The Rune Poem

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 94 sections

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ᛇ byþ frofur fira gehwylcum.
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Sceal ðeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dælan
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gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.
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ᚢ byþ anmod and oferhyrned,
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felafrecne deor, feohteþ mid hornum,
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mære morstapa; þæt is modig wuht.
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ᚦ byþ ðearle scearp; ðegna gehwylcum
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anfeng ys yfyl, ungemetun reþe
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manna gehwylcun ðe him mid resteð.
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ᚩ byþ ordfruma ælcre spræce,
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wisdomes wraþu and witena frofur,
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and eorla gehwam eadnys and tohiht.
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ᚱ byþ on recyde rinca gehwylcum
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sefte, and swiþhwæt ðam ðe sitteþ on ufan
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meare mægenheardum ofer milpaþas.
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ᚳ byþ cwicera gehwam cuþ on fyre,
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blac and beorhtlic, byrneþ oftust
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ðær hi æþelingas inne restaþ.
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ᚷ gumena byþ gleng and herenys,
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wraþu and wyrþscype, and wræcna gehwam
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ar and ætwist ðe byþ oþra leas.
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ᚹne bruceþ ðe can weana lyt,
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sares and sorge, and him sylfa hæfþ
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blæd and blysse and eac byrga geniht.
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ᚻ byþ hwitust corna; hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte,
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wealcaþ hit windes scuras, weorþeþ hit to wætere syððan.
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ᚾ byþ nearu on breostan, weorþeþ hi ðeah oft niþa bearnum
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to helpe and to hæle gehwæþre, gif hi his hlystaþ æror.
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ᛁ byþ oferceald, ungemetum slidor,
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glisnaþ glæshluttur, gimmum gelicust,
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flor forste geworuht, fæger ansyne.
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ᛄ byþ gumena hiht, ðon god læteþ,
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halig heofones cyning, hrusan syllan
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beorhte bleda beornum and ðearfum.
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ᛇ byþ utan unsmeþe treow,
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heard, hrusan fæst, hyrde fyres,
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wyrtrumun underwreþyd, wyn on eþle.
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ᛈ byþ symble plega and hlehter
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wlancum ðar wigan sittaþ
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on beorsele bliþe ætsomne.
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ᛉ secg eard hæfþ oftust on fenne,
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wexeð on wature, wundaþ grimme,
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blode breneð beorna gehwylcne
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ðe him ænigne onfeng gedeð.
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ᛋ semannum symble biþ on hihte,
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ðonn hi hine feriaþ ofer fisces beþ,
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oþ hi brimhengest bringeþ to lande.
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ᛏ biþ tacna sum, healdeð trywa wel
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wiþ æþelingas, a biþ on færylde,
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ofer nihta genipu næfre swiceþ.
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ᛒ byþ bleda leas, bereþ efne swa ðeah
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tanas butan tudder, biþ on telgum wlitig,
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heah on helme hrysted fægere,
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geloden leafum, lyfte getenge.
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ᛖ byþ for eorlum æþelinga wyn,
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hors hofum wlanc, ðær him hæleþ ymbe,
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welege on wicgum, wrixlaþ spræce,
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and biþ unstyllum æfre frofur.
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ᛗ byþ on myrgþe his magan leof;
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sceal þeah anra gehwylc oðrum swican,
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for ðam dryhten wyle dome sine
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þæt earme flæsc eorþan betæcan.
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ᛚ byþ leodum langsum geþuht,
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gif hi sculun neþan on nacan tealtum,
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and hi sæyþa swyþe bregaþ,
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and se brimhengest bridles ne gymeð.
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ᛝ wæs ærest mid Eastdenum
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gesewen secgun, oþ he siððan eft
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ofer wæg gewat, wæn æfter ran;
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ðus heardingas ðone hæle nemdun.
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ᛟ byþ oferleof æghwylcum men,
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gif he mot ðær rihtes and gerysena on
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brucan on bolde bleadum oftast.
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ᛞ byþ drihtnes sond, deore mannum,
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mære metodes leoht, myrgþ and tohiht
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eadgum and earmum, eallum brice.
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ᚪ byþ on eorþan elda bearnum
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flæsces fodor, fereþ gelome
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ofer ganotes bæþ; garsecg fandaþ
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hwæþer ac hæbbe æþele treowe.
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ᚫ biþ oferheah, eldum dyre,
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stiþ on staþule, stede rihte hylt,
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ðeah him feohtan on firas monige.
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ᚣ byþ æþelinga and eorla gehwæs
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wyn and wyrþmynd, byþ on wicge fæger,
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fæstlic on færelde, fyrdgeatewa sum.
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ᛡ byþ eafix, and ðeah a bruceþ
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fodres on foldan, hafaþ fægerne eard,
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wætre beworpen, ðær he wynnum leofaþ.
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ᛠ byþ egle eorla gehwylcun,
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ðonn fæstlice flæsc onginneþ,
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hraw colian, hrusan ceosan
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blac to gebeddan; bleda gedreosaþ,
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wynna gewitaþ, wera geswicaþ.

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