Soul and Body I University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.2.3 Distributed by the University of Oxford under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License Library of Congress Subject Headings English, Old (ca. 450-1100) Poems Soul and Body I
huru þæs behofaþ hæleþa æghwylc þæt he his sawle siþ sylfa geþence hu þæt biþ deoplic þonne se deaþ cymeþ asyndreþ þa sybbe þe ær samod wæron lic ond sawle lang biþ syþþan þæt se gast nimeþ æt gode sylfum swa wite swa wuldor swa him on worulde ær efne þæt eorþfæt ær geworhte sceal se gast cuman geohþum hremig symble ymbe seofon niht sawle findan þone lichoman þe hie ær lange wæg þreo hund wintra butan ær þeodcyning ælmihtig god ende worulde wyrcan wille weoruda dryhten cleopaþ þonne swa cearful cealdan reorde spreceþ grimlice se gast to þam duste hwæt druh þu dreorega to hwan drehtest þu me eorþan fulnes eal forwisnad lames gelicnes lyt þu gemundest to hwan þinre sawle þing siþþan wurde syþþan of lichoman læded wære hwæt wite þu me weriga hwæt þu huru wyrma gyfl lyt geþohtest þa þu lustgryrum eallum ful geeodest hu þu on eorþan scealt wyrmum to wiste hwæt þu on worulde ær lyt geþohtest hu þis is þus lang hider hwæt þe la engel ufan of roderum sawle onsende þurh his sylfes hand meotod ælmihtig of his mægenþrymme ond þe gebohte blode þy halgan ond þu me mid þy heardan hungre gebunde ond gehæftnedest helle witum eardode ic þe on innan ne meahte ic þe of cuman flæsce befangen ond me fyrenlustas þine geþrungon þæt me þuhte ful oft þæt hit wære þritig þusend wintra to þinum deaþdæge a ic uncres gedales onbad earfoþlice nis nu huru se ende to god wære þu þe wiste wlanc ond wines sæd þrymful þunedest ond ic ofþyrsted wæs godes lichoman gastes drynces forþan þu ne hogodest her on life syþþan ic þe on worulde wunian sceolde þæt þu wære þurh flæsc ond þurh fyrenlustas strange gestryned ond gestaþolod þurh me ond ic wæs gast on þe fram gode sended næfre þu me wiþ swa heardum helle witum ne generedest þurh þinra nieda lust scealt þu minra gesynta sceame þrowian on þam myclan dæge þonne eall manna cynn se ancenneda ealle gesamnaþ ne eart þu þon leofra nænigum lifigendra men to gemæccan ne meder ne fæder ne nænigum gesybban þonne se swearta hrefen syþþan ic ana of þe ut siþode þurh þæs sylfes hand þe ic ær onsended wæs ne magon þe nu heonon adon hyrsta þa readan ne gold ne seolfor ne þinra goda nan ne þinre bryde beag ne þin boldwela ne nan þara goda þe þu iu ahtest ac her sceolon onbidan ban bereafod besliten synum ond þe þin sawl sceal minum unwillum oft gesecan wemman þe mid wordum swa þu worhtest to me eart þu nu dumb ond deaf ne synt þine dreamas awiht sceal ic þe nihtes swa þeah nede gesecan synnum gesargod ond eft sona fram þe hweorfan on hancred þonne halige men lifiendum gode lofsang doþ secan þa hamas þe þu me her scrife ond þa arleasan eardungstowe ond þe sculon her moldwyrmas manige ceowan slitan sarlice swearte wihta gifre ond grædige ne synt þine æhta awihte þe þu her on moldan mannum eowdest forþan þe wære selre swiþe mycle þonne þe wæron ealle eorþan speda butan þu hie gedælde dryhtne sylfum þær