Krapp and Dobbie, 1936 156-63; Krapp, G.P. and Dobbie, E.V.K., The Exeter Book, ASPR 3 (New York).
Frige mec frodum wordum!
Ne læt þinne ferð onhælne,
degol þæt þu deopost cunne!
Nelle ic þe min dyrne gesecgan,
gif þu me þinne hygecræft hylest
ond þine heortan geþohtas.
Gleawe men sceolon gieddum wrixlan.
God sceal mon ærest hergan
5
fægre, fæder userne,
forþon þe he us æt frymþe geteode
lif ond lænne willan;
he usic wile þara leana gemonian.
Meotud sceal in wuldre,
mon sceal on eorþan
geong ealdian.
God us ece biþ,
ne wendað hine wyrda
ne hine wiht dreceþ,
10
adl ne yldo
ælmihtigne;
ne gomelað he in gæste,
ac he is gen swa he wæs,
þeoden geþyldig.
He us geþonc syleð,
missenlicu mod,
monge reorde.
Feorhcynna fela
fæþmeþ wide
15
eglond monig.
Eardas rume
meotud arærde
for moncynne,
ælmihtig god,
efenfela bega
þeoda ond þeawa.
þing sceal gehegan
frod wiþ frodne;
biþ hyra ferð gelic,
20
hi a sace semaþ,
sibbe gelærað,
þa ær wonsælge
awegen habbað.
Ræd sceal mid snyttro,
ryht mid wisum,
til sceal mid tilum.
Tu beoð gemæccan;
sceal wif ond wer
in woruld cennan
25
bearn mid gebyrdum.
Beam sceal on eorðan
leafum liþan,
leomu gnornian.
Fus sceal feran,
fæge sweltan
ond dogra gehwam
ymb gedal sacan
middangeardes.
Meotud ana wat
30
hwær se cwealm cymeþ,
þe heonan of cyþþe gewiteþ.
Umbor yceð,
þa æradl nimeð;
þy weorþeð on foldan swa fela
fira cynnes,
ne sy þæs magutimbres
gemet ofer eorþan,
gif hi ne wanige
se þas woruld teode.
35
Dol biþ se þe his dryhten nat,
to þæs oft cymeð deað unþinged.
Snotre men sawlum beorgað,
healdað hyra soð mid ryhte.
Eadig bið se þe in his eþle geþihð,
earm se him his frynd geswicað.
Nefre sceal se him his nest aspringeð,
nyde[?] sceal þrage gebunden.
Bliþe sceal bealoleas heorte.
Blind sceal his eagna þolian,
40
oftigen biþ him torhtre gesihþe.
Ne magon
hi[?] tunglu bewitian,
swegltorht sunnan ne monan;
þæt him biþ sar in his mode,
onge þonne he hit ana wat,
ne weneð þæt him þæs edhwyrft cyme.
Waldend him þæt wite teode,
se him mæg wyrpe syllan,
hælo of heofodgimme,
gif he wat heortan clæne.
45
Lef mon læces behofað.
Læran sceal mon geongne monnan,
trymman ond tyhtan þæt he teala cunne,
oþþæt hine mon atemedne hæbbe,
sylle him wist ond wædo,
oþþæt hine mon on gewitte alæde.
Ne sceal hine mon cildgeongne forcweþan,
ær he hine acyþan mote;
þy sceal on þeode geþeon,
þæt he wese þristhycgende.
50
Styran sceal mon strongum mode.
Storm oft holm gebringeþ,
geofen in grimmum sælum;
onginnað grome fundian
fealwe on feorran to londe,
hwæþer he fæste stonde.
Weallas him wiþre healdað,
him biþ wind gemæne.
55
þonne hy wind ne weceð;
swa beoþ þeoda geþwære,
þonne hy geþingad habbað,
gesittað him on gesundum þingum,
ond þonne mid gesiþum healdaþ
cene men gecynde rice.
Cyning biþ anwealdes georn;
lað se þe londes monað,
leof se þe mare beodeð.
