CC 20220801
Mæg ic be me sylfum soðgied wrecan, siþas secgan, hu ic geswincdagum earfoðhwile oft þrowade, bitre breostceare gebiden hæbbe, 5\ngecunnad in ceole cearselda fela, atol yþa gewealc, þær mec oft bigeat nearo nihtwaco æt nacan stefnan, þonne he be clifum cnossað. Calde geþrungen wæron mine fet, forste gebunden, 10\ncaldum clommum, þær þa ceare seofedun hat ymb heortan; hungor innan slat merewerges mod. þæt se mon ne wat þe him on foldan fægrost limpeð, hu ic earmcearig iscealdne sæ 15\nwinter wunade wræccan lastum, winemægum bidroren, bihongen hrimgicelum; hægl scurum fleag. þær ic ne gehyrde butan hlimman sæ, iscaldne wæg. Hwilum ylfete song 20\ndyde ic me to gomene, ganetes hleoþor ond huilpan sweg fore hleahtor wera, mæw singende fore medodrince. Stormas þær stanclifu beotan, þær him stearn oncwæð isigfeþera; ful oft þæt earn bigeal, 25\nurigfeþra; ne ænig hleomæga feasceaftig ferð frefran meahte. Forþon him gelyfeð lyt, se þe ah lifes wyn gebiden in burgum, bealosiþa hwon, wlonc ond wingal, hu ic werig oft 30\nin brimlade bidan sceolde. Nap nihtscua, norþan sniwde, hrim hrusan bond, hægl feol on eorþan, corna caldast. Forþon cnyssað nu heortan geþohtas, þæt ic hean streamas, 35\nsealtyþa gelac sylf cunnige; monað modes lust mæla gehwylce ferð to feran, þæt ic feor heonan elþeodigra eard gesece. Forþon nis þæs modwlonc mon ofer eorþan, 40\nne his gifena þæs god, ne in geoguþe to þæs hwæt, ne in his dædum to þæs deor, ne him his dryhten to þæs hold, þæt he a his sæfore sorge næbbe, to hwon hine dryhten gedon wille. Ne biþ him to hearpan hyge ne to hringþege, 45\nne to wife wyn ne to worulde hyht, ne ymbe owiht elles, nefne ymb yða gewealc, ac a hafað longunge se þe on lagu fundað. Bearwas blostmum nimað, byrig fægriað, wongas wlitigað, woruld onetteð; 50\nealle þa gemoniað modes fusne sefan to siþe, þam þe swa þenceð on flodwegas feor gewitan. Swylce geac monað geomran reorde, singeð sumeres weard, sorge beodeð 55\nbitter in breosthord. þæt se beorn ne wat, esteadig secg, hwæt þa sume dreogað þe þa wræclastas widost lecgað. Forþon nu min hyge hweorfeð ofer hreþerlocan, min modsefa mid mereflode 60\nofer hwæles eþel hweorfeð wide, eorþan sceatas, cymeð eft to me gifre ond grædig, gielleð anfloga, hweteð on hwælweg hreþer unwearnum ofer holma gelagu. Forþon me hatran sind 65\ndryhtnes dreamas þonne þis deade lif, læne on londe. Ic gelyfe no þæt him eorðwelan ece stondað. Simle þreora sum þinga gehwylce, ær his tid aga, to tweon weorþeð; 70\nadl oþþe yldo oþþe ecghete fægum fromweardum feorh oðþringeð. Forþon þæt bið eorla gehwam æftercweþendra lof lifgendra lastworda betst, þæt he gewyrce, ær he on weg scyle, 75\nfremum on foldan wið feonda niþ, deorum dædum deofle togeanes, þæt hine ælda bearn æfter hergen, ond his lof siþþan lifge mid englum awa to ealdre, ecan lifes blæd, 80\ndream mid dugeþum. Dagas sind gewitene, ealle onmedlan eorþan rices; næron nu cyningas ne caseras ne goldgiefan swylce iu wæron, þonne hi mæst mid him mærþa gefremedon 85\nond on dryhtlicestum dome lifdon. Gedroren is þeos duguð eal, dreamas sind gewitene, wuniað þa wacran ond þas woruld healdaþ, brucað þurh bisgo. Blæd is gehnæged, eorþan indryhto ealdað ond searað, 90\nswa nu monna gehwylc geond middangeard. Yldo him on fareð, onsyn blacað, gomelfeax gnornað, wat his iuwine, æþelinga bearn, eorþan forgiefene. Ne mæg him þonne se flæschoma, þonne him þæt feorg losað, 95\nne swete forswelgan ne sar gefelan, ne hond onhreran ne mid hyge þencan. þeah þe græf wille golde stregan broþor his geborenum, byrgan be deadum, maþmum mislicum þæt hine mid wille, 100\nne mæg þære sawle þe biþ synna ful gold to geoce for godes egsan, þonne he hit ær hydeð þenden he her leofað. Micel biþ se meotudes egsa, forþon hi seo molde oncyrreð; se gestaþelade stiþe grundas, 105\neorþan sceatas ond uprodor. Dol biþ se þe him his dryhten ne ondrædeþ; cymeð him se deað unþinged. Eadig bið se þe eaþmod leofaþ; cymeð him seo ar of heofonum, meotod him þæt mod gestaþelað, forþon he in his meahte gelyfeð. Stieran mon sceal strongum mode, ond þæt on staþelum healdan, 110\nond gewis werum, wisum clæne, scyle monna gehwylc mid gemete healdan wiþ leofne ond wið laþne bealo, þeah þe he hine wille fyres fulne oþþe on bæle forbærnedne 115\nhis geworhtne wine. Wyrd biþ swiþre, meotud meahtigra þonne ænges monnes gehygd. Uton we hycgan hwær we ham agen, ond þonne geþencan hu we þider cumen, ond we þonne eac tilien, þæt we to moten 120\nin þa ecan eadignesse, þær is lif gelong in lufan dryhtnes, hyht in heofonum. þæs sy þam halgan þonc, þæt he usic geweorþade, wuldres ealdor, ece dryhten, in ealle tid. 125\nAmen. Index | Previous page | Next page