þu wurde æt frymþe fugel oþþe fisc on sæ oþþe on eorþan neat ætes tilode feldgangende feoh butan snyttro oþþe on westenne wildra deora þæt wyrreste þær swa god wolde ge þeah þu wære wyrma cynna þæt grimmeste þær swa god wolde þonne þu æfre on moldan man gewurde oþþe æfre fulwihte onfon sceolde þonne þu for unc bæm andwyrdan scealt on þam miclan dæge þonne mannum beoþ wunda onwrigene þa þe on worulde ær fyrenfulle men fyrn geworhton þonne wyle dryhten sylf dæda gehyran hæleþa gehwylces heofena scippend æt ealra manna gehwæs muþes reorde wunde wiþerlean ac hwæt wylt þu þær on þam domdæge dryhtne secgan þonne ne biþ nan na to þæs lytel liþ on lime aweaxen þæt þu ne scyle for anra gehwylcum onsundrum riht agildan þonne reþe biþ dryhten æt þam dome ac hwæt do wyt unc sculon wit þonne eft ætsomne siþþan brucan swylcra yrmþa swa þu unc her ær scrife fyrnaþ þus þæt flæschord sceall þonne feran onweg secan hellegrund nallæs heofondreamas dædum gedrefed ligeþ dust þær hit wæs ne mæg him ondsware ænige gehatan geomrum gaste geoce oþþe frofre biþ þæt heafod tohliden handa toliþode geaglas toginene goman toslitene sina beoþ asocene swyra becowen fingras tohrorene # rib reafiaþ reþe wyrmas beoþ hira tungan totogenne on tyn healfa hungregum to frofre forþan hie ne magon huxlicum wordum wrixlian wiþ þone werian gast gifer hatte se wyrm þe þa eaglas beoþ nædle scearpran se genydde to ærest eallra on þam eorþscræfe þæt he þa tungan totyhþ ond þa teþ þurhsmyhþ ond þa eagan þurheteþ ufan on þæt heafod ond to ætwelan oþrum gerymeþ wyrmum to wiste þonne þæt werie lic acolod biþ þæt he lange ær werede mid wædum biþ þonne wyrma gifel æt on eorþan þæt mæg æghwylcum men to gemynde modsnotra gehwam þonne biþ hyhtlicre þæt sio halige sawl færeþ to þam flæsce frofre bewunden biþ þæt ærende eadiglicre funden on ferhþe mid gefean seceþ lustum þæt lamfæt þæt hie ær lange wæg þonne þa gastas gode word sprecaþ snottre sigefæste ond þus soþlice þone lichoman lustum gretaþ wine leofesta þeah þe wyrmas gyt gifre gretaþ nu is þin gast cumen fægere gefrætewod of mines fæder rice arum bewunden eala min dryhten þær ic þe moste mid me lædan þæt wyt englas ealle gesawon heofona wuldor swylc swa þu me ær her scrife fæstest þu on foldan ond gefyldest me godes lichoman gastes drynces wære þu on wædle sealdest me wilna geniht forþan þu ne þearft sceamian þonne sceadene beoþ þa synfullan ond þa soþfæstan on þam mæran dæge þæs þu me geafe ne þe hreowan þearf her on life ealles swa mycles swa þu me sealdest on gemotstede manna ond engla bygdest þu þe for hæleþum ond ahofe me on ecne dream forþan me a langaþ leofost manna on minum hige hearde þæs þe ic þe on þyssum hynþum wat wyrmum to wiste ac þæt wolde god þæt þu æfre þus laþlic legerbed cure wolde ic þe þonne secgan þæt þu ne sorgode forþan wyt bioþ gegæderode æt godes dome moton wyt þonne ætsomne syþan brucan ond unc on heofonum heahþungene beon ne þurfon wyt beon cearie æt cyme dryhtnes ne þære andsware yfele habban sorge in hreþre ac wyt sylfe magon æt þam dome þær dædum agilpan hwylce earnunga uncre wæron wat ic þæt þu wære on woruldrice geþungen þrymlice þysses