The Meters of Boethius: Meter 26

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

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.