Al-walda God;

220 Thaet aet aerestan

Fore-thancle menn,
Fram fruman worulde,
Thurh wis gewit,
Witgan Dryhtnes,
Hálge hige-gleáwe
Haelethum saegdon,
Oft, ná-laes aene,

Ymb thaet aethele bearn:
Thaet se earcnan-stán

230 Eallum sceolde

Tó hleó and tó hrothre,

Haeletha cynne,

Weorthan in worulde,

Wuldres Agend,

Eádes Ord-fruma,

Thurh thá aethelan cwen.

VIII. HYMN ON THE NATIVITY AND

ASCENSION.

Nú thú geornlice

Gaest-gerynum,

Mann se maera,
Mód-craefte sec,

Thurh sefan snyttro,
Thaet thú sóth wite
Hú thaet ge-eóde,
Thá se Aelmihtiga

440

Acenned wearth,

10 Thurh claenne hád,

Siththan he Marían,

Maegtha weolman,
Maere meowlan,
Mund-heals geceás,
Thaet thaer, in hwítum
Hraeglum gewerede,
Englas ne oth-eówdon,
Thá se Aetheling cóm,
Beorn in Betlem ?
20 Bódan waeron gearwe,
Thá thurh hleothor-cwide
Hyrdum cythdon,

Saegdon sóthne gefeán,
Thaette sunu waere
In middan-geard

Meotudes acenned

In Betleme;

Hwaethre in bócum ne cwith

Thaet hy in hwítum thaer 30 Hraeglum oth-ýwdon,

In thá aethelan tíd,
Swá hie eft dydon,
Thá se Brego maera
Tó Bethanía,
Theóden thrymfaest,
His thegna gedryhte
Geláthade, leóf weorud.
Hý thaes lárcowes,

On thám will-daege, 40 Word ne gehyrwdon, Hyra sinc-gyfan.

Sona waeron geárwe
Haeleth mid Hláford

Tó thaere hálgan byrg.
Thaer him tácna fela

Tires Brýtta

Onwráh, wuldres Helm,

Word-gerynum,

Aer-thón up-stige

50 An-cenned Sunu,

Efen-éce Bearn,
Agnum Faeder,—
Thaes ymb feowertig
The he of foldan áer,
From deathe arás,
Dagena rímes

Haefde thá gefylled,

Swá aer beforan sungon
Witgena word,

60 Geond woruld innan,-
Thurh his throwunga.
Thegnas héredon,

Lófedon leofwendum

Lífes Agende,

Faeder frum-sceafta.

He him faegre thaes,

Leófum gesithum,

Leán aefter geáf,

And thaet word acwaeth

70 Waldend engla

Gefysed, Freá mihtig,

Tó Faeder ríce:

"Gefeóth ge on ferhthe,
Naefre ic fram-hweorfe,
Ac ic lufan symle

Laeste with eowic,
And eow meaht gife,
And mid-wunige

Farath nú geond ealne
Yrmenne grund,

Geond wide wégas,

Weoredum cythath,

Bódiath and bremath
Beorhtne geleáfan,

And fulwiath

90 Folc under roderum,

Hweorfath tó heofonum,

Hérgas breótath,

Fyllath and feógath,
Feóndscype dwaescath,
Sibbe sáwath

On sefan manna,

Thurh meahta spéde;
Ic eow mid-wunige

Forth on frófre,

100 And eow frithe healde,
Strengthe stathol-faestre,
On stowa gehwaere.”
Thá wearth semninga
Sweg on lyfte

Hlúd gehýred;
Heofon-engla threat,

Weorud wlite-scýne,

Wuldres aras,

Cómon on corthre.

110 Cyning úre gewát

Thurh thaes temples hróf;

Thaer hý tó-segon,
Thá-the Leófes thá-gen
Lást weardedon

On thám thing-stéde,
Thegnas gecorene,

Gesegon hí on heáhthu
Hláford stígan,

God-bearn of grundum;

120 Him waes geomor sefa, Hat aet heortan,

Hyge murnende,

Thaes-the hí swá leófne

Leng ne móston

Geseón under swegle.
Sang ahófon

Aras ufancunde,

Aetheling héredon,
Lófedon Líf-fruman,

130 Leohte gefegon

The of thaes Haelendes

Heafelan lixte;

Gesegon hý al-beorhte

Englas twégen

Faegre ymb thaet Frum-bearn

Fraetwum blican,

Cyninga Wuldor.

Cleopedon of heáhthum

Wordum wraetlicum,

140 Ofer wera mengu

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