Guthlac A, lines 618–738

Ic þone deman in dagum minum
wille weorþian wordum ond dædum,
lufian in life, swa is lar ond ar
to spowendre spræce gelæded,
þam þe in his weorcum willan ræfnað.
Sindon ge wærlogan, swa ge in wræcsiðe
longe lifdon, lege bisencte,
swearte beswicene, swegle benumene,
dreame bidrorene, deaðe bifolene,
firenum bifongne, feores orwenan,
þæt ge blindnesse bote fundon.
Ge þa fægran gesceaft in fyrndagum,
gæstlicne goddream, gearo forsegon,
þa ge wiðhogdun halgum dryhtne.
Ne mostun ge a wunian in wyndagum,
ac mid scome scyldum scofene wurdon
fore oferhygdum in ece fyr,
ðær ge sceolon dreogan deað ond þystro,
wop to widan ealdre; næfre ge þæs wyrpe gebidað.
Ond ic þæt gelyfe in liffruman,
ecne onwealdan ealra gesceafta,
þæt he mec for miltsum ond mægenspedum,
niðða nergend, næfre wille
þurh ellenweorc anforlætan,
þam ic longe in lichoman
ond in minum gæste gode campode
þurh monigfealdra mægna gerynu.
Forðon ic getrywe in þone torhtestan
þrynesse þrym, se geþeahtingum
hafað in hondum heofon ond eorðan,
þæt ge mec mid niþum næfre motan
tornmode teon in tintergu,
mine myrðran ond mansceaþan,
swearte sigelease. Eom ic soðlice
leohte geleafan ond mid lufan dryhtnes
fægre gefylled in minum feorhlocan,
breostum inbryrded to þam betran ham,
leomum inlyhted to þam leofestan
ecan earde, þær is eþellond
fæger ond gefealic in fæder wuldre,
ðær eow næfre fore nergende
leohtes leoma ne lifes hyht
in godes rice agiefen weorþeð,
for þam oferhygdum þe eow in mod astag
þurh idel gylp ealles to swiðe.
Wendun ge ond woldun, wiþerhycgende,
þæt ge scyppende sceoldan gelice
wesan in wuldre. Eow þær wyrs gelomp,
ða eow se waldend wraðe bisencte
in þæt swearte susl, þær eow siððan wæs
ad inæled attre geblonden,
þurh deopne dom dream afyrred,
engla gemana. Swa nu awa sceal
wesan wideferh, þæt ge wærnysse
brynewylm hæbben, nales bletsunga.
Ne þurfun ge wenan, wuldre biscyrede,
þæt ge mec synfulle mid searocræftum
under scæd sconde scufan motan,
ne in bælblæsan bregdon on hinder
in helle hus, þær eow is ham sceapen,
sweart sinnehte, sacu butan ende,
grim gæstcwalu. þær ge gnornende
deað sceolon dreogan, ond ic dreama wyn
agan mid englum in þam uplican
rodera rice, þær is ryht cyning,
help ond hælu hæleþa cynne,
duguð ond drohtað." ða cwom dryhtnes ar,
halig of heofonum, se þurh hleoþor abead
ufancundne ege earmum gæstum;
het eft hraðe unscyldigne
of þam wræcsiðe wuldres cempan
lædan limhalne, þæt se leofesta
gæst gegearwad in godes wære
on gefean ferde. ða wearð feonda þreat
acol for ðam egsan. Ofermæcga spræc,
dyre dryhtnes þegn, dæghluttre scan.
Hæfde Guðlaces gæst in gewealdum
modig mundbora, meahtum spedig,
þeostra þegnas þreaniedlum bond,
nyd onsette ond geneahhe bibead:
"Ne sy him banes bryce ne blodig wund,
lices læla ne laþes wiht,
þæs þe ge him to dare gedon motan,
ac ge hine gesundne asettaþ þær ge hine sylfne genoman.
He sceal þy wonge wealdan, ne magon ge him þa wic forstondan.
Ic eom se dema, se mec dryhten heht
snude gesecgan, þæt ge him sara gehwylc
hondum gehælde, ond him hearsume
on his sylfes dom siþþan wæron.
Ne sceal ic mine onsyn fore eowere
mengu miþan. Ic eom meotudes þegn.
Eom ic þara twelfa sum þe he getreoweste
under monnes hiw mode gelufade.
He mec of heofonum hider onsende,
geseah þæt ge on eorðan fore æfstum
on his wergengan wite legdon.
Is þæt min broþor, mec his bysgu gehreaw.
Ic þæt gefremme, þær se freond wunað
on þære socne, þe ic þa sibbe wið hine
healdan wille, nu ic his helpan mot,
þæt ge min onsynn oft sceawiað.
Nu ic his geneahhe neosan wille;
sceal ic his word ond his weorc in gewitnesse
dryhtne lædon. He his dæde conn."
ða wæs Guðlaces gæst geblissad,
siþþan Bartholomeus aboden hæfde
godes ærendu. Gearwe stodun
hæftas hearsume, þa þæs halgan word
lyt oferleordun. Ongon þa leofne sið
dragan domeadig dryhtnes cempa
to þam onwillan eorðan dæle.
Hy hine bæron ond him bryce heoldon,
hofon hine hondum ond him hryre burgun.
Wæron hyra gongas under godes egsan
smeþe ond gesefte. Sigehreðig cwom
bytla to þam beorge. Hine bletsadon
monge mægwlitas, meaglum reordum,
treofugla tuddor, tacnum cyðdon
eadges eftcyme. Oft he him æte heold,
þonne hy him hungrige ymb hond flugon
grædum gifre, geoce gefegon.