The Meters of Boethius: Meter 24

Sacred Texts Legends and Sagas WordGumbo: Old English Dictionaries [External Site] Index Previous Next The Meters of Boethius: Meter 24 Verse Indeterminate Saxon - Ic hæbbe fiðru fugle swiftran, mid ðæm ic fleogan mæg feor fram eorðan ofer heane hrof heofones þisses, ac ðær ic nu moste mod gefeðran, - 5 - ðinne ferðlocan, feðrum minum, oððæt ðu meahte þisne middangeard, ælc eorðlic ðing, eallunga forsion. Meahtes ofer rodorum gereclice feðerum lacan, feor up ofer - 10 - wolcnu windan, wlitan siððan ufan ofer ealle. Meahtes eac faran ofer ðæm fyre ðe fela geara for lange betweox lyfte and rodere, swa him æt frymðe fæder getiode. - 15 - ðu meahtest ðe siððan mid ðære sunnan faran betweox oðrum tunglum. Meahtest ðe full recen on ðæm rodere ufan siððan weorðan, and ðonne samtenges æt ðæm ælcealdan anum steorran, - 20 - se yfmest is eallra tungla, ðone Saturnus sundbuende hatað under heofonum; he is se cealda eallisig tungl, yfemest wandrað ofer eallum ufan oðrum steorrum. - 25 - Siððan ðu ðonne ðone up a hafast forð oferfarenne, ðu meaht feorsian; ðonne bist ðu siððan sona ofer uppan rodere ryneswiftum. Gif ðu on riht færest, ðe ðone hehstan heofon behindan lætst, - 30 - ðonne meaht ðu siððan soðes leohtes habban þinne dæl, ðonan an cyning rume ricsað ofer roderum up and under swa same eallra gesceafta, weorulde waldeð. þæt is wis cyning, - 35 - þæt is se ðe waldeð giond werðioda ealra oðra eorðan cyninga, se mid his bridle ymbebæted hæfð ymbhwyrft ealne eorðan and heofones. He his gewaldleðer wel gemetgað, - 40 - se stioreð a þurg ða strongan meaht ðæm hrædwæne heofones and eorðan. Se an dema is gestæððig, unawendendlic, wlitig and mære. Gif ðu weorðest on wege rihtum - 45 - up to ðæm earde, þæt is æðele stow, ðeah ðu hi nu geta forgiten hæbbe, gif ðu æfre eft þær an cymest, ðonne wilt þu secgan and sona cweðan: "ðis is eallunga min agen cyð, - 50 - eard and eðel. Ic wæs ær hionan cumen and acenned ðurh ðisses cræftgan meaht. Nylle ic æfre hionan ut witan, ac ic symle her softe wille mid fæder willan fæste stondan." - 55 - Gif ðe ðonne æfre eft geweorðeð þæt ðu wilt oððe most weorolde ðiostro eft fandian, ðu meaht eaðe gesion unrihtwise eorðan cyningas and þa ofermodan oðre rican - 60 - ðe þis werige folc wyrst tuciað, þæt hi symle bioð swiðe earme, unmehtige ælces ðinges, emne ða ilcan þe þis earme folc sume hwile nu swiðost ondrædæð.