brocen ƿurde;
hēt þā hyssa hƿæne
hors forlaētan,
feorr āfȳsan,
and forð gangan,
hicgan tō handum,
and tō hige gōdum.
þā þæt Offan maēg
aērest onfunde,
þæt sē eorl nolde
yrhðo geþolian:
hē lēt him þā of handon
lēofne flēogan
hafoc ƿið þæs holtes,
and tō þaēre hilde stōp:
be þām man mihte oncnāƿan
þæt sē cniht nolde
ƿācian æt þām ƿīge,
þā hē tō ƿaēpnum fēng.
ēac him ƿolde ēadrīc
his ealdre gelaēstan,
frēan tō gefeohte;
ongan þā forð beran
gār tō gūþe:
hē hæfde gōd geþanc,
þā hƿīle þe hē mid handum
healdan mihte
bord and brād sƿurd;
bēot hē gelaēste,
þā hē ætforan his frēan
feohtan sceolde.
ðā þaēr Byrhtnōð ongan
beornas trymian,
rād and raēdde,
rincum taēhte
hū hī sceoldon standan
and þone stede healdan,
and bæd þæt hyra randas
rihte hēoldon
fæste mid folman,
and ne forhtedon nā.
þā hē hæfde þæt folc
fægere getrymmed,
hē lihte þā mid lēodon
þaēr him lēofost ƿæs,
þaēr hē his heorðƿerod
holdost ƿiste.
þā stōd on stæðe,
stīðlīce clypode
ƿīcinga ār,
ƿordum maēlde,
sē on bēot ābēad
brimlīþendra
aērende tō þām eorle,
þaēr hē on ōfre stōd:
'Me sendon tō þē
saēmen snelle;
hēton ðē secgan
þæt þū mōst sendan raðe
bēagas ƿið gebeorge;
and ēoƿ betere is
þæt gē þisne gārraēs
mid gafole forgyldon,
þonne ƿē sƿā hearde
hilde daēlon.
Ne þurfe ƿē ūs spillan,
if gē spedaþ tō þām:
ƿē ƿillað ƿið þām golde
grið fæstnian.
Gyf þū þat geraēdest,
þe hēr rīcost eart,
þæt þū þīne lēoda
lȳsan ƿille,
syllan saēmannum
on hyra sylfra dōm
feoh ƿið frēode,
and niman frið æt ūs,
ƿē ƿillaþ mid þām sceattum
ūs tō scype gangan,
on flot fēran,
and ēoƿ frīþes healdan.'
Byrhtnōð maþelode,
bord hafenode,
ƿand ƿācne æsc,
ƿordum maēlde,
yrre and anraēd
āgeaf him andsƿare:
'Gehȳrst þū, saēlida,
hƿæt þis folc segeð?
hī ƿillað ēoƿ tō gafole
gāras syllan,
aēttrynne ord
and ealde sƿurd,
þā heregeatu
þe ēoƿ æt hilde ne dēah.
Brimmanna boda,
ābēod eft ongēan,
sege þīnum lēodum
miccle lāþre spell,
þæt hēr stynt unforcuð
eorl mid his ƿerode,
þe ƿile gealgean
ēþel þysne,
æþelrēdes eard,
ealdres mīnes,
folc and foldan;
feallan sceolon
haēþene æt hilde.
Tō hēanlīc mē þinceð
þæt gē mid ūrum sceattum
tō scype gangon
unbefohtene,
nū gē þus feor hider
on ūrne eard
in becōmon.
Ne sceole gē sƿā sōfte
sinc gegangan;
ūs sceal ord and ecg
aēr geseman,
grim gūðplega,
aēr ƿē gofol syllon.'
Hēt þā bord beran,
beornas gangan,
þæt hī on þām ēasteðe
ealle stōdon.
Ne mihte þaēr for ƿætere
ƿerod tō þām ōðrum;
þaēr cōm flōƿende
flōd æfter ebban,
lucon lagustrēamas;
tō lang hit him þūhte,
hƿænne hī tōgædere
gāras bēron.
