University of Virginia Library

26

Ic þe mæg eaðe ealdum and leasum
spellum andreccan spræce gelice
efne ðisse ilcan þe wit ymb sprecað.
Hit gesælde gio on sume tide
ðæt Aulixes under hæfde
ðæm casere cynericu twa.
He wæs Þracia ðioda aldor
and Retie rices hirde.
Wæs his freadrihtnes folccuð nama,
Agamemnon, se ealles weold
Creca rices. Cuð wæs wide
þæt on þa tide Troia gewin
wearð under wolcnum. For wiges heard
Creca drihten campsted secan,
Aulixes mid, an hund scipa
lædde ofer lagustream, sæt longe ðær
tyn winter full. Þa sio tid gelomp
þæt hi ðæt rice geræht hæfdon,
diore gecepte drihten Creca
Troia burg tilum gesiðum.
Ða ða Aulixes leafe hæfde,
Ðracia cining, þæt he þonan moste,
he let him behindan hyrnde ciolas
nigon and hundnigontig, nænigne þonan
merehengesta ma þonne ænne
ferede on fifelstream, famigbordon,
ðriereðre ceol; þæt bið ðæt mæste
Creciscra scipa. Þa wearð ceald weder,
stearc storma gelac; stunede sio brune
yð wið oðre, ut feor adraf
on Wendelsæ wigendra scola
up on þæt igland þær Apolines
dohtor wunode dægrimes worn.
Wæs se Apollinus æðeles cynnes,
Iobes eafora, se wæs gio cyning.
Se licette litlum and miclum
gumena gehwylcum þæt he good wære,
hehst and halgost; swa se hlaford þa
þæt dysige folc on gedwolan lædde,
oððæt him gelyfde leoda unrim,
forðæm he wæs mid rihte rices hirde,
hiora cynecynnes. Cuð is wide
þæt on ða tide þeoda æghwilc
hæfdon heora hlaford for ðone hehstan god,
and weorðodon swa swa wuldres cining,
gif he to ðæm rice wæs on rihte boren.
Wæs þæs Iobes fæder god eac swa he;
Saturnus ðone sundbuende
heton, hæleða bearn. Hæfdon ða mægða
ælcne æfter oðrum for ecne god.
Sceolde eac wesan Apollines
dohtor diorboren, dysiges folces,
gumrinca gyden; cuðe galdra fela,
drifan drycræftas. Hio gedwolan fylgde
manna swiðost manegra þioda,
cyninges dohtor; sio Circe wæs
haten for herigum. Hio ricsode
on ðæm iglonde þe Aulixes,
cining Þracia, com ane to
ceole liðan. Cuð wæs sona
eallre þære mænige þe hire mid wunode
æþelinges sið. Hio mid ungemete
lissum lufode liðmonna frean,
and he eac swa same ealle mægne
efne swa swiðe hi on sefan lufode,
þæt he to his earde ænige nyste
modes mynlan ofer mægð giunge;
ac he mid þæm wife wunode siððan,
oððæt him ne meahte monna ænig
ðegna sinra þær mid wesan,
ac hi for ðæm yrmðum eardes lyste;
mynton forlætan leofne hlaford.
Ða ongunnon wercan werðeoda spell,
sædon þæt hio sceolde mid hire scinlace
beornas forbredan, and mid balocræftum
wraðum weorpan on wildra lic
cyninges þegnas, cyspan siððan
and mid racentan eac ræpan mænigne.
Sume hi to wulfum wurdon, ne meahton þonne word forðbringan,
ac hio þragmælum ðioton ongunnon.
Sume wæron eaforas, a grymetedon
ðonne hi sares hwæt siofian scioldon.
Þa ðe leon wæron ongunnon laðlice
yrrenga ryn a ðonne hi sceoldon
clipian for corðre. Cnihtas wurdon,
ealde ge giunge, ealle forhwerfde
to sumum diore, swelcum he æror
on his lifdagum gelicost wæs,
butan þam cyninge, þe sio cwen lufode.
Nolde þara oþra ænig onbitan
mennisces metes, ac hi ma lufedon
diora drohtað, swa hit gedefe ne wæs.
Næfdon hi mare monnum gelices
eorðbuendum ðonne ingeþonc;
hæfde anra gehwylc his agen mod,
þæt wæs þeah swiðe sorgum gebunden
for ðæm earfoðum þe him on sæton.
Hwæt, ða dysegan men þe ðysum drycræftum
longe gelyfdon, leasum spellum,
wisson hwæðre þæt þæt gewit ne mæg
mod onwendan monna ænig
mid drycræftum, þeah hio gedon meahte
þæt ða lichoman lange þrage
onwend wurdon. Is þæt wundorlic
mægencræft micel moda gehwilces
ofer lichoman lænne and sænne.
Swylcum and swylcum þu meaht sweotole ongitan
þæt ðæs lichoman listas and cræftas
of ðæm mode cumað monna gehwylcum,
anlepra ælc. Þu meaht eaðe ongitan
þætte ma dereð monna gehwelcum
modes unðeaw þonne mettrymnes
lænes lichoman. Ne þearf leoda nan
wenan þære wyrde þæt werige flæsc
þæt mod mæge monna æniges
eallunga to him æfre onwendan,
ac þa unðeawas ælces modes
and þæt ingeþonc ælces monnes
þone lichoman lit þider hit wile.