The Complete Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Poetry
Metrical Charm 4: For a Sudden Stich
Verse Indeterminate Saxon
Wið færstice feferfuige and seo reade netele, ðe þurh
ærn inwyxð, and wegbrade; wyll in buteran.
Hlude wæran hy, la, hlude, ða hy ofer þone
hlæw ridan,
wæran anmode, ða hy ofer land ridan.
5
Scyld ðu ðe nu, þu ðysne nið
genesan mote.
Ut, lytel spere, gif her inne sie!
Stod under linde, under leohtum scylde,
þær ða mihtigan wif hyra mægen
beræddon
and hy gyllende garas sændan;
10
ic him oðerne eft wille sændan,
fleogende flane forane togeanes.
Ut, lytel spere, gif hit her inne
sy!
Sæt smið, sloh seax lytel,
iserna, wundrum swiðe.
15
Ut, lytel spere, gif her inne sy!
Syx smiðas sætan, wælspera worhtan.
Ut, spere, næs in, spere!
Gif her inne sy isernes dæl,
hægtessan geweorc, hit sceal gemyltan.
20
Gif ðu wære on fell scoten oððe wære
on flæsc scoten
oððe wære on blod scoten
oððe wære on lið scoten, næfre
ne sy ðin lif atæsed;
gif hit wære esa gescot oððe hit wære
ylfa gescot
oððe hit wære hægtessan gescot,
nu ic wille ðin helpan.
25
þis ðe to bote esa gescotes, ðis ðe
to bote ylfa gescotes,
ðis ðe to bote hægtessan gescotes; ic
ðin wille helpan.
Fleoh þær on fyrgenheafde.
Hal westu, helpe ðin drihten!
Nim þonne þæt seax, ado on wætan.
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