The Rune Poem

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

%%F%% byþ frofur fira gehwylcum.
Sceal ðeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dælan
gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.
%%U%% byþ anmod and oferhyrned,

5

felafrecne deor, feohteþ mid hornum,
mære morstapa; þæt is modig wuht.
%%þ%% byþ ðearle scearp; ðegna gehwylcum
anfeng ys yfyl, ungemetun reþe
manna gehwylcun ðe him mid resteð.

10

%%O%% byþ ordfruma ælcre spræce,
wisdomes wraþu and witena frofur,
and eorla gehwam eadnys and tohiht.
%%R%% byþ on recyde rinca gehwylcum
sefte, and swiþhwæt ðam ðe sitteþ on ufan

15

meare mægenheardum ofer milpaþas.
%%C%% byþ cwicera gehwam cuþ on fyre,
blac and beorhtlic, byrneþ oftust
ðær hi æþelingas inne restaþ.
%%G%% gumena byþ gleng and herenys,

20

wraþu and wyrþscype, and wræcna gehwam
ar and ætwist ðe byþ oþra leas.
%%W%%ne bruceþ ðe can weana lyt,
sares and sorge, and him sylfa hæfþ
blæd and blysse and eac byrga geniht.

25

%%H%% byþ hwitust corna; hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte,
wealcaþ hit windes scuras, weorþeþ hit to wætere syððan.
%%N%% byþ nearu on breostan, weorþeþ hi ðeah oft niþa bearnum
to helpe and to hæle gehwæþre, gif hi his hlystaþ æror.
%%I%% byþ oferceald, ungemetum slidor,

30

glisnaþ glæshluttur, gimmum gelicust,
flor forste geworuht, fæger ansyne.
%%J%% byþ gumena hiht, ðon god læteþ,
halig heofones cyning, hrusan syllan
beorhte bleda beornum and ðearfum.

35

%%Z%% byþ utan unsmeþe treow,
heard, hrusan fæst, hyrde fyres,
wyrtrumun underwreþyd, wyn on eþle.
%%P%% byþ symble plega and hlehter
wlancum ðar wigan sittaþ

40

on beorsele bliþe ætsomne.
%%X%% secg eard hæfþ oftust on fenne,
wexeð on wature, wundaþ grimme,
blode breneð beorna gehwylcne
ðe him ænigne onfeng gedeð.

45

%%S%% semannum symble biþ on hihte,
ðonn hi hine feriaþ ofer fisces beþ,
oþ hi brimhengest bringeþ to lande.
%%T%% biþ tacna sum, healdeð trywa wel
wiþ æþelingas, a biþ on færylde,

50

ofer nihta genipu næfre swiceþ.
%%B%% byþ bleda leas, bereþ efne swa ðeah
tanas butan tudder, biþ on telgum wlitig,
heah on helme hrysted fægere,
geloden leafum, lyfte getenge.

55

%%E%% byþ for eorlum æþelinga wyn,
hors hofum wlanc, ðær him hæleþ ymbe,
welege on wicgum, wrixlaþ spræce,
and biþ unstyllum æfre frofur.
%%M%% byþ on myrgþe his magan leof;

60

sceal þeah anra gehwylc oðrum swican,
for ðam dryhten wyle dome sine
þæt earme flæsc eorþan betæcan.
%%L%% byþ leodum langsum geþuht,
gif hi sculun neþan on nacan tealtum,

65

and hi sæyþa swyþe bregaþ,
and se brimhengest bridles ne gymeð.
%%NG%% wæs ærest mid Eastdenum
gesewen secgun, oþ he siððan eft
ofer wæg gewat, wæn æfter ran;

70

ðus heardingas ðone hæle nemdun.
%%OE%% byþ oferleof æghwylcum men,
gif he mot ðær rihtes and gerysena on
brucan on bolde bleadum oftast.
%%D%% byþ drihtnes sond, deore mannum,

75

mære metodes leoht, myrgþ and tohiht
eadgum and earmum, eallum brice.
%%A%% byþ on eorþan elda bearnum
flæsces fodor, fereþ gelome
ofer ganotes bæþ; garsecg fandaþ

80

hwæþer ac hæbbe æþele treowe.
%%æ%% biþ oferheah, eldum dyre,
stiþ on staþule, stede rihte hylt,
ðeah him feohtan on firas monige.
%%Y%% byþ æþelinga and eorla gehwæs

85

wyn and wyrþmynd, byþ on wicge fæger,
fæstlic on færelde, fyrdgeatewa sum.
%%IO%% byþ eafix, and ðeah a bruceþ
fodres on foldan, hafaþ fægerne eard,
wætre beworpen, ðær he wynnum leofaþ.

90

%%EA%% byþ egle eorla gehwylcun,
ðonn fæstlice flæsc onginneþ,
hraw colian, hrusan ceosan
blac to gebeddan; bleda gedreosaþ,
wynna gewitaþ, wera geswicaþ.