Tony Jebson - The Exeter Book

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Verse Indeterminate Saxon

cyninge.
u eart se weallstan e a wyrhtan iu
wiwurpon to weorce. Wel e gerise
t u heafod sie healle mrre,
5ond gesomnige side weallas
fste gefoge, flint unbrcne,
t geond eorb......g eall eagna gesihe
wundrien to worlde wuldres ealdor.
Gesweotula nu urh searocrft in sylfes weorc,
10sofst, sigorbeorht, ond sona forlt
weall wi wealle. Nu is am weorce earf
t se crftga cume ond se cyning sylfa,
ond onne gebete, nu gebrosnad is,
hus under hrofe. He t hra gescop,
15leomo lmena; nu sceal liffrea
one wergan heap wraum ahreddan,
earme from egsan, swa he oft dyde.
Eala u reccend ond u riht cyning,
se e locan healde, lif ontyne,
20eadga... upwegas, orum forwyrne
wlitigan wilsies, gif his weorc ne deag.
Huru we for earfe as word spreca,
ond m......gia one e mon gescop
t he ne ...ete......ceose weoran
25cearfulra ing, e we in carcerne
sitta sorgende, sunnan wena,
hwonne us liffrea leoht ontyne,
weore ussum mode to mundboran,
ond t tydre gewitt tire bewinde,
30gedo usic s wyre, e he to wuldre forlet,
a we heanlice hweorfan sceoldan
to is enge lond, ele bescyrede.
Foron secgan mg, se e so sprice,
t he ahredde, a forhwyrfed ws,
35frumcyn fira. Ws seo fmne geong,
mg manes leas, e he him to meder geceas;
t ws geworden butan weres frigum,
t urh bearnes gebyrd bryd eacen wear.
Nnig efenlic am, r ne sian,
40in worlde gewear wifes gearnung;
t degol ws, dryhtnes geryne.
Eal giofu gstlic grundsceat geondspreot;
r wisna fela wear inlihted
lare longsume urh lifes fruman
45e r under homan biholen lgon,
witgena wosong, a se waldend cwom,
se e reorda gehws ryne gemicla
ara e geneahhe noman scyppendes
urh horscne had hergan willa.
50Eala sibbe gesih, sancta Hierusalem,
cynestola cyst, Cristes burglond,
engla eelstol, ond a ane in e
saule sofstra simle geresta,
wuldrum hremge. Nfre wommes tacn
55in am eardgearde eawed weore,
ac e firina gehwylc feor abuge,
wrgo ond gewinnes. Bist to wuldre full
halgan hyhtes, swa u gehaten eart.
Sioh nu sylfa e geond as sidan gesceaft,
60swylce rodores hrof rume geondwlitan
ymb healfa gehwone, hu ec heofones cyning
sie gesece, ond sylf cyme,
nime eard in e, swa hit r gefyrn
witgan wisfste wordum sgdon,
65cydon Cristes gebyrd, cwdon e to frofre,
burga betlicast. Nu is t bearn cymen,
awcned to wyrpe weorcum Ebrea,
bringe blisse e, benda onlyse
nium genedde. Nearoearfe conn,
70hu se earma sceal are gebidan.
Eala wifa wynn geond wuldres rym,
fmne freolicast ofer ealne foldan sceat
s e fre sundbuend secgan hyrdon,
arece us t geryne t e of roderum cwom,
75hu u eacnunge fre onfenge
bearnes urh gebyrde, ond one gebedscipe
fter monwisan mod ne cues.
Ne we solice swylc ne gefrugnan
in rdagum fre gelimpan,
80t u in sundurgiefe swylce befenge,
ne we re wyrde wenan urfon
toweard in tide. Huru treow in e
weorlicu wunade, nu u wuldres rym
bosme gebre, ond no gebrosnad wear
85mghad se micla. Swa eal manna bearn
sorgum sawa, swa eft ripa,
cenna to cwealme. Cw sio eadge mg
symle sigores full, sancta Maria:
"Hwt is eos wundrung e ge wafia,
90ond geomrende gehum mna,
sunu Solim somod his dohtor?
Fricga urh fyrwet hu ic fmnan had,
mund minne geheold, ond eac modor gewear
mre meotudes suna. Foran t monnum nis
95cu geryne, ac Crist onwrah
in Dauides dyrre mgan
t is Euan scyld eal forpynded,
wrga aworpen, ond gewuldrad is
se heanra had. Hyht is onfangen
100t nu bletsung mot bm gemne,
werum ond wifum, a to worulde for
in am uplican engla dreame
mid sofder symle wunian."
Eala earendel, engla beorhtast,
105ofer middangeard monnum sended,
ond sofsta sunnan leoma,
torht ofer tunglas, u tida gehwane
of sylfum e symle inlihtes!
