Widsith
© Unknown author
E-Text: Sacred-texts.
-
- Widsið maðolade, wordhord onleac,
se þe monna mæst mægþa
ofer eorþan,
folca geondferde; oft he on
flette geþah
mynelicne maþþum. Him
from Myrgingum
- 5
- æþele onwocon. He mid Ealhhilde,
fælre freoþuwebban, forman siþe
Hreðcyninges ham gesohte
eastan of Ongle, Eormanrices,
wraþes wærlogan. Ongon þa
worn sprecan:
- 10
- "Fela ic monna gefrægn mægþum
wealdan!
Sceal þeodna gehwylc
þeawum lifgan,
eorl æfter oþrum eðle rædan,
se þe his þeodenstol geþeon
wile.
þara wæs Hwala
hwile selast,
- 15
- ond Alexandreas ealra ricost
monna cynnes, ond he mæst geþah
þara þe ic ofer foldan gefrægen
hæbbe.
ætla weold Hunum, Eormanric Gotum,
Becca Baningum, Burgendum Gifica.
- 20
- Casere weold Creacum ond Celic Finnum,
Hagena Holmrygum ond Heoden
Glommum.
Witta weold Swæfum, Wada Hælsingum,
Meaca Myrgingum, Mearchealf Hundingum.
þeodric weold Froncum, þyle
Rondingum,
- 25
- Breoca Brondingum, Billing Wernum.
Oswine weold Eowum ond Ytum Gefwulf,
Fin Folcwalding Fresna cynne.
Sigehere lengest Sædenum weold,
Hnæf Hocingum, Helm Wulfingum,
- 30
- Wald Woingum, Wod þyringum,
Sæferð Sycgum, Sweom Ongendþeow,
Sceafthere Ymbrum, Sceafa Longbeardum,
Hun Hætwerum ond Holen Wrosnum.
Hringweald wæs haten Herefarena cyning.
- 35
- Offa weold Ongle, Alewih Denum;
se wæs þara manna modgast ealra,
no hwæþre he ofer Offan eorlscype
fremede,
ac Offa geslog ærest monna,
cnihtwesende, cynerica mæst.
- 40
- Nænig efeneald him eorlscipe maran
on orette. Ane sweorde
merce gemærde wið Myrgingum
bi Fifeldore; heoldon forð siþþan
Engle ond Swæfe, swa hit Offa geslog.
- 45
- Hroþwulf ond Hroðgar heoldon
lengest
sibbe ætsomne suhtorfædran,
siþþan hy forwræcon wicinga
cynn
ond Ingeldes ord forbigdan,
forheowan æt Heorote Heaðobeardna
þrym.
- 50
- Swa ic geondferde fela fremdra londa
geond ginne grund. Godes ond yfles
þær ic cunnade cnosle bidæled,
freomægum feor folgade wide.
Forþon ic mæg singan ond secgan
spell,
- 55
- mænan fore mengo in meoduhealle
hu me cynegode cystum dohten.
Ic wæs mid Hunum ond mid Hreðgotum,
mid Sweom ond mid Geatum ond mid Suþdenum.
Mid Wenlum ic wæs ond mid Wærnum
ond mid wicingum.
- 60
- Mid Gefþum ic wæs ond mid Winedum
ond mid Gefflegum.
Mid Englum ic wæs ond mid Swæfum
ond mid ænenum.
Mid Seaxum ic wæs ond Sycgum ond mid
Sweordwerum.
Mid Hronum ic wæs ond mid Deanum ond mid
Heaþoreamum.
Mid þyringum ic wæs ond mid
þrowendum,
- 65
- ond mid Burgendum, þær ic beag
geþah;
me þær Guðhere forgeaf glædlicne
maþþum
songes to leane. Næs þæt sæne
cyning!
Mid Froncum ic wæs ond mid Frysum ond
mid Frumtingum.
Mid Rugum ic wæs ond mid Glommum ond mid
Rumwalum.
- 70
- Swylce ic wæs on Eatule mid ælfwine,
se hæfde moncynnes, mine gefræge,
leohteste hond lofes to wyrcenne,
heortan unhneaweste hringa gedales,
beorhtra beaga, bearn Eadwines.
