The Complete Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Poetry
The Rune Poem
Verse Indeterminate Saxon
| byþ frofur fira gehwylcum.
Sceal ðeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dælan
gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.
| byþ anmod and oferhyrned,
5
felafrecne deor, feohteþ mid hornum,
mære morstapa; þæt is modig wuht.
| byþ ðearle scearp; ðegna gehwylcum
anfeng ys yfyl, ungemetun reþe
manna gehwylcun ðe him mid resteð.
10
| byþ ordfruma ælcre spræce,
wisdomes wraþu and witena frofur,
and eorla gehwam eadnys and tohiht.
| byþ on recyde rinca gehwylcum
sefte, and swiþhwæt ðam ðe sitteþ
on ufan
15
meare mægenheardum ofer milpaþas.
| byþ cwicera gehwam cuþ on fyre,
blac and beorhtlic, byrneþ oftust
ðær hi æþelingas inne restaþ.
| gumena byþ gleng and herenys,
20
wraþu and wyrþscype, and wræcna
gehwam
ar and ætwist ðe byþ oþra
leas.
| ne bruceþ ðe can weana lyt,
sares and sorge, and him sylfa hæfþ
blæd and blysse and eac byrga geniht.
25
| byþ hwitust corna; hwyrft hit of heofones
lyfte,
wealcaþ hit windes scuras, weorþeþ
hit to wætere syððan.
| byþ nearu on breostan, weorþeþ
hi ðeah oft niþa bearnum
to helpe and to hæle gehwæþre,
gif hi his hlystaþ æror.
| byþ oferceald, ungemetum slidor,
30
glisnaþ glæshluttur, gimmum gelicust,
flor forste geworuht, fæger ansyne.
| byþ gumena hiht, ðon god læteþ,
halig heofones cyning, hrusan syllan
beorhte bleda beornum and ðearfum.
35
| byþ utan unsmeþe treow,
heard, hrusan fæst, hyrde fyres,
wyrtrumun underwreþyd, wyn on eþle.
| byþ symble plega and hlehter
wlancum ðar wigan sittaþ
40
on beorsele bliþe ætsomne.
| secg eard hæfþ oftust
on fenne,
wexeð on wature, wundaþ grimme,
blode breneð beorna gehwylcne
ðe him ænigne onfeng gedeð.
45
| semannum symble biþ on hihte,
ðonn hi hine feriaþ ofer fisces beþ,
oþ hi brimhengest bringeþ to lande.
| biþ tacna sum, healdeð trywa wel
wiþ æþelingas, a biþ on
færylde,
50
ofer nihta genipu næfre swiceþ.
| byþ bleda leas, bereþ efne swa ðeah
tanas butan tudder, biþ on telgum wlitig,
heah on helme hrysted fægere,
geloden leafum, lyfte getenge.
55
| byþ for eorlum æþelinga wyn,
hors hofum wlanc, ðær him hæleþ ymbe,
welege on wicgum, wrixlaþ spræce,
and biþ unstyllum æfre frofur.
| byþ on myrgþe his magan leof;
60
sceal þeah anra gehwylc oðrum swican,
for ðam dryhten wyle dome sine
þæt earme flæsc eorþan betæcan.
| byþ leodum langsum geþuht,
gif hi sculun neþan on nacan tealtum,
65
and hi sæyþa swyþe bregaþ,
and se brimhengest bridles ne gymeð.
| wæs ærest mid Eastdenum
gesewen secgun, oþ he siððan eft
ofer wæg gewat, wæn æfter ran;
70
ðus heardingas ðone hæle nemdun.
| byþ oferleof æghwylcum men,
gif he mot ðær rihtes and gerysena
on
brucan on bolde bleadum oftast.
| byþ drihtnes sond, deore mannum,
75
mære metodes leoht, myrgþ and tohiht
eadgum and earmum, eallum brice.
| byþ on eorþan elda bearnum
flæsces fodor, fereþ gelome
ofer ganotes bæþ; garsecg fandaþ
80
hwæþer ac hæbbe æþele
treowe.
| biþ oferheah, eldum dyre,
stiþ on staþule, stede rihte hylt,
ðeah him feohtan on firas monige.
| byþ æþelinga and eorla gehwæs
85
wyn and wyrþmynd, byþ on wicge fæger,
fæstlic on færelde, fyrdgeatewa sum.
| byþ eafix, and ðeah a bruceþ
fodres on foldan, hafaþ fægerne
eard,
wætre beworpen, ðær he wynnum leofaþ.
90
| byþ egle eorla gehwylcun,
ðonn fæstlice flæsc onginneþ,
hraw colian, hrusan ceosan
blac to gebeddan; bleda gedreosaþ,
wynna gewitaþ, wera geswicaþ.