The Phoenix

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 677 sections

0
Hæbbe ic gefrugnen þætte is feor heonan
1
eastdælum on æþelast londa,
2
firum gefræge. Nis se foldan sceat
3
ofer middangeard mongum gefere
4
folcagendra, ac he afyrred is
5
þurh meotudes meaht manfremmendum.
6
Wlitig is se wong eall, wynnum geblissad
7
mid þam fægrestum foldan stencum.
8
ænlic is þæt iglond, æþele se wyrhta,
9
modig, meahtum spedig, se þa moldan gesette.
10
ðær bið oft open eadgum togeanes
11
onhliden hleoþra wyn, heofonrices duru.
12
þæt is wynsum wong, wealdas grene,
13
rume under roderum. Ne mæg þær ren ne snaw,
14
ne forstes fnæst, ne fyres blæst,
15
ne hægles hryre, ne hrimes dryre,
16
ne sunnan hætu, ne sincaldu,
17
ne wearm weder, ne winterscur
18
wihte gewyrdan, ac se wong seomað
19
eadig ond onsund. Is þæt æþele lond
20
blostmum geblowen. Beorgas þær ne muntas
21
steape ne stondað, ne stanclifu
22
heah hlifiað, swa her mid us,
23
ne dene ne dalu ne dunscrafu,
24
hlæwas ne hlincas, ne þær hleonað oo
25
unsmeþes wiht, ac se æþela feld
26
wridað under wolcnum, wynnum geblowen.
27
Is þæt torhte lond twelfum herra,
28
folde fæðmrimes, swa us gefreogum gleawe
29
witgan þurh wisdom on gewritum cyþað,
30
þonne ænig þara beorga þe her beorhte mid us
31
hea hlifiað under heofontunglum.
32
Smylte is se sigewong; sunbearo lixeð,
33
wuduholt wynlic. Wæstmas ne dreosað,
34
beorhte blede, ac þa beamas a
35
grene stondað, swa him god bibead.
36
Wintres ond sumeres wudu bið gelice
37
bledum gehongen; næfre brosniað
38
leaf under lyfte, ne him lig sceþeð
39
æfre to ealdre, ærþon edwenden
40
worulde geweorðe. Swa iu wætres þrym
41
ealne middangeard mereflod þeahte,
42
eorþan ymbhwyrft, þa se æþela wong,
43
æghwæs onsund, wið yðfare
44
gehealden stod hreora wæga,
45
eadig, unwemme, þurh est godes;
46
bideð swa geblowen oð bæles cyme,
47
dryhtnes domes, þonne deaðræced,
48
hæleþa heolstorcofan, onhliden weorþað.
49
Nis þær on þam londe laðgeniðla,
50
ne wop ne wracu, weatacen nan,
51
yldu ne yrmðu ne se enga deað,
52
ne lifes lyre, ne laþes cyme,
53
ne synn ne sacu ne sarwracu,
54
ne wædle gewin, ne welan onsyn,
55
ne sorg ne slæp ne swar leger,
56
ne wintergeweorp, ne wedra gebregd,
57
hreoh under heofonum, ne se hearda forst,
58
caldum cylegicelum, cnyseð ænigne.
59
þær ne hægl ne hrim hreosað to foldan,
60
ne windig wolcen, ne þær wæter fealleþ,
61
lyfte gebysgad, ac þær lagustreamas,
62
wundrum wrætlice, wyllan onspringað
63
fægrum flodwylmum. Foldan leccaþ
64
wæter wynsumu of þæs wuda midle;
65
þa monþa gehwam of þære moldan tyrf
66
brimcald brecað, bearo ealne geondfarað,
67
þragum þrymlice. Is þæt þeodnes gebod,
68
þætte twelf siþum þæt tirfæste
69
lond geondlace lagufloda wynn.
70
Sindon þa bearwas bledum gehongne,
71
wlitigum wæstmum, þær no waniað o,
72
halge under heofonum, holtes frætwe.
73
Ne feallað þær on foldan fealwe blostman,
74
wudubeama wlite, ac þær wrætlice
75
on þam treowum symle telgan gehladene,
76
ofett edniwe, in ealle tid
77
on þam græswonge grene stondaþ,
78
gehroden hyhtlice haliges meahtum,
79
beorhtast bearwa. No gebrocen weorþeð
80
holt on hiwe, þær se halga stenc
81
wunaþ geond wynlond; þæt onwended ne bið
82
æfre to ealdre, ærþon endige
83
frod fyrngeweorc se hit on frymþe gescop.
84
ðone wudu weardaþ wundrum fæger
85
fugel feþrum strong, se is fenix haten.
86
þær se anhaga eard bihealdeþ,
87
deormod drohtað; næfre him deaþ sceþeð
88
on þam willwonge, þenden woruld stondeþ.
89
Se sceal þære sunnan sið behealdan
90
ond ongean cuman godes condelle,
91
glædum gimme, georne bewitigan,
92
hwonne up cyme æþelast tungla
93
ofer yðmere estan lixan,
94
fæder fyrngeweorc frætwum blican,
95
torht tacen godes. Tungol beoþ ahyded,
96
gewiten under waþeman westdælas on,
97
bideglad on dægred, ond seo deorce niht
98
won gewiteð; þonne waþum strong
99
fugel feþrum wlonc on firgenstream

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.