The Rewards of Piety University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.6.18 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 Rewards of Piety
nu lære ic ðe swa man leofne sceal gif ðu wille ðæt blowende rice gestigan ðænne beo ðu eadmod and ælmesgeorn wis on wordum and wæccan lufa on hyge halgum on ðas hwilwendan tid bliðe mode and gebedum filige oftost symle ðær ðu ana sy forðan ðæt halige gebed and seo hluttre lufu godes and manna and seo ælmessylen and se miccla hopa to ðinum hælende ðæt he ðine synna adwæscan wylle and eac oðera fela godra weorca glengað and bringað ða soðfæstan sauwle to reste on ða uplican eadignesse wyrc ðæt ðu wyrce word oððe dæda hafa metodes ege on gemang symle ðæt is witodlice wisdomes ord ðæt ðu ðæt ece leoht eal ne forleose ðeos woruld is æt ende and we synd wædlan gyt heofena rices ðæt is hefig byrden and ðeah ðu æfter ðinum ende eall gesylle ðæt ðu on eorðan ær gestryndes goda gehwylces wylle gode cweman ne mihtu mid ðæm eallum sauwle ðine ut alysan gif heo inne wyrð feondum befangen frofre bedæled welena forwyrned ac ðu wuldres god ece ælmihtigne ealninga bidde ðæt he ðe ne forlæte laðum to handa feondum to frofre ac ðu fleoh ðanan syle ælmessan oft and gelome digolice ðæt bið drihtnes lac gumena gehwylces ðe on god gelyfð ceapa ðe mid æhtum eces leohtes ðy læs ðu forweorðe ðænne ðu hyra geweald nafast to syllanne hit bið swiðe yfel manna gehwilcum ðæt he micel age gif he him god ne ondræt swiðor micle ðonne his sylfes gewil warna ðe georne wið ðære wambe fylle forðan heo ða unðeawas ealle gesomnað ðe ðære saule swiðost deriað ðæt is druncennes and dyrnegeligere ungemet wilnung ætes and slæpes ða man mæg mid fæstenum and forhæfdnessum heonon adrifan and mid cyricsocnum cealdum wederum eadmodlice ealluncga biddan heofena drihten ðæt he ðe hæl gife milde mundbora swa him gemet ðince and ondræd ðu ðe dihle wisan nearwe geðancas ðe on niht becumað synlustas foroft swiðe fremman earfoðlice ðy ðu earhlice scealt gyltas ðine swiðe bemurnan har hilderinc hefie ðe ðincað synna ðine forðam ðu sylf ongyte ðæt ðu alætan scealt læne staðelas eard and eðel uncuð bið ðe ðænne tohwan ðe ðin drihten gedon wille ðænne ðu lengc ne most lifes brucan eardes on eðle swa ðu ær dydest blissum hremi nu ðu ðe beorgan scealt and wið feonda gehwæne fæste healdan sauwle ðine a hi winnað embe ðæt dæges and nihtes ongean drihtnes lif ðu miht hy gefleman gif ðu filian wilt larum minum swa ic lære ðe digollice ðæt ðu on dægred oft ymbe ðinre sauwle ræd swiðe smeage hu ðu ðæt ece leoht æfre begytan mæge siðe gesecan ðu scealt glædlice swiðe swincan wið ðæs uplican eðelrices dæges and nihtes ðu scealt druncen fleon and ða oferfylle ealle forlætan gif ðu wilt ða upplican eardwic ceosan ðænne scealt ðu hit on eorðan ær geðencan and ðu ðe sylfne swiðe gebindan and ða unðeawas ealle forlætan ðe ðu on ðis life ær lufedest and feddest