← Library

The Battle of Maldon

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 325 sections

1. 100

   Byrhtnoð mid beornum; he mid bordum het

2. 101

   wyrcan þone wihagan, and þæt werod healdan

3. 102

   fæste wið feondum. þa wæs feohte neh,

4. 103

   tir æt getohte. Wæs seo tid cumen

5. 104

   þæt þær fæge men feallan sceoldon.

6. 105

   þær wearð hream ahafen, hremmas wundon,

7. 106

   earn æses georn; wæs on eorþan cyrm.

8. 107

   Hi leton þa of folman feolhearde speru,

9. 108

   gegrundene garas fleogan;

10. 109

    bogan wæron bysige, bord ord onfeng.

11. 110

    Biter wæs se beaduræs, beornas feollon

12. 111

    on gehwæðere hand, hyssas lagon.

13. 112

    Wund wearð Wulfmær, wælræste geceas,

14. 113

    Byrhtnoðes mæg; he mid billum wearð,

15. 114

    his swuster sunu, swiðe forheawen.

16. 115

    þær wearð wicingum wiþerlean agyfen.

17. 116

    Gehyrde ic þæt Eadweard anne sloge

18. 117

    swiðe mid his swurde, swenges ne wyrnde,

19. 118

    þæt him æt fotum feoll fæge cempa;

20. 119

    þæs him his ðeoden þanc gesæde,

21. 120

    þam burþene, þa he byre hæfde.

22. 121

    Swa stemnetton stiðhicgende

23. 122

    hysas æt hilde, hogodon georne

24. 123

    hwa þær mid orde ærost mihte

25. 124

    on fægean men feorh gewinnan,

26. 125

    wigan mid wæpnum; wæl feol on eorðan.

27. 126

    Stodon stædefæste; stihte hi Byrhtnoð,

28. 127

    bæd þæt hyssa gehwylc hogode to wige

29. 128

    þe on Denon wolde dom gefeohtan.

30. 129

    Wod þa wiges heard, wæpen up ahof,

31. 130

    bord to gebeorge, and wið þæs beornes stop.

32. 131

    Eode swa anræd eorl to þam ceorle,

33. 132

    ægþer hyra oðrum yfeles hogode.

34. 133

    Sende ða se særinc suþerne gar,

35. 134

    þæt gewundod wearð wigena hlaford;

36. 135

    he sceaf þa mid ðam scylde, þæt se sceaft tobærst,

37. 136

    and þæt spere sprengde, þæt hit sprang ongean.

38. 137

    Gegremod wearð se guðrinc; he mid gare stang

39. 138

    wlancne wicing, þe him þa wunde forgeaf.

40. 139

    Frod wæs se fyrdrinc; he let his francan wadan

41. 140

    þurh ðæs hysses hals, hand wisode

42. 141

    þæt he on þam færsceaðan feorh geræhte.

43. 142

    ða he oþerne ofstlice sceat,

44. 143

    þæt seo byrne tobærst; he wæs on breostum wund

45. 144

    þurh ða hringlocan, him æt heortan stod

46. 145

    ætterne ord. Se eorl wæs þe bliþra,

47. 146

    hloh þa, modi man, sæde metode þanc

48. 147

    ðæs dægweorces þe him drihten forgeaf.

49. 148

    Forlet þa drenga sum daroð of handa,

50. 149

    fleogan of folman, þæt se to forð gewat

51. 150

    þurh ðone æþelan æþelredes þegen.

52. 151

    Him be healfe stod hyse unweaxen,

53. 152

    cniht on gecampe, se full caflice

54. 153

    bræd of þam beorne blodigne gar,

55. 154

    Wulfstanes bearn, Wulfmær se geonga,

56. 155

    forlet forheardne faran eft ongean;

57. 156

    ord in gewod, þæt se on eorþan læg

58. 157

    þe his þeoden ær þearle geræhte.

59. 158

    Eode þa gesyrwed secg to þam eorle;

60. 159

    he wolde þæs beornes beagas gefecgan,

61. 160

    reaf and hringas and gerenod swurd.

62. 161

    þa Byrhtnoð bræd bill of sceðe,

63. 162

    brad and bruneccg, and on þa byrnan sloh.

64. 163

    To raþe hine gelette lidmanna sum,

65. 164

    þa he þæs eorles earm amyrde.

66. 165

    Feoll þa to foldan fealohilte swurd;

67. 166

    ne mihte he gehealdan heardne mece,

68. 167

    wæpnes wealdan. þa gyt þæt word gecwæð

69. 168

    har hilderinc, hyssas bylde,

70. 169

    bæd gangan forð gode geferan;

71. 170

    ne mihte þa on fotum leng fæste gestandan.

72. 171

    He to heofenum wlat:

73. 172

    "Geþancie þe, ðeoda waldend,

74. 173

    ealra þæra wynna þe ic on worulde gebad.

75. 174

    Nu ic ah, milde metod, mæste þearfe

76. 175

    þæt þu minum gaste godes geunne,

77. 176

    þæt min sawul to ðe siðian mote

78. 177

    on þin geweald, þeoden engla,

79. 178

    mid friþe ferian. Ic eom frymdi to þe

80. 179

    þæt hi helsceaðan hynan ne moton."

81. 180

    ða hine heowon hæðene scealcas

82. 181

    and begen þa beornas þe him big stodon,

83. 182

    ælfnoð and Wulmær begen lagon,

84. 183

    ða onemn hyra frean feorh gesealdon.

85. 184

    Hi bugon þa fram beaduwe þe þær beon noldon.

86. 185

    þær wearð Oddan bearn ærest on fleame,

87. 186

    Godric fram guþe, and þone godan forlet

88. 187

    þe him mænigne oft mear gesealde;

89. 188

    he gehleop þone eoh þe ahte his hlaford,

90. 189

    on þam gerædum þe hit riht ne wæs,

91. 190

    and his broðru mid him begen ærndon,

92. 191

    Godwine and Godwig, guþe ne gymdon,

93. 192

    ac wendon fram þam wige and þone wudu sohton,

94. 193

    flugon on þæt fæsten and hyra feore burgon,

95. 194

    and manna ma þonne hit ænig mæð wære,

96. 195

    gyf hi þa geearnunga ealle gemundon

97. 196

    þe he him to duguþe gedon hæfde.

98. 197

    Swa him Offa on dæg ær asæde

99. 198

    on þam meþelstede, þa he gemot hæfde,

100. 199

     þæt þær modiglice manega spræcon

← Previous · Next → — showing 101–200 of 325

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.