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The Meters of Boethius: Meter 21

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 44 sections

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   Wel la, monna bearn geond middangeard,

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   friora æghwilc fundie to

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   þæm ecum gode þe we ymb sprecað,

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   and to þæm gesælðum þe we secgað ymb.

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   Se ðe ðonne nu sie nearwe gehefted

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   mid þisses mæran middangeardes

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   unnyttre lufe, sece him eft hræðe

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   fulne friodom, þæt he forð cume

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   to þæm gesælðum saula rædes.

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    Forþæm þæt is sio an rest eallra geswinca,

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    hyhtlicu hyð heaum ceolum

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    modes usses, meresmylta wic.

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    þæt is sio an hyð þe æfre bið

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    æfter þam yðum ura geswinca,

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    ysta gehwelcre, ealnig smylte.

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    þæt is sio friðstow and sio frofor an

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    eallra yrminga æfter þissum

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    weoruldgeswincum. þæt is wynsum stow

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    æfter þyssum yrmðum to aganne.

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    Ac ic georne wat þætte gylden maðm,

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    sylofren sincstan, searogimma nan,

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    middangeardes wela modes eagan

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    æfre ne onlyhtað, auht ne gebetað

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    hiora scearpnesse to þære sceawunga

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    soðra gesælða, ac hi swiðor get

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    monna gehwelces modes eagan

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    ablendað on breostum, þonne hi hi beorhtran gedon.

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    Forðæm æghwilc ðing þe on þys andweardan

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    life licað lænu sindon,

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    eorðlicu þing a fleondu.

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    Ac þæt is wundorlic wlite and beorhtnes

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    þe wuhta gehwæs wlite geberhteð,

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    and æfter þæm eallum wealdeð.

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    Nele se waldend ðæt forweorðan scylen

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    saula usse, ac he hi selfa wile

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    leoman onlihtan, lifes wealdend.

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    Gif þonne hæleða hwilc hlutrum eagum

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    modes sines mæg æfre ofsion

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    hiofones leohtes hlutre beorhto,

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    þonne wile he secgan þæt ðære sunnan sie

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    beorhtnes þiostro beorna gehwylcum

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    to metanne wið þæt micle leoht

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    godes ælmihtiges; þæt is gasta gehwæm

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    ece butan ende eadegum saulum.

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.