The Seasons for Fasting

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Wæs on ealddagum Israheala folc
þurh Moysen, mærne lareow,
anlyht and gelared, swa hine lifes frea,
heofna heahcyning, her on life

5

þurh his sylfes word sette for leodum,
rincum to ræde, and him runa gescead
sylfum asæde, hu he þone soþan weg
leofum leodscipe læran sceolde.
þa se leoda fruma larum fyligde

10

heofena heahcyninges, and þa hæleþ samod,
swa hie on leodscipe lærede wæron;
gyf hie wancule weorc ongunnon,
heom þæs of heofonum hearm to leane
asende sigora god, and hie sona to him

15

fryþa wilnodan and þær fundon raþe,
gif hie leohtras heora letan gewyrpan.
Feala is mægena þe sio mære þeod
on þam herescype heold and worhte,
þendan hie lifes frean lufian woldon;

20

ac him se ende wearð earm and þrealic,
þa hie besyredon sylfne dryhten,
on beam setton and to byrgenne
gedemdon; he þær bedigled wæs,
and þy þryddan dæge þeodum ætywed.

25

We þæt gehyrdon hæleþa mænige
on bocstafum breman and writan,
þæt hie fæstenu feower heoldon
and þonne offredan unmæne neat,
þæt is lamb oþþe styrc, leofum to tacne

30

þe for worulde wæs womma bedæled.
Ac arisan ongan rices ealdor
of byrgenne, blæda gefylled,
and mid heofenwarum ham gesohte,
eard mid englum, and us eallum þone

35

hyht and gehateð, gyf we his willaþ
þurh rihtne sefan rædum fyligan.
Na þær in cumeð atele gefylled,
womme gewesed, ac scal on wyrd sceacan.
Nu we herian sceolan her for life

40

deorne dædfruman, and him geara gerim
ælmesdædum ure gefyllan,
and on fæstenum, swa se froda iu
Moyses mælde, and we þa mearce sceolan
heoldan higefæste mid Anglum,

45

swa hie gebrefde us beorn on Rome,
Gregorius, gumena papa.
We þæt forme sceolan fæsten heowan
on þære ærestan wucan lengtenes,
on þam monþe þe man Martius

50

geond Romwara rice nemneð,
and þær twelfe sceolan torhtum dihte
runa gerædan in þæs rican hofe,
heofona heahcyninges, herian mid sange,
wlancne weorþian wuldres bryttan.

55

Ofer þa Eastertid oþer fæsten
ys to bremenne Brytena leodum
mid gelicum lofe, þe gelesen hafað
on þære wucan þe æfter cumeð
þam sunnandæge þe geond sidne wang

60

Pentecostenes dæg preostas nemnað,
on þam monþe, þæs þe me þinceð,
þe man Iunius gearum nemde.
ðonne is þæt þrydde þinga gehwelces
fæsten on foldan fyra bearnum

65

dihte gelicum on þam deoran hofe
to brymenne beorhtum sange
on þære wucan þe ærur byð
emnihtes dæge ælda beornum,
on þam monþe, mine gefræge,

70

þe man September genemneð.
We þæt feorþe sceolen fæsten gelæstan
on þære wucan þe bið ærur full
dryhtnes gebyrde, and we mid deornum scylan
wordum and weorcum wuldres cyninge

75

in þa ylcan tid eallum gemynde
þeodne deman þinga gehwylces,
efne swa swa ærran, and þone arwesan
leofne leoda frean lifes biddan.
On þissum fæstenum is se feorþa dæg

80

and sixta samod seofoþa getinge
to gelæstanne lifes ealdre
and to bremenne boca gerynum
emb þa nigoþan tyd; nan is on eorþan,
butan hine unhæl an geþreatige,

85

þe mot, hæt, oþþe wæt ærur þingan,
þæs þe us boca dom þeodlic demeð.
Gif þe þonne secgan suþan cymene
bryttan Franca, þæt þu gebann sceole
her on eorþan ænig healdan,

90

þæs þe Moyses iu mælde to leodum,
na þu þæs andfeng æfre gewyrþe,
ac þu þæt sylfe heald þæt þe suþan com
from Romana rices hyrde,
Gregoriæ, gumena papa.

95

þus he gesette sylf ond dyhte
þa þenunga, þeodlareow,
fæstendtida; we þam forþ nu gyt
geond Engla land estum filiað.
Swa he æt þæm setle sylfa gedemde,

100

sancte Petres preostas syþþan
lange lifes tyd leordun þæt sylfe,
þæt þu oþrum ne scealt æfre filian.
Eac we feowertig daga fæsten healden
ær þæm æriste ures dryhtnes,

105

þæt nu lengtentid leoda nemnað,
and hit ærest ongan eorl se goda,
mære Moyses, ær he on munt styge;
he þæt fæsten heold feowertig daga
and nyhta samod, swa he nahtes anbat

110

ær he þa deoran æ dryhtnes anfenge.
Him þær gesealde sylfe dryhten
bremne boca cræft, bæle behlæned,
of his haligan handa gescrifene,
het hine leodum þone leoran and tæcan

115

elda orþancum eallum to tacne,
þæt we mid fæstene magon freode gewinnan
and þa deopan dryhtnes gerynu,
þa þe leoran sceolan leoda gehwylce,
gif us þære duguþe hwæt dryhten sylleð.

