The Meters of Boethius: Meter 26

Sacred Texts Legends and Sagas WordGumbo: Old English Dictionaries [External Site] Index Previous Next The Meters of Boethius: Meter 26 Verse Indeterminate Saxon - Ic þe mæg eaðe ealdum and leasum spellum andreccan spræce gelice efne ðisse ilcan þe wit ymb sprecað. Hit gesælde gio on sume tide - 5 - ðæt Aulixes under hæfde ðæm casere cynericu twa. He wæs þracia ðioda aldor and Retie rices hirde. Wæs his freadrihtnes folccuð nama, - 10 - Agamemnon, se ealles weold Creca rices. Cuð wæs wide þæt on þa tide Troia gewin wearð under wolcnum. For wiges heard Creca drihten campsted secan, - 15 - Aulixes mid, an hund scipa lædde ofer lagustream, sæt longe ðær tyn winter full. þa sio tid gelomp þæt hi ðæt rice geræht hæfdon, diore gecepte drihten Creca - 20 - Troia burg tilum gesiðum. ða ða Aulixes leafe hæfde, ðracia cining, þæt he þonan moste, he let him behindan hyrnde ciolas nigon and hundnigontig, nænigne þonan - 25 - merehengesta ma þonne ænne ferede on fifelstream, famigbordon, ðriereðre ceol; þæt bið ðæt mæste Creciscra scipa. þa wearð ceald weder, stearc storma gelac; stunede sio brune - 30 - yð wið oðre, ut feor adraf on Wendelsæ wigendra scola up on þæt igland þær Apolines dohtor wunode dægrimes worn. Wæs se Apollinus æðeles cynnes, - 35 - Iobes eafora, se wæs gio cyning. Se licette litlum and miclum gumena gehwylcum þæt he good wære, hehst and halgost; swa se hlaford þa þæt dysige folc on gedwolan lædde, - 40 - oððæt him gelyfde leoda unrim, forðæm he wæs mid rihte rices hirde, hiora cynecynnes. Cuð is wide þæt on ða tide þeoda æghwilc hæfdon heora hlaford for ðone hehstan god, - 45 - and weorðodon swa swa wuldres cining, gif he to ðæm rice wæs on rihte boren. Wæs þæs Iobes fæder god eac swa he; Saturnus ðone sundbuende heton, hæleða bearn. Hæfdon ða mægða - 50 - ælcne æfter oðrum for ecne god. Sceolde eac wesan Apollines dohtor diorboren, dysiges folces, gumrinca gyden; cuðe galdra fela, drifan drycræftas. Hio gedwolan fylgde - 55 - manna swiðost manegra þioda, cyninges dohtor; sio Circe wæs haten for herigum. Hio ricsode on ðæm iglonde þe Aulixes, cining þracia, com ane to - 60 - ceole liðan. Cuð wæs sona eallre þære mænige þe hire mid wunode æþelinges sið. Hio mid ungemete lissum lufode liðmonna frean, and he eac swa same ealle mægne - 65 - efne swa swiðe hi on sefan lufode, þæt he to his earde ænige nyste modes mynlan ofer mægð giunge; ac he mid þæm wife wunode siððan, oððæt him ne meahte monna ænig - 70 - ðegna sinra þær mid wesan, ac hi for ðæm yrmðum eardes lyste; mynton forlætan leofne hlaford. ða ongunnon wercan werðeoda spell, sædon þæt hio sceolde mid hire scinlace - 75 - beornas forbredan, and mid balocræftum wraðum weorpan on wildra lic cyninges þegnas, cyspan siððan and mid racentan eac ræpan mænigne. Sume hi to wulfum wurdon, ne meahton þonne word forðbringan, - 80 - ac hio þragmælum ðioton ongunnon. Sume wæron eaforas, a grymetedon ðonne hi sares hwæt siofian scioldon. þa ðe leon wæron ongunnon laðlice yrrenga ryn a ðonne hi sceoldon - 85 - clipian for corðre. Cnihtas wurdon, ealde ge giunge, ealle forhwerfde to sumum diore, swelcum he æror on his lifdagum gelicost wæs, butan þam cyninge, þe sio cwen lufode. - 90 - Nolde þara oþra ænig onbitan mennisces metes, ac hi ma lufedon diora drohtað, swa hit gedefe ne wæs. Næfdon hi mare monnum gelices eorðbuendum ðonne ingeþonc; - 95 - hæfde anra gehwylc his agen mod, þæt wæs þeah swiðe sorgum gebunden for ðæm earfoðum þe him on sæton. Hwæt, ða dysegan men þe ðysum drycræftum longe gelyfdon, leasum spellum, - 100 - wisson hwæðre þæt þæt gewit ne mæg mod onwendan monna ænig mid drycræftum, þeah hio gedon meahte þæt ða lichoman lange þrage onwend wurdon. Is þæt wundorlic - 105 - mægencræft micel moda gehwilces ofer lichoman lænne and sænne. Swylcum and swylcum þu meaht sweotole ongitan þæt ðæs lichoman listas and cræftas of ðæm mode cumað monna gehwylcum, - 110 - anlepra ælc. þu meaht eaðe ongitan þætte ma dereð monna gehwelcum modes unðeaw þonne mettrymnes lænes lichoman. Ne þearf leoda nan wenan þære wyrde þæt þæt werige flæsc - 115 - þæt mod mæge monna æniges eallunga to him æfre onwendan, ac þa unðeawas ælces modes and þæt ingeþonc ælces monnes þone lichoman lit þider hit wile.