The Meters of Boethius: Meter 17

Sacred Texts Legends and Sagas WordGumbo: Old English Dictionaries [External Site] Index Previous Next The Meters of Boethius: Meter 17 Verse Indeterminate Saxon - Hwæt, eorðwaran ealle hæfden, foldbuende, fruman gelicne; hi of anum twæm ealle comon, were and wife, on woruld innan, - 5 - and hi eac nu get ealle gelice on woruld cumað, wlance and heane. Nis þæt nan wundor, forðæm witan ealle þæt an god is ealra gesceafta, frea moncynnes, fæder and scippend. - 10 - Se ðære sunnan leoht seleð of heofonum, monan and þyssum mærum steorrum. Se milda metod gesceop men on eorðan, and gesamnade sawle to lice æt fruman ærest, folc under wolcnum - 15 - emnæðele gesceop æghwilcne mon. Hwy ge þonne æfre ofer oðre men ofermodigen buton andweorce, nu ge unæðelne nænigne metað? Hwy ge eow for æþelum up ahebben, - 20 - nu on þæm mode bið monna gehwilcum þa rihtæþelo þe ic ðe recce ymb, nales on ðæm flæsce foldbuendra? Ac nu æghwilc mon þe mid ealle bið his unþeawum underðieded, - 25 - he forlæt ærest lifes frumsceaft and his agene æþelo swa selfe, and eac þone fæder þe hine æt fruman gesceop. Forðæm hine anæþelað ælmihtig god, þæt he unæþele a forð þanan - 30 - wyrð on weorulde, to wuldre ne cymð.