Ancient Texts

← Library

The Meters of Boethius: Meter 1

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 84 sections

  1. 0

    Hit wæs geara iu ðætte Gotan eastan

  2. 1

    of Sciððia sceldas læddon,

  3. 2

    þreate geþrungon þeodlond monig,

  4. 3

    setton suðweardes sigeþeoda twa;

  5. 4

    Gotena rice gearmælum weox.

  6. 5

    Hæfdan him gecynde cyningas twegen,

  7. 6

    Rædgod and Aleric; rice geþungon.

  8. 7

    þa wæs ofer Muntgiop monig atyhted

  9. 8

    Gota gylpes full, guðe gelysted,

  10. 9

    folcgewinnes. Fana hwearfode

  11. 10

    scir on sceafte. Sceotend þohton

  12. 11

    Italia ealle gegongan,

  13. 12

    lindwigende. Hi gelæstan swua

  14. 13

    efne from Muntgiop oð þone mæran wearoð

  15. 14

    þær Sicilia sæstreamum in,

  16. 15

    eglond micel, eðel mærsað.

  17. 16

    ða wæs Romana rice gewunnen,

  18. 17

    abrocen burga cyst, beadurincum wæs

  19. 18

    Rom gerymed. Rædgot and Aleric

  20. 19

    foron on ðæt fæsten; fleah casere

  21. 20

    mid þam æþelingum ut on Grecas.

  22. 21

    Ne meahte þa seo wealaf wige forstandan

  23. 22

    Gotan mid guðe; giomonna gestrion

  24. 23

    sealdon unwillum eþelweardas,

  25. 24

    halige aðas. Wæs gehwæðeres waa.

  26. 25

    þeah wæs magorinca mod mid Grecum,

  27. 26

    gif hi leodfruman læstan dorsten.

  28. 27

    Stod þrage on ðam. þeod wæs gewunnen

  29. 28

    wintra mænigo, oðþæt wyrd gescraf

  30. 29

    þæt þe ðeodrice þegnas and eorlas

  31. 30

    heran sceoldan. Wæs se heretema

  32. 31

    Criste gecnoden, cyning selfa onfeng

  33. 32

    fulluhtþeawum. Fægnodon ealle

  34. 33

    Romwara bearn and him recene to

  35. 34

    friðes wilnedon. He him fæste gehet

  36. 35

    þæt hy ealdrihta ælces mosten

  37. 36

    wyrðe gewunigen on þære welegan byrig,

  38. 37

    ðenden god wuolde þæt he Gotena geweald

  39. 38

    agan moste. He þæt eall aleag.

  40. 39

    Wæs þæm æþelinge Arrianes

  41. 40

    gedwola leofre þonne drihtnes æ.

  42. 41

    Het Iohannes, godne papan,

  43. 42

    heafde beheawon; næs ðæt hærlic dæd.

  44. 43

    Eac þam wæs unrim oðres manes

  45. 44

    þæt se Gota fremede godra gehwilcum.

  46. 45

    ða wæs ricra sum on Rome byrig

  47. 46

    ahefen heretoga, hlaforde leof,

  48. 47

    þenden cynestole Creacas wioldon.

  49. 48

    þæt wæs rihtwis rinc, næs mid Romwarum

  50. 49

    sincgeofa sella siððan longe.

  51. 50

    He wæs for weorulde wis, weorðmynða georn,

  52. 51

    beorn boca gleaw; Boitius

  53. 52

    se hæle hatte se þone hlisan geþah.

  54. 53

    Wæs him on gemynde mæla gehwilce

  55. 54

    yfel and edwit þæt him elðeodge

  56. 55

    kyningas cyðdon. Wæs on Greacas hold,

  57. 56

    gemunde þara ara and ealdrihta

  58. 57

    þe his eldran mid him ahton longe,

  59. 58

    lufan and lissa. Angan þa listum ymbe

  60. 59

    ðencean þearflice, hu he ðider meahte

  61. 60

    Crecas oncerran, þæt se casere eft

  62. 61

    anwald ofer hi agan moste.

  63. 62

    Sende ærendgewrit ealdhlafordum

  64. 63

    degelice, and hi for drihtne bæd

  65. 64

    ealdum treowum, ðæt hi æft to him

  66. 65

    comen on þa ceastre, lete Greca witan

  67. 66

    rædan Romwarum, rihtes wyrðe

  68. 67

    lete þone leodscipe. ða þa lare ongeat

  69. 68

    ðeodric Amuling, and þone þegn oferfeng,

  70. 69

    heht fæstlice folcgesiðas

  71. 70

    healdon þone hererinc. Wæs him hreoh sefa,

  72. 71

    ege from ðam eorle. He hine inne heht

  73. 72

    on carcernes cluster belucan.

  74. 73

    þa wæs modsefa miclum gedrefed

  75. 74

    Boetius. Breac longe ær

  76. 75

    wlencea under wolcnum; he þy wyrs meahte

  77. 76

    þolian þa þrage, þa hio swa þearl becom.

  78. 77

    Wæs þa ormod eorl, are ne wende,

  79. 78

    ne on þam fæstene frofre gemunde,

  80. 79

    ac he neowol astreaht niðer of dune

  81. 80

    feol on þa flore, fela worda spræc,

  82. 81

    forþoht ðearle; ne wende þonan æfre

  83. 82

    cuman of ðæm clammum. Cleopode to drihtne

  84. 83

    geomran stemne, gyddode þus:

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.