The Meters of Boethius: Meter 22
The Meters of Boethius: Meter 22

 

Se þe æfter rihte      mid gerece wille

 

inweardlice      æfter spyrian

 

swa deoplice,      þæt hit todrifan ne mæg

 

monna ænig,      ne amerran huru

5

ænig eorðlic ðincg,      he ærest sceal

 

secan on him selfum      þæt he sume hwile

 

ymbutan hine      æror sohte.

 

Sece þæt siððan      on his sefan innan,

 

and forlæte an,      swa he oftost mæge,

10

ælcne[?] ymbhogan      ðy him unnet sie,

 

and gesamnige,      swa he swiðost mæge,

 

ealle to þæm anum      his ingeðonc,

 

gesecge his mode[?]      þæt hit mæg findan

 

eall on him innan      þæt hit oftost nu

15

ymbutan hit      ealneg seceð,

 

gooda æghwylc.      He ongit siððan

 

yfel and unnet      eal þæt he hæfde

 

on his incofan      æror lange

 

efne swa sweotole      swa he on þa sunnan mæg

20

eagum andweardum      on locian,

 

and he[?] eac ongit      his ingeþonc

 

leohtre and berhtre      þonne se leoma sie

 

sunnan on sumera,      þonne swegles gim,

 

hador heofontungol,      hlutrost scineð.

25

Forðæm þæs lichoman      leahtras and hefignes

 

and þa unþeawas      eallunga ne magon

 

of mode ation      monna ænegum

 

rihtwisnesse,      ðeah nu rinca hwæm

 

þæs lichoman      leahtras and hefignes

30

and unþeawas      oft bysigen

 

monna modsefan,      mæst and swiðost

 

mid þære yflan      oforgiotolnesse;

 

mid gedwolmiste      dreorigne sefan

 

fortihð mod foran      monna gehwelces,

35

þæt hit swa beorhte ne mot      blican and scinan

 

swa hit wolde,      gif hit geweald ahte;

 

þeah bið sum corn      sædes gehealden

 

symle on ðære saule      soðfæstnesse,

 

þenden gadertang wunað      gast on lice.

40

ðæs sædes corn      bið symle aweaht

 

mid ascunga,      eac siððan mid

 

goodre lare,      gif hit growan sceal.

 

Hu mæg ænig man      andsware findan

 

ðinga æniges,      þegen mid gesceade,

45

þeah hine rinca hwilc      rihtwislice

 

æfter frigne      gif he awuht nafað

 

on his modsefan      mycles ne lytles

 

rihtwisnesse[?]      ne geradscipes?

 

Nis þeah ænig man      þætte ealles swa

50

þæs geradscipes      swa bereafod sie

 

þæt he andsware      ænige ne cunne

 

findan on ferhðe,      gif he frugnen bið.

 

Forðæm hit is riht spell      þæt us reahte gio

 

ald uðwita,      ure Platon;

55

he cwæð þætte æghwilc      ungemyndig

 

rihtwisnesse      hine hræðe sceolde

 

eft gewendan      in to sinum

 

modes gemynde;      he mæg siððan

 

on his runcofan      rihtwisnesse

60

findan on ferhte      fæste gehydde

 

mid gedræfnesse      dogora gehwilce

 

modes sines      mæst and swiðost,

 

and mid hefinesse      his lichoman,

 

and mid þæm bisgum      þe on breostum styreð

65

mon on mode      mæla gehwylce.