For Delayed Birth

Dobbie, 1942 123-4; Dobbie, E.V.K., The Anglo-Saxon Minor Poems, ASPR 6 (New York); Grattan and Singer, 1952 188-90; Grattan, J.H.G. and Singer, C., Anglo-Saxon Magic and Medicine, Publications of the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum n.s. 3 (London).
 
Se wifman, se hire cild afedan ne mæg, gange to gewitenes
 
mannes birgenne and stæppe þonne þriwa ofer þa byrgenne
 
and cweþe þonne þriwa þas word:
 
þis me to bote      þære laþan lætbyrde,
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þis me to bote      þære swæran swærbyrde[?],
 
þis me to bote      þære laðan lambyrde.
 
And þonne þæt wif seo mid bearne and heo to hyre hlaforde
 
on reste ga, þonne cweþe heo:
 
Up ic gonge,      ofer þe stæppe
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mid cwican cilde,      nalæs mid cwellendum,
 
mid fulborenum,      nalæs mid fægan.
 
And þonne seo modor gefele þæt þæt bearn si cwic, ga
 
þonne to cyrican, and þonne heo toforan þan weofode cume,
 
cweþe þonne:
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Criste, ic sæde,      þis gecyþed!
 
Se wifmon, se hyre bearn afedan ne mæge, genime heo
 
sylf hyre agenes cildes gebyrgenne dæl, wry[?] æfter þonne on
 
blace wulle and bebicge to cepemannum and cweþe þonne:
 
Ic hit bebicge,      ge hit bebicgan,
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þas sweartan wulle      and þysse sorge corn.
 
Se wifman[?], se ne[?] mæge bearn afedan, nime þonne anes
 
bleos cu meoluc on hyre handæ and gesupe þonne mid hyre
 
muþe and gange þonne to yrnendum wætere and spiwe þær
 
in þa meolc and hlade þonne mid þære ylcan hand þæs
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wæteres muð fulne and forswelge. Cweþe þonne þas word:
 
Gehwer ferde ic me þone mæran      maga þihtan,
 
mid þysse mæran      mete þihtan;
 
þonne ic me wille habban      and ham gan.
 
þonne heo to þan broce ga, þonne ne beseo heo, no ne eft
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þonne heo þanan ga, and þonne ga heo in oþer hus oþer heo
 
ut ofeode and þær gebyrge metes.