# The Metres of Boethius: Metre 20

eala min drihten || þæt þu eart ælmihtig
micel modilic || mærþum gefræge
and wundorlic || witena gehwylcum
hwæt þu ece god || ealra gesceafta
wundorlice || wel gesceope
ungesewenlica || and eac swa same
gesewenlicra || softe wealdest
scirra gesceafta || mid gesceadwisum
mægne and cræfte || þu þysne middangeard
from fruman ærest || forþ oþ ende
tidum totældes || swa hit getæsost wæs
endebyrdes || þæt hi æghwæþer
ge ær faraþ || ge eft cumaþ
þu þe unstilla || agna gesceafta
to þinum willan || wislice astyrest
and þe self wunæst || swiþe stille
unanwendendlic || a forþ simle
nis nan mihtigra || ne nan mærra
ne geond ealle þa gesceaft || efnlica þin
ne þe ænig nedþearf || næs æfre giet
ealra þara weorca || þe þu geworht hafast
ac mid þinum willan || þu hit worhtes eall
and mid anwalde || þinum agenum
weorulde geworhtest || and wuhta gehwæt
þeah þe nænegu || nedþearf wære
eallra þara mærþa || is þæt micel gecynd
þines goodes || þencþ ymb se þe wile
forþon hit is eall an || ælces þincges
þu and þæt þin good || hit is þin agen
forþæm hit his utan || ne com auht to þe
ac ic georne wat || þæt þin goodnes is
ælmihtig good || eall mid þe selfum
hit is ungelic || urum gecynde
us is utan cymen || eall þa we habbaþ
gooda on grundum || from gode selfum
næfst þu to ænegum || andan genumenne
forþam þe nan þing nis || þin gelica
ne huru ænig || ælcræftigre
forþæm þu ealgood || anes geþeahte
þines geþohtest || and hi þa worhtest
næs æror þe || ænegu gesceaft
þe auht oþþe nauht || auþer worhte
ac þu butan bysne || brego moncynnes
ælmihtig god || eall geworhtest
þing þearle good || eart þe selfa
þæt hehste good || hwæt þu halig fæder
æfter þinum willan || woruld gesceope
þisne middangeard || meahtum þinum
weorada drihten || swa þu woldest self
and mid þinum willan || wealdest ealles
forþæm þu soþa god || selfa dælest
gooda æghwilc || forþæm þu geara ær
ealla gesceafta || ærest gesceope
swiþe gelice || sumes hwæþre þeah
ungelice || nemdest eall swa þeah
mid ane noman || ealle togædre
woruld under wolcnum || hwæt þu wuldres god
þone anne naman || eft todældes
fæder on feower || wæs þara folde an
and wæter oþer || worulde dæles
and fyr is þridde || and feowerþe lyft
þæt is eall weoruld || eft togædere
habbaþ þeah þa feower || frumstol hiora
æghwilc hiora || agenne stede
þeah anra hwilc || wiþ oþer sie
miclum gemenged || and mid mægne eac
fæder ælmihtiges || fæste gebunden
gesiblice || softe togædre
mid bebode þine || bilewit fæder
þætte heora ænig || oþres ne dorste
mearce ofergangan || for metodes ege
ac geþweorod sint || þegnas togædre
cyninges cempan || cele wiþ hæto
wæt wiþ drygum || winnaþ hwæþre
wæter and eorþe || wæstmas brengaþ
þa sint on gecynde || cealda ba-twa
wæter wæt and ceald || wangas ymbelicgaþ
eorþe ælgreno || eac hwæþre ceald
lyft is gemenged || forþæm hio on middum wunaþ
nis þæt nan wundor || þæt hio sie wearm and ceald
wæt wolcnes tier || winde geblonden
forþæm hio is on midle || mine gefræge
fyres and eorþan || fela monna wat
þætte yfemest is || eallra gesceafta
fyr ofer eorþan || folde neoþemest
is þæt wundorlic || weroda drihten
þæt þu mid geþeahte || þinum wyrcest
þæt þu þæm gesceaftum || swa gesceadlice
mearce gesettest || and hi gemengdest eac
hwæt þu þæm wættere || wætum and cealdum
foldan to flore || fæste gesettest
forþæm hit unstille || æghwider wolde
wide toscriþan || wac and hnesce
ne meahte hit on him selfum || soþ ic geare wat
