Homiletic Fragment I University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.2.4 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 Homiletic Fragment I
sorh cymeþ || manig ond mislic in manna dream eorl oþerne mid æfþancum ond mid teonwordum tæleþ behindan spreceþ fægere beforan ond þæt facen swa þeah hafaþ in his heortan hord unclæne byþ þonne þæs wommes gewita weoruda dryhten forþan se witiga cwæþ # ne syle þu me ætsomne mid þam synfullum in wita forwyrd weoruda dryhten ne me on life forleos mid þam ligewyrhtum þam þe ful smeþe spræce habbaþ ond in gastcofan grimme geþohtas gehataþ holdlice swa hyra hyht ne gæþ wære mid welerum wea biþ in mode siofa synnum fah sare geblonden gefylled mid facne þeah he fæger word utan ætywe ænlice beoþ swa þa beon beraþ buta ætsomne arlicne anleofan ond ætterne tægel hafaþ on hindan hunig on muþe wynsume wist hwilum wundiaþ sare mid stinge þonne se sæl cymeþ swa bioþ gelice þa leasan men þa þe mid tungan treowa gehataþ fægerum wordum facenlice þencaþ þonne hie æt nehstan nearwe beswicaþ hafaþ on gehatum hunigsmæccas smeþne sybcwide ond in siofan innan þurh deofles cræft dyrne wunde swa is nu þes middangeard mane geblonden wanaþ ond weaxeþ wacaþ se ealda dweleþ ond drefeþ dæges ond nihtes miltse mid mane mægene getryweþ ehteþ æfestra inwit saweþ niþ mid geneahe nænig oþerne freoþ in fyrhþe nimþe feara hwylc þæt he soþlice sybbe healde gastlice lufe swa him god bebead forþan eallunga hyht geceoseþ woruld wynsume se þe wis ne biþ snottor searocræftig sawle rædes uton to þam beteran nu we bot cunnon hycgan ond hyhtan þæt we heofones leoht uppe mid englum agan moton gastum to geoce þonne god wile eorþan lifes ende gewyrcan