thus frod faeder freobearn laerde,
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: 17 chapter_title: thus frod faeder freobearn laerde, chapter_slug: "17-thus-frod-faeder-freobearn-laerde" variant_id: "757d573c-cf26-4437-b1e4-24b534e25c35" content_type: transliteration layout: prose language: old_english source_language: old_english language_direction: ltr script: latin word_count: 570 estimated_read_time: 5
thus frod faeder freobearn laerde, modsnottor mon, maga cystum eald, wordum wisfaestum, thaet he wel thunge: "Do a thaette duge, deag thin gewyrhtu; god the bith symle goda gehwylces frea ond fultum, feond tham othrum wyrsan gewyrhta. Wene thec thy betran, efn elne this a thenden thu lifge. Faeder ond modor freo thu mid heortan, maga gehwylcne, gif him sy meotud on lufan. Wes thu thinum yldrum arfaest symle, faegerwyrde, ond the in ferthe laet thine lareowas leofe in mode, tha thec geornast to gode trymmen." Faeder eft his sunu frod gegrette othre sithe: "Heald elne this! Ne freme firene, ne naefre freonde thinum, maege man ne gethafa, thy laes thec meotud oncunne, thaet thu sy wommes gewita. He the mid wite gieldeth, swylce tham othrum mid eadwelan." thriddan sythe thoncsnottor guma breostgehygdum his bearn laerde: "Ne gewuna wyrsa, widan feore, aengum eahta, ac thu the anne genim to gesprecan symle spella ond lara raedhycgende. Sy ymb rice swa hit maege." Feorthan sithe faeder eft laerde modleofne magan, thaet he gemunde this: "Ne aswic sundorwine, ac a symle geheald ryhtum gerisnum. Raefn elne this, thaet thu naefre faecne weorthe freonde thinum." Fiftan sithe faeder eft ongon breostgethoncum his bearn laeran: "Druncen beorg the ond dollic word, man on mode ond in muthe lyge, yrre ond aefeste ond idese lufan. Forthon sceal aewiscmod oft sithian, se the gewiteth in wifes lufan, fremdre meowlan. thaer bith a firena wen, lathlicre scome, long nith with god, geotende gielp. Wes thu a giedda wis, waer with willan, worda hyrde." Siextan sithe swaes eft ongon thurh blithne gethoht his bearn laeran: "Ongiet georne hwaet sy god oththe yfel, ond toscead simle scearpe mode in sefan thinum ond the a thaet selle geceos. A the bith gedaele; gif the deah hyge, wunath wisdom in, ond thu wast geare ondgit yfles, heald the elne with, feorma thu symle in thinum ferthe god." Seofethan sithe his sunu laerde faeder, frod guma, saegde fela geongum: "Seldan snottor guma sorgleas blissath, swylce dol seldon drymeth sorgful ymb his forthgesceaft, nefne he faehthe wite. Waerwyrde sceal wisfaest haele breostum hycgan, nales breahtme hlud." Eahtothan sithe eald faeder ongon his mago monian mildum wordum: "Leorna lare laergedefe, wene thec in wisdom, weoruda scyppend hafa the to hyhte, haligra gemynd, ond a soth to syge, thonne thu secge hwaet." Nigethan sithe naegde se gomola, eald uthwita saegde eaforan worn: "Nis nu fela folca thaette fyrngewritu healdan wille, ac him hyge brosnath, ellen colath, idlath theodscype; ne habbath wiht for thaet, theah hi wom don ofer meotudes bibod. Monig sceal ongieldan sawelsusles. Ac laet thinne sefan healdan forth fyrngewritu ond frean domas, tha the her on maegthe gehwaere men forlaetath swither asigan, thonne him sy sylfum ryht." Teothan sithe tornsorgna ful, eald eft ongon eaforan laeran: "Snyttra bruceth the fore sawle lufan warnath him wommas worda ond daeda on sefan symle ond soth fremeth; bith him geofona gehwylc gode geyced, meahtum spedig, thonne he mon flyhth. Yrre ne laet the aefre gewealdan, heah in hrethre, heoroworda grund wylme bismitan, ac him warnath thaet on geheortum hyge. Haele sceal wisfaest ond gemetlice, modes snottor, gleaw in gehygdum, georn wisdomes, swa he with aelda maeg eades hleotan. Ne beo thu no to taelende, ne to tweospraece, ne the on mode laet men to fracothe, ac beo leofwende, leoht on gehygdum ber breostcofan. Swa thu, min bearn, gemyne frode faeder lare ond thec a with firenum geheald."