transliterator: thothica

work_id: "d5fe9e58-3f94-4c5e-961f-267c5e2f09f4" work_slug: "unknown-old-english-elegies-d5fe9e" work_title: Old English Elegies author_name: Unknown chapter_number: 6 chapter_title: Maxims I chapter_slug: "06-maxims-i" variant_id: "23464b75-9f16-4a85-a0c9-06aa288e9620" content_type: transliteration layout: prose language: old_english source_language: old_english language_direction: ltr script: latin word_count: 1479 estimated_read_time: 12 source_url: "https://sacred-texts.com/neu/ascp/a03_13.htm"

Maxims I

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Friye mech frodum wordum! Ne lat thinne ferth onhalne, degol that thu deopost kunne! Nelle ich the min dyrne yesedgan, yif thu me thinne hyekraft hylest ond thine heortan yethohtas. Gleawe men sheolon yiddum wrixlan. God shal mon arest hergan 5 fagre, fader userne, forthon the he us at frymthe yeteode lif ond lanne willan; he usich wile thara leana yemonian. Meotud shal in wuldre, mon shal on eorthan yong ealdian. God us eche bith, ne wendath hine wyrda ne hine wiht drecheth, 10 adl ne yldo almihtigne; ne gomelath he in gaste, ak he is yen swa he was, theoden yethuldig. He us yethonk syleth, missenliku mod, monye reorde. Feorhchynna fela fathmeth wide 15 eglond monig. Eardas rume meotud ararde for monchynne, almihtig god, efenfela bega theoda ond theawa. thing shal yeheyan frod with frodne; bith hyra ferth yelich, 20 hi a sake semath, sibbe yelareth, tha ar wonsalge awegen habbath. Rad shal mid snyttro, ryht mid wisum, til shal mid tilum. Tu beoth yemachchan; shal wif ond wer in weoruld chennan 25 bearn mid yebyrdum. Beam shal on eorthan leafum lithan, leomu gnornian. Fus shal feran, fage sweltan ond dogra yehwam ymb yedal sakan middangeardes. Meotud ana wat 30 hwar se kwealm chymeth, the heonan of chiththe yewiteth. Umbor ycheth, tha aradl nimeth; thy weortheth on foldan swa fela fira chynnes, ne sy thas magutimbres yemet ofer eorthan, yif hi ne waniye se thas woruld teode. 35 Dol bith se the his dryhten nat, to thas oft chymeth death unthinged. Snotre men sawlum beorgath, healdath hyra soth mid ryhte. Eadig bith se the in his ethle yethihth, earm se him his frynd yeswicath. Nefre shal se him his nest aspringeth, nyde shal thrage yebunden. Blithe shal bealoleas heorte. Blind shal his eagna tholian, 40 oftiyen bith him torhtre yesihthe. Ne magon hi tunglu bewitian, swegltorht sunnan ne monan; that him bith sar in his mode, onye thonne he hit ana wat, ne weneth that him thas edhwyrft chyme. Waldend him that wite teode, se him mag wyrpe syllan, halo of heofodyimme, yif he wat heortan klane. 45 Lef mon laches behofath. Laran shal mon yongne monnan, trymman ond tyhtan that he teala kunne, oththat hine mon atemedne habbe, sylle him wist ond wado, oththat hine mon on yewitte alade. Ne shal hine mon childyongne forkweathan, ar he hine akythan mote; thy shal on theode yetheon, that he wese thristhychgende. 50 Styran shal mon strongum mode. Storm oft holm yebringeth, yeofen in grimmum salum; onginnath grome fundian fealwe on feorran to londe, hwather he faste stonde. Weallas him withre healdath, him bith wind yemane. Swa bith sa smilte, 55 thonne hy wind ne wecheth; swa beoth theoda yethware, thonne hy yethingad habbath, yesittath him on yesundum thingum, ond thonne mid yesithum healdath chene men yechynde riche. Chyning bith anwealdes yeorn; lath se the londes monath, leof se the mare beodeth. 60 thrym shal mid wlenko, thriste mid chenum, sheolun bu rechene beadwe fremman. Eorl shal on eos boge, eorod shal yetrume ridan, faste fetha stondan. Famne at hyre bordan yeriseth; widgongel wif word yespringeth, oft hy mon wommum biliht, 65 haleth hy hospe manath, oft hyre hleor abreotheth. Sheomiande man shal in sheade hweorfan, shir in leohte yeriseth. Hond shal heofod inwyrchan, hord in streonum bidan, yifstol yegierwed stondan, hwonne hine guman yedalen. Gifre bith se tham golde onfehth, guma thas on heahsetle yeneah; 70 lean shal, yif we leogan nellath, tham the us thas lisse yeteode. Forst shal freosan, fyr wudu meltan, eorthe growan, is brydgian, water helm wegan, wundrum lukan eorthan chithas. An shal inbindan 75 forstes fetre felameahtig god; winter shal yeweorpan, weder eft kuman, sumor swegle hat, sund unstille. Deop deada wag dyrne bith lengest; holen shal inaled, yrfe yedale 80 deades monnes. Dom bith selast. Chyning shal mid cheape kwene yebidgan, bunum ond beagum; bu sheolon arest yeofum god wesan. Guth shal in eorle, wig yeweaxan, ond wif yetheon 85 leof mid hyre leodum, leohtmod wesan, rune healdan, rumheort beon mearum ond mathmum, meodoradenne for yesithmagen symle aghwar eodor athelinga arest yegretan, 90 forman fulle to frean hond richene yerachan, ond him rad witan boldagendum bam atsomne. Ship shal yenagled, shyld yebunden, leoht linden bord, leof wilkuma 95 Frysan wife, thonne flota stondeth; bith his cheol kumen ond hyre cheorl to ham, agen atyeofa, ond heo hine in lathath, washeth his warig hragl ond him syleth wade niwe, lith him on londe thas his lufu badeth. 