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Feoh byþ
frofur fira gehwylcum; sceal ðeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dælan
gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.
Ur
byþ anmod ond oferhyrned, felafrecne
deor, feohteþ mid hornum
mære morstapa; þæt is modig wuht.
þorn byþ
ðearle scearp; ðegna gehwylcum anfeng ys yfyl, ungemetum reþe
manna gehwelcum, ðe him mid resteð.
Os byþ
ordfruma ælere spræce, wisdomes wraþu ond witena frofur
and eorla gehwam eadnys ond tohiht.
Rad byþ on
recyde rinca gehwylcum sefte ond swiþhwæt, ðamðe sitteþ on ufan
meare mægenheardum ofer milpaþas.
Cen byþ
cwicera gehwam, cuþ on fyre blac ond beorhtlic, byrneþ oftust
ðær hi æþelingas inne restaþ.
Gyfu
gumena byþ gleng and herenys, wraþu and wyrþscype and wræcna
gehwam ar and ætwist, ðe byþ oþra leas.
Wenne
bruceþ, ðe can weana lyt sares and sorge and him sylfa hæfþ blæd
and blysse and eac byrga geniht.
Hægl byþ
hwitust corna; hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte, wealcaþ hit windes
scura; weorþeþ hit to wætere syððan.
Nyd byþ
nearu on breostan; weorþeþ hi þeah oft niþa bearnum to helpe and
to hæle gehwæþre, gif hi his hlystaþ æror.
Is byþ
ofereald, ungemetum slidor, glisnaþ glæshluttur gimmum gelicust,
flor forste geworuht, fæger ansyne.
Ger byÞ
gumena hiht, ðonne God læteþ, halig heofones cyning, hrusan
syllan beorhte bleda beornum ond ðearfum.
Eoh byþ
utan unsmeþe treow, heard hrusan fæst, hyrde fyres,wyrtrumun
underwreþyd, wyn on eþle.
Peorð byþ
symble plega and hlehter wlancum [on middum], ðar wigan sittaþ
on beorsele bliþe ætsomne.
Eolh-secg
eard hæfþ oftust on fennewexeð on wature, wundaþ grimme,blode
breneð beorna gehwylcne
ðe him ænigne onfeng gedeþ.
Sigel
semannum symble biþ on hihte,ðonne hi hine feriaþ ofer fisces
beþ,oþ hi brimhengest bringeþ to lande.
Tir biþ
tacna sum, healdeð trywa wel wiþ æþelingas; a biþ on færylde
ofer nihta genipu, næfre swiceþ.
Beorc byþ
bleda leas, bereþ efne swa ðeah tanas butan tudder, biþ on
telgum wlitig,heah on helme hrysted fægere,geloden leafum, lyfte
getenge.
Eh byþ for
eorlum æþelinga wyn,hors hofum wlanc, ðær him hæleþ ymb[e]
welege on wicgum wrixlaþ spræce
and biþ unstyllum æfre frofur.
Man byþ on
myrgþe his magan leof:sceal þeah anra gehwylc oðrum
swican,forðum drihten wyle dome sine
þæt earme flæsc eorþan betæcan.
Lagu byþ
leodum langsum geþuht, gif hi sculun neþan on nacan tealtum
and hi sæyþa swyþe bregaþ and se brimhengest bridles ne gym[eð].
Ing wæs
ærest mid East-Denum gesewen secgun, oþ he siððan est
ofer wæg gewat; wæn æfter ran;
ðus Heardingas ðone hæle nemdun.
Eþel byþ
oferleof æghwylcum men, gif he mot ðær rihtes and gerysena on
brucan on bolde bleadum oftast.
Dæg byþ
drihtnes sond, deore mannum, mære metodes leoht, myrgþ and
tohiht eadgum and earmum, eallum brice.
Ac byþ on
eorþan elda
bearnum flæsces
fodor, fereþ gelome ofer ganotes bæþ; garsecg fandaþ
hwæþer ac hæbbe æþele treowe.
Æsc biþ
oferheah, eldum dyre stiþ on staþule, stede rihte hylt,ðeah him
feohtan on firas monige.
Yr byþ
æþelinga and eorla gehwæs wyn and wyrþmynd, byþ on wicge fæger,
fæstlic on færelde, fyrdgeatewa sum.
