The Complete Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Poetry
The Meters of Boethius: Meter 19
Verse Indeterminate Saxon
Eala, þæt is hefig dysig, hygeð ymbe
se ðe wile,
and frecenlic fira gehwilcum
þæt ða earman men mid ealle gedwæleð,
of ðæm rihtan wege recene alæded.
5
Hwæðer ge willen on wuda secan
gold ðæt reade on grenum triowum?
Ic wat swa ðeah þæt hit witena nan
þider ne seceð, forðæm hit þær
ne wexð,
ne on wingeardum wlitige gimmas.
10
Hwy ge nu ne settan on sume dune
fiscnet eowru, þonne eow fon lysteð
leax oððe cyperan? Me gelicost ðincð
þætte ealle witen eorðbuende
þoncolmode ðæt hi þær ne
sint.
15
Hwæþer ge nu willen wæþan mid
hundum
on sealtne sæ, þonne eow secan lyst
heorotas and hinda? þu gehicgan meaht
þæt ge willað ða on wuda secan
oftor micle þonne ut on sæ.
20
Is ðæt wundorlic, þæt we witan
ealle,
þæt mon secan sceal be sæwaroðe
and be eaofrum æþele gimmas,
hwite and reade and hiwa gehwæs.
Hwæt, hi eac witon hwær hi eafiscas
25
secan þurfan, and swylcra fela
weoruldwelena; hi þæt wel doð,
geornfulle men, geara gehwilce.
Ac ðæt is earmlicost ealra þinga
þæt þa dysegan sint on gedwolan wordene,
30
efne swa blinde þæt hi on breostum ne magon
eaðe gecnawan hwær þa ecan good,
soða gesælða, sindon gehydda.
Forþæm hi æfre ne lyst æfter
spyrian,
secan þa gesælða. Wenað samwise
35
þæt hi on ðis lænan mægen
life findan
soða gesælða, þæt is selfa
god.
Ic nat hu ic mæge nænige ðinga
ealles swa swiðe on sefan minum
hiora dysig tælan swa hit me don lysteð,
40
ne ic þe swa sweotole gesecgan ne mæg,
forðæm hi sint earmran and
eac dysegran,
ungesæligran, þonne ic þe secgan
mæge.
Hi wilniað welan and æhta
and weorðscipes to gewinnanne;
45
þonne hi habbað þæt hiora hige
seceð,
wenað þonne swa gewitlease
ðæt hi þa soðan gesælða
hæbben.
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