The Metres of Boethius: Metre 27 University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.5.6.27 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 27
hwy ge æfre scylen unrihtfioungum eower mod drefan swa swa mereflodes yþa hreraþ iscalde sæ wecggaþ for winde hwy oþwite ge wyrde eowre þæt hio geweald nafaþ hwy ge þæs deaþes þe eow drihten gesceop gebidan ne magon bitres gecyndes nu he eow ælce dæg onet toweard ne magon ge gesion þæt he symle spyreþ æfter æghwelcum eorþan tudre diorum and fuglum deaþ eac swa same æfter moncynne geond þisne middangeard egeslic hunta a biþ on waþe nyle he ænig swæþ æfre forlætan ær he gehede þæt he hwile ær æfter spyrede is þæt earmlic þing þæt his gebidan ne magon burgsittende ungesælige men hine ær willaþ foran to sciotan swa swa fugla cyn oþþe wildu dior þa winnaþ betwuh æghwylc wolde oþer acwellan ac þæt is unriht æghwelcum men þæt he oþerne inwitþoncum fioge on færþe swa swa fugl oþþe dior ac þæt wære rihtost þætte rinca gehwylc oþrum gulde edlean on riht weorc be geweorhtum weoruldbuendum þinga gehwilces þæt is þæt he lufige godra gehwilcne swa he geornost mæge mildsige yflum swa we ær spræcon he sceal þone monnan mode lufian and his unþeawas ealle hatian and ofsniþan swa he swiþost mæge