The Complete Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Poetry
The Meters of Boethius: Meter 8
Verse Indeterminate Saxon
Sona swa se wisdom þas word hæfde
swetole areahte, he þa siððan ongan
singan soðcwidas, and þus selfa cwæð:
Hwæt, sio forme eld foldbuendum
5
geond eorðan sceat æghwam dohte,
þa þa anra gehwæm on eorðwæstmum
genoh ðuhte. Nis hit nu ða swelc!
Næron þa geond weorulde welige hamas,
ne mislice mettas ne drincas,
10
ne hi þara hrægla huru ne gemdon
þe nu drihtguman diorost lætað.
Forðæm hiora nænig næs þa
gieta,
ne hi ne gesawon sundbuende,
ne ymbutan hi awer ne herdon.
15
Hwæt, hi firenlusta frece ne wæron,
buton swa hi meahton gemetlicost
ða gecynd began þe him Crist gesceop,
and hi æne on dæge æton symle
on æfentid eorðan wæstmas,
20
wudes and wyrta, nalles win druncon
scir of steape. Næs þa scealca nan
þe mete oððe drinc mængan cuðe,
wæter wið hunige, ne heora wæda þon
ma
sioloce siowian, ne hi siarocræftum
25
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
30
ofer eargeblond ellendne wearod,
ne huru ymbe sciphergas scealcas ne
herdon,
ne furðum fira nan ymb gefeoht sprecan.
Næs ðeos eorðe besmiten awer þa
geta
beornes blode þe hine bill rude,
35
ne furðum wundne wer weoruldbuende
gesawan under sunnan. Nænig siððan wæs
weorð on weorulde, gif mon his willan ongeat
yfelne mid eldum; he wæs æghwæm lað.
Eala, þær hit wurde oððe wolde
god
40
þæt on eorðan nu ussa tida
geond þas widan weoruld wæren æghwæs
swelce under sunnan. Ac hit is sæmre nu,
þæt ðeos gitsunc hafað gumena gehwelces
mod amerred, þæt he maran ne recð,
45
ac hit on witte weallende byrnð.
Efne sio gitsung þe nænne grund hafað
swearte swæfeð sumes onlice
efne þam munte þe nu monna bearn
Etne hatað. Se on iglonde
50
Sicilia swefle byrneð,
þæt mon helle fyr hateð wide,
forþæm hit symle bið sinbyrnende,
and ymbutan hit oðra stowa
blate forbærnð biteran lege.
55
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 oððe eorðan.
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