Widsith University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.3.11 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 Widsith
widsið maðolade wordhord onleac se ðe monna mæst mægða ofer eorðan folca geondferde oft he on flette geðah mynelicne maððum him from myrgingum æðele onwocon he mid ealhhilde fælre freoðuwebban forman siðe hreðcyninges ham gesohte eastan of ongle eormanrices wraðes wærlogan ongon ða worn sprecan fela ic monna gefrægn mægðum wealdan sceal ðeodna gehwylc ðeawum lifgan eorl æfter oðrum eðle rædan se ðe his ðeodenstol geðeon wile ðara wæs hwala hwile selast ond alexandreas ealra ricost monna cynnes ond he mæst geðah ðara ðe ic ofer foldan gefrægen hæbbe ætla weold hunum eormanric gotum becca baningum burgendum gifica casere weold creacum ond cælic finnum hagena holmrygum ond heoden glommum witta weold swæfum wada hælsingum meaca myrgingum mearchealf hundingum ðeodric weold froncum ðyle rondingum breoca brondingum billing wernum oswine weold eowum ond ytum gefwulf fin folcwalding fresna cynne sigehere lengest sædenum weold hnæf hocingum helm wulfingum wald woingum wod ðyringum sæferð sycgum sweom ongendðeow sceafthere ymbrum sceafa longbeardum hun hætwerum ond holen wrosnum hringweald wæs haten herefarena cyning offa weold ongle alewih denum se wæs ðara manna modgast ealra no hwæðre he ofer offan eorlscype fremede ac offa geslog ærest monna cnihtwesende cynerica mæst nænig efeneald him eorlscipe maran on orette ane sweorde merce gemærde wið myrgingum bi fifeldore heoldon forð siððan engle ond swæfe swa hit offa geslog hroðwulf ond hroðgar heoldon lengest sibbe ætsomne suhtorfædran siððan hy forwræcon wicinga cynn ond ingeldes ord forbigdan forheowan æt heorote heaðobeardna ðrym swa ic geondferde fela fremdra londa geond ginne grund godes ond yfles ðær ic cunnade cnosle bidæled freomægum feor folgade wide forðon ic mæg singan ond secgan spell mænan fore mengo in meoduhealle hu me cynegode cystum dohten ic wæs mid hunum ond mid hreðgotum mid sweom ond mid geatum ond mid suðdenum mid wenlum ic wæs ond mid wærnum ond mid wicingum mid gefðum ic wæs ond mid winedum ond mid gefflegum mid englum ic wæs ond mid swæfum ond mid ænenum mid seaxum ic wæs ond sycgum ond mid sweordwerum mid hronum ic wæs ond mid deanum ond mid heaðoreamum mid ðyringum ic wæs ond mid ðrowendum ond mid burgendum ðær ic beag geðah me ðær guðhere forgeaf glædlicne maððum songes to leane næs ðæt sæne cyning mid froncum ic wæs ond mid frysum ond mid frumtingum mid rugum ic wæs ond mid glommum ond mid rumwalum swylce ic wæs on eatule mid ælfwine se hæfde moncynnes mine gefræge leohteste hond lofes to wyrcenne heortan unhneaweste hringa gedales beorhtra beaga bearn eadwines mid sercingum ic wæs ond mid seringum mid creacum ic wæs ond mid finnum ond mid casere se ðe winburga geweald ahte wiolena ond wilna ond wala rices mid scottum ic wæs ond mid peohtum ond mid scridefinnum mid lidwicingum ic wæs ond mid leonum ond mid longbeardum mid hæðnum ond mid hæleðum ond mid hundingum mid israhelum ic wæs ond mid exsyringum mid ebreum ond mid indeum ond mid egyptum mid moidum ic wæs ond mid persum ond mid myrgingum ond mofdingum ond ongend myrgingum ond mid amothingum mid eastðyringum ic wæs ond mid eolum ond mid istum ond idumingum ond ic wæs mid eormanrice ealle ðrage ðær me gotena cyning gode dohte se me beag forgeaf burgwarena fruma on ðam siex hund wæs smætes goldes gescyred sceatta scillingrime ðone ic eadgilse on æht sealde minum hleodryhtne ða ic to ham bicwom leofum to leane ðæs ðe he me lond forgeaf mines fæder eðel frea myrginga ond me ða ealhhild oðerne forgeaf dryhtcwen duguðe dohtor eadwines hyre lof lengde geond londa fela ðonne ic be songe secgan sceolde hwær ic under swegle selast wisse goldhrodene cwen giefe bryttian ðonne wit scilling sciran reorde for uncrum sigedryhtne song ahofan hlude bi hearpan hleoðor swinsade ðonne monige men modum wlonce wordum sprecan ða ðe wel cuðan ðæt hi næfre song sellan ne hyrdon ðonan ic ealne geondhwearf eðel gotena sohte ic a gesiða ða selestan ðæt wæs innweorud earmanrices heðcan sohte ic ond beadecan ond herelingas emercan sohte ic ond fridlan ond eastgotan frodne ond godne fæder unwenes seccan sohte ic ond beccan seafolan ond ðeodric heaðoric ond sifecan hliðe ond incgenðeow eadwine sohte ic ond elsan ægelmund ond hungar ond ða wloncan gedryht wiðmyrginga wulfhere sohte ic ond wyrmhere ful oft ðær wig ne alæg ðonne hræda here heardum sweordum ymb wistlawudu wergan sceoldon ealdne eðelstol ætlan leodum rædhere sohte ic ond rondhere rumstan ond gislhere wiðergield ond freoðeric wudgan ond haman ne wæran ðæt gesiða ða sæmestan ðeah ðe ic hy anihst nemnan sceolde ful oft of ðam heape hwinende fleag giellende gar on grome ðeode wræccan ðær weoldan wundnan golde werum ond wifum wudga ond hama swa ic ðæt symle onfond on ðære feringe ðæt se bið leofast londbuendum se ðe him god syleð gumena rice to gehealdenne ðenden he her leofað swa scriðende gesceapum hweorfað gleomen gumena geond grunda fela ðearfe secgað ðoncword sprecað simle suð oððe norð sumne gemetað gydda gleawne geofum unhneawne se ðe fore duguðe wile dom aræran eorlscipe æfnan oððæt eal scæceð leoht ond lif somod lof se gewyrceð hafað under heofonum heahfæstne dom