The Meters of Boethius: Meter 26
The Meters of Boethius: Meter 26
Ic þe mæg eaðe
ealdum and leasum
spellum andreccan
spræce gelice
efne ðisse ilcan
þe wit ymb sprecað.
Hit gesælde gio
on sume tide
5
ðæt Aulixes
under hæfde
ðæm casere
cynericu twa.
He wæs þracia
ðioda aldor
and Retie
rices hirde.
Wæs his freadrihtnes
folccuð nama,
10
Agamemnon,
se ealles weold
Creca rices.
Cuð wæs wide
þæt on þa tide
Troia gewin
wearð under wolcnum.
For wiges heard
Creca drihten
campsted secan,
15
Aulixes mid,
an hund scipa
lædde ofer lagustream,
sæt longe ðær
tyn winter full.
þa[?]
sio tid gelomp
þæt hi ðæt rice
geræht hæfdon,
diore gecepte
drihten Creca
20
Troia burg
tilum gesiðum.
ða
ða[?]
Aulixes
leafe hæfde,
ðracia cining,
þæt he þonan moste,
he let him behindan
hyrnde ciolas
nigon and hundnigontig,
nænigne þonan
25
merehengesta
ma þonne ænne
ferede on fifelstream,
famigbordon,
ðriereðre ceol;
þæt bið ðæt mæste
Creciscra scipa.
þa wearð ceald weder,
stearc storma gelac;
stunede sio brune
30
yð wið oðre,
ut feor adraf
on Wendelsæ
wigendra scola
up on þæt igland
þær Apolines
dohtor wunode
dægrimes worn.
Wæs se Apollinus
æðeles cynnes,
35
Iobes eafora,
se wæs gio cyning.
Se licette
litlum and miclum
gumena gehwylcum
þæt he good wære,
hehst and halgost;
swa se hlaford þa
þæt dysige folc
on gedwolan lædde,
40
oððæt him gelyfde
leoda unrim,
forðæm he wæs mid rihte
rices hirde,
hiora cynecynnes.
Cuð is wide
þæt on ða tide
þeoda æghwilc
hæfdon heora hlaford
for ðone hehstan god,
45
and weorðodon
swa swa wuldres cining,
gif he to ðæm rice wæs
on rihte boren.
Wæs þæs Iobes fæder
god eac swa he;
Saturnus ðone
sundbuende
heton, hæleða bearn.
Hæfdon ða mægða
50
ælcne æfter oðrum
for ecne god.
Sceolde eac wesan
Apollines
dohtor diorboren,
dysiges folces,
gumrinca gyden;
cuðe galdra fela,
drifan drycræftas.
Hio gedwolan fylgde
55
manna swiðost
manegra þioda,
cyninges dohtor;
sio Circe wæs
haten for herigum.
Hio ricsode
on ðæm iglonde
þe Aulixes,
cining þracia,
com ane to
60
ceole liðan.
Cuð wæs sona
eallre þære mænige
þe hire mid wunode
æþelinges sið.
Hio mid ungemete
lissum lufode
liðmonna
frean[?]
,
and he eac swa same
ealle mægne
65
efne swa swiðe
hi on sefan lufode,
þæt he to his earde
ænige nyste
modes mynlan
ofer mægð giunge;
ac he mid þæm wife
wunode siððan,
oððæt him ne meahte
monna ænig
70
ðegna[?]
sinra
þær mid wesan,
ac hi for ðæm yrmðum
eardes lyste;
mynton forlætan
leofne hlaford.
ða ongunnon wercan
werðeoda spell,
sædon þæt hio sceolde
mid hire scinlace
75
beornas forbredan,
and mid balocræftum
wraðum weorpan
on wildra lic
cyninges þegnas,
cyspan siððan
and mid racentan eac
ræpan mænigne.
Sume hi to wulfum wurdon,
ne meahton þonne word forðbringan,
80
ac hio þragmælum
ðioton ongunnon.
Sume wæron eaforas,
a grymetedon
ðonne hi sares hwæt
siofian scioldon.
þa ðe leon wæron
ongunnon laðlice
yrrenga ryn
a ðonne hi sceoldon
85
clipian for corðre.
Cnihtas wurdon,
ealde ge giunge,
ealle forhwerfde
to sumum diore,
swelcum he æror
on his lifdagum
gelicost wæs,
butan þam cyninge,
þe sio cwen lufode.
90
Nolde þara oþra
ænig onbitan
mennisces metes,
ac hi ma lufedon
diora drohtað,
swa hit gedefe ne wæs.
Næfdon hi mare
monnum gelices
eorðbuendum
ðonne ingeþonc;
95
hæfde anra gehwylc
his agen mod,
þæt wæs þeah swiðe
sorgum gebunden
for ðæm earfoðum
þe him on sæton.
Hwæt, ða dysegan men
þe ðysum drycræftum
longe[?]
gelyfdon,
leasum spellum,
100
wisson hwæðre
þæt þæt gewit ne mæg
mod onwendan
monna ænig
mid drycræftum,
þeah hio gedon meahte
þæt ða lichoman
lange þrage
onwend wurdon.
Is þæt wundorlic
105
mægencræft micel
moda gehwilces
ofer lichoman
lænne and sænne.
Swylcum and swylcum
þu meaht sweotole ongitan
þæt ðæs lichoman
listas and cræftas
of ðæm mode cumað
monna gehwylcum,
110
anlepra ælc.
þu meaht eaðe ongitan
þætte ma dereð
monna gehwelcum
modes unðeaw
þonne mettrymnes
lænes lichoman.
Ne þearf leoda nan
wenan þære wyrde
þæt þæt werige flæsc
115
þæt mod
mæge[?]
monna æniges
eallunga to him
æfre onwendan,
ac þa unðeawas
ælces modes
and þæt ingeþonc
ælces monnes
þone lichoman
lit þider hit wile.