Old English Reading 1: Appendix, Texts The Battle of Maldon Source: Wikisource, Bright's Anglo-Saxon Reader (J. W. Bright, 1913), "The Battle of Maldon", all of the text on the page (325 lines). The dot marks the half-line break; the line numbers count the verse lines and agree with Bright's marks at lines 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 and 320. Licence: The work and the 1913 edition are public domain in the US; Wikisource's own contributions to the transcription are generally CC BY-SA, which I did not check for this page. Note: The poem is incomplete: the first line is a fragment ([...] brocen wurde), and the manuscript was destroyed in a fire in 1731 (Bright's note). I removed Bright's variant footnotes. Old English Reading 1, Chapter 10 reads lines 309 to 319. Old English only. The editors' marks are kept; no gloss or translation. 1 [...] brocen wurde; 2 hēt þā hyssa hwæne · hors forlǣtan, 3 feorr āfȳsan, · and forð gangan, 4 hicgan tō handum, · and tō hige gōdum. 5 Þā þæt Offan mǣg · ǣrest onfunde, 6 þæt sē eorl nolde · yrhðo geþolian: 7 hē lēt him þā of handon · lēofne flēogan 8 hafoc wið þæs holtes, · and tō þǣre hilde stōp: 9 be þām man mihte oncnāwan · þæt sē cniht nolde 10 wācian æt þām wīge, · þā hē tō wǣpnum fēng. 11 Ēac him wolde Ēadrīc · his ealdre gelǣstan, 12 frēan tō gefeohte; · ongan þā forð beran 13 gār tō gūþe: · hē hæfde gōd geþanc, 14 þā hwīle þe hē mid handum · healdan mihte 15 bord and brād swurd; · bēot hē gelǣste, 16 þā hē ætforan his frēan · feohtan sceolde. 17 Ðā þǣr Byrhtnōð ongan · beornas trymian, 18 rād and rǣdde, · rincum tǣhte 19 hū hī sceoldon standan · and þone stede healdan, 20 and bæd þæt hyra randas · rihte hēoldon 21 fæste mid folman, · and ne forhtedon nā. 22 Þā hē hæfde þæt folc · fægere getrymmed, 23 hē lihte þā mid lēodon · þǣr him lēofost wæs, 24 þǣr hē his heorðwerod · holdost wiste. 25 Þā stōd on stæðe, · stīðlīce clypode 26 wīcinga ār, · wordum mǣlde, 27 sē on bēot ābēad · brimlīþendra 28 ǣrende tō þām eorle, · þǣr hē on ōfre stōd: 29 'Me sendon tō þē · sǣmen snelle; 30 hēton ðē secgan · þæt þū mōst sendan raðe 31 bēagas wið gebeorge; · and ēow betere is 32 þæt gē þisne gārrǣs · mid gafole forgyldon, 33 þonne wē swā hearde · hilde dǣlon. 34 Ne þurfe wē ūs spillan, · if gē spedaþ tō þām: 35 wē willað wið þām golde · grið fæstnian. 36 Gyf þū þat gerǣdest, · þe hēr rīcost eart, 37 þæt þū þīne lēoda · lȳsan wille, 38 syllan sǣmannum · on hyra sylfra dōm 39 feoh wið frēode, · and niman frið æt ūs, 40 wē willaþ mid þām sceattum · ūs tō scype gangan, 41 on flot fēran, · and ēow frīþes healdan.' 42 Byrhtnōð maþelode, · bord hafenode, 43 wand wācne æsc, · wordum mǣlde, 44 yrre and anrǣd · āgeaf him andsware: 45 'Gehȳrst þū, sǣlida, · hwæt þis folc segeð? 