A Consolidated Library of Anglo-Saxon Poetry

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ID
https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.6.44
Title
Instructions for Christians
Language
Old English
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Instructions for Christians

Instr 1. Syle ece gode || æhta þinra
Instr 2. þone teoðan dæl; || he getyþað þe
Instr 3. and he ðe mænigfealdað || mycle þa nigone.
Instr 4. Syndon feower þing || forð-steppende
Instr 5. to þæra ecan || eadignesse;
Instr 6. he ne missað na || ða he gemetað.
Instr 7. An is monnes geswinc, || oðer muðes gebede;
Instr 8. þridde is leornung || on lifes æ;
Instr 9. seo feorða is þæt fæsten || ðe we gefremmon sceolon.
Instr 10. Syndon eac swa some || oðer feower
Instr 11. þære woruld-þinga, || þæt gewitan mæig
Instr 12. man fram deofla || and beon metodes þeing.
Instr 13. An is ærest || þæt he ofte do
Instr 14. wop and hreowe% || for his misdæda.
Instr 15. þonne is þæt oðer, || þæt he æfter þan
Instr 16. heofanan kyninge || herige georne.
Instr 17. þonne is þæt þridde, || þæt he æfre sceal,
Instr 18. a wilnie eces lifes.
Instr 19. þonne is þæt feorðe || þæt he fremman sceal,
Instr 20. þæt he gemettige || metas and drincas.
Instr 21. Ne synd þa þrowunga || on þissera weorulda
Instr 22. monna ænig || þæra meda weorð
Instr 23. ðe us gegearcod is || on Godes riche,
Instr 24. ac lytle hwile || on þissere leana dagum
Instr 25. witena eanig || winnað for Criste,
Instr 26. and eft swa ðeah || in ecnesse
Instr 27. gewunað in wuldre || mid weroda Godd.
Instr 28. For þi sceal þegna gehwilc || geþylde nimon,
Instr 29. forþon is þæt seo mæste || mæigen þæra saula.
Instr 30. æla, ðu ærma || and þu eorðlica
Instr 31. man ofer moldan, || hwi ne gemynas þu a
Instr 32. þæs diæðes hryre, || ðe us drihten gescop?
Instr 33. Gif þu þisses eorðlican weles || ane gewilnost
Instr 34. orsorhnesse, || ne bið þær oht% betweon þe
Instr 35. and þæm neatum || ðe naht ne witen.
Instr 36. Hit is idelnisse || þæt þu her on locest,
Instr 37. and eal þæt þu her sceawast || hit is sceaduwa gelic;
Instr 38. æll hit gewitað || swa þe wanna scur.
Instr 39. Ac þu scealt þæt selre lif || symble lufian
Instr 40. and æfre fleon || unrihte gestreon,
Instr 41. forþan heo hit forgyldað || þam ðe hit georna lufað
Instr 42. on þam ende-dæge || mid ęce wita.
Instr 43. Ne scealt þu þæt æfre% || ayldan to lange
Instr 44. þæt ðu behatest% || heofonan kyninge,
Instr 45. forþan ðe him unþiaw || ælc mislicað
Instr 46. and ealra wyrrest || yfela getreowa%.
Instr 47. Ne scylen wandian || witona ænig
Instr 48. þæt he his% ælmessan || ofte gesyllæ;
Instr 49. alning deð || oðer twegea
Instr 50. oððe þonne monnan || miclum aliseð
Instr 51. wom-dæda gehwas, || oððe his wita onleoht
Instr 52. her oððe on helle, || oððe huru siððan
Instr 53. on domes dæge || þurh drihtnes gifu
Instr 54. lissum forgyldað || þam ðe he ær lustum gæf.
Instr 55. Gif we us sylfum || synna gehwylce
Instr 56. weriað% be gewyrhtum, || ne wrecað æfre ða
Instr 57. ealmihtig Godd || on us syððan.
Instr 58. Se ðe æfter synnum || swiðe lange
Instr 59. forhæfednesse || habben þæncað,
Instr 60. þæt beoð anlicost || swylc swa he wære
Instr 61. on mægðhade || metode to willan,
Instr 62. and for Cristes lufan || clæne gehealdan.
Instr 63. Swa hwilc man swa mæg || and nu nele
Instr 64. geleornian hwæt-hwugo, || he bið lað Gode,
Instr 65. and his saul bið || swiðe scyldig.