Hī þaēr Pantan strēam
mid prasse bestōdon,
ēastseaxena ord
and sē æschere;
ne mihte hyra aēnig
ōðrum derian,
būton hƿā þurh flānes flyht
fyl genāme.
Sē flōd ūt geƿāt;
þā flotan stōdon gearoƿe,
ƿīcinga fela,
ƿīges georne.
Hēt þā hæleða hlēo
healdan þā bricge
ƿigan ƿīgheardne,
sē ƿæs hāten ƿulfstān,
cāfne mid his cynne,
þæt ƿæs Cēolan sunu,
þe ðone forman man
mid his francan ofscēat
þe þaēr baldlīcost
on þā bricge stop.
þaēr stōdon mid ƿulfstāne
ƿigan unforhte,
ælfere and Maccus,
mōdige tƿēgen,
þā noldon æt þām forda
flēam geƿyrcan,
ac hī fæstlīce
ƿið ðā fȳnd ƿeredon,
þā hƿīle þe hī ƿaēpna
ƿealdan mōston.
þā hī þæt ongēaton
and georne gesāƿon
þæt hī þaēr bricgƿeardas
bitere fundon,
ongunnon lytegian þā
lāðe gystas,
baēdon þæt hī ūpgang
āgan mōston,
ofer þone ford faran,
feþan laēdan.
ðā sē eorl ongan
for his ofermōde
ālȳfan landes tō fela
lāþere ðēode.
Ongan ceallian þā
ofer cald ƿæter
Byrhtelmes bearn
beornas gehlyston:
'Nū ēoƿ is gerȳmed,
gāð ricene tō ūs,
guman tō gūþe;
God āna ƿāt
hƿā þaēre ƿælstōƿe
ƿealdan mōte.'
ƿōdon þā ƿælƿulfas
for ƿætere ne murnon,
ƿīcinga ƿerod,
ƿest ofer Pantan,
ofer scīr ƿæter
scyldas ƿaēgon,
lidmen tō lande
linde baēron.
þaēr ongēan gramum
gearoƿe stōdon
Byrhtnōð mid beornum;
hē mid bordum hēt
ƿyrcan þone ƿīhagan,
and þæt ƿerod healdan
fæste ƿið fēondum.
þā ƿæs feohte nēh,
tīr æt getohte;
ƿæs sēo tīd cumen
þæt þaēr faēge men
feallan sceoldon.
þaēr ƿearð hrēam āhafen,
hremmas ƿundon,
earn aēses georn;
ƿæs on eorþan cyrm.
Hī lēton þā of folman
fēolhearde speru,
gegrundene
gāras flēogan;
bogan ƿaēron bysige,
bord ord onfēng.
biter ƿæs sē beaduraēs,
beornas fēollon
on gehƿæðere hand,
hyssas lāgon.
ƿund ƿearð ƿulfmaēr,
ƿælræste gecēas,
Byrhtnōðes maēg;
hē mid billum ƿearð,
his sƿuster sunu,
sƿīðe forhēaƿen.
þaēr ƿearð ƿīcingum
ƿiþerlean āgyfen:
gehȳrde ic þæt ēadƿeard
ānne slōge
sƿīðe mid his sƿurde,
sƿenges ne ƿyrnde,
þæt him æt fōtum feoll
faēge cempa;
þæs him his ðēoden
þanc gesaēde,
þām būrþēne,
þā hē byre hæfde.
Sƿā stemnetton
stīðhicgende
hyssas æt hilde;
hogodon georne
hƿā þaēr mid orde
aērost mihte
on faēgean men
feorh geƿinnan,
ƿigan mid ƿaēpnum;
ƿæl fēol on eorðan.
Stōdon stædefæste;
stihte hī Byrhtnōð,
bæd þæt hyssa gehƿylc
hogode tō ƿīge
þe on Denon ƿolde
dōm gefeohtan.
