonum
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oð Egipte incaðeode
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land Cananea, leode þine,
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freobearn fæder, folca selost."
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Folc wæs afæred, flodegsa becwom
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gastas geomre, geofon deaðe hweop.
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Wæron beorhhliðu blode bestemed,
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holm heolfre spaw, hream wæs on yðum,
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wæter wæpna ful, wælmist astah.
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Wæron Egypte eft oncyrde,
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flugon forhtigende, fær ongeton,
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woldon herebleaðe hamas findan,
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gylp wearð gnornra. Him ongen genap
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atol yða gewealc, ne ðær ænig becwom
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herges to hame, ac behindan beleac
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wyrd mid wæge. þær ær wegas lagon,
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mere modgode, mægen wæs adrenced.
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Streamas stodon, storm up gewat
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heah to heofonum, herewopa mæst.
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Laðe cyrmdon, (lyft up geswearc),
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fægum stæfnum, flod blod gewod.
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Randbyrig wæron rofene, rodor swipode
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meredeaða mæst, modige swulton,
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cyningas on corðre, cyre swiðrode
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sæs æt ende. Wigbord scinon
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heah ofer hæleðum, holmweall astah,
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merestream modig. Mægen wæs on cwealme
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fæste gefeterod, forðganges weg
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searwum æsæled, sand basnodon,
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witodre fyrde, hwonne waðema stream,
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sincalda sæ, sealtum yðum
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æflastum gewuna ece staðulas,
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nacud nydboda, neosan come,
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fah feðegast, se ðe feondum geneop.
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Wæs seo hæwene lyft heolfre geblanden,
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brim berstende blodegesan hweop,
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sæmanna sið, oðþæt soð metod
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þurh Moyses hand modge rymde,
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wide wæðde, wælfæðmum sweop.
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Flod famgode, fæge crungon,
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lagu land gefeol, lyft wæs onhrered,
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wicon weallfæsten, wægas burston,
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multon meretorras, þa se mihtiga sloh
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mid halige hand, heofonrices weard,
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on werbeamas. Wlance ðeode
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ne mihton forhabban helpendra pað,
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merestreames mod, ac he manegum gesceod
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gyllende gryre. Garsecg wedde,
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up ateah, on sleap. Egesan stodon,
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weollon wælbenna. Witrod gefeol
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heah of heofonum handweorc godes,
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famigbosma flodwearde sloh,
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unhleowan wæg, alde mece,
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þæt ðy deaðdrepe drihte swæfon,
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synfullra sweot. Sawlum lunnon
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fæste befarene, flodblac here,
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siððan hie on bugon brun yppinge,
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modewæga mæst. Mægen eall gedreas

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.