Juliana

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 785 sections

0
Hwæt! We ðæt hyrdon hæleð eahtian,
1
deman dædhwate, þætte in dagum gelamp
2
Maximianes, se geond middangeard,
3
arleas cyning, eahtnysse ahof,
4
cwealde cristne men, circan fylde,
5
geat on græswong godhergendra,
6
hæþen hildfruma, haligra blod,
7
ryhtfremmendra. Wæs his rice brad,
8
wid ond weorðlic ofer werþeode,
9
lytesna ofer ealne yrmenne grund.
10
Foron æfter burgum, swa he biboden hæfde,
11
þegnas þryðfulle. Oft hi þræce rærdon,
12
dædum gedwolene, þa þe dryhtnes æ
13
feodon þurh firencræft. Feondscype rærdon,
14
hofon hæþengield, halge cwelmdon,
15
breotun boccræftge, bærndon gecorene,
16
gæston godes cempan gare ond lige.
17
Sum wæs æhtwelig æþeles cynnes
18
rice gerefa. Rondburgum weold,
19
eard weardade oftast symle
20
in þære ceastre Commedia,
21
heold hordgestreon. Oft he hæþengield
22
ofer word godes, weoh gesohte
23
neode geneahhe. Wæs him noma cenned
24
Heliseus, hæfde ealdordom
25
micelne ond mærne. ða his mod ongon
26
fæmnan lufian, (hine fyrwet bræc),
27
Iulianan. Hio in gæste bær
28
halge treowe, hogde georne
29
þæt hire mægðhad mana gehwylces
30
fore Cristes lufan clæne geheolde.
31
ða wæs sio fæmne mid hyre fæder willan
32
welegum biweddad; wyrd ne ful cuþe,
33
freondrædenne hu heo from hogde,
34
geong on gæste. Hire wæs godes egsa
35
mara in gemyndum, þonne eall þæt maþþumgesteald
36
þe in þæs æþelinges æhtum wunade.
37
þa wæs se weliga þæra wifgifta,
38
goldspedig guma, georn on mode,
39
þæt him mon fromlicast fæmnan gegyrede,
40
bryd to bolde. Heo þæs beornes lufan
41
fæste wiðhogde, þeah þe feohgestreon
42
under hordlocan, hyrsta unrim
43
æhte ofer eorþan. Heo þæt eal forseah,
44
ond þæt word acwæð on wera mengu:
45
"Ic þe mæg gesecgan þæt þu þec sylfne ne þearft
46
swiþor swencan. Gif þu soðne god
47
lufast ond gelyfest, ond his lof rærest,
48
ongietest gæsta hleo, ic beo gearo sona
49
unwaclice willan þines.
50
Swylce ic þe secge, gif þu to sæmran gode
51
þurh deofolgield dæde biþencest,
52
hætsð hæþenweoh, ne meaht þu habban mec,
53
ne geþreatian þe to gesingan.
54
Næfre þu þæs swiðlic sar gegearwast
55
þurh hæstne nið heardra wita,
56
þæt þu mec onwende worda þissa."
57
ða se æþeling wearð yrre gebolgen,
58
firendædum fah, gehyrde þære fæmnan word,
59
het ða gefetigan ferend snelle,
60
hreoh ond hygeblind, haligre fæder,
61
recene to rune. Reord up astag,
62
siþþan hy togædre garas hlændon,
63
hildeþremman. Hæðne wæron begen
64
synnum seoce, sweor ond aþum.
65
ða reordode rices hyrde
66
wið þære fæmnan fæder frecne mode,
67
daraðhæbbende: "Me þin dohtor hafað
68
geywed orwyrðu. Heo me on an sagað
69
þæt heo mæglufan minre ne gyme,
70
freondrædenne. Me þa fraceðu sind
71
on modsefan mæste weorce,
72
þæt heo mec swa torne tæle gerahte
73
fore þissum folce, het me fremdne god,
74
ofer þa oþre þe we ær cuþon,
75
welum weorþian, wordum lofian,
76
on hyge hergan, oþþe hi nabban."
77
Geswearc þa swiðferð sweor æfter worde,
78
þære fæmnan fæder, ferðlocan onspeon:
79
"Ic þæt geswerge þurh soð godu,
80
swa ic are æt him æfre finde,
81
oþþe, þeoden, æt þe þine hyldu
82
winburgum in, gif þas word sind soþ,
83
monna leofast, þe þu me sagast,
84
þæt ic hy ne sparige, ac on spild giefe,
85
þeoden mæra, þe to gewealde.
86
Dem þu hi to deaþe, gif þe gedafen þince,
87
swa to life læt, swa þe leofre sy."
88
Eode þa fromlice fæmnan to spræce,
89
anræd ond yreþweorg, yrre gebolgen,
90
þær he glædmode geonge wiste
91
wic weardian. He þa worde cwæð:
92
"ðu eart dohtor min seo dyreste
93
ond seo sweteste in sefan minum,
94
ange for eorþan, minra eagna leoht,
95
Iuliana! þu on geaþe hafast
96
þurh þin orlegu unbiþyrfe
97
ofer witena dom wisan gefongen.
98
Wiðsæcest þu to swiþe sylfre rædes
99
þinum brydguman, se is betra þonne þu,

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.