ƿōd þā ƿīges heard,
ƿaēpen ūp āhōf,
bord tō gebeorge,
and ƿið þæs beornes stōp;
ēode sƿā anraēd
eorl tō þām ceorle:
aēgþer hyra ōðrum
yfeles hogode.
Sende ðā sē saērinc
sūþerne gār,
þæt geƿundod ƿearð
ƿigena hlāford;
hē scēaf þā mid ðām scylde,
þæt sē sceaft tobærst,
and þæt spere sprengde,
þæt hit sprang ongēan.
Gegremod ƿearð sē gūðrinc;
hē mid gāre stang
ƿlancne ƿīcing,
þe him þā ƿunde forgeaf.
Frōd ƿæs sē fyrdrinc;
hē lēt his francan ƿadan
þurh ðæs hysses hals;
hand ƿīsode
þæt hē on þām faērsceaðan
feorh geraēhte.
ða hē ōþerne
ofstlīce scēat,
þæt sēo byrne tōbærst;
hē ƿæs on brēostum ƿund
þurh ðā hringlocan,
him æt heortan stōd
aētterne ord.
Se ēorl ƿæs þē blīþra,
hlōh þā mōdi man,
saēde Metode þanc
ðæs dægƿeorces
þe him Drihten forgeaf.
Forlēt þā drenga sum
daroð of handa,
flēogan of folman,
þæt sē tō forð geƿāt
þurh ðone æþelan
Æþelrēdes þegen.
Him be healfe stōd
hyse unƿeaxen,
cniht on gecampe,
se full cāflīce
braēd of þām beorne
blōdigne gār,
ƿulfstānes bearn,
ƿulfmaēr sē geonga,
forlēt forheardne
faran eft ongēan;
ord in geƿōd,
þæt sē on eorþan læg
þe his þēoden aēr
þearle geraēhte.
ēode þā gesyrƿed
secg tō þām eorle;
hē ƿolde þæs beornes
bēagas gefecgan,
rēaf and hringas
and gerēnod sƿurd.
ðā Byrhtnōð braēd
bill of scēaðe,
brād and brūneccg,
and on þā byrnan slōh:
tō raþe hine gelette
lidmanna sum,
þā hē þæs eorles
earm āmyrde;
fēoll þā tō foldan
fealohilte sƿurd,
ne mihte hē gehealdan
heardne mēce,
ƿaēpnes ƿealdan.
þā gȳt þæt ƿord gecƿæð
hār hilderinc,
hyssas bylde,
bæd gangan forð
gōde gefēran;
ne mihte þā on fōtum leng
fæste gestandan;
hē tō heofenum ƿlāt:
'Ic geþancie þē,
ðēoda ƿaldend,
ealra þaēra ƿynna
þe ic on ƿorulde gebād.
Nū ic āh, milde metod,
maēste þearfe
þæt þū mīnum gāste
gōdes geunne,
þæt mīn sāƿul tō ðē
sīðian mōte
on þīn geƿeald,
þeoden engla,
mid friþe ferian;
ic eom frymdi tō þē
þæt hī helsceaðan
hynan ne mōton.'
ðā hine hēoƿon
haēðene scealcas
and bēgen þā beornas
þe him big stōdon,
Ælfnōð and ƿulmaēr
bēgen lāgon,
ðā onemn hyra frēan
feorh gesealdon.
Hī bugon þā fram beaduƿe
þe þaēr bēon noldon.
þaēr ƿurdon Oddan bearn
aērest on flēame,
Godrīc fram gūþe,
and þone gōdan forlēt
þe him mænigne oft
mēar gesealde;
hē gehlēop þone eoh
þe āhte his hlāford,
on þām geraēdum
þe hit riht ne ƿæs,
and his brōðru mid him,
bēgen ærndon,
Godrinc and Godƿīg,
gūþe ne gȳmdon,
ac ƿendon fram þām ƿīge
and þone ƿudu sōhton,
flugon on þæt fæsten,
and hyra fēore burgon,
and manna mā
þonne hit aēnig maēð ƿaēre,
gyf hī þā geearnunga
ealle gemundon,
þe hē him tō duguþe
gedōn hæfde.
