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Vainglory

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 85 sections

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   Hwæt, me frod wita on fyrndagum

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   sægde, snottor ar, sundorwundra fela.

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   Wordhord onwreah witgan larum

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   beorn boca gleaw, bodan ærcwide,

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   þæt ic soðlice siþþan meahte

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   ongitan bi þam gealdre godes agen bearn,

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   wilgest on wicum, ond þone wacran swa some,

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   scyldum bescyredne, on gescead witan.

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   þæt mæg æghwylc mon eaþe geþencan,

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    se þe hine ne læteð on þas lænan tid

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    amyrran his gemyndum modes gælsan

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    ond on his dægrime druncen to rice,

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    þonne monige beoð mæþelhegendra,

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    wlonce wigsmiþas winburgum in,

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    sittaþ æt symble, soðgied wrecað,

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    wordum wrixlað, witan fundiaþ

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    hwylc æscstede inne in ræcede

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    mid werum wunige, þonne win hweteð

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    beornes breostsefan. Breahtem stigeð,

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    cirm on corþre, cwide scralletaþ

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    missenlice. Swa beoþ modsefan

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    dalum gedæled, sindon dryhtguman

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    ungelice. Sum on oferhygdo

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    þrymme þringeð, þrinteð him in innan

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    ungemedemad mod; sindan to monige þæt!

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    Bið þæt æfþonca eal gefylled

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    feondes fligepilum, facensearwum;

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    breodað he ond bælceð, boð his sylfes

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    swiþor micle þonne se sella mon,

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    þenceð þæt his wise welhwam þince

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    eal unforcuþ. Biþ þæs oþer swice,

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    þonne he þæs facnes fintan sceawað.

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    Wrenceþ he ond blenceþ, worn geþenceþ

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    hinderhoca, hygegar leteð,

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    scurum sceoteþ. He þa scylde ne wat

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    fæhþe gefremede, feoþ his betran

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    eorl fore æfstum, læteð inwitflan

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    brecan þone burgweal, þe him bebead meotud

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    þæt he þæt wigsteal wergan sceolde,

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    siteþ symbelwlonc, searwum læteð

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    wine gewæged word ut faran,

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    þræfte þringan þrymme gebyrmed,

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    æfæstum onæled, oferhygda ful,

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    niþum nearowrencum. Nu þu cunnan meaht,

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    gif þu þyslicne þegn gemittest

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    wunian in wicum, wite þe be þissum

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    feawum forðspellum þæt þæt biþ feondes bearn

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    flæsce bifongen, hafað fræte lif,

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    grundfusne gæst gode orfeormne,

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    wuldorcyninge. þæt se witga song,

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    gearowyrdig guma, ond þæt gyd awræc:

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    "Se þe hine sylfne in þa sliþnan tid

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    þurh oferhygda up ahlæneð,

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    ahefeð heahmodne, se sceal hean wesan

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    æfter neosiþum niþer gebiged,

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    wunian witum fæst, wyrmum beþrungen.

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    þæt wæs geara iu in godes rice

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    þætte mid englum oferhygd astag,

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    widmære gewin. Wroht ahofan,

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    heardne heresiþ, heofon widledan,

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    forsawan hyra sellan, þa hi to swice þohton

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    ond þrymcyning þeodenstoles

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    ricne beryfan, swa hit ryht ne wæs,

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    ond þonne gesettan on hyra sylfra dom

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    wuldres wynlond. þæt him wige forstod

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    fæder frumsceafta; wearð him seo feohte to grim.

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    ðonne bið þam oþrum ungelice

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    se þe her on eorþan eaðmod leofað,

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    ond wiþ gesibbra gehwone simle healdeð

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    freode on folce ond his feond lufað,

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    þeah þe he him abylgnesse oft gefremede

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    willum in þisse worulde. Se mot wuldres dream

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    in haligra hyht heonan astigan

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    on engla eard. Ne biþ þam oþrum swa,

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    se þe on ofermedum eargum dædum

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    leofaþ in leahtrum, ne beoð þa lean gelic

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    mid wuldorcyning." Wite þe be þissum,

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    gif þu eaðmodne eorl gemete,

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    þegn on þeode, þam bið simle

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    gæst gegæderad godes agen bearn

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    wilsum in worlde, gif me se witega ne leag.

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    Forþon we sculon a hycgende hælo rædes

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    gemunan in mode mæla gehwylcum

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    þone selestan sigora waldend.

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    Amen.

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.