100 Wif shal with wer ware yehealdan, oft hi mon wommum belihth; fela bith fasthydigra, fela bith fyrwetgeornra, freoth hy fremde monnan, thonne se other feor yewiteth. Lida bith longe on sithe; a mon shal setheah leofes wenan, yebidan thas he yebadan ne mag. Hwonne him eft yebyre weorthe, 105 ham chymeth, yif he hal leofath, nefne him holm yestyreth, mere hafath mundum magthegsan wyn. Cheapeadig mon chyningwic thonne leodon chypeth, thonne lithan chymeth; wuda ond watres nyttath, thonne him bith wic alyfed, 110 mete bygeth, yif he maran thearf, arthon he to methe weorthe. Seoc se bith the to seldan ieteth; theah hine mon on sunnan lade, ne mag he be thy wedre wesan, theah hit sy wearm on sumera, oferkumen bith he, ar he akwele, yif he nat hwa hine kwicne fede. Magen mon shal mid mete fedan, morthor under eorthan befeolan, 115 hinder under hrusan, the hit forhelan thencheth; ne bith that yedefe death, thonne hit yedyrned weortheth. Hean shal yehnigan, hadl yesigan, ryht rogian. Rad bith nyttost, yfel unnyttost, that unlad nimeth. 120 God bith yenge, ond with god lenge. Hyge shal yehealden, hond yewealden, seo shal in eagan, snyttro in breostum, thar bith thas monnes modyethonkas. Mutha yehwylch mete thearf, mal sheolon tidum gongan. 125 Gold yeriseth on guman sweorde, sellic siyesheorp, sinc on kwene, god shop gumum, garnith werum, wig towithre wicfreotha healdan. Shyld shal chempan, sheaft reafere, 130 shal bryde beag, bec leornere, husl halgum men, hathnum synne. Woden worhte weos, wuldor alwalda, rume roderas; that is riche god, sylf sothchyning, sawla neryend, 135 se us eal foryeaf that we on lifgath, ond eft at tham ende eallum wealdeth monna chynne. that is meotud sylfa. Rad shal mon sedgan, rune writan, leoth yesingan, lofes yearnian, 140 dom areccan, dages onettan. Til mon tiles ond tomes meares, kuthes ond yekostes ond calcrondes; nanig fira to fela yestrynedh. Wel mon shal wine healdan on wega yehwylcum; 145 oft mon fereth feor bi tune, thar him wat freond unwitodne. Wineleas, wonsalig mon yenimeth him wulfas to yeferan, felafacne deor. Ful oft hine se yefera sliteth; gryre shal for greggum, graf deadum men; hungre heofeth, nales that heafe bewindeth, 150 ne huru wal wepeth wulf se graga, morthorkwealm magga, ak hit a mare wille. Wrad shal wunden, wraku heardum men. Boga shal strale, shal bam yelich mon to yemachchan. Maththum othres weorth, 155 gold mon shal yifan. Mag god syllan eadgum ahte ond eft niman. Sele shal stondan, sylf ealdian. Licgende beam lasest groweth. Treo sheolon bradan ond treow weaxan, 160 sio yeond bilwitra breost ariseth. Warleas mon ond wonhydig, atrenmod ond unyetreow, thas ne gymeth god. Fela sheop meotud thas the fyrn yewearth, het siththan swa forth wesan. 165 Wara yehwylcum wislicu word yerisath, gleomen yied ond guman snyttro. Swa moniye beoth men ofer eorthan, swa beoth modyethonkas; alc him hafath sundorsefan. Longath thonne thy las the him kon leotha worn, 170 oththe mid hondum kon hearpan gretan; hafath him his gliwes yiefe, the him god sealde. Earm bith se the shal ana lifgan, wineleas wunian hafath him wyrd yeteod; betre him ware that he brothor ahte, begen hi anes monnes, 175 eorles eaforan waran, yif hi sheoldan eofor onginnan oththe begen beran; bith that slithhende deor. A shyle tha rinkas yeradan ladan ond him atsomne swefan; nafre hy mon tomalde, 180 ar hy death todale. Hy twegen sheolon tafle ymbsittan, thenden him hyra torn toglide, foryietan thara yeocran yesceafta, habban him gomen on borde; idle hond ametlan yeneah tafles monnes, thonne teoselum weorpeth. Seldan in sidum cheole, nefne he under segle yrne, 185 werig shealc with winde roweth; ful oft mon wearnum tihth eargne, that he elne forleose, drugath his ar on borde. Lot shal mid lyswe, list mid yedefum; thy weortheth se stan forstolen. Oft hy wordum toweorpath, 190 ar hy bakum tobreden; geara is hwar arad. Wearth fahtho fyra chynne, siththan furthum swealg eorthe Abeles blode. Nas that andage nith, of tham wrohtdropan wide yesprungon, 195 michel mon aldum, monyegum theodum bealoblonden nith. Slog his brothor swasne Cain, thone kwealm nerede; kuth was wide siththan, that eche nith aldum shod, swa atholwarum. Drugon wapna yewin wide yeond eorthan, 200 ahogodan ond ahyrdon heoro slithendne. Gearo shal guthbord, gar on sheafte, edg on sweorde ond ord spere, hye heardum men. Helm shal chenum, ond a thas heanan hye hord unyinnost.