Exodus

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 590 sections

500
ða gedrencte wæron dugoð Egypta,
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Faraon mid his folcum. He onfond hraðe,
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siððan grund gestah godes andsaca,
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þæt wæs mihtigra mereflodes weard;
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wolde heorufæðmum hilde gesceadan,
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yrre and egesfull. Egyptum wearð
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þæs dægweorces deop lean gesceod,
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forðam þæs heriges ham eft ne com
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ealles ungrundes ænig to lafe,
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þætte sið heora secgan moste,
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bodigean æfter burgum bealospella mæst,
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hordwearda hryre, hæleða cwenum,
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ac þa mægenþreatas meredeað geswealh,
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spelbodan eac. Se ðe sped ahte,
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ageat gylp wera. Hie wið god wunnon!
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þanon Israhelum ece rædas
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on merehwearfe Moyses sægde,
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heahþungen wer, halige spræce,
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deop ærende. Dægword nemnað
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swa gyt werðeode, on gewritum findað
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doma gehwilcne, þara ðe him drihten bebead
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on þam siðfate soðum wordum,
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gif onlucan wile lifes wealhstod,
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beorht in breostum, banhuses weard,
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ginfæsten god gastes cægon.
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Run bið gerecenod, ræd forð gæð,
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hafað wislicu word on fæðme,
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wile meagollice modum tæcan
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þæt we gesne ne syn godes þeodscipes,
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metodes miltsa. He us ma onlyhð,
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nu us boceras beteran secgað
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lengran lifwynna. þis is læne dream,
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wommum awyrged, wreccum alyfed,
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earmra anbid. Eðellease
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þysne gystsele gihðum healdað,
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murnað on mode, manhus witon
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fæst under foldan, þær bið fyr and wyrm,
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open ece scræf. Yfela gehwylces
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swa nu regnþeofas rice dælað,
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yldo oððe ærdeað. Eftwyrd cymð,
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mægenþrymma mæst ofer middangeard,
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dæg dædum fah. Drihten sylfa
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on þam meðelstede manegum demeð,
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þonne he soðfæstra sawla lædeð,
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eadige gastas, on uprodor,
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þær is leoht and lif, eac þon lissa blæd;
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dugoð on dreame drihten herigað,
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weroda wuldorcyning, to widan feore.
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Swa reordode ræda gemyndig
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manna mildost, mihtum swiðed,
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hludan stefne; here stille bad
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witodes willan, wundor ongeton,
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modiges muðhæl; he to mænegum spræc:
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"Micel is þeos menigeo, mægenwisa trum,
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fullesta mæst, se ðas fare lædeð;
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hafað us on Cananea cyn gelyfed
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burh and beagas, brade rice;
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wile nu gelæstan þæt he lange gehet
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mid aðsware, engla drihten,
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in fyrndagum fæderyncynne,
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gif ge gehealdað halige lare,
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þæt ge feonda gehwone forð ofergangað,
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gesittað sigerice be sæm tweonum,
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beorselas beorna. Bið eower blæd micel!"
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æfter þam wordum werod wæs on salum,
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sungon sigebyman, (segnas stodon),
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on fægerne sweg; folc wæs on lande,
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hæfde wuldres beam werud gelæded,
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halige heapas, on hild godes.
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Life gefegon þa hie oðlæded hæfdon
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feorh of feonda dome, þeah ðe hie hit frecne geneðdon,
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weras under wætera hrofas. Gesawon hie þær weallas standan,
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ealle him brimu blodige þuhton, þurh þa heora beadosearo wægon.
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Hreðdon hildespelle, siððan hie þam herge wiðforon;
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hofon hereþreatas hlude stefne,
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for þam dædweorce drihten heredon,
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weras wuldres sang; wif on oðrum,
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folcsweota mæst, fyrdleoð golan
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aclum stefnum, eallwundra fela.
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þa wæs eðfynde Afrisc meowle
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on geofones staðe golde geweorðod.
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Handa hofon halswurðunge,
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bliðe wæron, bote gesawon,
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heddon herereafes, hæft wæs onsæled.
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Ongunnon sælafe segnum dælan
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on yðlafe, ealde madmas,
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reaf and randas. Heo on riht sceodon
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gold and godweb, Iosepes gestreon,
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wera wuldorgesteald. Werigend lagon
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on deaðstede, drihtfolca mæst.

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.