The Metres of Boethius: Metre 25 University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.5.6.25 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 25
geher nu an spell be þæm ofermodum unrihtwisum eorþan cyningum þa her nu manegum and mislicum wædum wlitebeorhtum wundrum scinaþ on heahsetlum hrofe getenge golde gegerede and gimcynnum utan ymbestandne mid unrime þegna and eorla þa bioþ gehyrste mid heregeatwum hildetorhtum sweordum and fetelum swiþe geglengde and þegniaþ þrymme micle ælc oþrum and hi ealle him þonan mid þy þrymme þreatiaþ gehwider ymbsittenda oþra þeoda and se hlaford ne scrifþ þe þæm here waldeþ freonde ne feonde feore ne æhtum ac he reþigmod ræst on gehwilcne wedehunde wuhta gelicost biþ to up ahæfen inne on mode for þæm anwalde þe him anra gehwilc his tirwina to fultemaþ gif mon þonne wolde him awindan of þæs cynegerelan claþa gehwilcne and him þonne oftion þara þegnunga and þæs anwaldes þe he ær hæfde þonne meaht þu gesion þæt he biþ swiþe gelic sumum þara gumena þe him geornost nu mid þegnungum þringaþ ymbeutan gif he wyrsa ne biþ ne wene ic his na beteran gif him þonne æfre unmendlinga weas geberede þæt him wurde oftogen þrymmes and wæda and þegnunga and þæs anwaldes þe we ymbe sprecaþ gif him ænig þara ofhende wyrþ ic wat þæt him þynceþ þæt he þonne sie becropen on carcern oþþe coþlice racentan geræped ic gereccan mæg þæt of ungemete ælces þinges wiste and wæda wingedrinces and of swetmettum swiþost weaxaþ þære wrænnesse wodþrag micel sio swiþe gedræfþ sefan ingehygd monna gehwelces þonan mæst cymeþ yfla ofermetta unnetta saca þonne hi gebolgene weorþaþ him wyrþ on breostum inne beswungen sefa on hraþre mid þæm swiþan welme hatheortnesse and hreþe siþþan unrotnesse eac geræped hearde gehæfted him siþþan onginþ sum tohopa swiþe leogan þæs gewinnes wræce wilnaþ þæt irre anes and oþres him þæt eall gehæt his recelest rihtes ne scrifeþ ic þe sæde ær on þisse selfan bec þæt sumes goodes sidra gesceafta anlepra ælc a wilnode for his agenum ealdgecynde unrihtwise eorþan cyningas ne magon æfre þurhtion awuht goodes for þæm yfle þe ic þe ær sæde nis þæt nan wundor forþæm hi willaþ hi þæm unþeawum þe ic þe ær nemde anra gehwelcum a underþeodan sceal þonne nede nearwe gebugan to þara hlaforda hæftedome þe he hine eallunga ær underþiodde þæt is wyrse get þæt he winnan nyle wiþ þæm anwalde ænige stunde þær he wolde a winnan onginnan and þonne on þæm gewinne þurhwunian forþ þonne næfde he nane scylde þeah he oferwunnen weorþan sceolde