120

Eft Helias, eorl se mæra,
him on westene wiste geþigede,
þær him symbelbread somod mid wætere
dryhtnes engla sum dihte togeanes,
and se gestrangud wearð styþum gyfle

125

to gefæstenne feowertig daga
and nihta samod, swa he nahtes anbat
ær he on Horeb dun hali ferde.
Uton þæt gerine rihte gehicgan,
þæt se mæra þegen mihta ne hæfde

130

to astigenne stæppon on ypplen
ær him þæt symbel wearþ seald fram engle.
We sint on westene wuldres blisse
on þæm ænete ealra gefeana;
nu is helpes tid, halig dryhten,

135

hu we munt þinne mærne gestygan.
Sint for englas geteald eorþbugendum
þa þe dryhtnes word dædum lærað.
We þa andlifene ofstum þycgen
and þone deoran wist, dryhtnes lare;

140

uton fæstan swa fyrene dædum
on forhæfenesse her for life,
þæt we þæs muntes mægen mærþa gestigan
swa se ealda dyde Elias iu.
Is to hicganne hu se halga gewat

145

of þissum wangstede wuldres neosian;
hine fyren scryd feower mærum
wlangum wicgum on weg ferede
on neorxnawong, þær us nergend Crist
gehaten hafað ham mid blisse,

150

gif we þæt fæsten her fyrena gelæstað
and þone uplican æþel secað.
Nu wæs æt nehstan þæt us nergend Crist,
halig heofenes weord, heolp and lærde.
He hine dyppan let deorum þweale,

155

fulwihtes bæðe, fyrena bedæled,
and he feowertig daga firsude mettas,
eac nihta swa feala nanuht gyltig,
leodum to lare, þæt hie on lengten sceolan
efen feowertig daga fæsten hewan.

160

Hine costude þær Cristes gewinna
on þæm ænete eald and fræte,
geseah mærne frean mannum gelicne
and þa wenan ongann, wommes gemyndig,
þæt he stræla his stellan mihte

165

on þam lichoman; næs þæs leahtra nan,
ac on hinder gewat hearmes brytta,
and þær englas hyra ealdor sohtan.
Higesynnig man, gyf þe susla weard
costian durre, þonne he Crist dyde,

170

wereda wulderfrean, womma leasne,
ne mæg he þæs inne ahwæt scotian
gif he myrcels næfþ manes æt egum,
ac he on hinder scriþ, and þe halig
englas ærfæste æghwær helpað,

175

gif þu dryhtnes her dædum fylgest.
Hæbbe we nu gemearcod hu þa mæran iu
feowertig daga fæsten hewdon,
and we bebeodað þurh beorn godes
þæt manna gehwilc þe for moldan wunað

180

ær þam æreste ures dryhtnes
efen feowertig daga fæsten hewe
oþ þa nigoþan tid, and he na bruce
flæsces oþþe fyrna, þæ læs þe he fah wese.
Sceolan sacerdas singan mæssan,

185

dæghwamlice dryhten biddan
on þam fæstenne þæt he freond wese
folce gynd foldan, and þa fyrna sceolan
þam sacerdan secgan gehwilce
and þa dymnissa dædum betan

190

wordes and weorces, wuldres ealdor
þurh ælmesdæde eall gegladian.
þonne is þearf micel þeoda mænium
þæt þa sacerdos sylfe ne gyltan,
ne on leahtrum hiora ligegen to fæste.

195

Hwa mæg þyngian þreale hwilcum
wiþ his arwesan, gyf he him ærur hæfð
bitere onbolgen, and þæs bote ne deð,
ac þa æbyligþe ealdere wrohte,
dæghwamlice dædum niwað?

200

Gyf se sacerd hine sylfne ne cunne
þurh dryhtnes ege dugeþum healdan,
nu þa, folces mann, fyrna ne gyme
þe gehalgod mann her gefremme,
ac þu lare scealt lustum fremman

205

ryhthicgennde þe he to ræde tæchð,
drince he him þæt drofe oððe þæt dæghluttre
wæter of wege, þæt is wuldres lare.
Ac ic secgan mæg, sorgum hremig,
hu þa sacerdas sace niwiað,

210

dæghwamlice dryhten gremiað
and mid æfeste ælcne forlædað
þe him fylian wyle folces manna;
sona hie on mergan mæssan syngað
and forþegide, þurste gebæded,

215

æfter tæppere teoþ geond stræta.
Hwæt! Hi leaslice leogan ongynnað
and þone tæppere tyhtaþ gelome,
secgaþ þæt he synleas syllan mote
ostran to æte and æþele wyn

220

emb morgentyd, þæs þe me þingeð
þæt hund and wulf healdað þa ilcan
wisan on worulde and ne wigliað
hwæne hie to mose fon, mæða bedæled.
Hi þonne sittende sadian aginnað,

225

sinne semað, syllað gelome,
cweðað goddlife gumena gehwilcum
þæt wines dreng welhwa mote,
siþþan he mæssan hafað, meþig þicgan,
etan ostran eac and oþerne

230

fisc of flode