History & Politics
The Death of Edward (Old English)
From The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, ed. E. V. K. Dobbie, vol. VI (1942)
Her Eadward kingc, 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 ymbclyppað 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.
Codex Note
Old English text as in ASPR; hand-keyed e-text via sacred-texts.com.
Cite this poem
MLA
Anonymous (Old English). “The Death of Edward (Old English).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/183/.
Chicago
Anonymous (Old English). “The Death of Edward (Old English).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-english/183/.
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