Iar byþ
eafix and ðeah a bruceþ fodres on foldan, hafaþ fægerne eard
wætre beworpen, ðær he wynnum leofaþ.
Ear byþ
egle eorla gehwylcun, ðonn[e] fæstlice flæsc onginneþ,hraw
colian, hrusan ceosan blac to gebeddan; bleda gedreosaþ,wynna
gewitaþ, wera geswicaþ.
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Wealth is
a comfort to all men; yet must every man bestow it freely,if he
wish to gain honour in the sight of the Lord.
The
aurochs is proud and has great horns;it is a very savage beast
and fights with its horns;a great ranger of the moors, it is a
creature of mettle.
The thorn
is exceedingly sharp, an evil thing for any knight to
touch,uncommonly severe on all who sit among them.
The mouth
is the source of all language, a pillar of wisdom and a comfort
to wise men,
a blessing and a joy to every knight.
Riding
seems easy to every warrior while he is indoors and very
courageous to him who traverses the high-roads on the back of a
stout horse.
The torch
is known to every living man by its pale, bright flame; it
always burns where princes sit within.
Generosity
brings credit and honour, which support one's dignity; it
furnishes help and subsistence to all broken men who are devoid
of aught else.
Bliss he
enjoys who knows not suffering, sorrow nor anxiety, and has
prosperity and happiness and a good enough house.
Hail is
the whitest of grain; it is whirled from the vault of heaven and
is tossed about by gusts of wind and then it melts into water.
Trouble is
oppressive to the heart; yet often it proves a source of help
and salvation to the children of men, to everyone who heeds it
betimes.
Ice is
very cold and immeasurably slippery; it glistens as clear as
glass and most like to gems;it is a floor wrought by the frost,
fair to look upon.
Summer is
a joy to men, when God, the holy King of Heaven, suffers the
earth to bring forth shining fruits for rich and poor alike.
The yew is
a tree with rough bark, hard and fast in the earth, supported by
its roots,
a guardian of flame and a joy upon an estate.
Peorth
is a source of recreation and amusement to the great, where
warriors sit blithely together in the banqueting-hall.
The
Eolh-sedge is mostly to be found in a marsh; it grows in the
water and makes a ghastly wound,covering with blood every
warrior who touches it.
The sun is
ever a joy in the hopes of seafarers when they journey away over
the fishes' bath,until the courser of the deep bears them to
land.
Tiw is a
guiding star; well does it keep faith with princes; it is ever
on its course over the mists of night and never fails.
The poplar
bears no fruit; yet without seed it brings forth suckers, for it
is generated from its leaves. Splendid are its branches and
gloriously adorned its lofty crown which reaches to the skies.
The horse
is a joy to princes in the presence of warriors. A steed in the
pride of its hoofs,when rich men on horseback bandy words about
it;and it is ever a source of comfort to the restless.
The joyous
man is dear to his kinsmen; yet every man is doomed to fail his
fellow,
since the Lord by his decree will commit the vile carrion to the
earth.
The ocean
seems interminable to men, if they venture on the rolling bark
and the waves of the sea terrify them
and the courser of the deep heed not its bridle.
Ing was
first seen by men among the East-Danes, till, followed by his
chariot,
he departed eastwards over the waves.
So the Heardingas named the hero.
An estate
is very dear to every man, if he can enjoy there in his house
whatever is right and proper in constant prosperity.
Day, the
glorious light of the Creator, is sent by the Lord; it is
beloved of men, a source of hope and happiness to rich and
poor,and of service to all.
The oak
fattens the flesh of pigs for the children of men. Often it
traverses the gannet's bath, and the ocean proves whether the
oak keeps faith in honourable fashion.
The ash is
exceedingly high and precious to men. With its sturdy trunk it
offers a stubborn resistance, though attacked by many a man.
Yr
is a source of joy and honour to every prince and knight; it
looks well on a horse and is a reliable equipment for a journey.
Iar
is a river fish and yet it always feeds on land; it has a fair
abode encompassed by water, where it lives in happiness.
The grave
is horrible to every knight, when the corpse quickly begins to
cool
and is laid in the bosom of the dark earth.
Prosperity declines, happiness passes away
and covenants are broken.
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