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Andreas (Old English) · c. 9th century (poet unknown)

Lines 1375–1497

by Anonymous (Old English) c. 7th–11th century


Him þa Andreas agef ondsware:
"Hwæt, me eaðe ælmihtig god,
niða neregend, se ðe in niedum iu
gefæstnode fyrnum clommum!
þær ðu syððan a, susle gebunden,
in wræc wunne, wuldres blunne,
syððan ðu forhogedes heofoncyninges word.
þær wæs yfles or, ende næfre
þines wræces weorðeð. ðu scealt widan feorh
ecan þine yrmðu. þe bið a symble
of dæge on dæg drohtaþ strengra."
ða wearð on fleame se ðe ða fæhðo iu
wið god geara grimme gefremede.
Com þa on uhtan mid ærdæge
hæðenra hloð haliges neosan
leoda weorude. Heton lædan ut
þrohtheardne þegn þriddan siðe,
woldon aninga ellenrofes
mod gemyltan. Hit ne mihte swa!
ða wæs niowinga nið onhrered,
heard ond hetegrim. Wæs se halga wer
sare geswungen, searwum gebunden,
dolgbennum þurhdrifen, ðendon dæg lihte.
Ongan þa geomormod to gode cleopian,
heard of hæfte, halgan stefne
weop werigferð, ond þæt word gecwæð:
"Næfre ic geferde mid frean willan
under heofonhwealfe heardran drohtnoð,
þær ic dryhtnes æ deman sceolde.
Sint me leoðu tolocen, lic sare gebrocen,
banhus blodfag, benne weallað,
seonodolg swatige. Hwæt, ðu sigora weard,
dryhten hælend, on dæges tide
mid Iudeum geomor wurde
ða ðu of gealgan, god lifigende,
fyrnweorca frea, to fæder cleopodest,
cininga wuldor, ond cwæde ðus:
'Ic ðe, fæder engla, frignan wille,
lifes leohtfruma, hwæt forlætest ðu me?'
Ond ic nu þry dagas þolian sceolde
wælgrim witu. Bidde ic, weoroda god,
þæt ic gast minne agifan mote,
sawla symbelgifa, on þines sylfes hand.
ðu ðæt gehete þurh þin halig word,
þa ðu us twelfe trymman ongunne,
þæt us heterofra hild ne gesceode,
ne lices dæl lungre oððeoded,
ne synu ne ban on swaðe lagon,
ne loc of heafde to forlore wurde,
gif we þine lare læstan woldon.
Nu sint sionwe toslopen, is min swat adropen,
licgað æfter lande loccas todrifene,
fex on foldan. Is me feorhgedal
leofre mycle þonne þeos lifcearo."
Him þa stefn oncwæð, stiðhycgendum,
wuldorcyninges word hloðrode:
"Ne wep þone wræcsið, wine leofesta,
nis þe to frecne. Ic þe friðe healde,
minre mundbyrde mægene besette.
Me is miht ofer eall,
sigorsped geseald. Soð þæt gecyðeð
mænig æt meðle on þam myclan dæge,
þæt ðæt geweorðeð, þæt ðeos wlitige gesceaft,
heofon ond eorðe, hreosaþ togadore,
ær awæged sie worda ænig
þe ic þurh minne muð meðlan onginne.
Geseoh nu seolfes swæðe, swa þin swat aget
þurh bangebrec blodige stige,
lices lælan. No þe laðes ma
þurh daroða gedrep gedon motan,
þa þe heardra mæst hearma gefremedan."
þa on last beseah leoflic cempa
æfter wordcwidum wuldorcyninges.
Geseh he geblowene bearwas standan
blædum gehrodene, swa he ær his blod aget.
ða worde cwæð wigendra hleo:
"Sie ðe ðanc ond lof, þeoda waldend,
to widan feore wuldor on heofonum,
ðæs ðu me on sare, sigedryhten min,
ellþeodigne, an ne forlæte."
Swa se dædfruma dryhten herede
halgan stefne oððæt hador sægl
wuldortorht gewat under waðu scriðan.
þa þa folctogan feorðan siðe,
egle ondsacan, æðeling læddon
to þam carcerne, woldon cræfta gehygd,
magorædendes mod oncyrran
on þære deorcan niht. þa com dryhten god
in þæt hlinræced, hæleða wuldor,
ond þa wine synne wordum grette
ond frofre gecwæð, fæder manncynnes,
lifes lareow, heht his lichoman
hales brucan: "Ne scealt ðu in henðum a leng
searohæbbendra sar þrowian."
Aras þa mægene rof, sægde meotude þanc,
hal of hæfte heardra wita.
Næs him gewemmed wlite, ne wloh of hrægle
lungre alysed, ne loc of heafde,
ne ban gebrocen, ne blodig wund
lice gelenge, ne laðes dæl,
þurh dolgslege dreore bestemed,
ac wæs eft swa ær þurh þa æðelan miht
lof lædende, ond on his lice trum.
Hwæt, ic hwile nu haliges lare,
leoðgiddinga, lof þæs þe worhte,
wordum wemde, wyrd undyrne
ofer min gemet. Mycel is to secganne,
langsum leornung, þæt he in life adreag,
eall æfter orde. þæt scell æglæwra
mann on moldan þonne ic me tælige
findan on ferðe, þæt fram fruman cunne
eall þa earfeðo þe he mid elne adreah,
grimra guða. Hwæðre git sceolon
lytlum sticcum leoðworda dæl
furður reccan. þæt is fyrnsægen,
hu he weorna feala wita geðolode,
heardra hilda, in þære hæðenan byrig.
He be wealle geseah wundrum fæste
under sælwage sweras unlytle,
stapulas standan, storme bedrifene,
eald enta geweorc. He wið anne þæra,
mihtig ond modrof, mæðel gehede,
wis, wundrum gleaw, word stunde ahof:

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). Andreas (Old English), Lines 1375–1497. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/work/andreas-oe/11/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). Andreas (Old English), Lines 1375–1497. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/work/andreas-oe/11/.

Read this with the Codex →