60
þrym sceal mid wlenco,
þriste mid cenum,
sceolun bu recene
beadwe fremman.
Eorl sceal on eos boge,
eorod[?] sceal getrume ridan,
fæste feþa stondan.
Fæmne æt hyre bordan geriseð;
widgongel wif word gespringeð,
oft hy mon wommum bilihð,
65
hæleð hy hospe mænað,
oft hyre hleor abreoþeð.
Sceomiande man sceal in sceade hweorfan,
scir in leohte geriseð.
Hond sceal heofod inwyrcan,
hord in streonum bidan,
gifstol gegierwed stondan,
hwonne hine guman gedælen.
Gifre biþ se þam golde onfehð,
guma þæs on heahsetle geneah;
70
lean sceal, gif we leogan nellað,
þam þe us þas lisse geteode.
Forst sceal freosan,
fyr wudu meltan,
eorþe growan,
is brycgian,
wæter helm wegan,
wundrum lucan
eorþan ciþas.
An sceal inbindan
75
forstes fetre
felameahtig god;
winter sceal geweorpan,
weder eft cuman,
sumor swegle hat,
sund unstille.
Deop deada wæg
dyrne bið lengest;
holen sceal inæled,
yrfe gedæled
80
deades monnes.
Dom biþ selast.
Cyning sceal mid ceape
cwene gebicgan,
bunum ond beagum;
bu sceolon ærest
geofum god wesan.
Guð sceal in eorle,
wig geweaxan,
ond wif geþeon
85
leof[?] mid hyre leodum,
leohtmod wesan,
rune healdan,
rumheort beon
mearum ond maþmum,
meodorædenne
for gesiðmægen
symle æghwær
eodor
æþelinga[?] ærest gegretan,
90
forman fulle
to frean hond
ricene geræcan,
ond him ræd witan
Scip sceal genægled,
scyld gebunden,
leoht linden bord,
leof wilcuma
95
Frysan wife,
þonne flota stondeð;
biþ his ceol cumen
ond hyre ceorl to ham,
agen ætgeofa,
ond heo hine in laðaþ,
wæsceð his warig hrægl
ond him syleþ wæde niwe,
liþ him on londe
þæs his lufu bædeð.
100
Wif sceal wiþ wer wære gehealdan,
oft hi mon wommum
belihð[?];
fela bið fæsthydigra,
fela bið
fyrwetgeornra[?],
freoð hy fremde monnan,
þonne se oþer feor gewiteþ.
Lida biþ longe on siþe;
a mon sceal seþeah leofes wenan,
gebidan þæs he gebædan ne mæg.
Hwonne him eft gebyre weorðe,
105
ham cymeð, gif he hal leofað,
nefne him holm gestyreð,
mere hafað mundum
mægðegsan wyn.
Ceapeadig mon
cyningwic þonne
leodon cypeþ,
þonne liþan cymeð;
wuda ond wætres nyttað,
þonne him biþ wic
alyfed[?],
110
mete bygeþ, gif he maran þearf,
ærþon he to meþe weorþe.
Seoc se biþ þe to seldan ieteð;
þeah hine mon on sunnan læde,
ne mæg he be þy wedre wesan,
þeah hit sy wearm on sumera,
ofercumen biþ he, ær he acwele,
gif he nat hwa hine cwicne fede.
Mægen mon sceal mid mete fedan,
morþor under eorþan befeolan,
115
hinder under hrusan,
þe hit forhelan þenceð;
ne biþ þæt gedefe deaþ,
þonne hit gedyrned weorþeð.
Hean sceal gehnigan,
hadl[?] gesigan,
ryht rogian.
Ræd biþ nyttost,
yfel unnyttost,
þæt unlæd nimeð.
120
God bið genge,
ond wiþ god lenge.
Hyge sceal gehealden,
hond gewealden,
seo sceal in eagan,
snyttro in breostum,
þær bið þæs monnes
modgeþoncas.
Muþa gehwylc mete þearf,
mæl sceolon tidum gongan.
