Dobbie, 1942 98-104; Dobbie, E.V.K., The Anglo-Saxon Minor Poems, ASPR 6 (New York).
Wæs on ealddagum
Israheala folc
þurh Moysen,
mærne lareow,
anlyht and gelared,
swa hine lifes frea,
heofna heahcyning,
her on life
5
þurh[?] his sylfes word
sette for leodum,
rincum to ræde,
and him runa gescead
sylfum asæde,
hu he þone soþan weg
leofum leodscipe
læran
sceolde[?].
þa se leoda fruma
larum fyligde
10
heofena heahcyninges,
and þa hæleþ samod,
swa hie on leodscipe
lærede wæron;
gyf hie wancule
weorc[?] ongunnon,
heom þæs of heofonum
hearm to leane
asende
sigora[?] god,
and hie sona to him
15
fryþa wilnodan
and þær fundon raþe,
gif hie leohtras heora
letan gewyrpan.
Feala is mægena
þe sio mære þeod
on þam herescype
heold and worhte,
þendan hie lifes frean
lufian woldon;
20
ac him se ende wearð
earm and
þrealic[?],
þa hie besyredon
sylfne dryhten,
on beam setton
and to byrgenne
gedemdon;
he þær bedigled wæs,
and þy þryddan dæge
þeodum ætywed.
25
We þæt gehyrdon
hæleþa mænige
on bocstafum
breman and writan,
þæt hie fæstenu
feower heoldon
and þonne offredan
unmæne neat,
þæt is lamb oþþe styrc,
leofum to tacne
30
þe for
worulde[?] wæs
womma bedæled.
Ac arisan ongan
rices ealdor
of byrgenne,
blæda gefylled,
and mid heofenwarum
ham gesohte,
eard mid englum,
and us eallum þone
35
hyht and gehateð,
gyf we his willaþ
þurh rihtne sefan
rædum fyligan.
Na þær in cumeð
atele gefylled,
womme[?] gewesed,
ac scal on wyrd sceacan.
Nu we herian sceolan
her for life
40
deorne dædfruman,
and
him[?] geara gerim
and on fæstenum,
swa se froda iu
Moyses mælde,
and we þa mearce sceolan
heoldan higefæste
mid Anglum,
45
swa hie gebrefde us
beorn on Rome,
We[?] þæt forme sceolan
fæsten heowan
on þære ærestan
wucan[?] lengtenes,
on þam monþe
þe man Martius
50
geond Romwara
rice
nemneð[?],
and þær twelfe sceolan
torhtum dihte
runa gerædan
in þæs rican hofe,
heofona heahcyninges,
herian mid sange,
wlancne weorþian
wuldres bryttan.
55
Ofer þa Eastertid
oþer fæsten
ys to bremenne
Brytena leodum
mid gelicum lofe,
þe gelesen hafað
on
þære[?] wucan
þe æfter
cumeð[?]
þam sunnandæge
þe geond sidne wang
60
Pentecostenes dæg
preostas nemnað,
on þam monþe,
þæs þe me þinceð,
þe man Iunius
gearum nemde.
ðonne is þæt þrydde
þinga gehwelces
fæsten on foldan
fyra bearnum
65
dihte gelicum
on þam deoran hofe
to brymenne
beorhtum sange
on þære wucan
þe ærur byð
emnihtes dæge
ælda beornum,
on þam monþe,
mine gefræge,
70
þe man September
genemneð.
We þæt feorþe sceolen
fæsten[?] gelæstan
on
þære[?] wucan
þe bið ærur full
dryhtnes gebyrde,
and we mid deornum scylan
wordum and weorcum
wuldres cyninge
75
in þa ylcan tid
eallum gemynde
þeodne deman
þinga gehwylces,
efne swa swa ærran,
and þone arwesan
leofne leoda frean
lifes biddan.
On þissum fæstenum
is se feorþa dæg
80
and sixta samod
seofoþa[?] getinge
to gelæstanne
lifes ealdre
and to bremenne
boca gerynum
emb þa nigoþan tyd;
nan is on eorþan,
butan hine unhæl
an geþreatige,
85
þe mot, hæt, oþþe wæt
ærur þingan,
þæs þe us boca dom
þeodlic demeð.
Gif þe þonne secgan
suþan cymene
bryttan[?] Franca,
þæt þu gebann sceole
her on eorþan
ænig healdan,
90
þæs þe Moyses
iu[?] mælde to leodum,
na þu þæs andfeng
æfre gewyrþe,
ac þu þæt
sylfe[?] heald
þæt þe suþan com
from Romana
rices[?] hyrde,
95
þus he gesette
sylf ond dyhte
fæstendtida;
we þam forþ nu gyt
geond Engla land
estum
filiað[?].
Swa he æt þæm setle
sylfa gedemde,
100
sancte Petres
preostas syþþan
lange lifes tyd
leordun þæt sylfe,
þæt þu oþrum ne scealt
æfre filian.
Eac we feowertig daga
fæsten healden
ær þæm æriste
ures dryhtnes,
105
þæt nu lengtentid
leoda nemnað,
and hit ærest ongan
eorl se goda,
mære Moyses,
ær he on munt styge;
he þæt fæsten heold
feowertig daga
and nyhta samod,
swa he nahtes
anbat[?]110
ær he þa deoran æ
dryhtnes anfenge.
Him þær
gesealde[?] sylfe dryhten
bremne boca cræft,
bæle behlæned,
of his haligan
handa gescrifene,
het hine leodum þone
leoran and tæcan
115
elda
orþancum[?] eallum to tacne,
þæt we mid fæstene magon
freode gewinnan
and þa deopan
dryhtnes gerynu,
þa þe
leoran[?] sceolan
leoda gehwylce,
gif us þære duguþe hwæt
dryhten sylleð.
