Page:Bright's Anglo-Saxon Reader.djvu/249

ȳþde^[1] swā þisne eardgeard  ælda Scyppend,[85]
oþ þæt burgwara  breahtma lēase
eald ęnta geweorc  īdlu stōdon.
Sē þonne þisne wealsteal  wīse, geþōhte,
5and þis deorce^[2] līf  dēope geondþęnceð,
frōd in ferðe  feor oft gemǫn[90]
wælsleahta worn,  and þās word ācwið:
‘Hwǣr cwōm mearg? hwǣr cwōm mago?  hwǣr cwōm māþþumgyfa?
hwǣr cwōm symbla gesetu?  hwǣr sindon sęledrēamas?
10Ēalā beorht bune!  ēalā byrnwiga!
ēalā þēodnes þrym  hū sēo þrāg gewāt,[95]
genāp under nihthelm,  swā hēo nō wǣre!
Stǫndeð nū on lāste  lēofre duguþe
weal wundrum hēah,  wyrmlīcum fāh:
15eorlas fornōmon^[3]  asca þrȳþe,
wǣpen wælgīfru,  wyrd sēo mǣre;[100]
and þās stānhleoþu  stormas cnyssað;
hrīð hrēosende  hrūsan^[4] bindeð,
wintres wōma,  þonne wǫn cymeð,
20nīpeð nihtscūa,  norþan onsęndeð
hrēo hæglfare  hæleþum on andan.[105]
Eall is earfoðlīc  eorþan rīce,
onwęndeð wyrda gesceaft  weoruld under heofonum:
hēr bið feoh lǣne,  hēr bið frēond lǣne,
25hēr bið mǫn lǣne,  hēr bið mǣg lǣne;
eal þis eorþan gesteal  īdel weorþeð!’[110]
Swā cwæð snottor on mōde,  gesæt him sundor æt rūne

1. yþðe.
2. deorcne.
3. fornoman.
4. hruse.