The Complete Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Poetry
The Meters of Boethius: Meter 4
Verse Indeterminate Saxon
æala, ðu scippend scirra tungla,
hefones and eorðan! ðu on heahsetle
ecum ricsast, and ðu ealne hræðe
hefon ymbhwearfest, and ðurh ðine halige miht
5
tunglu genedest þæt hi ðe to herað.
Swylce seo sunne sweartra nihta
ðiostro adwæsceð ðurh ðine meht.
Blacum leohte beorhte steorran
mona gemetgað ðurh ðinra meahta sped,
10
hwilum eac þa sunnan sines bereafað
beorhtan leohtes, þonne hit gebyrigan mæg
þæt swa geneahsne nede weorðað.
Swelce þone mæran morgensteorran,
þe we oðre naman æfensteorra
15
nemnan herað, ðu genedest þone
þæt he þære sunnan sið
bewitige;
geara gehwelce he gongan sceal
beforan feran. Hwæt, ðu, fæder, wercest
sumurlange dagas swiðe hate,
20
þæm winterdagum wundrum sceorta
tida getiohhast. ðu þæm treowum selest
suðan and westan, þa ær se swearta
storm
norðan and eastan benumen hæfde
leafa gehwelces ðurh þone laðran wind.
25
Eala hwæt, on eorðan ealla gesceafta
hyrað ðinre hæse, doð on heofonum
swa some
mode and mægne, butan men anum,
se wið ðinum willan wyrceð oftost.
Wel la, ðu eca and ðu ælmihtiga,
30
ealra gesceafta sceppend and reccend,
ara ðinum earmum eorðan tudre,
monna cynne, ðurh ðinra mehta sped.
Hwi ðu, ece god, æfre wolde
þæt sio wyrd on gewill wendan sceolde
35
yflum monnum ealles swa swiðe?
Hio ful oft dereð unscyldegum.
Sittað yfele men giond eorðricu
on heahsetlum, halige þriccað
under heora fotum; firum uncuð
40
hwi sio wyrd swa wo wendan sceolde.
Swa sint gehydde her on worulde
geond burga fela beorhte cræftas.
Unrihtwise eallum tidum
habbað on hospe ða þe him sindon
45
rihtes wisran, rices wyrðran;
bið þæt lease lot lange hwile
bewrigen mid wrencum. Nu on worulde her
monnum ne deriað mane aðas.
Gif ðu nu, waldend, ne wilt wirde steoran,
50
ac on selfwille sigan lætest,
þonne ic wat þætte wile woruldmen
tweogan
geond foldan sceat buton fea ane.
Eala, min dryhten, ðu þe ealle ofersihst
worulde gesceafta, wlit nu on moncyn
55
mildum eagum, nu hi on monegum her
worulde yðum wynnað and swincað,
earme eorðwaran; ara him nu ða.
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