Swa u, god of gode gearo acenned,
110sunu soan fder, swegles in wuldre
butan anginne fre wre,
swa ec nu for earfum in agen geweorc
bide urh byldo, t u a beorhtan us
sunnan onsende, ond e sylf cyme
115t u inleohte a e longe r,
rosme beeahte ond in eostrum her,
ston sinneahtes; synnum bifealdne
deorc deaes sceadu dreogan sceoldan.
Nu we hyhtfulle hlo gelyfa
120urh t word godes weorodum brungen,
e on fryme ws fder lmihtigum
efenece mid god, ond nu eft gewear
flsc firena leas, t seo fmne gebr
geomrum to geoce. God ws mid us
125gesewen butan synnum; somod eardedon
mihtig meotudes bearn ond se monnes sunu
gewre on eode. We s onc magon
secgan sigedryhtne symle bi gewyrhtum,
s e he hine sylfne us sendan wolde.
130Eala gsta god, hu u gleawlice
mid noman ryhte nemned wre
Emmanuhel, swa hit engel gecw
rest on Ebresc! t is eft gereht,
rume bi gerynum: "Nu is rodera weard,
135god sylfa mid us." Swa t gomele gefyrn
ealra cyninga cyning ond one clnan eac
sacerd solice sgdon toweard,
swa se mra iu, Melchisedech,
gleaw in gste godrym onwrah
140eces alwaldan. Se ws bringend,
lara ldend, am longe his
hyhtan hidercyme, swa him gehaten ws,
tte sunu meotudes sylfa wolde
geflsian foldan mge,
145swylce grundas eac gstes mgne
sie gesecan. Nu hie softe s
bidon in bendum hwonne bearn godes
cwome to cearigum. Foron cwdon swa,
suslum geslhte: "Nu u sylfa cum,
150heofones heahcyning. Bring us hlolif,
werigum witeeowum, wope forcymenum,
bitrum brynetearum. Is seo bot gelong
eal t e anum ...... oferearfum.
Hftas hygegeomre hider ...es;
155ne lt e behindan, onne u heonan cyrre,
mnigo us micle, ac u miltse on us
gecy cynelice, Crist nergende,
wuldres eling, ne lt awyrgde ofer us
onwald agan. Lf us ecne gefean
160wuldres ines, t ec weorien,
weoroda wuldorcyning, a u geworhtes r
hondum inum. u in heannissum
wunast wideferh mid waldend fder."
"Eala Ioseph min, Iacobes bearn,
165mg Dauides, mran cyninges,
nu u freode scealt fste gedlan,
altan lufan mine!" "Ic lungre eam
deope gedrefed, dome bereafod,
foron ic worn for e worde hbbe
170sidra sorga ond sarcwida,
hearmes gehyred, ond me hosp spreca,
tornworda fela. Ic tearas sceal
geotan geomormod. God eae mg
gehlan hygesorge heortan minre,
175afrefran feasceaftne. Eala fmne geong,
mg Maria!" Hwt bemurnest u,
cleopast cearigende? Ne ic culpan in e,
incan nigne, fre onfunde,
womma geworhtra, ond u a word spricest
180swa u sylfa sie synna gehwylcre
firena gefylled." Ic to fela hbbe
s byrdscypes bealwa onfongen!
Hu mg ic ladigan laan sprce,
oe ondsware nige findan
185wraum towiere? Is t wide cu
t ic of am torhtan temple dryhtnes
onfeng freolice fmnan clne,
womma lease, ond nu gehwyrfed is
urh nathwylces. Me nawer deag,
190secge ne swige. Gif ic so sprece,
onne sceal Dauides dohtor sweltan,
stanum astyrfed. Gen strengre is
t ic moror hele; scyle manswara,
la leoda gehwam lifgan sian,
195fraco in folcum." a seo fmne onwrah
ryhtgeryno, ond us reordade:
"So ic secge urh sunu meotudes,
gsta geocend, t ic gen ne conn
urh gemcscipe monnes ower,
200nges on eoran, ac me eaden wear,
geongre in geardum, t me Gabrihel,
heofones heagengel, hlo gebodade.
Sgde solice t me swegles gst
leoman onlyhte, sceolde ic lifes rym
205geberan, beorhtne sunu, bearn eacen godes,
torhtes tirfruman. Nu ic his tempel eam
gefremed butan facne, in me frofre gst
geeardode. Nu u ealle forlt
sare sorgceare. Saga ecne onc
210mrum meotodes sunu t ic his modor gewear,
fmne for seeah, ond u fder cweden
woruldcund bi wene; sceolde witedom
in him sylfum beon soe gefylled."