The Metres of Boethius: Metre 26 University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.5.6.26 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 26
ic þe mæg eaþe ealdum and leasum spellum andreccan spræce gelice efne þisse ilcan þe wit ymb sprecaþ hit gesælde gio on sume tide þæt aulixes under hæfde þæm casere cynericu twa he wæs þracia þioda aldor and retie rices hirde wæs his freadrihtnes folccuþ nama agamemnon se ealles weold creca rices cuþ wæs wide þæt on þa tide troia gewin wearþ under wolcnum for wiges heard creca drihten campsted secan aulixes mid an hund scipa lædde ofer lagustream sæt longe þær tyn winter full þa sio tid gelomp þæt hi þæt rice geræht hæfdon diore gecepte drihten creca troia burg tilum gesiþum þa þa aulixes leafe hæfde þracia cining þæt he þonan moste he let him behindan hyrnde ciolas nigon and hundnigontig nænigne þonan merehengesta ma þonne ænne ferede on fifelstream famigbordon þriereþre ceol þæt biþ þæt mæste creciscra scipa þa wearþ ceald weder stearc storma gelac stunede sio brune yþ wiþ oþre ut feor adraf on wendelsæ wigendra scola up on þæt igland þær apolines dohtor wunode dægrimes worn wæs se apollinus æþeles cynnes iobes eafora se wæs gio cyning se licette litlum and miclum gumena gehwylcum þæt he good wære hehst and halgost swa se hlaford þa þæt dysige folc on gedwolan lædde oþþæt him gelyfde leoda unrim forþæm he wæs mid rihte rices hirde hiora cynecynnes cuþ is wide þæt on þa tide þeoda æghwilc hæfdon heora hlaford for þone hehstan god and weorþodon swa swa wuldres cining gif he to þæm rice wæs on rihte boren wæs þæs iobes fæder god eac swa he saturnus þone sundbuende heton hæleþa bearn hæfdon þa mægþa ælcne æfter oþrum for ecne god sceolde eac wesan apollines dohtor diorboren dysiges folces gumrinca gyden cuþe galdra fela drifan drycræftas hio gedwolan fylgde manna swiþost manegra þioda cyninges dohtor sio circe wæs haten for herigum hio ricsode on þæm iglonde þe aulixes cining þracia com ane to ceole liþan cuþ wæs sona eallre þære mænige þe hire mid wunode æþelinges siþ hio mid ungemete lissum lufode liþmonna frean and he eac swa same ealle mægne efne swa swiþe hi on sefan lufode þæt he to his earde ænige nyste modes mynlan ofer mægþ giunge ac he mid þæm wife wunode siþþan oþþæt him ne meahte monna ænig þegna sinra þær mid wesan ac hi for þæm yrmþum eardes lyste mynton forlætan leofne hlaford þa ongunnon wercan werþeoda spell sædon þæt hio sceolde mid hire scinlace beornas forbredan and mid balocræftum wraþum weorpan on wildra lic cyninges þegnas cyspan siþþan and mid racentan eac ræpan mænigne sume hi to wulfum wurdon ne meahton þonne word forþbringan ac hio þragmælum þioton ongunnon sume wæron eaforas a grymetedon þonne hi sares hwæt siofian scioldon þa þe leon wæron ongunnon laþlice yrrenga ryn a þonne hi sceoldon clipian for corþre cnihtas wurdon ealde ge giunge ealle forhwerfde to sumum diore swelcum he æror on his lifdagum gelicost wæs butan þam cyninge þe sio cwen lufode nolde þara oþra ænig onbitan mennisces metes ac hi ma lufedon diora drohtaþ swa hit gedefe ne wæs næfdon hi mare monnum gelices eorþbuendum þonne ingeþonc hæfde anra gehwylc his agen mod þæt wæs þeah swiþe sorgum gebunden for þæm earfoþum þe him on sæton hwæt þa dysegan men þe þysum drycræftum longe gelyfdon leasum spellum wisson hwæþre þæt þæt gewit ne mæg mod onwendan monna ænig mid drycræftum þeah hio gedon meahte þæt þa lichoman lange þrage onwend wurdon is þæt wundorlic mægencræft micel moda gehwilces ofer lichoman lænne and sænne swylcum and swylcum þu meaht sweotole ongitan þæt þæs lichoman listas and cræftas of þæm mode cumaþ monna gehwylcum anlepra ælc þu meaht eaþe ongitan þætte ma dereþ monna gehwelcum modes unþeaw þonne mettrymnes lænes lichoman ne þearf leoda nan wenan þære wyrde þæt þæt werige flæsc þæt mod mæge monna æniges eallunga to him æfre onwendan ac þa unþeawas ælces modes and þæt ingeþonc ælces monnes þone lichoman lit þider hit wile