sage servants of God;
that was much grief
to him who in his breast bore
a burning love
of the Creator, in his mind.
Then was the Source of wonders
too oft contemned;
the Victor-lord,
heaven's Ruler.
Then men his law broke through
and then was eke driven out,
beloved hero,
Oslac from this land,
o'er rolling waters,
o'er the ganet's-bath;
hoary-haired hero,
wise and word-skilled,
o'er the water's throng,
o'er the whale's domain.
of home bereaved.
And then was seen,
high in the heavens,
a star in the firmament,
which lofty-souled
men, sage minded,
call widely,
cometa by name ;
men skilled in arts,
wise truth-bearers.
Throughout mankind was
the Lord's vengeance
widely known,
famine o'er earth.
That again heaven's Guardian,
bettered. Lord of angels,
gave again bliss
to each isle-dweller,
through earth's fruits.
A. 975. The 8th before the Ides of July.
Here Edgar died,
ruler of Angles,
West-Saxons' joy,
and Mercians' protector.
Known was it widely
throughout many nations.
'Thaet' offspring of Edmund,
o'er the ganet's-bath.
honoured far,
Kings him widely
bowed to the king,
as was his due by kind.
No fleet was so daring,
nor army so strong,
that 'mid the English nation
took from him aught,
the while that the noble king
ruled on his throne.
And this year Edward, Edgar's son, succeeded to the kingdom; and then soon, in the same year, during harvest, appeared 'cometa' the star; and then came in the following year a very great famine, and very manifold commotions among the English people.
In his days,
for his youth,
God's gainsay ere
God's law broke;
Eldfere, ealdorman,
and others many;
and rule monastic quashed,
and minsters dissolved,
and monks drove out,
and God's servants put down,
whom Edgar, king, ordered erewhile
the holy bishop
Ethelwold to stablish;
and widows they plundered,
many times and oft:
and many unrighteousnesses,
and evil unjust-deeds
arose up afterwards.
and ever after that
it greatly grew in evil.
And at that time also, was Oslac the great earl banished from England.
