Widsith matholade, wordhord onleac,
Medieval Unknown old_englishtransliterator: 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: 14 chapter_title: Widsith matholade, wordhord onleac, chapter_slug: "14-widsith-matholade-wordhord-onleac" variant_id: "bbd702dc-1baf-4712-9c16-d04efe18d459" content_type: transliteration layout: prose language: old_english source_language: old_english language_direction: ltr script: latin word_count: 845 estimated_read_time: 7
Widsith matholade, wordhord onleac, se the monna maest maegtha ofer eorthan, folca geondferde; oft he on flette gethah mynelicne maththum. Him from Myrgingum aethele onwocon. He mid Ealhhilde, faelre freothuwebban, forman sithe Hrethcyninges ham gesohte eastan of Ongle, Eormanrices, wrathes waerlogan. Ongon tha worn sprecan: "Fela ic monna gefraegn maegthum wealdan! Sceal theodna gehwylc theawum lifgan, eorl aefter othrum ethle raedan, se the his theodenstol getheon wile. thara waes Hwala hwile selast, ond Alexandreas ealra ricost monna cynnes, ond he maest gethah thara the ic ofer foldan gefraegen haebbe. aetla weold Hunum, Eormanric Gotum, Becca Baningum, Burgendum Gifica. Casere weold Creacum ond Celic Finnum, Hagena Holmrygum ond Heoden Glommum. Witta weold Swaefum, Wada Haelsingum, Meaca Myrgingum, Mearchealf Hundingum. theodric weold Froncum, thyle Rondingum, Breoca Brondingum, Billing Wernum. Oswine weold Eowum ond Ytum Gefwulf, Fin Folcwalding Fresna cynne. Sigehere lengest Saedenum weold, Hnaef Hocingum, Helm Wulfingum, Wald Woingum, Wod thyringum, Saeferth Sycgum, Sweom Ongendtheow, Sceafthere Ymbrum, Sceafa Longbeardum, Hun Haetwerum ond Holen Wrosnum. Hringweald waes haten Herefarena cyning. Offa weold Ongle, Alewih Denum; se waes thara manna modgast ealra, no hwaethre he ofer Offan eorlscype fremede, ac Offa geslog aerest monna, cnihtwesende, cynerica maest. Naenig efeneald him eorlscipe maran on orette. Ane sweorde merce gemaerde with Myrgingum bi Fifeldore; heoldon forth siththan Engle ond Swaefe, swa hit Offa geslog. Hrothwulf ond Hrothgar heoldon lengest sibbe aetsomne suhtorfaedran, siththan hy forwraecon wicinga cynn ond Ingeldes ord forbigdan, forheowan aet Heorote Heathobeardna thrym. Swa ic geondferde fela fremdra londa geond ginne grund. Godes ond yfles thaer ic cunnade cnosle bidaeled, freomaegum feor folgade wide. Forthon ic maeg singan ond secgan spell, maenan fore mengo in meoduhealle hu me cynegode cystum dohten. Ic waes mid Hunum ond mid Hrethgotum, mid Sweom ond mid Geatum ond mid Suthdenum. Mid Wenlum ic waes ond mid Waernum ond mid wicingum. Mid Gefthum ic waes ond mid Winedum ond mid Gefflegum. Mid Englum ic waes ond mid Swaefum ond mid aenenum. Mid Seaxum ic waes ond Sycgum ond mid Sweordwerum. Mid Hronum ic waes ond mid Deanum ond mid Heathoreamum. Mid thyringum ic waes ond mid throwendum, ond mid Burgendum, thaer ic beag gethah; me thaer Guthhere forgeaf glaedlicne maththum songes to leane. Naes thaet saene cyning! Mid Froncum ic waes ond mid Frysum ond mid Frumtingum. Mid Rugum ic waes ond mid Glommum ond mid Rumwalum. Swylce ic waes on Eatule mid aelfwine, se haefde moncynnes, mine gefraege, leohteste hond lofes to wyrcenne, heortan unhneaweste hringa gedales, beorhtra beaga, bearn Eadwines. Mid Sercingum ic waes ond mid Seringum; mid Creacum ic waes ond mid Finnum ond mid Casere, se the winburga geweald ahte, wiolena ond wilna, ond Wala rices. Mid Scottum ic waes ond mid Peohtum ond mid Scridefinnum; mid Lidwicingum ic waes ond mid Leonum ond mid Longbeardum, mid haethnum ond mid haelethum ond mid Hundingum. Mid Israhelum ic waes ond mid Exsyringum, mid Ebreum ond mid Indeum ond mid Egyptum. Mid Moidum ic waes ond mid Persum ond mid Myrgingum, ond Mofdingum ond ongend Myrgingum, ond mid Amothingum. Mid Eastthyringum ic waes ond mid Eolum ond mid Istum ond Idumingum. Ond ic waes mid Eormanrice ealle thrage, thaer me Gotena cyning gode dohte; se me beag forgeaf, burgwarena fruma, on tham siex hund waes smaetes goldes, gescyred sceatta scillingrime; thone ic Eadgilse on aeht sealde, minum hleodryhtne, tha ic to ham bicwom, leofum to leane, thaes the he me lond forgeaf, mines faeder ethel, frea Myrginga. Ond me tha Ealhhild otherne forgeaf, dryhtcwen duguthe, dohtor Eadwines. Hyre lof lengde geond londa fela, thonne ic be songe secgan sceolde hwaer ic under swegle selast wisse goldhrodene cwen giefe bryttian. thonne wit Scilling sciran reorde for uncrum sigedryhtne song ahofan, hlude bi hearpan hleothor swinsade, thonne monige men, modum wlonce, wordum sprecan, tha the wel cuthan, thaet hi naefre song sellan ne hyrdon. thonan ic ealne geondhwearf ethel Gotena, sohte ic a gesitha tha selestan; thaet waes innweorud Earmanrices. Hethcan sohte ic ond Beadecan ond Herelingas, Emercan sohte ic ond Fridlan ond Eastgotan, frodne ond godne faeder Unwenes. Seccan sohte ic ond Beccan, Seafolan ond theodric, Heathoric ond Sifecan, Hlithe ond Incgentheow. Eadwine sohte ic ond Elsan, aegelmund ond Hungar, ond tha wloncan gedryht Withmyrginga. Wulfhere sohte ic ond Wyrmhere; ful oft thaer wig ne alaeg, thonne Hraeda here heardum sweordum ymb Wistlawudu wergan sceoldon ealdne ethelstol aetlan leodum. Raedhere sohte ic ond Rondhere, Rumstan ond Gislhere, Withergield ond Freotheric, Wudgan ond Haman; ne waeran thaet gesitha tha saemestan, theah the ic hy anihst nemnan sceolde. Ful oft of tham heape hwinende fleag giellende gar on grome theode; wraeccan thaer weoldan wundnan golde werum ond wifum, Wudga ond Hama. Swa ic thaet symle onfond on thaere feringe, thaet se bith leofast londbuendum se the him god syleth gumena rice to gehealdenne, thenden he her leofath." Swa scrithende gesceapum hweorfath gleomen gumena geond grunda fela, thearfe secgath, thoncword sprecath, simle suth oththe north sumne gemetath gydda gleawne, geofum unhneawne, se the fore duguthe wile dom araeran, eorlscipe aefnan, oththeat eal scaeceth, leoht ond lif somod; lof se gewyrceth, hafath under heofonum heahfaestne dom.