125
Gold geriseþ
on guman sweorde,
sellic sigesceorp,
sinc on cwene,
god scop gumum,
garniþ werum,
wig towiþre
wicfreoþa healdan.
Scyld sceal cempan,
sceaft reafere,
130
sceal bryde beag,
bec leornere,
husl halgum men,
hæþnum synne.
Woden worhte weos,
wuldor alwalda,
rume roderas;
þæt is rice god,
sylf soðcyning,
sawla nergend,
135
se us eal forgeaf
þæt we on lifgaþ,
ond eft æt þam ende
eallum wealdeð
monna cynne.
þæt is meotud sylfa.
Ræd sceal mon secgan,
rune writan,
leoþ gesingan,
lofes[?] gearnian,
140
dom areccan,
dæges onettan.
Til mon tiles
ond tomes meares,
cuþes ond gecostes
ond calcrondes;
nænig fira
to fela gestryneð.
Wel mon sceal wine healdan
on wega gehwylcum;
145
oft mon fereð feor bi tune,
þær him wat freond unwiotodne.
Wineleas, wonsælig mon
genimeð him wulfas to geferan,
felafæcne deor.
Ful oft hine se gefera sliteð;
gryre sceal for greggum,
græf deadum men;
hungre heofeð,
nales þæt heafe bewindeð,
150
ne huru wæl wepeð
wulf se græga,
morþorcwealm mæcga,
ac hit a mare wille.
Wræd sceal wunden,
wracu heardum men.
Boga sceal stræle,
sceal bam gelic
mon to gemæccan.
Maþþum oþres weorð,
155
gold mon sceal gifan.
Mæg god syllan
eadgum æhte
ond eft niman.
Sele sceal stondan,
sylf ealdian.
Licgende beam
læsest groweð.
Treo sceolon brædan
ond treow weaxan,
160
sio geond bilwitra
breost ariseð.
Wærleas mon ond wonhydig,
Fela sceop meotud þæs þe fyrn gewearð,
het siþþan swa forð wesan.
165
Wæra gehwylcum wislicu
word gerisað,
gleomen gied
ond guman snyttro.
Swa monige beoþ men ofer eorþan,
swa beoþ modgeþoncas;
ælc him hafað sundorsefan.
Longað þonne þy læs
þe him con leoþa worn,
170
oþþe mid hondum con
hearpan gretan;
hafaþ him his gliwes giefe,
þe him god sealde.
Earm biþ se þe sceal ana lifgan,
wineleas wunian
hafaþ him wyrd geteod;
betre him wære þæt he broþor ahte,
begen hi anes monnes,
175
eorles[?] eaforan wæran,
gif hi sceoldan eofor onginnan
oþþe begen beran;
biþ þæt sliþhende deor.
A scyle þa rincas
gerædan lædan
Hy twegen sceolon tæfle ymbsittan,
þenden him hyra torn toglide,
forgietan þara geocran
gesceafta[?],
habban him gomen on borde;
idle hond æmetlan geneah tæfles monnes,
þonne teoselum weorpeð.
Seldan in sidum ceole,
nefne he under segle yrne,
185
werig
scealc[?] wiþ winde roweþ;
ful oft mon wearnum tihð
eargne, þæt he elne forleose,
drugað his ar on borde.
Lot sceal mid lyswe,
list mid gedefum;
þy weorþeð se stan forstolen.
Wearð fæhþo fyra cynne,
siþþan furþum swealg
eorðe Abeles blode.
Næs þæt andæge nið,
of þam wrohtdropan
wide gesprungon,
195
micel mon ældum,
monegum þeodum
bealoblonden niþ.
Slog his
broðor[?] swæsne
Cain, þone cwealm nerede;
cuþ wæs wide siþþan,
þæt ece nið ældum scod,
swa aþolwarum.
Drugon wæpna gewin
wide geond eorþan,
200
ahogodan ond ahyrdon
heoro sliþendne.
Gearo sceal guðbord,
gar on sceafte,
ecg on sweorde
ond ord spere,
hyge heardum men.
Helm sceal cenum,
ond a þæs heanan hyge
hord unginnost.