The Metres of Boethius: Metre 11 University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.5.6.11 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 The Metres of Boethius: Metre 11
an sceppend is butan ælcum tweon se is eac wealdend woruldgesceafta heofones and eorþan and heare sæ and ealra þara þe þær in wuniaþ ungesæwenlicra and eac swa same þara þe we eagum on lociaþ ealra gesceafta se is ælmihtig þæm oleccaþ ealle gesceafte þe þæs ambehtes awuht cunnon ge eac swa same þa þæs auht nyton þæt hi þæs þeodnes þeowas sindon se us gesette sido and þeawas eallum gesceaftum unawendende singallice sibbe gecynde þa þa he wolde þæt þæt he wolde swa lange swa he wolde þæt hit wesan sceolde swa hit eac to worulde sceal wunian forþ forþæm æfre ne magon þa unstillan woruldgesceafta weorþan gestilde of þæm ryne onwend þe him rodera weard endebyrdes eallum gesette hæfþ se alwealda ealle gesceafta gebæt mid his bridle hafaþ butu gedon ealle gemanode and eac getogen þæt hi ne moten ofer metodes est æfre gestillan ne eft eallunga swiþor stirian þonne him sigora weard his gewealdleþer wille onlæten he hafaþ þe bridle butu befangen heofon and eorþan and eall holma begong swa hæfþ geheaþærod hefonrices weard mid his anwealde ealle gesceafta þæt hiora æghwilc wiþ oþer winþ and þeah winnende wreþiaþ fæste æghwilc oþer utan ymbclyppeþ þy læs hi toswifen forþæm hi symle sculon þone ilcan ryne eft gecyrran þe æt frymþe fæder getiode and swa edniwe eft gewiorþan swa hit nu fagaþ frean ealdgeweorc þætte winnende wiþerweard gesceaft fæste sibbe forþ anhealdaþ swa nu fyr and wæter folde and lagustream manigu oþru gesceaft efnswiþe him giond þas widan worulde winnaþ betweox him and swa þeah magon hiora þegnunga and geferscipe fæste gehealdan nis hit no þæt an þæt swa eaþe mæg wiþerweard gesceaft wesan ætgædere symbel geferan ac hit is sellicre þæt hiora ænig ne mæg butan oþrum bion ac sceal wuhta gehwilc wiþerweardes hwæthwugu habban under heofonum þæt his hige durre gemetgian ær hit to micel weorþe hæfþ se ælmihtiga eallum gesceaftum þæt gewrixle geset þe nu wunian sceal wyrta growan leaf grenian þæt on hærfest eft hrest and wealuwaþ winter bringeþ weder ungemet cald swifte windas sumor æfter cymeþ wearm gewideru hwæt þa wonnan niht mona onlihteþ oþþæt monnum dæg sunne bringeþ giond þas sidan gesceaft hæfþ se ilca god eorþan and wætere mearce gesette merestream ne dear ofer eorþan sceat eard gebrædan fisca cynne butan frean leafe ne hio æfre ne mot eorþan þyrscwold up ofersteppan ne þa ebban þon ma foldes mearce oferfaran moton þa gesetnessa sigora wealdend lifes leohtfruma læt þenden he wile geond þas mæran gesceaft mearce healden ac þonne se eca and se ælmihtiga þa gewealdleþeru wile onlætan efne þara bridla þe he gebætte mid his agen weorc eall æt frymþe þæt is wiþerweardnes wuhte gehwelcre þe we mid þæm bridle becnan tiliaþ gif se þioden læt þa toslupan sona hi forlætaþ lufan and sibbe þæs geferscipes freondrædenne tilaþ anra gehwilc agnes willan woruldgesceafta winnaþ betweox him oþþæt þios eorþe eall forweorþeþ and eac swa same oþra gesceafta weorþaþ him selfe siþþan to nauhte ac se ilca god se þæt eall metgaþ se gefehþ fela folca tosomne and mid freondscipe fæste gegadraþ gesamnaþ sinscipas sibbe gemengeþ clænlice lufe swa se cræftga eac geferscipas fæste gesamnaþ þæt hi hiora freondscipe forþ on symbel untweofealde treowa gehealdaþ sibbe samrade eala sigora god wære þis moncyn miclum gesælig gif hiora modsefa meahte weorþan staþolfæst gereaht þurh þa strongan meaht and geendebyrd swa swa oþra sint woruldgesceafta wære hit la þonne murge mid monnum gif hit meahte swa