The Riming Poem

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 87 sections

0
Me lifes onlah se þis leoht onwrah,
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ond þæt torhte geteoh, tillice onwrah.
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Glæd wæs ic gliwum, glenged hiwum,
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blissa bleoum, blostma hiwum.
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Secgas mec segon, symbel ne alegon,
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feohgiefe gefegon; frætwed wægon
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wicg ofer wongum wennan gongum,
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lisse mid longum leoma gehongum.
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þa wæs wæstmum aweaht, world onspreht,
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under roderum areaht, rædmægne oferþeaht.
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Giestas gengdon, gerscype mengdon,
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lisse lengdon, lustum glengdon.
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Scrifen scrad glad þurh gescad in brad,
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wæs on lagustreame lad, þær me leoþu ne biglad.
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Hæfde ic heanne had, ne wæs me in healle gad,
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þæt þær rof weord rad. Oft þær rinc gebad,
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þæt he in sele sæge sincgewæge,
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þegnum geþyhte. þenden wæs me mægen,
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horsce mec heredon, hilde generedon,
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fægre feredon, feondon biweredon.
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Swa mec hyhtgiefu heold, hygedryht befeold,
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staþolæhtum steold, stepegongum weold
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swylce eorþe ol, ahte ic ealdorstol,
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galdorwordum gol. Gomen sibbe ne ofoll,
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ac wæs gefest gear, gellende sner,
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wuniendo wær wilbec bescær.
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Scealcas wæron scearpe, scyl wæs hearpe,
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hlude hlynede, hleoþor dynede,
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sweglrad swinsade, swiþe ne minsade.
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Burgsele beofode, beorht hlifade,
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ellen eacnade, ead beacnade,
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freaum frodade, fromum godade,
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mod mægnade, mine fægnade,
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treow telgade, tir welgade,
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blæd blissade,
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gold gearwade, gim hwearfade,
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sinc searwade, sib nearwade.
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From ic wæs in frætwum, freolic in geatwum;
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wæs min dream dryhtlic, drohtað hyhtlic.
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Foldan ic freoþode, folcum ic leoþode,
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lif wæs min longe, leodum in gemonge,
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tirum getonge, teala gehonge.
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Nu min hreþer is hreoh, heofsiþum sceoh,
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nydbysgum neah; gewiteð nihtes in fleah
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se ær in dæge wæs dyre. Scriþeð nu deop in feore
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brondhord geblowen, breostum in forgrowen,
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flyhtum toflowen. Flah is geblowen
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miclum in gemynde; modes gecynde
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greteð ungrynde grorn efenpynde,
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bealofus byrneð, bittre toyrneð.
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Werig winneð, widsið onginneð,
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sar ne sinniþ, sorgum cinnið,
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blæd his blinnið, blisse linnið,
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listum linneð, lustum ne tinneð.
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Dreamas swa her gedreosað, dryhtscype gehreosað,
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lif her men forleosað, leahtras oft geceosað;
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treowþrag is to trag, seo untrume genag,
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steapum eatole misþah, ond eal stund genag.
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Swa nu world wendeþ, wyrde sendeþ,
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ond hetes henteð, hæleþe scyndeð.
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Wercyn gewiteð, wælgar sliteð,
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flahmah fliteþ, flan mon hwiteð,
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borgsorg biteð, bald ald þwiteþ,
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wræcfæc wriþað, wraþ að smiteþ,
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singryn sidað, searofearo glideþ,
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gromtorn græfeþ, græft hafað,
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searohwit solaþ, sumurhat colað,
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foldwela fealleð, feondscipe wealleð,
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eorðmægen ealdaþ, ellen colað.
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Me þæt wyrd gewæf, ond gewyrht forgeaf,
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þæt ic grofe græf, ond þæt grimme græf
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flean flæsce ne mæg, þonne flanhred dæg
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nydgrapum nimeþ, þonne seo neaht becymeð
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seo me eðles ofonn ond mec her eardes onconn.
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þonne lichoma ligeð, lima wyrm friteþ,
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ac him wenne gewigeð ond þa wist geþygeð,
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oþþæt beoþ þa ban an,
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ond æt nyhstan nan nefne se neda tan
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balawun her gehloten. Ne biþ se hlisa adroren.
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ær þæt eadig geþenceð, he hine þe oftor swenceð,
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byrgeð him þa bitran synne, hogaþ to þære betran wynne,
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gemon morþa lisse, þær sindon miltsa blisse
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hyhtlice in heofona rice. Uton nu halgum gelice
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scyldum biscyrede scyndan generede,
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wommum biwerede, wuldre generede,
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þær moncyn mot for meotude rot
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soðne god geseon, ond aa in sibbe gefean.

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.