University of Virginia Library

Age mec se ælmihta god,
helpe min se halga dryhten! Þu gesceope heofon ond eorþan
ond wundor eall, min wundorcyning,
þe þær on sindon, ece dryhten,
micel ond manigfeald. Ic þe, mære god,
mine sawle bebeode ond mines sylfes lic,
ond min word ond min weorc, witig dryhten,
ond eal min leoþo, leohtes hyrde,
ond þa manigfealdan mine geþohtas.
Getacna me, tungla hyrde,
þær selast sy sawle minre
to gemearcenne meotudes willan,
þæt ic þe geþeo þinga gehwylce,
ond on me sylfum, soðfæst cyning,
ræd arære. Regnþeof ne læt
on sceade sceþþan, þeah þe ic scyppendum
wuldorcyninge waccor hyrde,
ricum dryhtne, þonne min ræd wære.
Forgif me to lisse, lifgende god,
bitre bealodæde. Ic þa bote gemon,
cyninga wuldor, cume to, gif ic mot.

Forgif þu me, min frea, fierst ond ondgiet
ond geþyld ond gemynd þinga gehwylces
þara þu me, soþfæst cyning, sendan wylle
to cunnunge. Nu þu const on mec
firendæda fela, feorma mec hwæþre,
meotod, for þinre miltse, þeah þe ic ma fremede
grimra gylta þonne me god lyfde;
hæbbe ic þonne þearfe þæt ic þine seþeah,
halges heofoncyninges, hyldo getilge
leorendum dagum, lif æfter oþrum
geseo ond gesece, þæt me siþþan þær
unne arfæst god ecan dreames,
lif alyfe, þeah þe lætlicor
bette bealodæde þonne bibodu wæron
halgan heofonmægnes. Hwæt, þu me her fela
[OMITTED] forgeafe. Gesette minne hyht on þec,
forhte foreþoncas, þæt hio fæstlice
stonde gestaðelad. Onstep minne hige,
gæsta god cyning, in gearone ræd.
Nu ic fundige to þe, fæder moncynnes,
of þisse worulde, nu ic wat þæt ic sceal,
ful unfyr faca; feorma me þonne,
wyrda waldend, in þinne wuldordream,
ond mec geleoran læt, leofra dryhten,
geoca mines gæstes. Þonne is gromra to fela
æfestum eaden, hæbbe ic þonne
æt frean frofre, þeah þe ic ær on fyrste lyt
earnode arna. Forlæt mec englas seþeah
geniman on þinne neawest, nergende cyning,
meotud, for þinre miltse. Þeah ðe is mana fela
æfter dogrum dyde, ne læt þu mec næfre deofol seþeah
þin lim lædan on laðne sið,
þy læs hi on þone foreþonc gefeon motan
þy þe hy him sylfum sellan þuhten
englas oferhydige þonne ece Crist.
Gelugon hy him æt þam geleafan; forþon hy longe scul[[OMITTED]],
werge wihta, wræce þrowian.
Forstond þu mec ond gestyr him, þonne storm cyme
minum gæste ongegn; geoca þonne,
mihtig dryhten, minre sawle,
gefreoþa hyre ond gefeorma hy, fæder moncynnes,
hædre gehogode, hæl, ece god,
meotod meahtum swiþ. Min is nu þa
sefa synnum fah, ond ic ymb sawle eom
feam siþum forht, þeah þu me fela sealde
arna on þisse eorþan. Þe sie ealles þonc
meorda ond miltsa, þara þu me sealdest.
No ðæs earninga ænige wæron mid;
hwæþre ic me ealles þæs ellen wylle
habban ond hlyhhan ond me hyhtan to,
frætwian mec on ferðweg ond fundian
sylf to þam siþe þe ic asettan sceal,
gæst gearwian, ond me þæt eal for gode þolian
bliþe mode, nu ic gebunden eom
fæste in minum ferþe. Huru me frea witeð
sume þara synna þe ic me sylf ne conn
ongietan gleawlice. Gode ic hæbbe
abolgen, brego moncynnes; forþon ic þus bittre wearð
gewitnad for þisse worulde, swa min gewyrhto wæron
micle fore monnum, þæt ic martirdom
deopne adreoge. Ne eom ic dema gleaw,
wis fore weorude; forþon ic þas word spræce
fus on ferþe, swa me on frymðe gelomp
yrmþu ofer eorþan, þæt ic a þolade
geara gehwylce (gode ealles þonc!)
modearfoþa ma þonne on oþrum,
fyrhto in folce; forþon ic afysed eom
earm of minum eþle. Ne mæg þæs anhoga,
leodwynna leas, leng drohtian,
wineleas wræcca, (is him wrað meotud),
gnornað on his geoguþe,
ond him ælce mæle men fullestað,
ycað his yrmþu, ond he þæt eal þolað,
sarcwide secga, ond him bið a sefa geomor,
mod morgenseoc. Ic bi me tylgust
secge þis sarspel ond ymb siþ spræce,
longunge fus, ond on lagu þence,
nat min [OMITTED]
hwy ic gebycge bat on sæwe,
fleot on faroðe; nah ic fela goldes
ne huru þæs freondes, þe me gefylste
to þam siðfate, nu ic me sylf ne mæg
fore minum wonæhtum willan adreogan.
Wudu mot him weaxan, wyrde bidan,
tanum lædan; ic for tæle ne mæg
ænigne moncynnes mode gelufian
eorl on eþle. Eala dryhten min,
meahtig mundbora! Þæt ic eom mode [[OMITTED]]eoc,
bittre abolgen, is seo bot æt þe
gelong æfter [[OMITTED]]fe. Ic on leohte ne mæg
butan earfoþum ænge þinga
feasceaft hæle foldan [[OMITTED]]unian;
þonne ic me to fremþum freode hæfde,
cyðþu gecwe [[OMITTED]] me wæs a cearu symle
lufena to leane, swa ic alifde nu.
Giet biþ þæt selast, þonne mon him sylf ne mæg
wyrd onwendan, þæt he þonne wel þolige.