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The Metrical Preface to Waerferth's Translation of Gregory's Dialogues

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 27 sections

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   ...e ðe me rædan ðance,

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   he in me findan mæg, gif hine feola lysteð

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   gastlices lifes godre biesene,

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   þæt he ful eaþe mæg upp gestigan

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   to ðam heofonlican hame, þar byð a hyht and wyn,

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   blis on burgum, þam þe bearn godes

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   sielfes hiora eagum geseon motan.

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   þæt mæg se mon begytan, se þe his modgeðanc

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   æltowe byþ, and þonne þurh his ingehygd

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    to þissa haligra helpe geliefeð,

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    ond hiora bisene fulgað, swa þeos boc sagað.

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    Me awritan het Wulfstan bisceop,

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    þeow and þearfa þæs þe alne þrym aof,

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    and eac walden is wihta gehwelcre,

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    an ece god eallra gesceafta.

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    Bideþ þe se bisceop, se þe ðas boc begeat

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    þe þu on þinum handum nu hafast and sceawast,

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    þæt þu him to þeossum halgum helpe bidde,

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    þe heora gemynd her on gemearcude siendon,

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    and þæt him god ællmihtig

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    forgyu... þa gyltas þe he geo worhte,

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    and eac resðe mid him, se ðe ah ealles rices geweald,

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    and eac swa his beahgifan, þe him ðas bysene forgeaf,

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    þæt is se selesða sinces brytta,

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    ælfryd mid Englum, ealra cyninga

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    þara þe he sið oððe ær fore secgan hyrde,

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    oððe he iorðcyninga ær ænigne gefrugne.

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.