Anglo-Saxon Minor Poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

Text from MS. 173, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (A); variants from MS. Cotton Tiberius A. vi (B), MS. Cotton Tiberius B. i (C), and MS. Cotton Tiberius B. iv (D)

Her Æþelstan cyning, eorla dryhten,
beorna beahgifa, and his broþor eac,
Eadmund æþeling, ealdorlangne tir
geslogon æt sæcce sweorda ecgum
ymbe Brunanburh. Bordweal clufan,
heowan heaþolinde hamora lafan,
afaran Eadweardes, swa him geæþele wæs

from cneomægum, þæt hi æt campe oft
wiþ laþra gehwæne land ealgodon,
hord and hamas. Hettend crungun,
Sceotta leoda and scipflotan
fæge feollan, feld dænnede
secga swate, siðþan sunne up
on morgentid, mære tungol,
glad ofer grundas, godes condel beorht,
eces drihtnes, oð sio æþele gesceaft
sah to setle. Þær læg secg mænig
garum ageted, guma norþerna
ofer scild scoten, swilce Scittisc eac,
werig, wiges sæd. Wesseaxe forð
ondlongne dæg eorodcistum
on last legdun laþum þeodum,
heowan herefleman hindan þearle
mecum mylenscearpan. Myrce ne wyrndon
heardes hondplegan hæleþa nanum
þæra þe mid Anlafe ofer æra gebland
on lides bosme land gesohtun,

fæge to gefeohte. Fife lægun
on þam campstede cyningas giunge,
sweordum aswefede, swilce seofene eac
eorlas Anlafes, unrim heriges,
flotan and Sceotta. Þær geflemed wearð
Norðmanna bregu, nede gebeded,
to lides stefne litle weorode;
cread cnear on flot, cyning ut gewat
on fealene flod, feorh generede.
Swilce þær eac se froda mid fleame com
on his cyþþe norð, Costontinus,
har hilderinc, hreman ne þorfte
mæca gemanan; he wæs his mæga sceard,
freonda gefylled on folcstede,
beslagen æt sæcce, and his sunu forlet
on wæstowe wundun forgrunden,
giungne æt guðe. Gelpan ne þorfte
beorn blandenfeax bilgeslehtes,
eald inwidda, ne Anlaf þy ma;

mid heora herelafum hlehhan ne þorftun
þæt heo beaduweorca beteran wurdun
on campstede cumbolgehnastes,
garmittinge, gumena gemotes,
wæpengewrixles, þæs hi on wælfelda
wiþ Eadweardes afaran plegodan.
Gewitan him þa Norþmen nægledcnearrum,
dreorig daraða laf, on Dinges mere
ofer deop wæter Difelin secan,
eft Iraland, æwiscmode.
Swilce þa gebroþer begen ætsamne,
cyning and æþeling, cyþþe sohton,
Wesseaxena land, wiges hremige.
Letan him behindan hræw bryttian
saluwigpadan, þone sweartan hræfn,
hyrnednebban, and þane hasewanpadan,

earn æftan hwit, æses brucan,
grædigne guðhafoc and þæt græge deor,
wulf on wealde. Ne wearð wæl mare
on þis eiglande æfre gieta
folces gefylled beforan þissum
sweordes ecgum, þæs þe us secgað bec,
ealde uðwitan, siþþan eastan hider
Engle and Seaxe up becoman,
ofer brad brimu Brytene sohtan,
wlance wigsmiþas, Wealas ofercoman,
eorlas arhwate eard begeatan.

2. THE CAPTURE OF THE FIVE BOROUGHS (942)

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Text from MS. 173, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (A); variants from MS. Cotton Tiberius A. vi (B), MS. Cotton Tiberius B. i (C), and MS. Cotton Tiberius B. iv (D)

Her Eadmund cyning, Engla þeoden,
mæcgea mundbora, Myrce geeode,
dyre dædfruma, swa Dor scadeþ,
Hwitanwyllesgeat and Humbra ea,
brada brimstream. Burga fife,
Ligoraceaster and Lincylene

and Snotingaham, swylce Stanford eac
and Deoraby. Dæne wæran æror
under Norðmannum nyde gebegde
on hæþenra hæfteclommum
lange þrage, oþ hie alysde eft
for his weorþscipe wiggendra hleo,
afera Eadweardes, Eadmund cyning.

3. THE CORONATION OF EDGAR (973)

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Text from MS. 173, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (A); variants from MS. Cotton Tiberius A. vi (B) and MS. Cotton Tiberius B. i (C)

Her Eadgar wæs, Engla waldend,
corðre miclum to cyninge gehalgod
on ðære ealdan byrig, Acemannesceastre;
eac hi igbuend oðre worde
beornas Baðan nemnaþ. Þær wæs blis micel
on þam eadgan dæge eallum geworden,
þone niða bearn nemnað and cigað
Pentecostenes dæg. Þær wæs preosta heap,
micel muneca ðreat, mine gefrege,
gleawra gegaderod. And ða agangen wæs
tyn hund wintra geteled rimes
fram gebyrdtide bremes cyninges,

leohta hyrdes, buton ðær to lafe þa get
wæs wintergeteles, þæs ðe gewritu secgað,
seofon and twentig; swa neah wæs sigora frean
ðusend aurnen, ða þa ðis gelamp.
And him Eadmundes eafora hæfde
nigon and XX, niðweorca heard,
wintra on worulde, ða þis geworden wæs,
and þa on ðam XXX wæs ðeoden gehalgod.

