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The Battle of Maldon

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 325 sections

1. 200

   þe eft æt þearfe þolian noldon.

2. 201

   þa wearð afeallen þæs folces ealdor,

3. 202

   æþelredes eorl; ealle gesawon

4. 203

   heorðgeneatas þæt hyra heorra læg.

5. 204

   þa ðær wendon forð wlance þegenas,

6. 205

   unearge men efston georne;

7. 206

   hi woldon þa ealle oðer twega,

8. 207

   lif forlætan oððe leofne gewrecan.

9. 208

   Swa hi bylde forð bearn ælfrices,

10. 209

    wiga wintrum geong, wordum mælde,

11. 210

    ælfwine þa cwæð, he on ellen spræc:

12. 211

    "Gemunan þa mæla þe we oft æt meodo spræcon,

13. 212

    þonne we on bence beot ahofon,

14. 213

    hæleð on healle, ymbe heard gewinn;

15. 214

    nu mæg cunnian hwa cene sy.

16. 215

    Ic wylle mine æþelo eallum gecyþan,

17. 216

    þæt ic wæs on Myrcon miccles cynnes;

18. 217

    wæs min ealda fæder Ealhelm haten,

19. 218

    wis ealdorman, woruldgesælig.

20. 219

    Ne sceolon me on þære þeode þegenas ætwitan

21. 220

    þæt ic of ðisse fyrde feran wille,

22. 221

    eard gesecan, nu min ealdor ligeð

23. 222

    forheawen æt hilde. Me is þæt hearma mæst;

24. 223

    he wæs ægðer min mæg and min hlaford."

25. 224

    þa he forð eode, fæhðe gemunde,

26. 225

    þæt he mid orde anne geræhte

27. 226

    flotan on þam folce, þæt se on foldan læg

28. 227

    forwegen mid his wæpne. Ongan þa winas manian,

29. 228

    frynd and geferan, þæt hi forð eodon.

30. 229

    Offa gemælde, æscholt asceoc:

31. 230

    "Hwæt þu, ælfwine, hafast ealle gemanode

32. 231

    þegenas to þearfe, nu ure þeoden lið,

33. 232

    eorl on eorðan. Us is eallum þearf

34. 233

    þæt ure æghwylc oþerne bylde

35. 234

    wigan to wige, þa hwile þe he wæpen mæge

36. 235

    habban and healdan, heardne mece,

37. 236

    gar and godswurd. Us Godric hæfð,

38. 237

    earh Oddan bearn, ealle beswicene.

39. 238

    Wende þæs formoni man, þa he on meare rad,

40. 239

    on wlancan þam wicge, þæt wære hit ure hlaford;

41. 240

    forþan wearð her on felda folc totwæmed,

42. 241

    scyldburh tobrocen. Abreoðe his angin,

43. 242

    þæt he her swa manigne man aflymde!"

44. 243

    Leofsunu gemælde and his linde ahof,

45. 244

    bord to gebeorge; he þam beorne oncwæð:

46. 245

    "Ic þæt gehate, þæt ic heonon nelle

47. 246

    fleon fotes trym, ac wille furðor gan,

48. 247

    wrecan on gewinne minne winedrihten.

49. 248

    Ne þurfon me embe Sturmere stedefæste hælæð

50. 249

    wordum ætwitan, nu min wine gecranc,

51. 250

    þæt ic hlafordleas ham siðie,

52. 251

    wende fram wige, ac me sceal wæpen niman,

53. 252

    ord and iren." He ful yrre wod,

54. 253

    feaht fæstlice, fleam he forhogode.

55. 254

    Dunnere þa cwæð, daroð acwehte,

56. 255

    unorne ceorl, ofer eall clypode,

57. 256

    bæd þæt beorna gehwylc Byrhtnoð wrece:

58. 257

    "Ne mæg na wandian se þe wrecan þenceð

59. 258

    frean on folce, ne for feore murnan."

60. 259

    þa hi forð eodon, feores hi ne rohton;

61. 260

    ongunnon þa hiredmen heardlice feohtan,

62. 261

    grame garberend, and god bædon

63. 262

    þæt hi moston gewrecan hyra winedrihten

64. 263

    and on hyra feondum fyl gewyrcan.

65. 264

    Him se gysel ongan geornlice fylstan;

66. 265

    he wæs on Norðhymbron heardes cynnes,

67. 266

    Ecglafes bearn, him wæs æscferð nama.

68. 267

    He ne wandode na æt þam wigplegan,

69. 268

    ac he fysde forð flan genehe;

70. 269

    hwilon he on bord sceat, hwilon beorn tæsde,

71. 270

    æfre embe stunde he sealde sume wunde,

72. 271

    þa hwile ðe he wæpna wealdan moste.

73. 272

    þa gyt on orde stod Eadweard se langa,

74. 273

    gearo and geornful, gylpwordum spræc

75. 274

    þæt he nolde fleogan fotmæl landes,

76. 275

    ofer bæc bugan, þa his betera leg.

77. 276

    He bræc þone bordweall and wið þa beornas feaht,

78. 277

    oðþæt he his sincgyfan on þam sæmannum

79. 278

    wurðlice wrec, ær he on wæle lege.

80. 279

    Swa dyde æþeric, æþele gefera,

81. 280

    fus and forðgeorn, feaht eornoste.

82. 281

    Sibyrhtes broðor and swiðe mænig oþer

83. 282

    clufon cellod bord, cene hi weredon;

84. 283

    bærst bordes lærig, and seo byrne sang

85. 284

    gryreleoða sum. þa æt guðe sloh

86. 285

    Offa þone sælidan, þæt he on eorðan feoll,

87. 286

    and ðær Gaddes mæg grund gesohte.

88. 287

    Raðe wearð æt hilde Offa forheawen;

89. 288

    he hæfde ðeah geforþod þæt he his frean gehet,

90. 289

    swa he beotode ær wið his beahgifan

91. 290

    þæt hi sceoldon begen on burh ridan,

92. 291

    hale to hame, oððe on here crincgan,

93. 292

    on wælstowe wundum sweltan;

94. 293

    he læg ðegenlice ðeodne gehende.

95. 294

    ða wearð borda gebræc. Brimmen wodon,

96. 295

    guðe gegremode; gar oft þurhwod

97. 296

    fæges feorhhus. Forð þa eode Wistan,

98. 297

    þurstanes sunu, wið þas secgas feaht;

99. 298

    he wæs on geþrange hyra þreora bana,

100. 299

     ær him Wigelines bearn on þam wæle læge.

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