Sƿā him Offa on dæg
aēr āsaēde,
on þām mæþelstede,
þā hē gemōt hæfde,
þæt þaēr mōdiglīce
manega spraēcon,
þe eft æt þearfe
þolian noldon.
ðā ƿearð āfeallen
þæs folces ealdor,
Æþelrēdes eorl;
ealle gesāƿon
heorðgenēatas
þæt hyra heorra læg.
þā ðaēr ƿendon forð
ƿlance þegenas,
unearge men
efston georne:
hī ƿoldon þā ealle
ōðer tƿēga,
līf forlaētan
oððe leofne geƿrecan.
Sƿā hī bylde forð
bearn ælfrīces,
ƿiga ƿintrum geong,
ƿordum maēlde,
ælfƿine þā cƿæð,
hē on ellen spræc:
'Gemunað þā maēla,
þe ƿē oft æt meodo spraēcon,
þonne ƿē on bence
bēot āhōfon,
hæleð on healle,
ymbe heard geƿinn;
nū mæg cunnian
hƿā cēne sȳ.
Ic ƿylle mīne æþelo
eallum gecȳþan,
þæt ic ƿæs on Myrcon
miccles cynnes;
ƿæs mīn ealda fæder
Ealhelm hāten,
ƿīs ealdorman,
ƿoruldgesaēlig.
Ne sceolon mē on þaēre þēode
þegenas ætƿītan
þæt ic of ðisse fyrde
fēran ƿille,
eard gesēcan,
nū mīn ealdor ligeð
forhēaƿan æt hilde;
mē is þæt hearma maēst:
hē ƿæs aēgðer mīn maēg
and mīn hlāford.'
þā hē forð ēode,
faēhðe gemunde,
þæt hē mid orde
ānne geraēhte
flotan on þām folce,
þæt sē on foldan læg
forƿegen mid his ƿaēpne.
Ongan þā ƿinas manian,
frȳnd and gefēran,
þæt hī forð ēodon.
Offa gemaēlde,
æscholt āscēoc:
'Hƿæt þū, ælfƿine,
hafast ealle gemanode,
þegenas tō þearfe:
nū ūre þēoden līð,
eorl on eorðan,
us_ is eallum þearf
þæt ūre aēghƿylc
ōþerne bylde
ƿigan tō ƿīge,
þā hƿīle þe hē ƿaēpen mæge
habban and healdan,
heardne mēce,
gār and gōd sƿurd.
ūs Godrīc hæfð,
earh Oddan bearn,
ealle besƿicene:
ƿēnde þæs formoni man,
þā hē on mēare rād,
on ƿlancan þām ƿicge,
þæt ƿaēre hit ūre
hlāford;
for þan ƿearð hēr on felda
folc tōtƿaēmed,
scyldburh tōbrocen:
ābrēoðe his angin,
þæt hē hēr sƿā manigne
man āflȳmde!'
Lēofsunu gemaēlde
and his linde āhōf,
bord tō gebeorge,
hē þām beorne oncƿæð:
'Ic þæt gehāte,
þæt ic heonon nelle
flēon fōtes trym,
ac ƿille furðor gān,
ƿrecan on geƿinne
mīnne ƿinedrihten.
Ne þurfon mē embe Stūrmere
stedefæste hælæð
ƿordum ætƿītan,
nū mīn ƿine gecranc,
þæt ic hlāfordlēas
hām sīðie,
ƿende fram ƿīge,
ac mē sceal ƿaēpen niman,
ord and īren.\'
Hē ful yrre ƿōd,
feaht fæstlīce,
flēam hē forhogode.
Dunnere þā cƿæð,
daroð ācƿehte,
unorne ceorl,
ofer eall clypode,
bæd þæt beorna gehƿylc
Byrhtnōð ƿraēce:
'Ne mæg nā ƿandian
sē þe ƿrecan þenceð
frēan on folce,
nē for feore murnan.'
