The Meters of Boethius: Meter 25

Sacred Texts Legends and Sagas WordGumbo: Old English Dictionaries [External Site] Index Previous Next The Meters of Boethius: Meter 25 Verse Indeterminate Saxon - Geher nu an spell be ðæm ofermodum unrihtwisum eorðan cyningum, ða her nu manegum and mislicum wædum wlitebeorhtum wundrum scinað - 5 - on heahsetlum, hrofe getenge, golde gegerede and gimcynnum, utan ymbestandne mid unrime ðegna and eorla. þa bioð gehyrste mid heregeatwum hildetorhtum, - 10 - sweordum and fetelum swiðe geglengde, and þegniað ðrymme micle ælc oðrum, and hi ealle him ðonan mid ðy ðrymme þreatiað gehwider ymbsittenda oðra ðeoda; - 15 - and se hlaford ne scrifð, ðe ðæm here waldeð, freonde ne feonde, feore ne æhtum, ac he reðigmod ræst on gehwilcne, wedehunde wuhta gelicost; bið to up ahæfen inne on mode - 20 - for ðæm anwalde þe him anra gehwilc his tirwina to fultemað. Gif mon ðonne wolde him awindan of þæs cynegerelan claða gehwilcne, and him þonne oftion ðara ðegnunga - 25 - and þæs anwaldes ðe he ær hæfde, ðonne meaht ðu gesion þæt he bið swiðe gelic sumum ðara gumena þe him geornost nu mid ðegnungum ðringað ymbeutan; gif he wyrsa ne bið, ne wene ic his na beteran. - 30 - Gif him þonne æfre unmendlinga weas geberede þæt him wurde oftogen þrymmes and wæda and þegnunga and ðæs anwaldes þe we ymbe sprecað, gif him ænig þara ofhende wyrð, - 35 - ic wat þæt him þynceð þæt he þonne sie becropen on carcern, oððe coðlice racentan geræped. Ic gereccan mæg þæt of ungemete ælces ðinges, wiste and wæda, wingedrinces, - 40 - and of swetmettum, swiðost weaxað þære wrænnesse wodðrag micel; sio swiðe gedræfð sefan ingehygd monna gehwelces, þonan mæst cymeð yfla ofermetta, unnetta saca. - 45 - þonne hi gebolgene weorðað, him wyrð on breostum inne beswungen sefa on hraðre mid ðæm swiðan welme hatheortnesse, and hreðe siððan unrotnesse eac geræped, hearde gehæfted. Him siððan onginð - 50 - sum tohopa swiðe leogan þæs gewinnes wræce; wilnað þæt irre anes and oðres; him þæt eall gehæt his recelest, rihtes ne scrifeð. Ic ðe sæde ær on ðisse selfan bec - 55 - þæt sumes goodes sidra gesceafta anlepra ælc a wilnode for his agenum ealdgecynde. Unrihtwise eorðan cyningas ne magon æfre þurhtion awuht goodes - 60 - for ðæm yfle þe ic ðe ær sæde. Nis ðæt nan wundor, forðæm hi willað hi þæm unðeawum þe ic ðe ær nemde, anra gehwelcum, a underðeodan. Sceal ðonne nede nearwe gebugan - 65 - to ðara hlaforda hæftedome, þe he hine eallunga ær underþiodde. ðæt is wyrse get, þæt he winnan nyle wið ðæm anwalde ænige stunde; þær he wolde a winnan onginnan, - 70 - and þonne on ðæm gewinne þurhwunian forð, þonne næfde he nane scylde, ðeah he oferwunnen weorðan sceolde.