The Metres of Boethius: Metre 21 University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.5.6.21 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 21
wel la monna bearn geond middangeard friora æghwilc fundie to þæm ecum gode þe we ymb sprecaþ and to þæm gesælþum þe we secgaþ ymb se þe þonne nu sie nearwe gehefted mid þisses mæran middangeardes unnyttre lufe sece him eft hræþe fulne friodom þæt he forþ cume to þæm gesælþum saula rædes forþæm þæt is sio an rest eallra geswinca hyhtlicu hyþ heaum ceolum modes usses meresmylta wic þæt is sio an hyþ þe æfre biþ æfter þam yþum ura geswinca ysta gehwelcre ealnig smylte þæt is sio friþstow and sio frofor an eallra yrminga æfter þissum weoruldgeswincum þæt is wynsum stow æfter þyssum yrmþum to aganne ac ic georne wat þætte gylden maþm sylofren sincstan searogimma nan middangeardes wela modes eagan æfre ne onlyhtaþ auht ne gebetaþ hiora scearpnesse to þære sceawunga soþra gesælþa ac hi swiþor get monna gehwelces modes eagan ablendaþ on breostum þonne hi hi beorhtran gedon forþæm æghwilc þing þe on þys andweardan life licaþ lænu sindon eorþlicu þing a fleondu ac þæt is wundorlic wlite and beorhtnes þe wuhta gehwæs wlite geberhteþ and æfter þæm eallum wealdeþ nele se waldend þæt forweorþan scylen saula usse ac he hi selfa wile leoman onlihtan lifes wealdend gif þonne hæleþa hwilc hlutrum eagum modes sines mæg æfre ofsion hiofones leohtes hlutre beorhto þonne wile he secgan þæt þære sunnan sie beorhtnes þiostro beorna gehwylcum to metanne wiþ þæt micle leoht godes ælmihtiges þæt is gasta gehwæm ece butan ende eadegum saulum