Bright's Anglo-Saxon Reader/The Battle of Maldon

[This poem was preserved in but one MS., Cotton Otho A xii, which was destroyed in the fire of 1731; fortunately, Thomas Hearne had copied and published it in 1726. The variants therefore refer to Hearne's text.]

brocen wurde; hēt þā hyssa hwæne   hors forlǣtan, feorr āfȳsan,   and forð gangan, hicgan tō handum,   and tō hige gōdum. Þā þæt Offan mǣg   ǣrest onfunde, þæt sē eorl nolde   yrhðo geþolian: hē lēt him þā of handon   lēofne flēogan hafoc wið þæs holtes,   and tō þǣre hilde stōp: be þām man mihte oncnāwan   þæt sē cniht nolde wācian æt þām wīge,   þā hē tō wǣpnum fēng. Ēac him wolde Ēadrīc   his ealdre gelǣstan, frēan tō gefeohte;   ongan þā forð beran gār tō gūþe:   hē hæfde gōd geþanc, þā hwīle þe hē mid handum   healdan mihte bord and brād swurd;   bēot hē gelǣste, þā hē ætforan his frēan   feohtan sceolde.

Ðā þǣr Byrhtnōð ongan    beornas trymian, rād and rǣdde,    rincum tǣhte hū hī sceoldon standan    and þone stede healdan, and bæd þæt hyra randas    rihte hēoldon fæste mid folman,    and ne forhtedon nā.

Þā hē hæfde þæt folc   fægere getrymmed, hē lihte þā mid lēodon    þǣr him lēofost wæs, þǣr hē his heorðwerod    holdost wiste.

Þā stōd on stæðe,   stīðlīce clypode wīcinga ār,   wordum mǣlde, sē on bēot ābēad   brimlīþendra ǣrende tō þām eorle,   þǣr hē on ōfre stōd:

'Me sendon tō þē   sǣmen snelle; hēton ðē secgan   þæt þū mōst sendan raðe bēagas wið gebeorge;   and ēow betere is þæt gē þisne gārrǣs    mid gafole forgyldon, þonne wē swā hearde   hilde dǣlon. Ne þurfe wē ūs spillan,   if gē spedaþ tō þām: wē willað wið þām golde   grið fæstnian. Gyf þū þat gerǣdest,   þe hēr rīcost eart, þæt þū þīne lēoda   lȳsan wille, syllan sǣmannum   on hyra sylfra dōm feoh wið frēode,   and niman frið æt ūs, wē willaþ mid þām sceattum   ūs tō scype gangan, on flot fēran,   and ēow frīþes healdan.'

Byrhtnōð maþelode,   bord hafenode, wand wācne æsc,   wordum mǣlde, yrre and anrǣd   āgeaf him andsware:

'Gehȳrst þū, sǣlida,   hwæt þis folc segeð? hī willað ēow tō gafole   gāras syllan, ǣttrynne ord   and ealde swurd, þā heregeatu   þe ēow æt hilde ne dēah. Brimmanna boda,   ābēod eft ongēan,

sege þīnum lēodum     miccle lāþre spell, [50] þæt hēr stynt unforcuð     eorl mid his werode, þe wile gealgean    ēþel þysne,

Æþelrēdes eard,     ealdres mīnes, folc and foldan;     feallan sceolon hǣþene æt hilde. Tō hēanlīc mē þinceð þæt gē mid ūrum sceattum      tō scype gangon unbefohtene,     nū gē þus feor hider on ūrne eard      in becōmon. Ne sceole gē swā sōfte     sinc gegangan; ūs sceal ord and ecg     ǣr geseman, grim gūðplega,      ǣr wē gofol syllon.'

Hēt þā bord beran,     beornas gangan, þæt hī on þām ēasteðe      ealle stōdon. Ne mihte þǣr for wætere      werod tō þām ōðrum; þǣr cōm flōwende      flōd æfter ebban, lucon lagustrēamas;      tō lang hit him þūhte, hwænne hī tōgædere      gāras bēron. Hī þǣr Pantan strēam      mid prasse bestōdon, Ēastseaxena ord      and sē æschere; ne mihte hyra ǣnig      ōðrum derian, būton hwā þurh flānes flyht      fyl genāme. Sē flōd ūt gewāt;     þā flotan stōdon gearowe, wīcinga fela,      wīges georne. Hēt þā hæleða hlēo      healdan þā bricge

wigan wīgheardne,     sē wæs hāten Wulfstān, cāfne mid his cynne,     þæt wæs Cēolan sunu, þe ðone forman man     mid his francan ofscēat þe þǣr baldlīcost     on þā bricge stop.

Þǣr stōdon mid Wulfstāne     wigan unforhte, Ælfere and Maccus,     mōdige twēgen, þā noldon æt þām forda     flēam gewyrcan, ac hī fæstlīce     wið ðā fȳnd weredon, þā hwīle þe hī wǣpna     wealdan mōston.