Instr 66. Ac þæm ðe wællað lufæ || on wisdome,
Instr 67. he hit mid þam mod gifeð, || mihtig drihten,
Instr 68. mid his handum twam || þurh þone halga gast.
Instr 69. Se forholena cræft || and forhyded god
Instr 70. ne bið ællunga || ungelice%.
Instr 71. Betere bið þe dusige, || gif he on breostum can
Instr 72. his unwisdom || inne belucan,
Instr 73. þonne se snotere || ðe symle wile
Instr 74. æt his heah-þearfe || forhelan his wisdom.
Instr 75. Ac þu scealt gelome || gelæran and tæcan,
Instr 76. ða hwile þe ðe mihtig Godd || mægnes unne,
Instr 77. þe læs hit þe on ende || eft gereowe
Instr 78. æfter dæg-rime, || þonne þu hit gedon ne miht.
Instr 79. Onlær þinum bearne% || bysne goda,
Instr 80. and eac swa some || eallum leoda;
Instr 81. þonne ðu geearnost || ece blisse
Instr 82. and æfter þisse weorlda || weorðscipe mycelne.
Instr 83. Se ðe leornunge || longe fyligeð
Instr 84. halgum bocum || her on worulde,
Instr 85. heo ðone gelæredon || longe gebetað,
Instr 86. and þone unlærdan || eac gelæreð.
Instr 87. Heo geeadmodað || eghwylcne kyng,
Instr 88. swilce þone earman || eac aræreð
Instr 89. and þa saula swa || some geclensað
Instr 90. and þæt mod gedeþ || mycle ðe bliðre;
Instr 91. and heo eac æþelne gedeð || þone ðe ær ne wæs;
Instr 92. eac heo þrah-mælum || þeowne gefreolsað.
Instr 93. Godd sceal% deman% || and gume þæncan;
Instr 94. þæt is riht gebede || rinca gewylce,
Instr 95. þæt he þence to þam || ðe he þonne cweðe.
Instr 96. Se ðe ear gifeð% || and eft oftihð
Instr 97. bearna gehwylce, || bysmer he gewyrceð
Instr 98. furþur mycele || þonne ænig freondscipe.
Instr 99. æll þæt mon alæteð || metes oððe drincas,
Instr 100. and his innoðe || riht gemetegað,
Instr 101. sona þæt gefylleð || fæder almihtig
Instr 102. mid gastlicum gifum, || God on heofonum,
Instr 103. þæt he for his ege || ær gewonede.
Instr 104. Ac gif þu nelt || naht leofes gesyllan,
Instr 105. ne miht þu na gebicgan || þæt ðe best% licað.
Instr 106. Is se mæsse-preost || monna gehwilces
Instr 107. sacerd gehaten, || þæt bið siððan gereht
Instr 108. eft on ænglisc, || þæt he eallum scyle
Instr 109. clæne sellan; || he bið gecoræn to þan
Instr 110. sygora wearde. || He sceal swilc wesan
Instr 111. þæt he gelæran cunne || his leodscype
Instr 112. heofon-kyninges bebod || and halige þeawas.
Instr 113. þæt is for gemænan || þæt we munuc nemniað.
Instr 114. Ne mot ænig heora || awiht onsundran
Instr 115. habban ænlepig, || ac sceal eal wesan
Instr 116. munucum gemæne, || þæt heom metod leanað.
Instr 117. Ne scylen ge þæs wenan || þeah ic þisne word-cwide
Instr 118. after Dauiðe || dihtum sette,
Instr 119. þæt God nelle || gumena gehwylcne
Instr 120. healan and gehyran, || þeah he heah-gestreon
Instr 121. on eorð-rice || age mycelne
Instr 122. goldes and seolfres, || and eac godes fele
Instr 123. to habbanne || her on weorulde.
Instr 124. Ac we sculon gemunan || mæla gehwylce
Instr 125. þæt se apostol || Paulus ongan
Instr 126. geond eal cristen folc || cyðan and læran,
Instr 127. þæt ða weologan || for heora woruld-rice
Instr 128. on heora mod-sefan || men oferseagon.
Instr 129. Ac se ðe hine sylfne || to swiðe ahefð
Instr 130. for his ofer-mode, || he bið earm for Gode.
