1A3.9

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2

THE SEAFARER

    
3Mæg ic be me sylfum soðgied wrecan, siþas secgan, hu ic
4geswincdagum earfoðhwile oft þrowade, bitre
5breostceare gebiden hæbbe, gecunnad in ceole cearselda
6fela, atol yþa gewealc, þær mec oft bigeat
7nearo nihtwaco æt nacan stefnan, þonne he be
8clifum cnossað.
9Calde geþrungen wæron mine fet, forste gebunden, caldum
10clommum, þær þa ceare seofedun hat ymb heortan;
11hungor innan slat merewerges mod.
12þæt se mon ne wat þe him on foldan fægrost limpeð, hu ic
13earmcearig iscealdne sæ winter wunade wræccan
14lastum, winemægum bidroren, bihongen hrimgicelum; hægl
15scurum fleag.
16þær ic ne gehyrde butan hlimman sæ, iscaldne wæg.
17Hwilum ylfete song dyde ic me to gomene, ganetes hleoþor ond
18huilpan sweg fore hleahtor wera,

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19mæw singende fore medodrince.
20Stormas þær stanclifu beotan, þær him stearn oncwæð
21isigfeþera; ful oft þæt earn bigeal, urigfeþra;
22ne ænig hleomæga feasceaftig ferð frefran meahte.
23Forþon him gelyfeð lyt, se þe ah lifes wyn gebiden in
24burgum, bealosiþa hwon, wlonc ond wingal, hu
25ic werig oft in brimlade bidan sceolde.
26Nap nihtscua, norþan sniwde, hrim hrusan bond, hægl feol on
27eorþan, corna caldast.
28Forþon cnyssað nu heortan geþohtas, þæt ic hean streamas,
29sealtyþa gelac sylf cunnige; monað modes
30lust mæla gehwylce ferð to feran, þæt ic feor heonan
31elþeodigra eard gesece.
32Forþon nis þæs modwlonc mon ofer eorþan, ne his gifena
33þæs god, ne in geoguþe to þæs hwæt, ne in his
34dædum to þæs deor, ne him his dryhten to þæs hold,
35þæt he a his sæfore sorge næbbe, to hwon hine dryhten
36gedon wille.
37Ne biþ him to hearpan hyge ne to hringþege, ne to wife wyn
38ne to worulde hyht, ne ymbe owiht elles,
39nefne ymb yða gewealc, ac a hafað longunge se þe on lagu
40fundað.
41Bearwas blostmum nimað, byrig fægriað, wongas
42wlitigað , woruld onetteð; ealle þa gemoniað modes
43fusne sefan to siþe, þam þe swa þenceð on flodwegas feor
44gewitan .
45Swylce geac monað geomran reorde, singeð sumeres weard,
46sorge beodeð bitter in breosthord.
47þæt se beorn ne wat, esteadig secg, hwæt þa sume
48dreogað

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49þe þa wræclastas widost lecgað.
50Forþon nu min hyge hweorfeð ofer hreþerlocan, min modsefa
51mid mereflode ofer hwæles eþel hweorfeð wide,
52eorþan sceatas, cymeð eft to me gifre ond grædig,
53gielleð anfloga, hweteð on hwælweg hreþer unwearnum
54ofer holma gelagu.
55Forþon me hatran sind dryhtnes dreamas þonne þis deade lif,
56læne on londe.
57Ic gelyfe no þæt him eorðwelan ece stondað .
58Simle þreora sum þinga gehwylce, ær his tid aga , to
59tweon weorþeð; adl oþþe yldo oþþe ecghete fægum
60fromweardum feorh oðþringeð.
61Forþon þæt bið eorla gehwam æftercweþendra lof
62lifgendra lastworda betst, þæt he gewyrce, ær he on
63weg scyle, fremum on foldan wið feonda niþ, deorum
64dædum deofle togeanes, þæt hine ælda bearn æfter
65hergen, ond his lof siþþan lifge mid englum awa to
66ealdre, ecan lifes blæd , dream mid dugeþum.
67Dagas sind gewitene, ealle onmedlan eorþan rices; næron nu
68cyningas ne caseras ne goldgiefan swylce
69iu wæron, þonne hi mæst mid him mærþa gefremedon ond on
70dryhtlicestum dome lifdon.
71Gedroren is þeos duguð eal, dreamas sind gewitene, wuniað
72þa wacran ond þas woruld healdaþ, brucað þurh bisgo.
73Blæd is gehnæged, eorþan indryhto ealdað ond searað, swa
74nu monna gehwylc geond middangeard.
75Yldo him on fareð, onsyn blacað,

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76gomelfeax gnornað, wat his
77iuwine, æþelinga bearn, eorþan forgiefene.
78Ne mæg him þonne se flæschoma, þonne him þæt feorg
79losað, ne swete forswelgan ne sar gefelan, ne hond
80onhreran ne mid hyge þencan.
81þeah þe græf wille golde stregan broþor his geborenum,
82byrgan be deadum, maþmum mislicum þæt hine mid
83wille, ne mæg þære sawle þe biþ synna ful gold to
84geoce for godes egsan, þonne he hit ær hydeð þenden
85he her leofað.
86Micel biþ se meotudes egsa, forþon hi seo molde oncyrreð;
87se gestaþelade stiþe grundas, eorþan sceatas ond uprodor.
88Dol biþ se þe him his dryhten ne ondrædeþ; cymeð him se
89deað unþinged.
90Eadig bið se þe eaþmod leofaþ; cymeð him seo ar of
91heofonum, meotod him þæt mod gestaþelað, forþon
92he in his meahte gelyfeð.
93Stieran mon sceal strongum mode , ond þæt on staþelum
94healdan, ond gewis werum, wisum clæne, scyle
95monna gehwylc mid gemete healdan wiþ leofne ond wið laþne
96bealo , þeah þe he hine wille fyres fulne
97oþþe on bæle forbærnedne his geworhtne wine.
98Wyrd biþ swiþre , meotud meahtigra þonne ænges monnes
99gehygd.
100Uton we hycgan hwær we ham agen, ond þonne geþencan hu
101we þider cumen, ond we þonne eac tilien, þæt
102we to moten in þa ecan eadignesse, þær is lif gelong in
103lufan dryhtnes,

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104hyht in heofonum.
105þæs sy þam halgan þonc, þæt he usic geweorþade, wuldres
106ealdor, ece dryhten, in ealle tid.
107Amen.