Wilt thu, fus haele, fremdne monnan,
Medieval Unknown old_englishThe Order of the World
Verse Indeterminate Saxon
Wilt þu, fus hæle, fremdne monnan, wisne woðboran wordum gretan, fricgan felageongne ymb forðgesceaft, biddan þe gesecge sidra gesceafta 5 cræftas cyndelice cwichrerende, þa þe dogra gehwam þurh dom godes bringe wundra fela wera cneorissum! Is þara anra gehwam orgeate tacen, þam þurh wisdom woruld ealle con 10 behabban on hreþre, hycgende mon, þæt geara iu, gliwes cræfte, mid gieddingum guman oft wrecan, rincas rædfæste; cuþon ryht sprecan, þæt a fricgende fira cynnes 15 ond secgende searoruna gespon a gemyndge mæst monna wiston. Forþon scyle ascian, se þe on elne leofað, deophydig mon, dygelra gesceafta, bewritan in gewitte wordhordes cræft, 20 fæstnian ferðsefan, þencan forð teala; ne sceal þæs aþreotan þegn modigne, þæt he wislice woruld fulgonge. Leorna þas lare. Ic þe lungre sceal meotudes mægensped maran gesecgan, 25 þonne þu hygecræftig in hreþre mæge mode gegripan. Is sin meaht forswiþ. Nis þæt monnes gemet moldhrerendra, þæt he mæge in hreþre his heah geweorc furþor aspyrgan þonne him frea sylle 30 to ongietanne godes agen bibod; ac we sculon þoncian þeodne mærum awa to ealdre, þæs þe us se eca cyning on gæste wlite forgiefan wille þæt we eaðe magon upcund rice 35 forð gestigan, gif us on ferðe geneah ond we willað healdan heofoncyninges bibod. Gehyr nu þis herespel ond þinne hyge gefæstna. Hwæt, on frymþe gescop fæder ælmihtig, heah hordes weard, heofon ond eorðan, 40 sæs sidne grund, sweotule gesceafte, þa nu in þam þream þurh þeodnes hond heaþ ond hebbaþ þone halgan blæd. Forþon eal swa teofanade, se þe teala cuþe, æghwylc wiþ oþrum; sceoldon eal beran 45 stiþe stefnbyrd, swa him se steora bibead missenlice gemetu þurh þa miclan gecynd. Swa hi to worulde wlite forþ berað dryhtnes duguþe ond his dæda þrym, lixende lof in þa longan tid, 50 fremmaþ fæstlice frean ece word in þam frumstole þe him frea sette, hluttor heofones weard, healdað georne mere gemære; meaht forð tihð heofoncondelle ond holmas mid, 55 laþað ond lædeþ lifes agend in his anes fæþm ealle gesceafta. Swa him wideferh wuldor stondeþ, ealra demena þam gedefestan, þe us þis lif gescop, ond þis leohte beorht 60 cymeð morgna gehwam ofer misthleoþu wadan ofer wægas wundrum gegierwed, ond mid ærdæge eastan snoweð wlitig ond wynsum wera cneorissum; lifgendra gehwam leoht forð biereð 65 bronda beorhtost, ond his brucan mot æghwylc on eorþan, þe him eagna gesihð sigora soðcyning syllan wolde. Gewiteð þonne mid þy wuldre on westrodor forðmære tungol faran on heape, 70 oþþæt on æfenne ut garsecges grundas pæþeð, glom oþer cigð; niht æfter cymeð, healdeð nydbibod halgan dryhtnes. Heofontorht swegl scir gescyndeð in gesceaft godes 75 under foldan fæþm, farende tungol. Forþon nænig fira þæs frod leofað þæt his mæge æspringe þurh his ægne sped witan, hu geond grund færeð goldtorht sunne in þæt wonne genip under wætra geþring, 80 oþþe hwa þes leohtes londbuende brucan mote, siþþan heo ofer brim hweorfeð. Forþon swa teofenede, se þe teala cuþe, dæg wiþ nihte, deop wið hean, lyft wið lagustream, lond wiþ wæge, 85 flod wið flode, fisc wið yþum. Ne waciað þas geweorc, ac he hi wel healdeð; stondað stiðlice bestryþed fæste miclum meahtlocum in þam mægenþrymme mid þam sy ahefed heofon ond eorþe. 90 Beoð þonne eadge þa þær in wuniað, hyhtlic is þæt heorðwerud. þæt is herga mæst, eadigra unrim, engla þreatas. Hy geseoð symle hyra sylfra cyning, eagum on wlitað, habbað æghwæs genoh. 95 Nis him wihte won, þam þe wuldres cyning geseoþ in swegle; him is symbel ond dream ece unhwylen eadgum to frofre. Forþon scyle mon gehycgan þæt he meotude hyre; æghwylc ælda bearna forlæte idle lustas, 100 læne lifes wynne, fundige him to lissa blisse, forlæte heteniþa gehwone sigan mid synna fyrnum, fere him to þam sellan rice.