The Metres of Boethius: Metre 8 University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.5.6.8 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 8
sona swa se wisdom þas word hæfde swetole areahte he þa siþþan ongan singan soþcwidas and þus selfa cwæþ hwæt sio forme eld foldbuendum geond eorþan sceat æghwam dohte þa þa anra gehwæm on eorþwæstmum genoh þuhte nis hit nu-þa swelc næron þa geond weorulde welige hamas ne mislice mettas ne drincas ne hi þara hrægla huru ne gemdon þe nu drihtguman diorost lætaþ forþæm hiora nænig næs þa gieta ne hi ne gesawon sundbuende ne ymbutan hi awer ne herdon hwæt hi firenlusta frece ne wæron buton swa hi meahton gemetlicost þa gecynd began þe him crist gesceop and hi æne on dæge æton symle on æfentid eorþan wæstmas wudes and wyrta nalles win druncon scir of steape næs þa scealca nan þe mete oþþe drinc mængan cuþe wæter wiþ hunige ne heora wæda þon ma sioloce siowian ne hi siarocræftum godweb giredon ne hi gimreced setton searolice ac hi simle him eallum tidum ute slepon under beamsceade druncon burnan wæter calde wyllan nænig cepa ne seah ofer eargeblond ellendne wearod ne huru ymbe sciphergas scealcas ne herdon ne furþum fira nan ymb gefeoht sprecan næs þeos eorþe besmiten awer þa geta beornes blode þe hine bill rude ne furþum wundne wer weoruldbuende gesawan under sunnan nænig siþþan wæs weorþ on weorulde gif mon his willan ongeat yfelne mid eldum he wæs æghwæm laþ eala þær hit wurde oþþe wolde god þæt on eorþan nu ussa tida geond þas widan weoruld wæren æghwæs swelce under sunnan ac hit is sæmre nu þæt þeos gitsunc hafaþ gumena gehwelces mod amerred þæt he maran ne recþ ac hit on witte weallende byrnþ efne sio gitsung þe nænne grund hafaþ swearte swæfeþ sumes onlice efne þam munte þe nu monna bearn etne hataþ se on iglonde sicilia swefle byrneþ þæt mon helle fyr hateþ wide forþæm hit symle biþ sinbyrnende and ymbutan hit oþra stowa blate forbærnþ biteran lege eala hwæt se forma feohgitsere wære on worulde se þas wongstedas grof æfter golde and æfter gimcynnum hwæt he frecnu gestreon funde mænegum bewrigen on weorulde wætere oþþe eorþan