The Seasons for Fasting

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 230 sections

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Wæs on ealddagum Israheala folc
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þurh Moysen, mærne lareow,
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anlyht and gelared, swa hine lifes frea,
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heofna heahcyning, her on life
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þurh his sylfes word sette for leodum,
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rincum to ræde, and him runa gescead
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sylfum asæde, hu he þone soþan weg
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leofum leodscipe læran sceolde.
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þa se leoda fruma larum fyligde
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heofena heahcyninges, and þa hæleþ samod,
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swa hie on leodscipe lærede wæron;
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gyf hie wancule weorc ongunnon,
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heom þæs of heofonum hearm to leane
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asende sigora god, and hie sona to him
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fryþa wilnodan and þær fundon raþe,
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gif hie leohtras heora letan gewyrpan.
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Feala is mægena þe sio mære þeod
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on þam herescype heold and worhte,
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þendan hie lifes frean lufian woldon;
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ac him se ende wearð earm and þrealic,
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þa hie besyredon sylfne dryhten,
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on beam setton and to byrgenne
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gedemdon; he þær bedigled wæs,
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and þy þryddan dæge þeodum ætywed.
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We þæt gehyrdon hæleþa mænige
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on bocstafum breman and writan,
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þæt hie fæstenu feower heoldon
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and þonne offredan unmæne neat,
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þæt is lamb oþþe styrc, leofum to tacne
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þe for worulde wæs womma bedæled.
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Ac arisan ongan rices ealdor
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of byrgenne, blæda gefylled,
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and mid heofenwarum ham gesohte,
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eard mid englum, and us eallum þone
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hyht and gehateð, gyf we his willaþ
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þurh rihtne sefan rædum fyligan.
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Na þær in cumeð atele gefylled,
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womme gewesed, ac scal on wyrd sceacan.
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Nu we herian sceolan her for life
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deorne dædfruman, and him geara gerim
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ælmesdædum ure gefyllan,
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and on fæstenum, swa se froda iu
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Moyses mælde, and we þa mearce sceolan
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heoldan higefæste mid Anglum,
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swa hie gebrefde us beorn on Rome,
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Gregorius, gumena papa.
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We þæt forme sceolan fæsten heowan
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on þære ærestan wucan lengtenes,
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on þam monþe þe man Martius
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geond Romwara rice nemneð,
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and þær twelfe sceolan torhtum dihte
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runa gerædan in þæs rican hofe,
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heofona heahcyninges, herian mid sange,
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wlancne weorþian wuldres bryttan.
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Ofer þa Eastertid oþer fæsten
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ys to bremenne Brytena leodum
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mid gelicum lofe, þe gelesen hafað
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on þære wucan þe æfter cumeð
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þam sunnandæge þe geond sidne wang
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Pentecostenes dæg preostas nemnað,
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on þam monþe, þæs þe me þinceð,
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þe man Iunius gearum nemde.
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ðonne is þæt þrydde þinga gehwelces
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fæsten on foldan fyra bearnum
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dihte gelicum on þam deoran hofe
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to brymenne beorhtum sange
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on þære wucan þe ærur byð
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emnihtes dæge ælda beornum,
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on þam monþe, mine gefræge,
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þe man September genemneð.
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We þæt feorþe sceolen fæsten gelæstan
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on þære wucan þe bið ærur full
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dryhtnes gebyrde, and we mid deornum scylan
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wordum and weorcum wuldres cyninge
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in þa ylcan tid eallum gemynde
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þeodne deman þinga gehwylces,
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efne swa swa ærran, and þone arwesan
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leofne leoda frean lifes biddan.
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On þissum fæstenum is se feorþa dæg
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and sixta samod seofoþa getinge
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to gelæstanne lifes ealdre
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and to bremenne boca gerynum
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emb þa nigoþan tyd; nan is on eorþan,
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butan hine unhæl an geþreatige,
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þe mot, hæt, oþþe wæt ærur þingan,
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þæs þe us boca dom þeodlic demeð.
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Gif þe þonne secgan suþan cymene
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bryttan Franca, þæt þu gebann sceole
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her on eorþan ænig healdan,
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þæs þe Moyses iu mælde to leodum,
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na þu þæs andfeng æfre gewyrþe,
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ac þu þæt sylfe heald þæt þe suþan com
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from Romana rices hyrde,
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Gregoriæ, gumena papa.
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þus he gesette sylf ond dyhte
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þa þenunga, þeodlareow,
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fæstendtida; we þam forþ nu gyt
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geond Engla land estum filiað.
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Swa he æt þæm setle sylfa gedemde,
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sancte Petres preostas syþþan

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