Maxims I

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 204 sections

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Frige mec frodum wordum! Ne læt þinne ferð onhælne,
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degol þæt þu deopost cunne! Nelle ic þe min dyrne gesecgan,
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gif þu me þinne hygecræft hylest ond þine heortan geþohtas.
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Gleawe men sceolon gieddum wrixlan. God sceal mon ærest hergan
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fægre, fæder userne, forþon þe he us æt frymþe geteode
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lif ond lænne willan; he usic wile þara leana gemonian.
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Meotud sceal in wuldre, mon sceal on eorþan
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geong ealdian. God us ece biþ,
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ne wendað hine wyrda ne hine wiht dreceþ,
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adl ne yldo ælmihtigne;
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ne gomelað he in gæste, ac he is gen swa he wæs,
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þeoden geþyldig. He us geþonc syleð,
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missenlicu mod, monge reorde.
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Feorhcynna fela fæþmeþ wide
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eglond monig. Eardas rume
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meotud arærde for moncynne,
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ælmihtig god, efenfela bega
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þeoda ond þeawa. þing sceal gehegan
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frod wiþ frodne; biþ hyra ferð gelic,
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hi a sace semaþ, sibbe gelærað,
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þa ær wonsælge awegen habbað.
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Ræd sceal mid snyttro, ryht mid wisum,
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til sceal mid tilum. Tu beoð gemæccan;
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sceal wif ond wer in woruld cennan
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bearn mid gebyrdum. Beam sceal on eorðan
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leafum liþan, leomu gnornian.
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Fus sceal feran, fæge sweltan
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ond dogra gehwam ymb gedal sacan
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middangeardes. Meotud ana wat
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hwær se cwealm cymeþ, þe heonan of cyþþe gewiteþ.
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Umbor yceð, þa æradl nimeð;
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þy weorþeð on foldan swa fela fira cynnes,
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ne sy þæs magutimbres gemet ofer eorþan,
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gif hi ne wanige se þas woruld teode.
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Dol biþ se þe his dryhten nat, to þæs oft cymeð deað unþinged.
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Snotre men sawlum beorgað, healdað hyra soð mid ryhte.
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Eadig bið se þe in his eþle geþihð, earm se him his frynd geswicað.
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Nefre sceal se him his nest aspringeð, nyde sceal þrage gebunden.
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Bliþe sceal bealoleas heorte. Blind sceal his eagna þolian,
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oftigen biþ him torhtre gesihþe. Ne magon hi tunglu bewitian,
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swegltorht sunnan ne monan; þæt him biþ sar in his mode,
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onge þonne he hit ana wat, ne weneð þæt him þæs edhwyrft cyme.
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Waldend him þæt wite teode, se him mæg wyrpe syllan,
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hælo of heofodgimme, gif he wat heortan clæne.
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Lef mon læces behofað. Læran sceal mon geongne monnan,
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trymman ond tyhtan þæt he teala cunne, oþþæt hine mon atemedne hæbbe,
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sylle him wist ond wædo, oþþæt hine mon on gewitte alæde.
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Ne sceal hine mon cildgeongne forcweþan, ær he hine acyþan mote;
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þy sceal on þeode geþeon, þæt he wese þristhycgende.
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Styran sceal mon strongum mode. Storm oft holm gebringeþ,
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geofen in grimmum sælum; onginnað grome fundian
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fealwe on feorran to londe, hwæþer he fæste stonde.
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Weallas him wiþre healdað, him biþ wind gemæne.
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Swa biþ sæ smilte,
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þonne hy wind ne weceð;
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swa beoþ þeoda geþwære, þonne hy geþingad habbað,
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gesittað him on gesundum þingum, ond þonne mid gesiþum healdaþ
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cene men gecynde rice. Cyning biþ anwealdes georn;
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lað se þe londes monað, leof se þe mare beodeð.
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þrym sceal mid wlenco, þriste mid cenum,
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sceolun bu recene beadwe fremman.
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Eorl sceal on eos boge, eorod sceal getrume ridan,
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fæste feþa stondan. Fæmne æt hyre bordan geriseð;
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widgongel wif word gespringeð, oft hy mon wommum bilihð,
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hæleð hy hospe mænað, oft hyre hleor abreoþeð.
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Sceomiande man sceal in sceade hweorfan, scir in leohte geriseð.
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Hond sceal heofod inwyrcan, hord in streonum bidan,
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gifstol gegierwed stondan, hwonne hine guman gedælen.
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Gifre biþ se þam golde onfehð, guma þæs on heahsetle geneah;
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lean sceal, gif we leogan nellað, þam þe us þas lisse geteode.
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Forst sceal freosan, fyr wudu meltan,
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eorþe growan, is brycgian,
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wæter helm wegan, wundrum lucan
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eorþan ciþas. An sceal inbindan
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forstes fetre felameahtig god;
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winter sceal geweorpan, weder eft cuman,
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sumor swegle hat, sund unstille.
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Deop deada wæg dyrne bið lengest;
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holen sceal inæled, yrfe gedæled
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deades monnes. Dom biþ selast.
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Cyning sceal mid ceape cwene gebicgan,
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bunum ond beagum; bu sceolon ærest
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geofum god wesan. Guð sceal in eorle,
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wig geweaxan, ond wif geþeon
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leof mid hyre leodum, leohtmod wesan,
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rune healdan, rumheort beon
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mearum ond maþmum, meodorædenne
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for gesiðmægen symle æghwær
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eodor æþelinga ærest gegretan,
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forman fulle to frean hond
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ricene geræcan, ond him ræd witan
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boldagendum bæm ætsomne.
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Scip sceal genægled, scyld gebunden,
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leoht linden bord, leof wilcuma
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Frysan wife, þonne flota stondeð;
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biþ his ceol cumen ond hyre ceorl to ham,
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agen ætgeofa, ond heo hine in laðaþ,
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wæsceð his warig hrægl ond him syleþ wæde niwe,
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liþ him on londe þæs his lufu bædeð.
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Wif sceal wiþ wer wære gehealdan, oft hi mon wommum belihð;

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