Þā hī þæt ongēaton     and georne gesāwon þæt hī þǣr bricgweardas     bitere fundon, ongunnon lytegian þā     lāðe gystas, bǣdon þæt hī ūpgang     āgan mōston, ofer þone ford faran,     feþan lǣdan. Ðā sē eorl ongan     for his ofermōde ālȳfan landes tō fela     lāþere ðēode. Ongan ceallian þā     ofer cald wæter Byrhtelmes bearn     (beornas gehlyston):

'Nū ēow is gerȳmed,     gāð ricene tō ūs, guman tō gūþe;     God āna wāt hwā þǣre wælstōwe     wealdan mōte.'

Wōdon þā wælwulfas     (for wætere ne murnon), wīcinga werod,     west ofer Pantan, ofer scīr wæter     scyldas wǣgon, lidmen tō lande     linde bǣron. Þǣr ongēan gramum     gearowe stōdon [100] Byrhtnōð mid beornum;     hē mid bordum hēt wyrcan þone wīhagan,     and þæt werod healdan fæste wið fēondum. Þā wæs feohte nēh, tīr æt getohte;     wæs sēo tīd cumen þæt þǣr fǣge men     feallan sceoldon. Þǣr wearð hrēam āhafen,     hremmas wundon, earn ǣses georn;     wæs on eorþan cyrm. Hī lēton þā of folman     fēolhearde speru, gegrundene     gāras flēogan; bogan wǣron bysige,     bord ord onfēng. biter wæs sē beadurǣs,     beornas fēollon on gehwæðere hand,     hyssas lāgon. Wund wearð Wulfmǣr,     wælræste gecēas,

Byrhtnōðes mǣg;     hē mid billum wearð, his swuster sunu,     swīðe forhēawen. Þǣr wearð wīcingum     wiþerlean āgyfen: gehȳrde ic þæt Ēadweard     ānne slōge swīðe mid his swurde,     swenges ne wyrnde, þæt him æt fōtum feoll     fǣge cempa; þæs him his ðēoden     þanc gesǣde, þām būrþēne,     þā hē byre hæfde. Swā stemnetton     stīðhicgende hyssas æt hilde;     hogodon georne hwā þǣr mid orde     ǣrost mihte on fǣgean men     feorh gewinnan, wigan mid wǣpnum;     wæl fēol on eorðan. Stōdon stædefæste;     stihte hī Byrhtnōð, bæd þæt hyssa gehwylc     hogode tō wīge þe on Denon wolde     dōm gefeohtan. Wōd þā wīges heard,     wǣpen ūp āhōf, bord tō gebeorge,     and wið þæs beornes stōp; ēode swā anrǣd     eorl tō þām ceorle: ǣgþer hyra ōðrum     yfeles hogode. Sende ðā sē sǣrinc     sūþerne gār, þæt gewundod wearð     wigena hlāford; hē scēaf þā mid ðām scylde,     þæt sē sceaft tobærst, and þæt spere sprengde,     þæt hit sprang ongēan. Gegremod wearð sē gūðrinc;     hē mid gāre stang wlancne wīcing,     þe him þā wunde forgeaf.

Frōd wæs sē fyrdrinc;     hē lēt his francan wadan þurh ðæs hysses hals;     hand wīsode þæt hē on þām fǣrsceaðan     feorh gerǣhte. Ða hē ōþerne     ofstlīce scēat, þæt sēo byrne tōbærst;     hē wæs on brēostum wund

þurh ðā hringlocan,       him æt heortan stōd ǣtterne ord.     Se ēorl wæs þē blīþra, hlōh þā mōdi man,     sǣde Metode þanc ðæs dægweorces     þe him Drihten forgeaf. Forlēt þā drenga sum     daroð of handa, flēogan of folman,     þæt sē tō forð gewāt [150] þurh ðone æþelan     Æþelrēdes þegen. Him be healfe stōd     hyse unweaxen, cniht on gecampe,     se full cāflīce brǣd of þām beorne     blōdigne gār, Wulfstānes bearn,     Wulfmǣr sē geonga, forlēt forheardne     faran eft ongēan; ord in gewōd,     þæt sē on eorþan læg þe his þēoden ǣr     þearle gerǣhte. Ēode þā gesyrwed     secg tō þām eorle; hē wolde þæs beornes     bēagas gefecgan, rēaf and hringas     and gerēnod swurd. Ðā Byrhtnōð brǣd     bill of scēaðe, brād and brūneccg,     and on þā byrnan slōh: tō raþe hine gelette     lidmanna sum, þā hē þæs eorles     earm āmyrde; fēoll þā tō foldan     fealohilte swurd, ne mihte hē gehealdan     heardne mēce, wǣpnes wealdan. Þā gȳt þæt word gecwæð hār hilderinc,     hyssas bylde, bæd gangan forð     gōde gefēran; ne mihte þā on fōtum leng     fæste gestandan; hē tō heofenum wlāt: 'Ic geþancie þē,     ðēoda Waldend, ealra þǣra wynna     þe ic on worulde gebād. Nū ic āh, milde metod,     mǣste þearfe

