The Complete Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Poetry
The Meters of Boethius: Meter 31
Verse Indeterminate Saxon
Hwæt, ðu meaht ongitan, gif his ðe geman
lyst,
þætte mislice manega wuhta
geond eorðan farað ungelice;
habbað blioh and fær, bu ungelice,
5
and mægwlitas manegra cynna
cuð and uncuð. Creopað and snicað,
eall lichoma eorðan getenge,
nabbað hi æt fiðrum fultum, ne magon
hi mid fotum gangan,
eorðan brucan, swa him eaden wæs.
10
Sume fotum twam foldan peððað,
sume fierfete, sume fleogende
windað under wolcnum. Bið
ðeah wuhta gehwylc
onhnigen to hrusan, hnipað of dune,
on weoruld wliteð, wilnað to eorðan,
15
sume nedþearfe, sume neodfræce.
Man ana gæð metodes gesceafta
mid his andwlitan up on gerihte.
Mid ðy is getacnod þæt his treowa sceal
and his modgeþonc ma up þonne niðer
20
habban to heofonum, þy læs he his hige
wende
niðer swa ðær nyten. Nis
þæt gedafenlic,
þæt se modsefa monna æniges
niðerheald wese and þæt neb upweard!
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