æfre gestandan || ac hit sio eorþe hylt
and swelgeþ eac || be sumum dæle
þæt hio siþþan mæg || for þæm sype weorþan
geleht lyftum || forþæm leaf and gærs
bræd geond bretene || bloweþ and groweþ
eldum to are || eorþe sio cealde
brengþ wæstma fela || wundorlicra
forþæm hio mid þæm wætere || weorþaþ geþawened
gif þæt nære || þonne hio wære
fordrugod to duste || and todrifen siþþan
wide mid winde || swa nu weorþaþ oft
axe giond eorþan || eall toblawen
ne meahte on þære eorþan || awuht libban
ne wuhte þon ma || wætres brucan
on eardian || ænige cræfte
for cele anum || gif þu cyning engla
wiþ fyre hwæthwugu || foldan and lagustream
ne mengdest togædre || and gemetgodest
cele and hæto || cræfte þine
þæt þæt fyr ne mæg || foldan and merestream
blate forbærnan || þeah hit wiþ ba-twa sie
fæste gefeged || fæder ealdgeweorc
ne þincþ me þæt wundur || wuhte þe læsse
þæt þios eorþe mæg || and egorstream
swa ceald gesceaft || cræfta nane
ealles adwæscan || þæt þæt him on innan sticaþ
fyres gefeged || mid frean cræfte
þæt is agen cræft || eagorstreames
wætres and eorþan || and on wolcnum eac
and efne swa same || uppe ofer rodere
þonne is þæs fyres || frumstol on riht
eard ofer eallum || oþrum gesceaftum
gesewenlicum || geond þisne sidan grund
þeah hit wiþ ealla sie || eft gemenged
weoruldgesceafta || þeah waldan ne mot
þæt hit ænige || eallunga fordo
butan þæs leafe || þe us þis lif tiode
þæt is se eca || and se ælmihtga
eorþe is hefigre || oþrum gesceaftum
þicre geþuren || forþæm hio þrage stod
ealra gesceafta || under niþemæst
buton þæm rodere || þe þas ruman gesceaft
æghwylce dæge || utan ymbhwyrfeþ
and þeah þære eorþan || æfre ne oþrineþ
ne hire on nanre ne mot || near þonne on oþre
stowe gestæppan || striceþ ymbutan
ufane and neoþane || efenneah gehwæþer
æghwilc gesceaft || þe we ymb sprecaþ
hæfþ his agenne || eard onsundran
biþ þeah wiþ þæm oþrum || eac gemenged
ne mæg hira ænig || butan oþrum bion
þeah hi unsweotole || somod eardien
swa nu eorþe and wæter || earfoþtæcne
unwisra gehwæm || wuniaþ on fyre
þeah hi sindan || sweotole þæm wisum
is þæt fyr swa same || fæst on þæm wætre
and on stanum eac || stille geheded
earfoþhawe || is hwæþre þær
hafaþ fæder engla || fyr gebunden
efne to þon fæste || þæt hit fiolan ne mæg
eft æt his eþle || þær þæt oþer fyr
up ofer eall þis || eardfæst wunaþ
sona hit forlæteþ || þas lænan gesceaft
mid cele ofercumen || gif hit on cyþþe gewit
and þeah wuhta gehwilc || wilnaþ þiderweard
þær his mægþe biþ || mæst ætgædre
þu gestaþoladest || þurh þa strongan meaht
weroda wuldorcyning || wundorlice
eorþan swa fæste || þæt hio on ænige
healfe ne heldeþ || ne mæg hio hider ne þider
sigan þe swiþor || þe hio symle dyde
hwæt hi þeah eorþlices || auht ne haldeþ
is þeah efneþe || up and of dune
to feallanne || foldan þisse
þæm anlicost || þe on æge biþ
gioleca on middan || glideþ hwæþre
æg ymbutan || swa stent eall weoruld
stille on tille || streamas ymbutan
lagufloda gelac || lyfte and tungla
and sio scire scell || scriþeþ ymbutan
dogora gehwilce || dyde lange swa
hwæt þu þioda god || þriefalde on us
sawle gesettest || and hi siþþan eac
styrest and stihtest || þurh þa strongan meaht
þæt hire þy læsse || on þæm lytlan ne biþ
anum fingre || þe hire on eallum biþ
þæm lichoman || forþæm ic lytle ær
sweotole sæde || þæt sio sawl wære
þriefald gesceaft || þegna gehwilces
forþæm uþwitan || ealle seggaþ
þætte an gecynd || ælcre saule
