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The Meters of Boethius: Meter 22

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 65 sections

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   Se þe æfter rihte mid gerece wille

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   inweardlice æfter spyrian

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   swa deoplice, þæt hit todrifan ne mæg

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   monna ænig, ne amerran huru

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   ænig eorðlic ðincg, he ærest sceal

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   secan on him selfum þæt he sume hwile

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   ymbutan hine æror sohte.

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   Sece þæt siððan on his sefan innan,

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   and forlæte an, swa he oftost mæge,

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    ælcne ymbhogan ðy him unnet sie,

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    and gesamnige, swa he swiðost mæge,

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    ealle to þæm anum his ingeðonc,

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    gesecge his mode þæt hit mæg findan

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    eall on him innan þæt hit oftost nu

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    ymbutan hit ealneg seceð,

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    gooda æghwylc. He ongit siððan

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    yfel and unnet eal þæt he hæfde

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    on his incofan æror lange

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    efne swa sweotole swa he on þa sunnan mæg

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    eagum andweardum on locian,

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    and he eac ongit his ingeþonc

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    leohtre and berhtre þonne se leoma sie

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    sunnan on sumera, þonne swegles gim,

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    hador heofontungol, hlutrost scineð.

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    Forðæm þæs lichoman leahtras and hefignes

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    and þa unþeawas eallunga ne magon

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    of mode ation monna ænegum

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    rihtwisnesse, ðeah nu rinca hwæm

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    þæs lichoman leahtras and hefignes

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    and unþeawas oft bysigen

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    monna modsefan, mæst and swiðost

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    mid þære yflan oforgiotolnesse;

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    mid gedwolmiste dreorigne sefan

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    fortihð mod foran monna gehwelces,

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    þæt hit swa beorhte ne mot blican and scinan

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    swa hit wolde, gif hit geweald ahte;

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    þeah bið sum corn sædes gehealden

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    symle on ðære saule soðfæstnesse,

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    þenden gadertang wunað gast on lice.

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    ðæs sædes corn bið symle aweaht

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    mid ascunga, eac siððan mid

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    goodre lare, gif hit growan sceal.

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    Hu mæg ænig man andsware findan

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    ðinga æniges, þegen mid gesceade,

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    þeah hine rinca hwilc rihtwislice

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    æfter frigne gif he awuht nafað

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    on his modsefan mycles ne lytles

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    rihtwisnesse ne geradscipes?

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    Nis þeah ænig man þætte ealles swa

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    þæs geradscipes swa bereafod sie

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    þæt he andsware ænige ne cunne

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    findan on ferhðe, gif he frugnen bið.

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    Forðæm hit is riht spell þæt us reahte gio

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    ald uðwita, ure Platon;

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    he cwæð þætte æghwilc ungemyndig

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    rihtwisnesse hine hræðe sceolde

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    eft gewendan into sinum

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    modes gemynde; he mæg siððan

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    on his runcofan rihtwisnesse

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    findan on ferhte fæste gehydde

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    mid gedræfnesse dogora gehwilce

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    modes sines mæst and swiðost,

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    and mid hefinesse his lichoman,

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    and mid þæm bisgum þe on breostum styreð

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    mon on mode mæla gehwylce.

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.