The Complete Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Poetry
The Meters of Boethius: Meter 27
Verse Indeterminate Saxon
Hwy ge æfre scylen unrihtfioungum
eower mod drefan, swa swa mereflodes
yþa hrerað iscalde sæ,
wecggað for winde? Hwy oðwite ge
5
wyrde eowre þæt hio geweald nafað?
Hwy ge þæs deaðes þe eow drihten
gesceop
gebidan ne magon bitres gecyndes,
nu he eow ælce dæg onet toweard?
Ne magon ge gesion þæt he symle spyreð
10
æfter æghwelcum eorðan tudre,
diorum and fuglum? Deað eac swa same
æfter moncynne geond ðisne middangeard,
egeslic hunta, a bið on waðe;
nyle he ænig swæð æfre forlætan
15
ær he gehede þæt he hwile ær
æfter spyrede. Is þæt earmlic þing
þæt his gebidan ne magon burgsittende,
ungesælige men; hine ær willað
foran to sciotan, swa swa fugla cyn
20
oððe wildu dior; þa winnað betwuh,
æghwylc wolde oðer acwellan.
Ac þæt is unriht æghwelcum men
þæt he oðerne inwitþoncum
fioge on færðe, swa swa fugl oððe
dior,
25
ac þæt wære rihtost, þætte
rinca gehwylc
oðrum gulde edlean on riht,
weorc be geweorhtum weoruldbuendum
þinga gehwilces, þæt is, þæt
he lufige
godra gehwilcne swa he geornost mæge,
30
mildsige yflum, swa we ær spræcon.
He sceal þone monnan mode lufian,
and his unþeawas ealle hatian
and ofsniðan, swa he swiðost mæge.
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