← Elene (Old English) · Contents

Elene (Old English) · c. 9th century

Lines 1147–1276

by Cynewulf fl. 9th century


Ongan þa geornlice gastgerynum
on sefan secean soðfæstnesse
weg to wuldre. Huru, weroda god
gefullæste, fæder on roderum,
cining ælmihtig, þæt seo cwen begeat
willan in worulde. Wæs se witedom
þurh fyrnwitan beforan sungen
eall æfter orde, swa hit eft gelamp
ðinga gehwylces. þeodcwen ongan
þurh gastes gife georne secan
nearwe geneahhe, to hwan hio þa næglas selost
ond deorlicost gedon meahte,
dugoðum to hroðer, hwæt þæs wære dryhtnes willa.
Heht ða gefetigean forðsnotterne
ricene to rune, þone þe rædgeþeaht
þurh gleawe miht georne cuðe,
frodne on ferhðe, ond hine frignan ongan
hwæt him þæs on sefan selost þuhte
to gelæstenne, ond his lare geceas
þurh þeodscipe. He hire þriste oncwæð:
"þæt is gedafenlic þæt ðu dryhtnes word
on hyge healde, halige rune,
cwen seleste, ond þæs cininges bebod
georne begange, nu þe god sealde
sawle sigesped ond snyttro cræft,
nerigend fira. þu ðas næglas hat
þam æðelestan eorðcyninga
burgagendra on his bridels don,
meare to midlum. þæt manigum sceall
geond middangeard mære weorðan,
þonne æt sæcce mid þy oferswiðan mæge
feonda gehwylcne, þonne fyrdhwate
on twa healfe tohtan secaþ,
sweordgeniðlan, þær hie ymb sige winnað,
wrað wið wraðum. He ah æt wigge sped,
sigor æt sæcce, ond sybbe gehwær,
æt gefeohte frið, se ðe foran lædeð
bridels on blancan, þonne beadurofe
æt garþræce, guman gecoste,
berað bord ond ord. þis bið beorna gehwam
wið æglæce unoferswiðed
wæpen æt wigge. Be ðam se witga sang,
snottor searuþancum, (sefa deop gewod,
wisdomes gewitt), he þæt word gecwæð:
'Cuþ þæt gewyrðeð þæt þæs cyninges sceal
mearh under modegum midlum geweorðod,
bridelshringum. Bið þæt beacen gode
halig nemned, ond se hwæteadig,
wigge weorðod, se þæt wicg byrð.'"
þa þæt ofstlice eall gelæste
Elene for eorlum. æðelinges heht,
beorna beaggifan, bridels frætwan,
hire selfre suna sende to lace
ofer geofenes stream gife unscynde.
Heht þa tosomne þa heo seleste
mid Iudeum gumena wiste,
hæleða cynnes, to þære halgan byrig
cuman in þa ceastre. þa seo cwen ongan
læran leofra heap þæt hie lufan dryhtnes,
ond sybbe swa same sylfra betweonum,
freondræddenne, fæste gelæston
leahtorlease in hira lifes tid,
ond þæs latteowes larum hyrdon,
cristenum þeawum, þe him Cyriacus
bude, boca gleaw. Wæs se bissceophad
fægere befæsted. Oft him feorran to
laman, limseoce, lefe cwomon,
healte, heorudreorige, hreofe ond blinde,
heane, hygegeomre, symle hælo þær
æt þam bisceope, bote fundon
ece to aldre. ða gen him Elene forgeaf
sincweorðunga, þa hio wæs siðes fus
eft to eðle, ond þa eallum bebead
on þam gumrice god hergendum,
werum ond wifum, þæt hie weorðeden
mode ond mægene þone mæran dæg,
heortan gehigdum, in ðam sio halige rod
gemeted wæs, mærost beama
þara þe of eorðan up aweoxe,
geloden under leafum. Wæs þa lencten agan
butan VI nihtum ær sumeres cyme
on Maias kalend. Sie þara manna gehwam
behliden helle duru, heofones ontyned,
ece geopenad engla rice,
dream unhwilen, ond hira dæl scired
mid Marian, þe on gemynd nime
þære deorestan dægweorðunga
rode under roderum, þa se ricesta
ealles oferwealdend earme beþeahte. Finit.
þus ic frod ond fus þurh þæt fæcne hus
wordcræftum wæf ond wundrum læs,
þragum þreodude ond geþanc reodode
nihtes nearwe. Nysse ic gearwe
be ðære rode riht ær me rumran geþeaht
þurh ða mæran miht on modes þeaht
wisdom onwreah. Ic wæs weorcum fah,
synnum asæled, sorgum gewæled,
bitrum gebunden, bisgum beþrungen,
ær me lare onlag þurh leohtne had
gamelum to geoce, gife unscynde
mægencyning amæt ond on gemynd begeat,
torht ontynde, tidum gerymde,
bancofan onband, breostlocan onwand,
leoðucræft onleac. þæs ic lustum breac,
willum in worlde. Ic þæs wuldres treowes
oft, nales æne, hæfde ingemynd
ær ic þæt wundor onwrigen hæfde
ymb þone beorhtan beam, swa ic on bocum fand,
wyrda gangum, on gewritum cyðan
be ðam sigebeacne. A wæs secg oð ðæt
cnyssed cearwelmum, ᚳ drusende,
þeah he in medohealle maðmas þege,
æplede gold. ᚣ gnornode
ᚾ gefera, nearusorge dreah,
enge rune, þær him ᛖ fore
milpaðas mæt, modig þrægde
wirum gewlenced. ᚹ is geswiðrad,
gomen æfter gearum, geogoð is gecyrred,
ald onmedla. ᚢ wæs geara
geogoðhades glæm. Nu synt geardagas
æfter fyrstmearce forð gewitene,
lifwynne geliden, swa ᛚ toglideð,
flodas gefysde. ᛇ æghwam bið
læne under lyfte; landes frætwe
gewitaþ under wolcnum winde geliccost,
þonne he for hæleðum hlud astigeð,
wæðeð be wolcnum, wedende færeð
ond eft semninga swige gewyrðeð,
in nedcleofan nearwe geheaðrod,
þream forþrycced.

MLA

Cynewulf. Elene (Old English), Lines 1147–1276. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/work/elene-oe/9/.

Chicago

Cynewulf. Elene (Old English), Lines 1147–1276. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/work/elene-oe/9/.

Read this with the Codex →