The Complete Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Poetry
The Metrical Preface to Waerferth's Translation of Gregory's
Dialogues
Verse Late Saxon
...e ðe me rædan ðance,
he in me findan mæg, gif hine
feola lysteð
gastlices lifes godre biesene,
þæt he ful eaþe mæg upp gestigan
5
to ðam heofonlican hame, þar byð a hyht
and wyn,
blis on burgum, þam þe
bearn godes
sielfes hiora eagum geseon motan.
þæt mæg se mon begytan, se þe
his modgeðanc
æltowe byþ, and þonne þurh
his ingehygd
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to þissa haligra helpe geliefeð,
ond hiora bisene fulgað, swa þeos boc sagað.
Me awritan het Wulfstan bisceop,
þeow and þearfa þæs þe alne þrym aof,
and eac walden is wihta gehwelcre,
15
an ece god eallra gesceafta.
Bideþ þe se bisceop, se þe ðas
boc begeat
þe þu on þinum handum nu hafast and
sceawast,
þæt þu him to þeossum halgum
helpe bidde,
þe heora gemynd her on gemearcude
siendon,
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and þæt him god ællmihtig
forgyu... þa gyltas þe he geo worhte,
and eac resðe mid him, se ðe ah ealles rices geweald,
and eac swa his beahgifan, þe him ðas bysene
forgeaf,
þæt is se selesða sinces brytta,
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ælfryd mid Englum, ealra cyninga
þara þe he sið oððe ær fore
secgan hyrde,
oððe he iorðcyninga ær
ænigne gefrugne.