4. THE DEATH OF EDGAR (975)

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Text from MS. 173, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (A); variants from MS. Cotton Tiberius A. vi (B) and MS. Cotton Tiberius B. i (C)

Her geendode eorðan dreamas
Eadgar, Engla cyning, ceas him oðer leoht,
wlitig and wynsum, and þis wace forlet,
lif þis læne. Nemnað leoda bearn,
men on moldan, þæne monað gehwær
in ðisse eðeltyrf, þa þe ær wæran
on rimcræfte rihte getogene,
Iulius monoð, þær se geonga gewat
on þone eahteðan dæg Eadgar of life,
beorna beahgyfa. Feng his bearn syððan

to cynerice, cild unweaxen,
eorla ealdor, þam wæs Eadweard nama.
And him tirfæst hæleð tyn nihtum ær
of Brytene gewat, bisceop se goda,
þurh gecyndne cræft, ðam wæs Cyneweard nama.

Ða wæs on Myrceon, mine gefræge,
wide and welhwær waldendes lof
afylled on foldan. Fela wearð todræfed
gleawra godes ðeowa; þæt wæs gnornung micel
þam þe on breostum wæg byrnende lufan
metodes on mode. Þa wæs mærða fruma
to swiðe forsewen, sigora waldend,
rodera rædend, þa man his riht tobræc.
And þa wearð eac adræfed deormod hæleð,
Oslac, of earde ofer yða gewealc,
ofer ganotes bæð, gamolfeax hæleð,
wis and wordsnotor, ofer wætera geðring,
ofer hwæles eðel, hama bereafod.
And þa wearð ætywed uppe on roderum
steorra on staðole, þone stiðferhþe,
hæleð higegleawe, hatað wide
cometa be naman, cræftgleawe men,
wise woðboran. Wæs geond werðeode
waldendes wracu wide gefrege,
hungor ofer hrusan; þæt eft heofona weard

gebette, brego engla, geaf eft blisse gehwæm
egbuendra þurh eorðan westm.

5. THE DEATH OF ALFRED (1036)

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Text from MS. Cotton Tiberius B. i (C); variants from MS. Cotton Tiberius B. iv (D)

Her com Ælfred, se unsceððiga æþeling, Æþelrædes
sunu cinges, hider inn and wolde to his meder, þe on Win-
cestre sæt, ac hit him ne geþafode Godwine eorl, ne ec oþre
men þe mycel mihton wealdan, forðan hit hleoðrode þa
swiðe toward Haraldes, þeh hit unriht wære.
Ac Godwine hine þa gelette and hine on hæft sette,
and his geferan he todraf, and sume mislice ofsloh;
sume hi man wið feo sealde, sume hreowlice acwealde,
sume hi man bende, sume hi man blende,
sume hamelode, sume hættode.
Ne wearð dreorlicre dæd gedon on þison earde,
syþþan Dene comon and her frið namon.
Nu is to gelyfenne to ðan leofan gode,
þæt hi blission bliðe mid Criste
þe wæron butan scylde swa earmlice acwealde.
Se æþeling lyfode þa gyt; ælc yfel man him gehet,
oðþæt man gerædde þæt man hine lædde
to Eligbyrig swa gebundenne.
Sona swa he lende, on scype man hine blende,

and hine swa blindne brohte to ðam munecon,
and he þar wunode ða hwile þe he lyfode.
Syððan hine man byrigde, swa him wel gebyrede,
ful wurðlice, swa he wyrðe wæs,
æt þam westende, þam styple ful gehende,
on þam suðportice; seo saul is mid Criste.

6. THE DEATH OF EDWARD (1065)

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Text from MS. Cotton Tiberius B. i (C); variants from MS. Cotton Tiberius B. iv (D)

Her Eadward kinge, Engla hlaford,
sende soþfæste sawle to Criste
on godes wæra, gast haligne.
He on worulda her wunode þrage
on kyneþrymme, cræftig ræda,
XXIIII, freolic wealdend,
wintra gerimes, weolan britnode,
and healfe tid, hæleða wealdend,
weold wel geþungen Walum and Scottum
and Bryttum eac, byre Æðelredes,
Englum and Sexum, oretmægcum,
swa ymbclyppð cealde brymmas,
þæt eall Eadwarde, æðelum kinge,

hyrdon holdlice hagestealde menn.
Wæs a bliðemod bealuleas kyng,
þeah he lange ær, lande bereafod,
wunode wræclastum wide geond eorðan,
syððan Cnut ofercom kynn Æðelredes
and Dena weoldon deore rice
Engla landes XXVIII
wintra gerimes, welan brytnodon.
Syððan forð becom freolice in geatwum
kyningc kystum god, clæne and milde,
Eadward se æðela, eðel bewerode,
land and leode, oðþæt lungre becom
deað se bitera, and swa deore genam
æþelne of eorðan; englas feredon
soþfæste sawle innan swegles leoht.
And se froda swa þeah befæste þæt rice
heahþungenum menn, Harolde sylfum,
æþelum eorle, se in ealle tid
hyrde holdlice hærran sinum
wordum and dædum, wihte ne agælde
þæs þe þearf wæs þæs þeodkyninges.