46 hī willað ēow tō gafole · gāras syllan, 47 ǣttrynne ord · and ealde swurd, 48 þā heregeatu · þe ēow æt hilde ne dēah. 49 Brimmanna boda, · ābēod eft ongēan, 50 sege þīnum lēodum · miccle lāþre spell, 51 þæt hēr stynt unforcuð · eorl mid his werode, 52 þe wile gealgean · ēþel þysne, 53 Æþelrēdes eard, · ealdres mīnes, 54 folc and foldan; · feallan sceolon 55 hǣþene æt hilde. · Tō hēanlīc mē þinceð 56 þæt gē mid ūrum sceattum · tō scype gangon 57 unbefohtene, · nū gē þus feor hider 58 on ūrne eard · in becōmon. 59 Ne sceole gē swā sōfte · sinc gegangan; 60 ūs sceal ord and ecg · ǣr geseman, 61 grim gūðplega, · ǣr wē gofol syllon.' 62 Hēt þā bord beran, · beornas gangan, 63 þæt hī on þām ēasteðe · ealle stōdon. 64 Ne mihte þǣr for wætere · werod tō þām ōðrum; 65 þǣr cōm flōwende · flōd æfter ebban, 66 lucon lagustrēamas; · tō lang hit him þūhte, 67 hwænne hī tōgædere · gāras bēron. 68 Hī þǣr Pantan strēam · mid prasse bestōdon, 69 Ēastseaxena ord · and sē æschere; 70 ne mihte hyra ǣnig · ōðrum derian, 71 būton hwā þurh flānes flyht · fyl genāme. 72 Sē flōd ūt gewāt; · þā flotan stōdon gearowe, 73 wīcinga fela, · wīges georne. 74 Hēt þā hæleða hlēo · healdan þā bricge 75 wigan wīgheardne, · sē wæs hāten Wulfstān, 76 cāfne mid his cynne, · þæt wæs Cēolan sunu, 77 þe ðone forman man · mid his francan ofscēat 78 þe þǣr baldlīcost · on þā bricge stop. 79 Þǣr stōdon mid Wulfstāne · wigan unforhte, 80 Ælfere and Maccus, · mōdige twēgen, 81 þā noldon æt þām forda · flēam gewyrcan, 82 ac hī fæstlīce · wið ðā fȳnd weredon, 83 þā hwīle þe hī wǣpna · wealdan mōston. 84 Þā hī þæt ongēaton · and georne gesāwon 85 þæt hī þǣr bricgweardas · bitere fundon, 86 ongunnon lytegian þā · lāðe gystas, 87 bǣdon þæt hī ūpgang · āgan mōston, 88 ofer þone ford faran, · feþan lǣdan. 89 Ðā sē eorl ongan · for his ofermōde 90 ālȳfan landes tō fela · lāþere ðēode. 91 Ongan ceallian þā · ofer cald wæter 92 Byrhtelmes bearn · (beornas gehlyston): 93 'Nū ēow is gerȳmed, · gāð ricene tō ūs, 94 guman tō gūþe; · God āna wāt 95 hwā þǣre wælstōwe · wealdan mōte.' 96 Wōdon þā wælwulfas · (for wætere ne murnon), 97 wīcinga werod, · west ofer Pantan, 98 ofer scīr wæter · scyldas wǣgon, 99 lidmen tō lande · linde bǣron. 100 Þǣr ongēan gramum · gearowe stōdon 101 Byrhtnōð mid beornum; · hē mid bordum hēt 102 wyrcan þone wīhagan, · and þæt werod healdan 103 fæste wið fēondum. · Þā wæs feohte nēh, 104 tīr æt getohte; · wæs sēo tīd cumen 105 þæt þǣr fǣge men · feallan sceoldon. 106 Þǣr wearð hrēam āhafen, · hremmas wundon, 107 earn ǣses georn; · wæs on eorþan cyrm. 108 Hī lēton þā of folman · fēolhearde speru, 109 gegrundene · gāras flēogan; 110 bogan wǣron bysige, · bord ord onfēng. 111 biter wæs sē beadurǣs, · beornas fēollon 112 on gehwæðere hand, · hyssas lāgon. 113 Wund wearð Wulfmǣr, · wælræste gecēas, 114 Byrhtnōðes mǣg; · hē mid billum wearð, 115 his swuster sunu, · swīðe forhēawen. 116 Þǣr wearð wīcingum · wiþerlean āgyfen: 117 gehȳrde ic þæt Ēadweard · ānne slōge 118 swīðe mid his swurde, · swenges ne wyrnde, 119 þæt him æt fōtum feoll · fǣge cempa; 120 þæs him his ðēoden · þanc gesǣde, 121 þām būrþēne, · þā hē byre hæfde. 