Anonymous: The Riming Poem (503 words)

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1A3.15

page 166


2

THE RIMING POEM

    
3Me lifes onlah se þis leoht onwrah, ond þæt torhte geteoh,
4tillice onwrah.
5Glæd wæs ic gliwum, glenged hiwum, blissa bleoum, blostma
6hiwum.
7Secgas mec segon, symbel ne alegon, feohgiefe gefegon;
8frætwed wægon wicg ofer wongum wennan gongum,
9lisse mid longum leoma gehongum .

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10þa wæs wæstmum aweaht, world onspreht, under roderum
11areaht, rædmægne oferþeaht.
12Giestas gengdon, gerscype mengdon, lisse lengdon, lustum
13glengdon.
14Scrifen scrad glad þurh gescad in brad, wæs on lagustreame
15lad, þær me leoþu ne biglad.
16Hæfde ic heanne had, ne wæs me in healle gad, þæt þær
17rof weord rad.
18Oft þær rinc gebad, þæt he in sele sæge sincgewæge,
19þegnum geþyhte.
20þenden wæs me mægen, horsce mec heredon, hilde
21generedon, fægre feredon, feondon biweredon.
22Swa mec hyhtgiefu heold, hygedryht befeold, staþolæhtum
23steold , stepegongum weold swylce eorþe ol,
24ahte ic ealdorstol, galdorwordum gol.
25Gomen sibbe ne ofoll, ac wæs gefest gear, gellende sner,
26wuniendo wær wilbec bescær.
27Scealcas wæron scearpe, scyl wæs hearpe, hlude hlynede,
28hleoþor dynede, sweglrad swinsade, swiþe ne
29minsade.
30Burgsele beofode, beorht hlifade, ellen eacnade, ead beacnade,
31freaum frodade, fromum godade, mod mægnade, mine fægnade,
32treow telgade, tir welgade, blæd blissade,
33gold gearwade, gim hwearfade, sinc
34searwade, sib nearwade.
35From ic wæs in frætwum, freolic in geatwum: wæs min dream
36dryhtlic, drohtað hyhtlic.
37Foldan ic freoþode, folcum ic leoþode, lif wæs min longe,
38leodum in gemonge, tirum getonge, teala gehonge.
39Nu min hreþer is hreoh, heofsiþum sceoh,

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40nydbysgum neah; gewiteð nihtes in fleah se ær in dæge wæs
41dyre.
42Scriþeð nu deop in feore brondhord geblowen, breostum in
43forgrowen, flyhtum toflowen.
44Flah is geblowen miclum in gemynde; modes gecynde greteð
45ungrynde grorn efenpynde, bealofus byrneð,
46bittre toyrneð.
47Werig winneð, widsið onginneð, sar ne sinniþ, sorgum
48cinnið, blæd his blinnið, blisse linnið ,
49listum linneð, lustum ne tinneð.
50Dreamas swa her gedreosað, dryhtscype gehreosað, lif her men
51forleosað, leahtras oft geceosað; treowþrag is to trag,
52seo untrume genag, steapum eatole misþah, ond eal stund genag.
53Swa nu world wendeþ, wyrde sendeþ, ond hetes henteð,
54hæleþe scyndeð.
55Wercyn gewiteð, wælgar sliteð, flahmah fliteþ, flan
56mon hwiteð, borgsorg biteð, bald ald þwiteþ,
57wræcfæc wriþað, wraþ að smiteþ, singryn sidað,
58searofearo glideþ, gromtorn græfeþ, græft hafað ,
59searohwit solaþ, sumurhat colað, foldwela fealleð,
60feondscipe wealleð, eorðmægen ealdaþ, ellen colað.
61Me þæt wyrd gewæf, ond gewyrht forgeaf, þæt ic grofe
62græf, ond þæt grimme græf flean flæsce ne mæg,
63þonne flanhred dæg nydgrapum nimeþ, þonne seo neaht
64becymeð seo me eðles ofonn ond mec her eardes onconn.
65þonne lichoma ligeð, lima wyrm friteþ, ac him wenne
66gewigeð ond þa wist geþygeð, oþþæt beoþ þa ban
67an ,

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68ond æt nyhstan nan nefne se neda tan balawun her
69gehloten .
70Ne biþ se hlisa adroren.
71ær þæt eadig geþenceð, he hine þe oftor swenceð,
72byrgeð him þa bitran synne, hogaþ to þære betran wynne,
73gemon morþa lisse, þær sindon miltsa blisse
74hyhtlice in heofona rice.
75Uton nu halgum gelice scyldum biscyrede scyndan generede,
76wommum biwerede, wuldre generede, þær moncyn mot
77for meotude rot soðne god geseon, ond aa in sibbe
78gefean.