þā hī forð ēodon,
feores hī ne rōhton;
ongunnon þā hīredmen
heardlīce feohtan,
grame gārberend,
and God baēdon
þæt hī moston geƿrecan
hyra ƿinedrihten,
and on hyra fēondum
fyl geƿyrcan.
Him sē gȳsel ongan
geornlīce fylstan;
hē ƿæs on Norðhymbron
heardes cynnes,
Ecglāfes bearn,
him ƿæs Æscferð nama:
hē ne ƿandode nā
æt þām ƿīgplegan,
ac hē fȳsde forð
flān genehe;
hƿīlon hē on bord scēat,
hƿīlon beorn taēsde;
aēfre embe stunde
hē sealde sume ƿunde,
þā hƿīle ðe hē ƿaēpna
ƿealdan mōste.
ðā gȳt on orde stōd
ēadƿeard sē langa,
gearo and geornful;
gylpƿordum spræc,
þæt hē nolde flēogan
fōtmaēl landes,
ofer bæc būgan,
þā his betera læg:
hē bræc þone bordƿeall,
and ƿið þā beornas feaht,
oð þæt hē his sincgyfan
on þām saēmannum
ƿurðlīce ƿrec,
aēr hē on ƿæle laēge.
Sƿā dyde Æþerīc,
æþele gefēra,
fūs and forðgeorn,
feaht eornoste,
Sībyrhtes brōðor
and sƿīðe mænig ōþer
clufon cellod bord,
cēne hī ƿeredon;
bærst bordes laērig,
and sēo byrne sang
gryreleoða sum.
þā æt gūðe slōh
Offa þone saēlidan,
þæt hē on eorðan feoll,
and ðaēr Gaddes maēg
grund gesōhte:
raðe ƿearð æt hilde
Offa forhēaƿen;
hē hæfde ðēah geforþod
þæt hē his frēan gehet,
sƿā hē bēotode aēr
ƿið his bēahgifan
þæt hī sceoldon bēgen
on burh rīdan,
hāle tō hāme,
oððe on here crincgan,
on ƿælstōƿe
ƿundum sƿeltan;
hē læg ðegenlīce
ðēodne gehende.
ðā ƿearð borda gebræc;
brimmen ƿōdon,
gūðe gegremode;
gār oft þurhƿōd
faēges feorhhūs.
Forð þā ēode ƿīstān,
þurstānes sunu,
ƿið þās secgas feaht;
hē ƿæs on geþrange
hyra þrēora bana,
aēr him ƿīgelīnes bearn
on þām ƿæle laēge.
þaēr ƿæs stīð gemōt;
stōdon fæste
ƿigan on geƿinne,
ƿīgend cruncon,
ƿundum ƿērige;
ƿæl fēol on eorþan.
Osƿold and Ealdƿold
ealle hƿīle,
bēgen þā gebrōþru,
beornas trymedon,
hyra ƿinemāgas
ƿordon baēdon
þæt hī þaēr æt ðearfe
þolian sceoldon,
unƿāclīce
ƿaēpna nēotan.
Byrhtƿold maþelode,
bord hafenode,
(sē ƿæs eald genēat),
æsc ācƿehte;
hē ful baldlīce
beornas laērde:
'Hige sceal þē heardra,
heorte þē cēnre,
mōd sceal þē māre,
þē ūre mægen lȳtlað.
hēr līð ūre ealdor
eall forhēaƿen,
gōd on grēote;
ā mæg gnornian
sē ðe nū fram þīs ƿīgplegan
ƿendan þenceð.
Ic eom frōd fēores;
fram ic ne ƿille,
ac ic mē be healfe
mīnum hlāforde
be sƿā lēofan men,
licgan þence.'
Sƿā hī Æþelgāres bearn
ealle bylde,
Godrīc tō gūþe;
oft hē gār forlēt
ƿælspere ƿindan
on þā ƿīcingas,
sƿā hē on þām folce
fyrmest ēode,
hēoƿ and hȳnde,
oð þæt hē on hilde gecranc.
Næs þæt nā sē Godrīc
þe ðā gūðe forbēah