The Riming Poem

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Me lifes onlah se þis leoht onwrah,
ond þæt torhte geteoh, tillice onwrah.
Glæd wæs ic gliwum, glenged hiwum,
blissa bleoum, blostma hiwum.

5

Secgas mec segon, symbel ne alegon,
feohgiefe gefegon; frætwed wægon
wicg ofer wongum wennan gongum,
lisse mid longum leoma gehongum.
þa wæs wæstmum aweaht, world onspreht,

10

under roderum areaht, rædmægne oferþeaht.
Giestas gengdon, gerscype mengdon,
lisse lengdon, lustum glengdon.
Scrifen scrad glad þurh gescad in brad,
wæs on lagustreame lad, þær me leoþu ne biglad.

15

Hæfde ic heanne had, ne wæs me in healle gad,
þæt þær rof weord rad. Oft þær rinc gebad,
þæt he in sele sæge sincgewæge,
þegnum geþyhte. þenden wæs me mægen,
horsce mec heredon, hilde generedon,

20

fægre feredon, feondon biweredon.
Swa mec hyhtgiefu heold, hygedryht befeold,
staþolæhtum steold, stepegongum weold
swylce eorþe ol, ahte ic ealdorstol,
galdorwordum gol. Gomen sibbe ne ofoll,

25

ac wæs gefest gear, gellende sner,
wuniendo wær wilbec bescær.
Scealcas wæron scearpe, scyl wæs hearpe,
hlude hlynede, hleoþor dynede,
sweglrad swinsade, swiþe ne minsade.

30

Burgsele beofode, beorht hlifade,
ellen eacnade, ead beacnade,
freaum frodade, fromum godade,
mod mægnade, mine fægnade,
treow telgade, tir welgade,

35

blæd blissade,
gold gearwade, gim hwearfade,
sinc searwade, sib nearwade.
From ic wæs in frætwum, freolic in geatwum;
wæs min dream dryhtlic, drohtað hyhtlic.

40

Foldan ic freoþode, folcum ic leoþode,
lif wæs min longe, leodum in gemonge,
tirum getonge, teala gehonge.
Nu min hreþer is hreoh, heofsiþum sceoh,
nydbysgum neah; gewiteð nihtes in fleah

45

se ær in dæge wæs dyre. Scriþeð nu deop in feore
brondhord geblowen, breostum in forgrowen,
flyhtum toflowen. Flah is geblowen
miclum in gemynde; modes gecynde
greteð ungrynde grorn efenpynde,

50

bealofus byrneð, bittre toyrneð.
Werig winneð, widsið onginneð,
sar ne sinniþ, sorgum cinnið,
blæd his blinnið, blisse linnið,
listum linneð, lustum ne tinneð.

55

Dreamas swa her gedreosað, dryhtscype gehreosað,
lif her men forleosað, leahtras oft geceosað;
treowþrag is to trag, seo untrume genag,
steapum eatole misþah, ond eal stund genag.
Swa nu world wendeþ, wyrde sendeþ,

60

ond hetes henteð, hæleþe scyndeð.
Wercyn gewiteð, wælgar sliteð,
flahmah fliteþ, flan mon hwiteð,
borgsorg biteð, bald ald þwiteþ,
wræcfæc wriþað, wraþ að smiteþ,

65

singryn sidað, searofearo glideþ,
gromtorn græfeþ, græft hafað,
searohwit solaþ, sumurhat colað,
foldwela fealleð, feondscipe wealleð,
eorðmægen ealdaþ, ellen colað.

70

Me þæt wyrd gewæf, ond gewyrht forgeaf,
þæt ic grofe græf, ond þæt grimme græf
flean flæsce ne mæg, þonne flanhred dæg
nydgrapum nimeþ, þonne seo neaht becymeð
seo me eðles ofonn ond mec her eardes onconn.

75

þonne lichoma ligeð, lima wyrm friteþ,
ac him wenne gewigeð ond þa wist geþygeð,
oþþæt beoþ þa ban an,
ond æt nyhstan nan nefne se neda tan
balawun her gehloten. Ne biþ se hlisa adroren.

80

ær þæt eadig geþenceð, he hine þe oftor swenceð,
byrgeð him þa bitran synne, hogaþ to þære betran wynne,
gemon morþa lisse, þær sindon miltsa blisse
hyhtlice in heofona rice. Uton nu halgum gelice
scyldum biscyrede scyndan generede,

85

wommum biwerede, wuldre generede,
þær moncyn mot for meotude rot
soðne god geseon, ond aa in sibbe gefean.