Instr 131. Hwæt, we þæt gehyrdon || hæleða secgan,
Instr 132. þæt iu-dagum || Iacob hæfde
Instr 133. and Moyses eac || micele speda,
Instr 134. swylce Isaac || and Abraham;
Instr 135. and Dauide || drihten sealde
Instr 136. win-burgum mid || weolan unmete%;
Instr 137. and eac Noe hæfde || weoruld-weolona genohne.
Instr 138. Ealle hi wæron || æðeles kynnes,
Instr 139. geþungen on þeod-land; || þeah hwaðere drihten heora
Instr 140. on ælcere tide || bena gehyrda.
Instr 141. Ne dereð mycel wela || manna ænegum,
Instr 142. gif he to swiðe ne bið || sylfe beleapen
Instr 143. on þes feos lufan || mid feondes larum,
Instr 144. for þi heo synd þearflicu || þegna gehwilcum
Instr 145. to habbanne || her on weorlde;
Instr 146. mid þam bið þe earman || oftost geholpen
Instr 147. and þa mettruman || myclum gehælede
Instr 148. and þa nacodan eac || niowum gewerede;
Instr 149. of þæm cumað monige || men to heofonum.
Instr 150. Sceal æghwylc man || ælne swincan
Instr 151. on swylcum cræfte || swa him Crist onlænð,
Instr 152. þæt willan his || gewyrce georne.
Instr 153. Ne þearf he þæs gewenan || þæt hine drihten Godd
Instr 154. maran mænige% || þonne he hine onmunde ær.
Instr 155. Spræc God geara || to Hieremie,
Instr 156. þan witegan, || and þus wordon cwæð
Instr 157. Far nu ymbe æll || eorðan rices,
Instr 158. sec and smeage, || swa ðu swiðost miht.
Instr 159. Gif þu mage gefinden || fæst-hydigne wer,
Instr 160. þe wel wille || and gewyrcan swa,
Instr 161. recce and gesmeage || soðne geleafan,
Instr 162. þæt ic mage wið hine || miltse gefremman.
Instr 163. Ne scealt þu beon to sene || ne to sið-geare,
Instr 164. ne to slapor ne to slaw, || gif þu sige-drihten
Instr 165. mid cræfte on gecampe || gecweman þæncest.
Instr 166. Gif mon mid ealra || innancundre%
Instr 167. heortan gehygde% || gehreowað his synna,
Instr 168. and fulfæstlice þencð || þæt he forð ofer þæt
Instr 169. þam æfre to || eft ne gecyrre
Instr 170. þeah he ne fæste nawiht
Instr 171. þonne þreora dagas, || þeah wile drihten hine
Instr 172. fæderlice onfon || æt his forð-siðe.
Instr 173. Swa mon ma synna || and maran forlæt
Instr 174. drihtnes þancas || on his dæg-rime
Instr 175. swa maran þær mide || mede geearnað
Instr 176. and geofona ma || Godes ealmihtiges.
Instr 177. þæt her monnum þince || mæst earfeðu
Instr 178. þæt him bið on ende || ealra leofest,
Instr 179. ac hit þonne ne mæg || þegna eanig
Instr 180. onwendan to wille || gif he ne wolde ær.
Instr 181. þær ðær aht ne bið || ærfoðlices
Instr 182. on þam earnungum, || ne bið þær æfre þonne ma
Instr 183. on eadleanum || eht deor-wurðes.
Instr 184. Ne doð þa ærran yfel || ænegum monna
Instr 185. laðes nawiht, || gif him ne licað
Instr 186. þinga gehwilce || ða he þonne doð,
Instr 187. gif he his ælmyssan || alning dæleð.
Instr 188. Nis þæt þearfan hand || þæt ðe þince her,
Instr 189. ac hit is madm-ceoste || Godes ælmihtges.
Instr 190. Se bið soðlice || sylfe cristen
Instr 191. þe ðe æfre wile || eallum gelice
Instr 192. mild-heortnesse || monnum gekyðan.
Instr 193. þas worda cwæð || weroda drihten,
Instr 194. ælmihtig Godd, || to Ysaie;
Instr 195. weroda wuldor-kyning || to þam witegan spreac,
Instr 196. þeah ic sylfe cweðe || þæt swyltan scyle
Instr 197. unrihtwise% man, || mid ælle forwurðon,
Instr 198. ac gif he æfter ðan || mid alle mægne
Instr 199. synna geswicað, || ne þearf he swiltan for þam.
