The Phoenix

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 677 sections

400
ealdfeondes æfest, se him æt gebead,
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beames blede, þæt hi bu þegun
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æppel unrædum ofer est godes,
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byrgdon forbodene. þær him bitter wearð
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yrmþu æfter æte ond hyra eaferum swa,
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sarlic symbel sunum ond dohtrum.
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Wurdon teonlice toþas idge
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ageald æfter gylte. Hæfdon godes yrre,
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bittre bealosorge. þæs þa byre siþþan
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gyrne onguldon, þe hi þæt gyfl þegun
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ofer eces word. Forþon hy eðles wyn
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geomormode ofgiefan sceoldon
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þurh nædran niþ, þa heo nearwe biswac
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yldran usse in ærdagum
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þurh fæcne ferð, þæt hi feor þonan
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in þas deaðdene drohtað sohton,
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sorgfulran gesetu. Him wearð selle lif
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heolstre bihyded, ond se halga wong
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þurh feondes searo fæste bityned
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wintra mengu, oþþæt wuldorcyning
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þurh his hidercyme halgum togeanes,
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moncynnes gefea, meþra frefrend,
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ond se anga hyht, eft ontynde.
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Is þon gelicast, þæs þe us leorneras
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wordum secgað, ond writu cyþað,
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þisses fugles gefær, þonne frod ofgiefeð
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eard ond eþel, ond geealdad bið.
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Gewiteð werigmod, wintrum gebysgad,
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þær he holtes hleo heah gemeteð,
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in þam he getimbreð tanum ond wyrtum
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þam æþelestum eardwic niwe,
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nest on bearwe. Bið him neod micel
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þæt he feorhgeong eft onfon mote
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þurh liges blæst lif æfter deaþe,
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edgeong wesan, ond his ealdcyðþu,
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sunbeorht gesetu, secan mote
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æfter fyrbaðe. Swa ða foregengan,
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yldran usse, anforleton
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þone wlitigan wong ond wuldres setl,
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leoflic on laste, tugon longne sið
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in hearmra hond, þær him hettende,
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earme aglæcan, oft gescodan.
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Wæron hwæþre monge, þa þe meotude wel
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gehyrdun under heofonum halgum ðeawum,
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dædum domlicum, þæt him dryhten wearð,
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heofona heahcyning, hold on mode.
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ðæt is se hea beam in þam halge nu
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wic weardiað, þær him wihte ne mæg
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ealdfeonda nan atre sceþþan,
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facnes tacne, on þas frecnan tid.
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þær him nest wyrceð wið niþa gehwam
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dædum domlicum dryhtnes cempa,
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þonne he ælmessan earmum dæleð,
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dugeþa leasum, ond him dryhten gecygð,
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fæder on fultum, forð onetteð,
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lænan lifes leahtras dwæsceþ,
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mirce mandæde, healdeð meotudes æ
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beald in breostum, ond gebedu seceð
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clænum gehygdum, ond his cneo bigeð
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æþele to eorþan, flyhð yfla gehwylc,
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grimme gieltas, for godes egsan,
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glædmod gyrneð þæt he godra mæst
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dæda gefremme; þam biþ dryhten scyld
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in siþa gehwane, sigora waldend,
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weoruda wilgiefa. þis þa wyrta sind,
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wæstma blede, þa se wilda fugel
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somnað under swegle side ond wide
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to his wicstowe, þær he wundrum fæst
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wið niþa gehwam nest gewyrceð.
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Swa nu in þam wicum willan fremmað
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mode ond mægne meotudes cempan,
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mærða tilgað; þæs him meorde wile
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ece ælmihtig eadge forgildan.
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Beoð him of þam wyrtum wic gestaþelad
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in wuldres byrig weorca to leane,
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þæs þe hi geheoldan halge lare
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hate æt heortan, hige weallende
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dæges ond nihtes dryhten lufiað,
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leohte geleafan leofne ceosað
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ofer woruldwelan; ne biþ him wynne hyht
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þæt hy þis læne lif long gewunien.
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þus eadig eorl ecan dreames,
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heofona hames mid heahcyning
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earnað on elne, oþþæt ende cymeð
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dogorrimes, þonne deað nimeð,
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wiga wælgifre, wæpnum geþryþed,
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ealdor anra gehwæs, ond in eorþan fæðm
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snude sendeð sawlum binumene
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læne lichoman, þær hi longe beoð
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oð fyres cyme foldan biþeahte.
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ðonne monge beoð on gemot læded
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fyra cynnes; wile fæder engla,
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sigora soðcyning, seonoþ gehegan,
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duguða dryhten, deman mid ryhte.
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þonne æriste ealle gefremmaþ
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men on moldan, swa se mihtiga cyning
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beodeð, brego engla, byman stefne
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ofer sidne grund, sawla nergend.
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Bið se deorca deað dryhtnes meahtum
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eadgum geendad. æðele hweorfað,

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.