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The Meters of Boethius: Meter 25

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 72 sections

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   Geher nu an spell be ðæm ofermodum

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   unrihtwisum eorðan cyningum,

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   ða her nu manegum and mislicum

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   wædum wlitebeorhtum wundrum scinað

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   on heahsetlum, hrofe getenge,

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   golde gegerede and gimcynnum,

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   utan ymbestandne mid unrime

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   ðegna and eorla. þa bioð gehyrste

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   mid heregeatwum hildetorhtum,

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    sweordum and fetelum swiðe geglengde,

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    and þegniað ðrymme micle

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    ælc oðrum, and hi ealle him

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    ðonan mid ðy ðrymme þreatiað gehwider

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    ymbsittenda oðra ðeoda;

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    and se hlaford ne scrifð, ðe ðæm here waldeð,

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    freonde ne feonde, feore ne æhtum,

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    ac he reðigmod ræst on gehwilcne,

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    wedehunde wuhta gelicost;

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    bið to up ahæfen inne on mode

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    for ðæm anwalde þe him anra gehwilc

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    his tirwina to fultemað.

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    Gif mon ðonne wolde him awindan of

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    þæs cynegerelan claða gehwilcne,

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    and him þonne oftion ðara ðegnunga

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    and þæs anwaldes ðe he ær hæfde,

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    ðonne meaht ðu gesion þæt he bið swiðe gelic

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    sumum ðara gumena þe him geornost nu

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    mid ðegnungum ðringað ymbeutan;

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    gif he wyrsa ne bið, ne wene ic his na beteran.

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    Gif him þonne æfre unmendlinga

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    weas geberede þæt him wurde oftogen

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    þrymmes and wæda and þegnunga

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    and ðæs anwaldes þe we ymbe sprecað,

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    gif him ænig þara ofhende wyrð,

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    ic wat þæt him þynceð þæt he þonne sie

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    becropen on carcern, oððe coðlice

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    racentan geræped. Ic gereccan mæg

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    þæt of ungemete ælces ðinges,

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    wiste and wæda, wingedrinces,

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    and of swetmettum, swiðost weaxað

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    þære wrænnesse wodðrag micel;

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    sio swiðe gedræfð sefan ingehygd

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    monna gehwelces, þonan mæst cymeð

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    yfla ofermetta, unnetta saca.

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    þonne hi gebolgene weorðað, him wyrð on breostum inne

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    beswungen sefa on hraðre mid ðæm swiðan welme

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    hatheortnesse, and hreðe siððan

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    unrotnesse eac geræped,

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    hearde gehæfted. Him siððan onginð

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    sum tohopa swiðe leogan

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    þæs gewinnes wræce; wilnað þæt irre

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    anes and oðres; him þæt eall gehæt

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    his recelest, rihtes ne scrifeð.

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    Ic ðe sæde ær on ðisse selfan bec

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    þæt sumes goodes sidra gesceafta

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    anlepra ælc a wilnode

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    for his agenum ealdgecynde.

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    Unrihtwise eorðan cyningas

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    ne magon æfre þurhtion awuht goodes

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    for ðæm yfle þe ic ðe ær sæde.

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    Nis ðæt nan wundor, forðæm hi willað hi

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    þæm unðeawum þe ic ðe ær nemde,

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    anra gehwelcum, a underðeodan.

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    Sceal ðonne nede nearwe gebugan

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    to ðara hlaforda hæftedome,

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    þe he hine eallunga ær underþiodde.

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    ðæt is wyrse get, þæt he winnan nyle

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    wið ðæm anwalde ænige stunde;

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    þær he wolde a winnan onginnan,

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    and þonne on ðæm gewinne þurhwunian forð,

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    þonne næfde he nane scylde,

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    ðeah he oferwunnen weorðan sceolde.

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.