122 Swā stemnetton · stīðhicgende 123 hyssas æt hilde; · hogodon georne 124 hwā þǣr mid orde · ǣrost mihte 125 on fǣgean men · feorh gewinnan, 126 wigan mid wǣpnum; · wæl fēol on eorðan. 127 Stōdon stædefæste; · stihte hī Byrhtnōð, 128 bæd þæt hyssa gehwylc · hogode tō wīge 129 þe on Denon wolde · dōm gefeohtan. 130 Wōd þā wīges heard, · wǣpen ūp āhōf, 131 bord tō gebeorge, · and wið þæs beornes stōp; 132 ēode swā anrǣd · eorl tō þām ceorle: 133 ǣgþer hyra ōðrum · yfeles hogode. 134 Sende ðā sē sǣrinc · sūþerne gār, 135 þæt gewundod wearð · wigena hlāford; 136 hē scēaf þā mid ðām scylde, · þæt sē sceaft tobærst, 137 and þæt spere sprengde, · þæt hit sprang ongēan. 138 Gegremod wearð sē gūðrinc; · hē mid gāre stang 139 wlancne wīcing, · þe him þā wunde forgeaf. 140 Frōd wæs sē fyrdrinc; · hē lēt his francan wadan 141 þurh ðæs hysses hals; · hand wīsode 142 þæt hē on þām fǣrsceaðan · feorh gerǣhte. 143 Ða hē ōþerne · ofstlīce scēat, 144 þæt sēo byrne tōbærst; · hē wæs on brēostum wund 145 þurh ðā hringlocan, · him æt heortan stōd 146 ǣtterne ord. · Se ēorl wæs þē blīþra, 147 hlōh þā mōdi man, · sǣde Metode þanc 148 ðæs dægweorces · þe him Drihten forgeaf. 149 Forlēt þā drenga sum · daroð of handa, 150 flēogan of folman, · þæt sē tō forð gewāt 151 þurh ðone æþelan · Æþelrēdes þegen. 152 Him be healfe stōd · hyse unweaxen, 153 cniht on gecampe, · se full cāflīce 154 brǣd of þām beorne · blōdigne gār, 155 Wulfstānes bearn, · Wulfmǣr sē geonga, 156 forlēt forheardne · faran eft ongēan; 157 ord in gewōd, · þæt sē on eorþan læg 158 þe his þēoden ǣr · þearle gerǣhte. 159 Ēode þā gesyrwed · secg tō þām eorle; 160 hē wolde þæs beornes · bēagas gefecgan, 161 rēaf and hringas · and gerēnod swurd. 162 Ðā Byrhtnōð brǣd · bill of scēaðe, 163 brād and brūneccg, · and on þā byrnan slōh: 164 tō raþe hine gelette · lidmanna sum, 165 þā hē þæs eorles · earm āmyrde; 166 fēoll þā tō foldan · fealohilte swurd, 167 ne mihte hē gehealdan · heardne mēce, 168 wǣpnes wealdan. · Þā gȳt þæt word gecwæð 169 hār hilderinc, · hyssas bylde, 170 bæd gangan forð · gōde gefēran; 171 ne mihte þā on fōtum leng · fæste gestandan; 172 hē tō heofenum wlāt: 173 'Ic geþancie þē, · ðēoda Waldend, 174 ealra þǣra wynna · þe ic on worulde gebād. 175 Nū ic āh, milde metod, · mǣste þearfe 176 þæt þū mīnum gāste · gōdes geunne, 177 þæt mīn sāwul tō ðē · sīðian mōte 178 on þīn geweald, · Þeoden engla, 179 mid friþe ferian; · ic eom frymdi tō þē 180 þæt hī helsceaðan · hynan ne mōton.' 181 Ðā hine hēowon · hǣðene scealcas 182 and bēgen þā beornas · þe him big stōdon, 183 Ælfnōð and Wulmǣr · bēgen lāgon, 184 ðā onemn hyra frēan · feorh gesealdon. 185 Hī bugon þā fram beaduwe · þe þǣr bēon noldon. 