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The Battle of Finnsburh

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 48 sections

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   ...nas byrnað?"

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   Hnæf hleoþrode ða, heaþogeong cyning:

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   "Ne ðis ne dagað eastan, ne her draca ne fleogeð,

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   ne her ðisse healle hornas ne byrnað.

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   Ac her forþ berað; fugelas singað,

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   gylleð græghama, guðwudu hlynneð,

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   scyld scefte oncwyð. Nu scyneð þes mona

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   waðol under wolcnum. Nu arisað weadæda

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   ðe ðisne folces nið fremman willað.

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    Ac onwacnigeað nu, wigend mine,

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    habbað eowre linda, hicgeaþ on ellen,

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    winnað on orde, wesað onmode!"

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    ða aras mænig goldhladen ðegn, gyrde hine his swurde.

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    ða to dura eodon drihtlice cempan,

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    Sigeferð and Eaha, hyra sword getugon,

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    and æt oþrum durum Ordlaf and Guþlaf,

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    and Hengest sylf hwearf him on laste.

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    ða gyt Garulf Guðere styrde

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    ðæt he swa freolic feorh forman siþe

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    to ðære healle durum hyrsta ne bære,

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    nu hyt niþa heard anyman wolde,

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    ac he frægn ofer eal undearninga,

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    deormod hæleþ, hwa ða duru heolde.

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    "Sigeferþ is min nama," cweþ he, "ic eom Secgena leod,

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    wreccea wide cuð; fæla ic weana gebad,

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    heardra hilda. ðe is gyt her witod

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    swæþer ðu sylf to me secean wylle."

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    ða wæs on healle wælslihta gehlyn;

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    sceolde cellod bord cenum on handa,

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    banhelm berstan (buruhðelu dynede),

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    oð æt ðære guðe Garulf gecrang,

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    ealra ærest eorðbuendra,

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    Guðlafes sunu, ymbe hyne godra fæla,

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    hwearflicra hræw. Hræfen wandrode,

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    sweart and sealobrun. Swurdleoma stod,

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    swylce eal Finnsburuh fyrenu wære.

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    Ne gefrægn ic næfre wurþlicor æt wera hilde

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    sixtig sigebeorna sel gebæran,

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    ne nefre swetne medo sel forgyldan

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    ðonne Hnæfe guldan his hægstealdas.

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    Hig fuhton fif dagas, swa hyra nan ne feol

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    drihtgesiða, ac hig ða duru heoldon.

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    ða gewat him wund hæleð on wæg gangan,

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    sæde þæt his byrne abrocen wære,

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    heresceorp unhror, and eac wæs his helm ðyrel.

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    ða hine sona frægn folces hyrde,

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    hu ða wigend hyra wunda genæson,

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    oððe hwæþer ðæra hyssa

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.