120
Eft Helias,
eorl se mæra,
him on westene
wiste geþigede,
þær him symbelbread
somod mid wætere
dryhtnes engla sum
dihte togeanes,
and
se[?] gestrangud[?] wearð
styþum gyfle
125
to gefæstenne
feowertig daga
and nihta samod,
swa he nahtes anbat
ær he on Horeb dun
hali ferde.
Uton þæt gerine
rihte gehicgan,
þæt se mæra
þegen[?] mihta ne hæfde
130
to astigenne
stæppon on ypplen
ær him þæt symbel wearþ
seald fram engle.
We sint on westene
wuldres blisse
on þæm ænete
ealra gefeana;
nu is helpes tid,
halig dryhten,
135
hu we munt þinne
mærne gestygan.
Sint for englas geteald
eorþbugendum[?]
þa þe dryhtnes word
dædum lærað.
We þa andlifene
ofstum þycgen
and þone deoran wist,
dryhtnes lare;
140
uton
fæstan[?] swa
fyrene dædum
on forhæfenesse
her for life,
þæt we þæs muntes mægen
mærþa gestigan
swa se ealda
dyde[?] Elias iu.
Is to hicganne
hu se halga gewat
145
of þissum wangstede
wuldres neosian;
hine fyren scryd
feower mærum
wlangum wicgum
on weg ferede
on neorxnawong,
þær us nergend Crist
gehaten hafað
ham mid blisse,
150
gif we þæt fæsten her
fyrena gelæstað
and þone uplican
æþel secað.
Nu wæs æt nehstan
þæt us nergend Crist,
halig heofenes weord,
heolp and lærde.
He hine dyppan let
deorum þweale,
155
fulwihtes
bæðe[?],
fyrena bedæled,
and he feowertig daga
firsude[?] mettas[?],
eac nihta swa feala
nanuht gyltig,
leodum to lare,
þæt hie on lengten sceolan
efen feowertig daga
fæsten hewan.
160
Hine costude þær
Cristes gewinna
on þæm ænete
eald and fræte,
geseah mærne frean
mannum gelicne
and þa wenan ongann,
wommes gemyndig,
þæt he stræla his
stellan mihte
165
on þam
lichoman[?];
næs þæs leahtra nan,
ac on hinder gewat
hearmes brytta,
and þær englas hyra
ealdor sohtan.
Higesynnig man,
gyf þe susla weard
costian durre,
þonne he Crist dyde,
170
wereda wulderfrean,
womma leasne,
ne mæg he þæs inne
ahwæt scotian
gif he
myrcels[?] næfþ
manes æt egum,
ac he on hinder scriþ,
and þe halig
englas ærfæste
æghwær helpað,
175
gif þu dryhtnes her
dædum fylgest.
Hæbbe we nu gemearcod
hu þa mæran iu
feowertig[?] daga
fæsten hewdon,
and we bebeodað
þurh beorn godes
þæt manna gehwilc
þe for moldan wunað
180
ær þam æreste
ures dryhtnes
efen feowertig daga
fæsten hewe
oþ þa nigoþan tid,
and he na bruce
flæsces oþþe fyrna,
þæ læs þe he fah
wese[?].
Sceolan sacerdas
singan mæssan,
185
dæghwamlice
dryhten biddan
on þam fæstenne
þæt he freond wese
folce gynd foldan,
and þa fyrna sceolan
þam sacerdan
secgan gehwilce
and þa
dymnissa[?] dædum betan
190
wordes and weorces,
wuldres ealdor
þurh ælmesdæde
eall gegladian.
þonne is þearf micel
þeoda mænium
þæt þa sacerdos
sylfe[?] ne gyltan,
ne on leahtrum hiora
ligegen to fæste.
195
Hwa mæg þyngian
þreale hwilcum
wiþ his arwesan,
gyf he him ærur hæfð
bitere onbolgen,
and þæs bote ne deð,
ac þa æbyligþe
ealdere wrohte,
dæghwamlice[?] dædum niwað?
200
Gyf se sacerd hine
sylfne[?] ne cunne
þurh dryhtnes ege
dugeþum healdan,
nu þa, folces mann,
fyrna
ne[?] gyme
þe
gehalgod[?] mann
her gefremme,
ac þu lare scealt
lustum
fremman[?]205
ryhthicgennde
þe he to
ræde[?] tæchð,
drince he him þæt drofe
oððe[?] þæt[?] dæghluttre[?]
wæter of wege,
þæt is wuldres lare.
Ac ic secgan mæg,
sorgum hremig,
hu þa sacerdas
sace niwiað,
210
dæghwamlice
dryhten gremiað
and mid
æfeste[?] ælcne forlædað
þe him fylian wyle
folces manna;
sona hie on mergan
mæssan syngað
and forþegide,
þurste gebæded,
215
æfter tæppere
teoþ geond stræta.
Hwæt! Hi leaslice
leogan ongynnað
and þone tæppere
tyhtaþ gelome,
secgaþ þæt he synleas
syllan mote
ostran to æte
and æþele wyn
220
emb morgentyd,
þæs[?] þe me
þingeð[?]
þæt hund and wulf
healdað þa ilcan
wisan on worulde
and ne wigliað
hwæne[?] hie to mose fon,
mæða bedæled.
Hi þonne sittende
sadian aginnað,
225
sinne[?] semað,
syllað gelome,
cweðað[?] goddlife
gumena gehwilcum
þæt wines dreng
welhwa[?] mote,
siþþan he mæssan hafað,
meþig þicgan,
etan ostran eac
and oþerne