186 Þǣr wurdon Oddan bearn · ǣrest on flēame, 187 Godrīc fram gūþe, · and þone gōdan forlēt 188 þe him mænigne oft · mēar gesealde; 189 hē gehlēop þone eoh · þe āhte his hlāford, 190 on þām gerǣdum · þe hit riht ne wæs, 191 and his brōðru mid him, · bēgen ærndon, 192 Godrinc and Godwīg, · gūþe ne gȳmdon, 193 ac wendon fram þām wīge · and þone wudu sōhton, 194 flugon on þæt fæsten, · and hyra fēore burgon, 195 and manna mā · þonne hit ǣnig mǣð wǣre, 196 gyf hī þā geearnunga · ealle gemundon, 197 þe hē him tō duguþe · gedōn hæfde. 198 Swā him Offa on dæg · ǣr āsǣde, 199 on þām mæþelstede, · þā hē gemōt hæfde, 200 þæt þǣr mōdiglīce · manega sprǣcon, 201 þe eft æt þearfe · þolian noldon. 202 Ðā wearð āfeallen · þæs folces ealdor, 203 Æþelrēdes eorl; · ealle gesāwon 204 heorðgenēatas · þæt hyra heorra læg. 205 Þā ðǣr wendon forð · wlance þegenas, 206 unearge men · efston georne: 207 hī woldon þā ealle · ōðer twēga, 208 līf forlǣtan · oððe leofne gewrecan. 209 Swā hī bylde forð · bearn Ælfrīces, 210 wiga wintrum geong, · wordum mǣlde, 211 Ælfwine þā cwæð, · hē on ellen spræc: 212 'Gemunað þā mǣla, · þe wē oft æt meodo sprǣcon, 213 þonne wē on bence · bēot āhōfon, 214 hæleð on healle, · ymbe heard gewinn; 215 nū mæg cunnian · hwā cēne sȳ. 216 Ic wylle mīne æþelo · eallum gecȳþan, 217 þæt ic wæs on Myrcon · miccles cynnes; 218 wæs mīn ealda fæder · Ealhelm hāten, 219 wīs ealdorman, · woruldgesǣlig. 220 Ne sceolon mē on þǣre þēode · þegenas ætwītan 221 þæt ic of ðisse fyrde · fēran wille, 222 eard gesēcan, · nū mīn ealdor ligeð 223 forhēawan æt hilde; · mē is þæt hearma mǣst: 224 hē wæs ǣgðer mīn mǣg · and mīn hlāford.' 225 Þā hē forð ēode, · fǣhðe gemunde, 226 þæt hē mid orde · ānne gerǣhte 227 flotan on þām folce, · þæt sē on foldan læg 228 forwegen mid his wǣpne. · Ongan þā winas manian, 229 frȳnd and gefēran, · þæt hī forð ēodon. 230 Offa gemǣlde, · æscholt āscēoc: 231 'Hwæt þū, Ælfwine, · hafast ealle gemanode, 232 þegenas tō þearfe: · nū ūre þēoden līð, 233 eorl on eorðan, · ūs is eallum þearf 234 þæt ūre ǣghwylc · ōþerne bylde 235 wigan tō wīge, · þā hwīle þe hē wǣpen mæge 236 habban and healdan, · heardne mēce, 237 gār and gōd swurd. · Ūs Godrīc hæfð, 238 earh Oddan bearn, · ealle beswicene: 239 wēnde þæs formoni man, · þā hē on mēare rād, 240 on wlancan þām wicge, · þæt wǣre hit ūre hlāford; 241 for þan wearð hēr on felda · folc tōtwǣmed, 242 scyldburh tōbrocen: · ābrēoðe his angin, 243 þæt hē hēr swā manigne · man āflȳmde!' 244 Lēofsunu gemǣlde · and his linde āhōf, 245 bord tō gebeorge, · hē þām beorne oncwæð: 246 'Ic þæt gehāte, · þæt ic heonon nelle 247 flēon fōtes trym, · ac wille furðor gān, 248 wrecan on gewinne · mīnne winedrihten. 249 Ne þurfon mē embe Stūrmere · stedefæste hælæð 250 wordum ætwītan, · nū mīn wine gecranc, 251 þæt ic hlāfordlēas · hām sīðie, 252 wende fram wīge, · ac mē sceal wǣpen niman, 253 ord and īren.' · Hē ful yrre wōd, 254 feaht fæstlīce, · flēam hē forhogode. 