The Metres of Boethius: Metre 20 University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.5.6.20 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 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