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Maxims I

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 204 sections

1. 100

   fela bið fæsthydigra, fela bið fyrwetgeornra,

2. 101

   freoð hy fremde monnan, þonne se oþer feor gewiteþ.

3. 102

   Lida biþ longe on siþe; a mon sceal seþeah leofes wenan,

4. 103

   gebidan þæs he gebædan ne mæg. Hwonne him eft gebyre weorðe,

5. 104

   ham cymeð, gif he hal leofað, nefne him holm gestyreð,

6. 105

   mere hafað mundum mægðegsan wyn.

7. 106

   Ceapeadig mon cyningwic þonne

8. 107

   leodon cypeþ, þonne liþan cymeð;

9. 108

   wuda ond wætres nyttað, þonne him biþ wic alyfed,

10. 109

    mete bygeþ, gif he maran þearf, ærþon he to meþe weorþe.

11. 110

    Seoc se biþ þe to seldan ieteð; þeah hine mon on sunnan læde,

12. 111

    ne mæg he be þy wedre wesan, þeah hit sy wearm on sumera,

13. 112

    ofercumen biþ he, ær he acwele, gif he nat hwa hine cwicne fede.

14. 113

    Mægen mon sceal mid mete fedan, morþor under eorþan befeolan,

15. 114

    hinder under hrusan, þe hit forhelan þenceð;

16. 115

    ne biþ þæt gedefe deaþ, þonne hit gedyrned weorþeð.

17. 116

    Hean sceal gehnigan, hadl gesigan,

18. 117

    ryht rogian. Ræd biþ nyttost,

19. 118

    yfel unnyttost, þæt unlæd nimeð.

20. 119

    God bið genge, ond wiþ god lenge.

21. 120

    Hyge sceal gehealden, hond gewealden,

22. 121

    seo sceal in eagan, snyttro in breostum,

23. 122

    þær bið þæs monnes modgeþoncas.

24. 123

    Muþa gehwylc mete þearf, mæl sceolon tidum gongan.

25. 124

    Gold geriseþ on guman sweorde,

26. 125

    sellic sigesceorp, sinc on cwene,

27. 126

    god scop gumum, garniþ werum,

28. 127

    wig towiþre wicfreoþa healdan.

29. 128

    Scyld sceal cempan, sceaft reafere,

30. 129

    sceal bryde beag, bec leornere,

31. 130

    husl halgum men, hæþnum synne.

32. 131

    Woden worhte weos, wuldor alwalda,

33. 132

    rume roderas; þæt is rice god,

34. 133

    sylf soðcyning, sawla nergend,

35. 134

    se us eal forgeaf þæt we on lifgaþ,

36. 135

    ond eft æt þam ende eallum wealdeð

37. 136

    monna cynne. þæt is meotud sylfa.

38. 137

    Ræd sceal mon secgan, rune writan,

39. 138

    leoþ gesingan, lofes gearnian,

40. 139

    dom areccan, dæges onettan.

41. 140

    Til mon tiles ond tomes meares,

42. 141

    cuþes ond gecostes ond calcrondes;

43. 142

    nænig fira to fela gestryneð.

44. 143

    Wel mon sceal wine healdan on wega gehwylcum;

45. 144

    oft mon fereð feor bi tune, þær him wat freond unwiotodne.

46. 145

    Wineleas, wonsælig mon genimeð him wulfas to geferan,

47. 146

    felafæcne deor. Ful oft hine se gefera sliteð;

48. 147

    gryre sceal for greggum, græf deadum men;

49. 148

    hungre heofeð, nales þæt heafe bewindeð,

50. 149

    ne huru wæl wepeð wulf se græga,

51. 150

    morþorcwealm mæcga, ac hit a mare wille.

52. 151

    Wræd sceal wunden, wracu heardum men.

53. 152

    Boga sceal stræle, sceal bam gelic

54. 153

    mon to gemæccan. Maþþum oþres weorð,

55. 154

    gold mon sceal gifan. Mæg god syllan

56. 155

    eadgum æhte ond eft niman.

57. 156

    Sele sceal stondan, sylf ealdian.

58. 157

    Licgende beam læsest groweð.

59. 158

    Treo sceolon brædan ond treow weaxan,

60. 159

    sio geond bilwitra breost ariseð.

61. 160

    Wærleas mon ond wonhydig,

62. 161

    ætrenmod ond ungetreow,

63. 162

    þæs ne gymeð god.

64. 163

    Fela sceop meotud þæs þe fyrn gewearð, het siþþan swa forð wesan.

65. 164

    Wæra gehwylcum wislicu word gerisað,

66. 165

    gleomen gied ond guman snyttro.

67. 166

    Swa monige beoþ men ofer eorþan, swa beoþ modgeþoncas;

68. 167

    ælc him hafað sundorsefan.

69. 168

    Longað þonne þy læs þe him con leoþa worn,

70. 169

    oþþe mid hondum con hearpan gretan;

71. 170

    hafaþ him his gliwes giefe, þe him god sealde.

72. 171

    Earm biþ se þe sceal ana lifgan,

73. 172

    wineleas wunian hafaþ him wyrd geteod;

74. 173

    betre him wære þæt he broþor ahte, begen hi anes monnes,

75. 174

    eorles eaforan wæran, gif hi sceoldan eofor onginnan

76. 175

    oþþe begen beran; biþ þæt sliþhende deor.

77. 176

    A scyle þa rincas gerædan lædan

78. 177

    ond him ætsomne swefan;

79. 178

    næfre hy mon tomælde,

80. 179

    ær hy deað todæle.

81. 180

    Hy twegen sceolon tæfle ymbsittan, þenden him hyra torn toglide,

82. 181

    forgietan þara geocran gesceafta, habban him gomen on borde;

83. 182

    idle hond æmetlan geneah tæfles monnes, þonne teoselum weorpeð.

84. 183

    Seldan in sidum ceole, nefne he under segle yrne,

85. 184

    werig scealc wiþ winde roweþ; ful oft mon wearnum tihð

86. 185

    eargne, þæt he elne forleose, drugað his ar on borde.

87. 186

    Lot sceal mid lyswe, list mid gedefum;

88. 187

    þy weorþeð se stan forstolen.

89. 188

    Oft hy wordum toweorpað,

90. 189

    ær hy bacum tobreden;

91. 190

    geara is hwær aræd.

92. 191

    Wearð fæhþo fyra cynne, siþþan furþum swealg

93. 192

    eorðe Abeles blode. Næs þæt andæge nið,

94. 193

    of þam wrohtdropan wide gesprungon,

95. 194

    micel mon ældum, monegum þeodum

96. 195

    bealoblonden niþ. Slog his broðor swæsne

97. 196

    Cain, þone cwealm nerede; cuþ wæs wide siþþan,

98. 197

    þæt ece nið ældum scod, swa aþolwarum.

99. 198

    Drugon wæpna gewin wide geond eorþan,

100. 199

     ahogodan ond ahyrdon heoro sliþendne.

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