Instr 200. Nis þæs weorkes þearf || witena ænegum
Instr 201. þæt þæt he geond ealla || eorðen rices
Instr 202. secan sigora God, || ac he symle mæg
Instr 203. wunian on þem wicum || ðe he wunode ær,
Instr 204. gif þæt he wolde || þæt he wolde þær,
Instr 205. forþon geond eall is || eorðan rices,
Instr 206. heofon-rices gast || hafað þe ðe God wile.
Instr 207. Hwæt wilt þu gesecan || geond sidne grund
Instr 208. feor oððe furðor || þonne ðu geforþian miht?
Instr 209. Ac hafa ðu geleafa || to lifes frumon;
Instr 210. gewuna þar ðu wunodest, || þæt is wislic ræd,
Instr 211. forþan nis mid fota stepum || frea ealmihtig
Instr 212. to gesecanne || sinum% þegne,
Instr 213. þeoda wealdend, || ac mid þeawum stepum.
Instr 214. Ne bið þæt fula sloh || fira eanegum
Instr 215. to ondrædanne, || gif hit forbugan mæg
Instr 216. and þurh eanig þing || æfre forceorran
Instr 217. and his synna swa some, || þeah he symle ne mage
Instr 218. bewacan and beweardian || and bewitan geornan;
Instr 219. ac þonne diað ne mæg || ofer drihtnes gesceaft
Instr 220. ænig eorð-bugend || æfre forbugan.
Instr 221. þu ful gearo þe na wast || wege þines gastes,
Instr 222. hu heo ðe on com || oððe hwær heo æror was,
Instr 223. oððe on hwylce sealo || heo sceal heonon siðian;
Instr 224. ne miht þu æfre þonne% ma || eall aspyrian
Instr 225. ures wealdendes || weorc and angin,
Instr 226. forþon ðe he is heah-cræftig || heofonas and eorðan,
Instr 227. weoruldes waldend, || wæteres and lyfte,
Instr 228. and eac ælra þæra || þe ðær on wuniað.
Instr 229. Wisdom is leoht || wera% æghwilcum
Instr 230. to habbanne || her on weoruldæ.
Instr 231. Hit sceal beon onæled || mid ead-modnesse;
Instr 232. ne mæg hit eanig mon || æfre mid oðer
Instr 233. tapore ontendan || þæt hit tale leohte,
Instr 234. for þam ofer-mettum || ðe hit ær dwæsca%.
Instr 235. Næfre ic ne gehyrde || þæt wurde laford god
Instr 236. eft on ylde, || se ðe ær ne was
Instr 237. Gode oððe monnum || on iugoð þeowa,
Instr 238. ne huru on ylde || æfre gewurðan
Instr 239. wel geþeignod, || þonne wolde ær
Instr 240. on his tale mette || tale wel þeignan.
Instr 241. Ne scealt þu dysilice sprecan || ne dwollice geþencan
Instr 242. ymbe% nænigne% || eorð-buendra,
Instr 243. ne nið habban || wið ænigum monnum,
Instr 244. ac þu scealt æighwylcum% || gearwurðian,
Instr 245. and na ymb þe sylfum || na to wel lætan,
Instr 246. naðer ne for cræfta, || ne for weoruld-æhta.
Instr 247. Ac þu scealt æfre þin mod || geornlicę healden
Instr 248. on æighwylce timan || fram ælcan unþeawa,
Instr 249. þæt þu mage clænlice || Criste geþenian,
Instr 250. kyning cwycra gehweas, || swa him gecweme sy,
Instr 251. wið þon ðu mote habbe || ęce to medes
Instr 252. heofon-rices dæl; || þæt is hihta mæst,
Instr 253. þear is hope heagost || and sibbe ealra selost,
Instr 254. lif ealra leofest, || and meda ealra mærost
Instr 255. þem ðe hit se mild-heort Crist || geunnan wille.
Instr 256. Undergyte ðu þis || geornlice æfre
Instr 257. þæt sige-fæste weogas || syndon ealle þreo
Instr 258. heonan to heofonum, || swa us se halga wer
Instr 259. and se apostol || Paulus gekydde.
Instr 260. An is geleafa, || and lufu oðer;
Instr 261. þridde is tohope || þam ðe eallunga
Instr 262. to þam uplican hame || efestlice geþencað.
Instr 263. Gefylste us, || [filius dei],
Instr 264. þæt we to þam earde || becumon moton.
Instr 265. Amen.