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The Meters of Boethius: Meter 27

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 33 sections

1. 0

   Hwy ge æfre scylen unrihtfioungum

2. 1

   eower mod drefan, swa swa mereflodes

3. 2

   yþa hrerað iscalde sæ,

4. 3

   wecggað for winde? Hwy oðwite ge

5. 4

   wyrde eowre þæt hio geweald nafað?

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   Hwy ge þæs deaðes þe eow drihten gesceop

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   gebidan ne magon bitres gecyndes,

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   nu he eow ælce dæg onet toweard?

9. 8

   Ne magon ge gesion þæt he symle spyreð

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    æfter æghwelcum eorðan tudre,

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    diorum and fuglum? Deað eac swa same

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    æfter moncynne geond ðisne middangeard,

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    egeslic hunta, a bið on waðe;

14. 13

    nyle he ænig swæð æfre forlætan

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    ær he gehede þæt he hwile ær

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    æfter spyrede. Is þæt earmlic þing

17. 16

    þæt his gebidan ne magon burgsittende,

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    ungesælige men; hine ær willað

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    foran to sciotan, swa swa fugla cyn

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    oððe wildu dior; þa winnað betwuh,

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    æghwylc wolde oðer acwellan.

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    Ac þæt is unriht æghwelcum men

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    þæt he oðerne inwitþoncum

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    fioge on færðe, swa swa fugl oððe dior,

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    ac þæt wære rihtost, þætte rinca gehwylc

26. 25

    oðrum gulde edlean on riht,

27. 26

    weorc be geweorhtum weoruldbuendum

28. 27

    þinga gehwilces, þæt is, þæt he lufige

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    godra gehwilcne swa he geornost mæge,

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    mildsige yflum, swa we ær spræcon.

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    He sceal þone monnan mode lufian,

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    and his unþeawas ealle hatian

33. 32

    and ofsniðan, swa he swiðost mæge.

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.