A Consolidated Library of Anglo-Saxon Poetry

Metadata

ID
https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/N.Æthelstan.Coloph
Title
Verses on a book donated by King Athelstan to Christ Church
Language
Latin
Edited
BCS no. 710; E. Dümmler, Neues Archiv 10 (1884), 343-4; M. Lapidge, ‘Some Latin poems as evidence for the reign of Athelstan,’ ASE 9 (1980): 61-98, at 95
Time
926 x 939
Listed
ICL no. 14294
Metre
elegiac couplet
MSS
London, BL, Cotton Tiberius A.ii (), f. 15
Other formats
TEI (xml) Plain text (txt) Metadata (json)

Tools

Highlight uncommon word forms
Poem Concordance

N.Æthelstan.Coloph

N.Æthelstan.Coloph 1. Rex pius Æðelstan, patulo famosus in orbe, Rex pius Æðelstan, patulo famosus in orbe,
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 2. cuius ubique uiget gloria lausque manet, cuius ubique uiget gloria lausque manet,
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 3. quem Deus Angligenis solii fundamine nixum quem Deus Angligenis solii fundamine nixum
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 4. constituit regem terrigenisque ducem, constituit regem terrigenisque ducem,
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 5. scilicet ut ualeat reges rex ipse feroces scilicet ut ualeat reges rex ipse feroces
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 6. uincere bellipotens, colla superba terens. uincere bellipotens, colla superba terens.
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 7. quisquis amore fluens rutilans hoc luce uolumen quisquis amore fluens rutilans hoc luce uolumen
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 8. perspicis, eximia dogmata sacra lege – perspicis, eximia dogmata sacra lege –
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 9. quod rex aureolis sacro spiramine fusus quod rex aureolis sacro spiramine fusus
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 10. ornauit titulis gemmigerisque locis, ornauit titulis gemmigerisque locis,
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 11. quodque libens Christi ecclesiae de more dicauit quodque libens Christi ecclesiae de more dicauit
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 12. atque agiae sophiae nobilitauit ouans. atque agiae sophiae nobilitauit ouans.
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 13. hoc quoque scematicis ornarier ora lapillis hoc quoque scematicis ornarier ora lapillis
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 14. auxit ubique micans floribus ut uariis. auxit ubique micans floribus ut uariis.
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 15. quisque sitit ueniat cupiens haurire fluenta: quisque sitit ueniat cupiens haurire fluenta:
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 16. dulcia mella gerens inueniat latices. dulcia mella gerens inueniat latices.
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 17. ergo greges pastorque sacrae Dorobernicus aulae ergo greges pastorque sacrae Dorobernicus aulae
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 18. se caueant, ne quid fraus inimica gerat: se caueant, ne quid fraus inimica gerat:
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 19. hunc quisquis textum diuino fonta refertum hunc quisquis textum diuino fonta refertum
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 20. tollere praesumat, finetenus pereat! tollere praesumat, finetenus pereat!
N.Æthelstan.Coloph 21. [‘Holy king Athelstan, renowned through the wide world, / whose esteem flourishes, and whose honour endures everywhere, / whom God set as king over the English, sustained by the foundation / of the throne, and as leader of [His] earthly forces, / plainly so that this king himself, mighty in war, might be able / to conquer other fierce kings, treading down their proud necks. / Whosoever you are who look into this book abounding in [divine] / love, shining with light, read its excellent divine doctrines – / [this book] which the king, filled with the holy spirit, / adorned with golden heading and places set with jewels, / and which, in his manner, he gladly dedicated to Christ Church / and joyously made it accessible to sacred learning. / He also embellished it by having its covers adorned with patterned jewels, / [so that it would be] resplendent as if with various flowers. / Whosoever thirsts, desiring to drink from streams [of learning], let him come: / let him, bearing sweet honey, discover [these] waters. / Therefore let the flock and pastor of the whole court of Canterbury / be on their guard, lest envious deceit perpetrate something [untoward]: / whosoever dare to take away this book, filled from the sacred fount, / may he parish utterly!’ Lapidge, pp. 95-6] [‘Holy king Athelstan, renouuned through the uuide uuorld, / uuhose esteem flourishes, and uuhose honour endures eueryuuhere, / uuhom God set as king ouer the English, sustained by the foundation / of the throne, and as leader of [His] earthly forces, / plainly so that this king himself, mighty in uuar, might be able / to conquer other fierce kings, treading douun their proud necks. / Vuhosoeuer you are uuho look into this book abounding in [diuine] / loue, shining uuith light, read its excellent diuine doctrines – / [this book] uuhich the king, filled uuith the holy spirit, / adorned uuith golden heading and places set uuith ieuuels, / and uuhich, in his manner, he gladly dedicated to Christ Church / and ioyously made it accessible to sacred learning. / He also embellished it by hauing its couers adorned uuith patterned ieuuels, / [so that it uuould be] resplendent as if uuith uarious flouuers. / Vuhosoeuer thirsts, desiring to drink from streams [of learning], let him come: / let him, bearing suueet honey, discouer [these] uuaters. / Therefore let the flock and pastor of the uuhole court of Canterbury / be on their guard, lest enuious deceit perpetrate something [untouuard]: / uuhosoeuer dare to take auuay this book, filled from the sacred fount, / may he parish utterly!’ Lapidge, pp. 95-6]