255 Dunnere þā cwæð, · daroð ācwehte, 256 unorne ceorl, · ofer eall clypode, 257 bæd þæt beorna gehwylc · Byrhtnōð wrǣce: 258 'Ne mæg nā wandian · sē þe wrecan þenceð 259 frēan on folce, · nē for feore murnan.' 260 Þā hī forð ēodon, · feores hī ne rōhton; 261 ongunnon þā hīredmen · heardlīce feohtan, 262 grame gārberend, · and God bǣdon 263 þæt hī moston gewrecan · hyra winedrihten, 264 and on hyra fēondum · fyl gewyrcan. 265 Him sē gȳsel ongan · geornlīce fylstan; 266 hē wæs on Norðhymbron · heardes cynnes, 267 Ecglāfes bearn, · him wæs Æscferð nama: 268 hē ne wandode nā · æt þām wīgplegan, 269 ac hē fȳsde forð · flān genehe; 270 hwīlon hē on bord scēat, · hwīlon beorn tǣsde; 271 ǣfre embe stunde · hē sealde sume wunde, 272 þā hwīle ðe hē wǣpna · wealdan mōste. 273 Ðā gȳt on orde stōd · Ēadweard sē langa, 274 gearo and geornful; · gylpwordum spræc, 275 þæt hē nolde flēogan · fōtmǣl landes, 276 ofer bæc būgan, · þā his betera læg: 277 hē bræc þone bordweall, · and wið þā beornas feaht, 278 oð þæt hē his sincgyfan · on þām sǣmannum 279 wurðlīce wrec, · ǣr hē on wæle lǣge. 280 Swā dyde Æþerīc, · æþele gefēra, 281 fūs and forðgeorn, · feaht eornoste, 282 Sībyrhtes brōðor · and swīðe mænig ōþer 283 clufon cellod bord, · cēne hī weredon; 284 bærst bordes lǣrig, · and sēo byrne sang 285 gryreleoða sum. · Þā æt gūðe slōh 286 Offa þone sǣlidan, · þæt hē on eorðan feoll, 287 and ðǣr Gaddes mǣg · grund gesōhte: 288 raðe wearð æt hilde · Offa forhēawen; 289 hē hæfde ðēah geforþod · þæt hē his frēan gehet, 290 swā hē bēotode ǣr · wið his bēahgifan 291 þæt hī sceoldon bēgen · on burh rīdan, 292 hāle tō hāme, · oððe on here crincgan, 293 on wælstōwe · wundum sweltan; 294 hē læg ðegenlīce · ðēodne gehende. 295 Ðā wearð borda gebræc; · brimmen wōdon, 296 gūðe gegremode; · gār oft þurhwōd 297 fǣges feorhhūs. · Forð þā ēode Wīstān, 298 Þurstānes sunu, · wið þās secgas feaht; 299 hē wæs on geþrange · hyra þrēora bana, 300 ǣr him Wīgelīnes bearn · on þām wæle lǣge. 301 Þǣr wæs stīð gemōt; · stōdon fæste 302 wigan on gewinne, · wīgend cruncon, 303 wundum wērige; · wæl fēol on eorþan. 304 Oswold and Ealdwold · ealle hwīle, 305 bēgen þā gebrōþru, · beornas trymedon, 306 hyra winemāgas · wordon bǣdon 307 þæt hī þǣr æt ðearfe · þolian sceoldon, 308 unwāclīce · wǣpna nēotan. 309 Byrhtwold maþelode, · bord hafenode, 310 (sē wæs eald genēat), · æsc ācwehte; 311 hē ful baldlīce · beornas lǣrde: 312 'Hige sceal þē heardra, · heorte þē cēnre, 313 mōd sceal þē māre, · þē ūre mægen lȳtlað. 314 hēr līð ūre ealdor · eall forhēawen, 315 gōd on grēote; · ā mæg gnornian 316 sē ðe nū fram þīs wīgplegan · wendan þenceð. 317 Ic eom frōd fēores; · fram ic ne wille, 318 ac ic mē be healfe · mīnum hlāforde 319 be swā lēofan men, · licgan þence.' 320 Swā hī Æþelgāres bearn · ealle bylde, 321 Godrīc tō gūþe; · oft hē gār forlēt 322 wælspere windan · on þā wīcingas, 323 swā hē on þām folce · fyrmest ēode, 324 hēow and hȳnde, · oð þæt hē on hilde gecranc. 325 Næs þæt nā sē Godrīc · þe ðā gūðe forbēah