irsung sie || oþer wilnung
is sio þridde gecynd || þæm twæm betere
sio gesceadwisnes || nis þæt scandlic cræft
forþæm hit nænig hafaþ || neat buton monnum
hæfþ þa oþra twa || unrim wuhta
hæfþ þa wilnunga || welhwilc neten
and þa yrsunga || eac swa selfe
forþy men habbæþ || geond middangeard
eorþgesceafta || ealla oferþungen
forþæm þe hi habbaþ || þæs þe hi nabbaþ
þone ænne cræft || þe we ær nemdon
sio gesceadwisnes || sceal on gehwelcum
þære wilnunge || waldan semle
and irsunge || eac swa selfe
hio sceal mid geþeahte || þegnes mode
mid andgite || ealles waldan
hio is þæt mæste mægen || monnes saule
and se selesta || sundorcræfta
hwæt þu þa saule || sigora waldend
þeoda þrymcyning || þus gesceope
þæt hio hwearfode || on hire selfre
hire utan ymb || swa swa eal deþ
rineswifte rodor || recene ymbscriþeþ
dogora gehwilce || drihtnes meahtum
þisne middangeard || swa deþ monnes saul
hweole gelicost || hwærfeþ ymbe hy selfe
oft smeagende || ymb þas eorþlican
drihtnes gesceafta || dagum and nihtum
hwilum ymb hi selfe || secende smeaþ
hwilum eft smeaþ || ymb þone ecan god
sceppend hire || scriþende færþ
hweole gelicost || hwærfþ ymb hi selfe
þonne hio ymb hire scyppend || mid gescead smeaþ
hio biþ up ahæfen || ofer hi selfe
ac hio biþ eallunga || an hire selfre
þonne hio ymb hi selfe || secende smeaþ
hio biþ swiþe fior || hire selfre beneoþan
þonne hio þæs lænan || lufaþ and wundraþ
eorþlicu þing || ofer ecne ræd
hwæt þu ece god || eard forgeafe
saulum on heofonum || selest weorþlica
ginfæsta gifa || god ælmihtig
be geearnunga || anra gehwelcre
ealle hi scinaþ || þurh þa sciran neaht
hadre on heofonum || na hwæþre þeah
ealle efenbeorhte || hwæt we oft gesioþ
hadrum nihtum || þætte heofonsteorran
ealle efenbeorhte || æfre ne scinaþ
hwæt þu ece god || eac gemengest
þa heofoncundan || hider wiþ eorþan
saula wiþ lice || siþþan wuniaþ
þis eorþlice || and þæt ece samod
saul in flæsce || hwæt hi simle to þe
hionan fundiaþ || forþæm hi hider of þe
æror comon || sculon eft to þe
sceal se lichama || last weardigan
eft on eorþan || forþæm he ær of hire
weox on weorulde || wunedon ætsomne
efen swa lange || swa him lyfed wæs
from þæm ælmihtigan || þe hi æror gio
gesomnade || þæt is soþ cining
se þas foldan gesceop || and hi gefylde þa
swiþe mislicum || mine gefræge
neata cynnum || nergend user
he hi siþþan asiow || sæda monegum
wuda and wyrta || weorulde sceatum
forgif nu ece god || urum modum
þæt hi moten to þe || metod alwuhta
þurg þas earfoþu || up astigan
and of þisum bysegum || bilewit fæder
þeoda waldend || to þe cuman
and þonne mid openum || eagum moten
modes ures || þurh þinra mægna sped
æwelm gesion || eallra gooda
þæt þu eart selfa || sigedrihten god
ge þa eagan hal || ures modes
þæt we hi on þe selfum || siþþan moten
afæstnian || fæder engla todrif
þone þiccan mist || þe þrage nu
wiþ þa eagan foran || usses modes
hangode hwyle || hefig and þystre
onliht nu-þa eagan || usses modes
mid þinum leohte || lifes waldend
forþæm þu eart sio birhtu || bilewit fæder
soþes leohtes || and þu selfa eart
sio fæste ræst || fæder ælmihtig
eallra soþfæstra || hwæt þu softe gedest
þæt hi þe selfne || gesion moten
þu eart eallra þinga || þeoda waldend
fruma and ende || hwæt þu fæder engla
eall þing birest || eþelice
buton geswince || þu eart selfa weg
and latteow eac || lifgendra gehwæs
and sio wlitige stow || þe se weg to ligþ
þe ealle to || a fundiaþ
men of moldan || on þa mæran gesceaft