Precepts University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.3.8 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 Precepts
ðus frod fæder freobearn lærde modsnottor mon maga cystum eald wordum wisfæstum ðæt he wel ðunge do a ðætte duge deag ðin gewyrhtu god ðe bið symle goda gehwylces frea ond fultum feond ðam oðrum wyrsan gewyrhta wene ðec ðy betran efn elne ðis a ðenden ðu lifge fæder ond modor freo ðu mid heortan maga gehwylcne gif him sy meotud on lufan wes ðu ðinum yldrum arfæst symle fægerwyrde ond ðe in ferðe læt ðine lareowas leofe in mode ða ðec geornast to gode trymmen fæder eft his sunu frod gegrette oðre siðe heald elne ðis ne freme firene ne næfre freonde ðinum mæge man ne geðafa ðy læs ðec meotud oncunne ðæt ðu sy wommes gewita he ðe mid wite gieldeð swylce ðam oðrum mid eadwelan ðriddan syðe ðoncsnottor guma breostgehygdum his bearn lærde ne gewuna wyrsa widan feore ængum eahta ac ðu ðe anne genim to gesprecan symle spella ond lara rædhycgende sy ymb rice swa hit mæge feorðan siðe fæder eft lærde modleofne magan ðæt he gemunde ðis ne aswic sundorwine ac a symle geheald ryhtum gerisnum ræfn elne ðis ðæt ðu næfre fæcne weorðe freonde ðinum fiftan siðe fæder eft ongon breostgeðoncum his bearn læran druncen beorg ðe ond dollic word man on mode ond in muðe lyge yrre ond æfeste ond idese lufan forðon sceal æwiscmod oft siðian se ðe gewiteð in wifes lufan fremdre meowlan ðær bið a firena wen laðlicre scome long nið wið god geotende gielp wes ðu a giedda wis wær wið willan worda hyrde siextan siðe swæs eft ongon ðurh bliðne geðoht his bearn læran ongiet georne hwæt sy god oððe yfel ond toscead simle scearpe mode in sefan ðinum ond ðe a ðæt selle geceos a ðe bið gedæled gif ðe deah hyge wunað wisdom in ond ðu wast geare ondgit yfles heald ðe elne wið feorma ðu symle in ðinum ferðe god seofeðan siðe his sunu lærde fæder frod guma sægde fela geongum seldan snottor guma sorgleas blissað swylce dol seldon drymeð sorgful ymb his forðgesceaft nefne he fæhðe wite wærwyrde sceal wisfæst hæle breostum hycgan nales breahtme hlud eahtoðan siðe eald fæder ongon his mago monian mildum wordum leorna lare lærgedefe wene ðec in wisdom weoruda scyppend hafa ðe to hyhte haligra gemynd ond a soð to syge ðonne ðu secge hwæt nigeðan siðe nægde se gomola eald uðwita sægde eaforan worn nis nu fela folca ðætte fyrngewritu healdan wille ac him hyge brosnað ellen colað idlað ðeodscype ne habbað wiht for ðæt ðeah hi wom don ofer meotudes bibod monig sceal ongieldan sawelsusles ac læt ðinne sefan healdan forð fyrngewritu ond frean domas ða ðe her on mægðe gehwære men forlætað swiðor asigan ðonne him sy sylfum ryht teoðan siðe tornsorgna ful eald eft ongon eaforan læran snyttra bruceð ðe fore sawle lufan warnað him wommas worda ond dæda on sefan symle ond soð fremeð bið him geofona gehwylc gode geyced meahtum spedig ðonne he mon flyhð yrre ne læt ðe æfre gewealdan heah in hreðre heoroworda grund wylme bismitan ac him warnað ðæt on geheortum hyge hæle sceal wisfæst ond gemetlice modes snottor gleaw in gehygdum georn wisdomes swa he wið ælda mæg eades hleotan ne beo ðu no to tælende ne to tweospræce ne ðe on mode læt men to fracoðe ac beo leofwende leoht on gehygdum ber breostcofan swa ðu min bearn gemyne frode fæder lare ond ðec a wið firenum geheald