- 75
- Mid Sercingum ic wæs ond mid Seringum;
mid Creacum ic wæs ond mid Finnum ond
mid Casere,
se þe winburga geweald ahte,
wiolena ond wilna, ond Wala
rices.
Mid Scottum ic wæs ond mid Peohtum ond
mid Scridefinnum;
- 80
- mid Lidwicingum ic wæs ond mid Leonum
ond mid Longbeardum,
mid hæðnum ond mid hæleþum
ond mid Hundingum.
Mid Israhelum ic wæs ond mid Exsyringum,
mid Ebreum ond mid Indeum ond mid Egyptum.
Mid Moidum ic wæs ond mid Persum ond mid
Myrgingum,
- 85
- ond Mofdingum ond ongend Myrgingum,
ond mid Amothingum. Mid Eastþyringum ic
wæs
ond mid Eolum ond mid Istum ond Idumingum.
Ond ic wæs mid Eormanrice ealle þrage,
þær me Gotena cyning gode dohte;
- 90
- se me beag forgeaf, burgwarena fruma,
on þam siex hund wæs smætes
goldes,
gescyred sceatta scillingrime;
þone ic Eadgilse on æht sealde,
minum hleodryhtne, þa ic to ham bicwom,
- 95
- leofum to leane, þæs þe he
me lond forgeaf,
mines fæder eþel, frea Myrginga.
Ond me þa Ealhhild oþerne forgeaf,
dryhtcwen duguþe, dohtor Eadwines.
Hyre lof lengde geond londa fela,
- 100
- þonne ic be songe secgan sceolde
hwær ic under swegle
selast wisse
goldhrodene cwen giefe bryttian.
ðonne wit Scilling sciran
reorde
for uncrum sigedryhtne song ahofan,
- 105
- hlude bi hearpan hleoþor swinsade,
þonne monige men, modum wlonce,
wordum sprecan, þa þe wel cuþan,
þæt hi næfre song sellan ne
hyrdon.
ðonan ic ealne geondhwearf eþel
Gotena,
- 110
- sohte ic a gesiþa
þa selestan;
þæt wæs innweorud
Earmanrices.
Heðcan sohte ic ond Beadecan ond
Herelingas,
Emercan sohte ic ond Fridlan ond Eastgotan,
frodne ond godne fæder Unwenes.
- 115
- Seccan sohte ic ond Beccan, Seafolan ond
þeodric,
Heaþoric ond Sifecan, Hliþe ond
Incgenþeow.
Eadwine sohte ic ond Elsan, ægelmund ond
Hungar,
ond þa wloncan gedryht Wiþmyrginga.
Wulfhere sohte ic ond Wyrmhere; ful oft
þær wig ne alæg,
- 120
- þonne Hræda here heardum
sweordum
ymb Wistlawudu wergan sceoldon
ealdne eþelstol ætlan leodum.
Rædhere sohte ic ond Rondhere, Rumstan
ond Gislhere,
Wiþergield ond Freoþeric, Wudgan
ond Haman;
- 125
- ne wæran þæt gesiþa
þa sæmestan,
þeah þe ic hy anihst nemnan
sceolde.
Ful oft of þam heape hwinende fleag
giellende gar on grome þeode;
wræccan þær weoldan wundnan
golde
- 130
- werum ond wifum, Wudga ond Hama.
Swa ic þæt symle onfond on
þære feringe,
þæt se biþ leofast
londbuendum
se þe him god syleð gumena rice
to gehealdenne, þenden he her leofað."
- 135
- Swa scriþende gesceapum hweorfað
gleomen gumena geond grunda fela,
þearfe secgað, þoncword sprecaþ,
simle suð oþþe norð sumne
gemetað
gydda gleawne, geofum unhneawne,
- 140
- se þe fore duguþe wile dom aræran,
eorlscipe æfnan, oþþæt
eal scæceð,
leoht ond lif somod; lof se gewyrceð,
hafað under heofonum heahfæstne dom.
© Aerius, 2004