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
Page:Bright's Anglo-Saxon Reader.djvu/249
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XXIII. THE WANDERER.
163