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| Mæg ic be me sylfum soðgied wrecan, | |
| siþas secgan, hu ic geswincdagum | |
| earfoðhwile oft þrowade, | |
| 4 | bitre breostceare gebiden hæbbe, |
| gecunnad in ceole cearselda fela, | |
| atol yþa gewealc, þær mec oft bigeat | |
| nearo nihtwaco æt nacan stefnan, | |
| 8 | þonne he be clifum cnossað. Calde geþrungen |
| wæron mine fet, forste gebunden | |
| caldum clommum, þær þa ceare seofedun | |
| hat ymb heortan; hungor innan slat | |
| 12 | merewerges mod. Þæt se mon ne wat |
| þe him on foldan fægrost limpeð, | |
| hu ic earmcearig iscealdne sæ | |
| winter wunade wræccan lastum, | |
| 16 | winemægum bidroren, |
| bihongen hrimgicelum; hægl scurum fleag. | |
| þær ic ne gehyrde butan hlimman sæ, | |
| iscaldne wæg. Hwilum ylfete song | |
| 20 | dyde ic me to gomene, ganotes hleoþor |
| ond huilpan sweg fore hleahtor wera, | |
| mæw singende fore medodrince. | |
| Stormas þær stanclifu beotan, þær him stearn oncwæð, | |
| 24 | isigfeþera; ful oft þæt earn bigeal, |
| urigfeþra; nænig hleomæga | |
| feasceaftig ferð frefran meahte. | |
| Forþon him gelyfeð lyt, se þe ah lifes wyn | |
| 28 | gebiden in burgum, bealosiþa hwon, |
| wlonc ond wingal, hu ic werig oft | |
| in brimlade bidan sceolde. | |
| Nap nihtscua, norþan sniwde, | |
| 32 | hrim hrusan bond, hægl feol on eorþan, |
| corna caldast. Forþon cnyssað nu | |
| heortan geþohtas þæt ic hean streamas, | |
| sealtyþa gelac sylf cunnige -- | |
| 36 | monað modes lust mæla gehwylce |
| ferð to feran, þæt ic feor heonan | |
| elþeodigra eard gesece -- | |
| Forþon nis þæs modwlonc mon ofer eorþan, | |
| 40 | ne 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. | |
| 44 | Ne biþ him to hearpan hyge ne to hringþege |
| ne to wife wyn ne to worulde hyht | |
| ne ymbe owiht elles nefne ymb yða gewealc; | |
| ac a hafað longunge se þe on lagu fundað. | |
| 48 | Bearwas blostmum nimað, byrig fægriað, |
| wongas wlitigað, woruld onetteð: | |
| ealle þa gemoniað modes fusne | |
| sefan to siþe þam þe swa þenceð | |
| 52 | on flodwegas feor gewitan. |
| Swylce geac monað geomran reorde; | |
| singeð sumeres weard, sorge beodeð | |
| bitter in breosthord. Þæt se beorn ne wat, | |
| 56 | sefteadig secg, hwæt þa sume dreogað |
| þe þa wræclastas widost lecgað. | |
| Forþon nu min hyge hweorfeð ofer hreþerlocan, | |
| min modsefa mid mereflode, | |
| 60 | ofer hwæles eþel hweorfeð wide, |
| eorþan sceatas -- cymeð eft to me | |
| gifre ond grædig; gielleð anfloga, | |
| hweteð on hwælweg hreþer unwearnum | |
| 64 | ofer holma gelagu. Forþon me hatran sind |
| Dryhtnes dreamas þonne þis deade lif | |
| læne on londe. Ic gelyfe no | |
| þæt him eorðwelan ece stondað. | |
| 68 | Simle þreora sum þinga gehwylce |
| ær his tiddege to tweon weorþeð: | |
| adl oþþe yldo oþþe ecghete | |
| fægum fromweardum feorh oðþringeð. | |
| 72 | Forþon biþ eorla gehwam æftercweþendra |
| lof lifgendra lastworda betst, | |
| þæt he gewyrce, ær he on weg scyle, | |
| fremum on foldan wið feonda niþ, | |
| 76 | deorum dædum deofle togeanes, |
| þæt hine ælda bearn æfter hergen, | |
| ond his lof siþþan lifge mid englum | |
| awa to ealdre, ecan lifes blæd, | |
| 80 | dream mid dugeþum. Dagas sind gewitene, |
| ealle onmedlan eorþan rices; | |
| nearon nu cyningas ne caseras | |
| ne goldgiefan swylce iu wæron, | |
| 84 | þonne hi mæst mid him mærþa gefremedon |
| ond on dryhtlicestum dome lifdon. | |
| Gedroren is þeos duguð eal, dreamas sind gewitene; | |
| wuniað þa wacran ond þæs woruld healdaþ, | |
| 88 | brucað þurh bisgo. Blæd is gehnæged, |
| eorþan indryhto ealdað ond searað, | |
| swa nu monna gehwylc geond middangeard. | |
| Yldo him on fareþ, onsyn blacað, | |
| 92 | gomelfeax gnornað, wat his iuwine, |
| æþelinga bearn eorþan forgiefene. | |
| Ne mæg him þonne se flæschoma þonne him þæt feorg losað | |
| ne swete forswelgan ne sar gefelan | |
| 96 | 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 | ne 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; | |
| 104 | se gestaþelade stiþe grundas, |
| eorþan 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. | |
| 108 | Meotod him þæt mod gestaþelað, forþon he in his meahte gelyfeð. |
| Stieran mon sceal strongum mode, ond þæt on staþelum healdan, | |
| ond gewis werum, wisum clæne. | |
| Scyle monna gehwylc mid gemete healdan | |
| 112 | wiþ leofne ond wið laþne * * * bealo. |
| þeah þe he hine wille fyres fulne | |
| oþþe on bæle forbærnedne | |
| his geworhtne wine, Wyrd biþ swiþre, | |
| 116 | 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 | in þa ecan eadignesse |
| þær is lif gelong in lufan Dryhtnes, | |
| hyht in heofonum. Þæs sy þam Halgan þonc | |
| þæt he usic geweorþade, wuldres Ealdor | |
| 124 | ece Dryhten, in ealle tid. Amen. |