þæt þū mīnum gāste   gōdes geunne, þæt mīn sāwul tō ðē   sīðian mōte on þīn geweald,   Þeoden engla, mid friþe ferian;   ic eom frymdi tō þē þæt hī helsceaðan   hynan ne mōton.' Ðā hine hēowon   hǣðene scealcas and bēgen þā beornas   þe him big stōdon, Ælfnōð and Wulmǣr   bēgen lāgon, ðā onemn hyra frēan   feorh gesealdon. Hī bugon þā fram beaduwe   þe þǣr bēon noldon. Þǣr wurdon Oddan bearn   ǣrest on flēame, Godrīc fram gūþe,   and þone gōdan forlēt þe him mænigne oft   mēar gesealde; hē gehlēop þone eoh   þe āhte his hlāford, on þām gerǣdum   þe hit riht ne wæs, and his brōðru mid him,   bēgen ærndon, Godrinc and Godwīg,   gūþe ne gȳmdon, ac wendon fram þām wīge   and þone wudu sōhton, flugon on þæt fæsten,   and hyra fēore burgon, and manna mā   þonne hit ǣnig mǣð wǣre, gyf hī þā geearnunga   ealle gemundon, þe hē him tō duguþe   gedōn hæfde. Swā him Offa on dæg   ǣr āsǣde, on þām mæþelstede,   þā hē gemōt hæfde, þæt þǣr mōdiglīce   manega sprǣcon, [200] þe eft æt þearfe   þolian noldon. Ðā wearð āfeallen   þæs folces ealdor, Æþelrēdes eorl;   ealle gesāwon heorðgenēatas   þæt hyra heorra læg. Þā ðǣr wendon forð   wlance þegenas,

unearge men     efston georne: hī woldon þā ealle     ōðer twēga, līf forlǣtan     oððe leofne gewrecan. Swā hī bylde forð     bearn Ælfrīces, wiga wintrum geong,     wordum mǣlde, Ælfwine þā cwæð,     hē on ellen spræc:

'Gemunað þā mǣla,     þe wē oft æt meodo sprǣcon, þonne wē on bence     bēot āhōfon, hæleð on healle,     ymbe heard gewinn; nū mæg cunnian     hwā cēne sȳ. Ic wylle mīne æþelo     eallum gecȳþan, þæt ic wæs on Myrcon     miccles cynnes; wæs mīn ealda fæder     Ealhelm hāten, wīs ealdorman,     woruldgesǣlig. Ne sceolon mē on þǣre þēode     þegenas ætwītan þæt ic of ðisse fyrde     fēran wille, eard gesēcan,     nū mīn ealdor ligeð forhēawan æt hilde;     mē is þæt hearma mǣst: hē wæs ǣgðer mīn mǣg     and mīn hlāford.'

Þā hē forð ēode,     fǣhðe gemunde, þæt hē mid orde     ānne gerǣhte flotan on þām folce,     þæt sē on foldan læg forwegen mid his wǣpne. Ongan þā winas manian, frȳnd and gefēran,     þæt hī forð ēodon.

Offa gemǣlde,     æscholt āscēoc: 'Hwæt þū, Ælfwine,     hafast ealle gemanode, þegenas tō þearfe:     nū ūre þēoden līð, eorl on eorðan,     us_ is eallum þearf þæt ūre ǣghwylc     ōþerne bylde wigan tō wīge,     þā hwīle þe hē wǣpen mæge habban and healdan,     heardne mēce,

gār and gōd swurd. Ūs Godrīc hæfð, earh Oddan bearn,     ealle beswicene: wēnde þæs formoni man,     þā hē on mēare rād, on wlancan þām wicge,     þæt wǣre hit ūre hlāford; for þan wearð hēr on felda     folc tōtwǣmed, scyldburh tōbrocen:     ābrēoðe his angin, þæt hē hēr swā manigne     man āflȳmde!'

Lēofsunu gemǣlde     and his linde āhōf, bord tō gebeorge,     hē þām beorne oncwæð: 'Ic þæt gehāte,     þæt ic heonon nelle flēon fōtes trym,     ac wille furðor gān, wrecan on gewinne     mīnne winedrihten. Ne þurfon mē embe Stūrmere     stedefæste hælæð wordum ætwītan,     nū mīn wine gecranc, [250] þæt ic hlāfordlēas     hām sīðie, wende fram wīge,     ac mē sceal wǣpen niman, ord and īren.\'     Hē ful yrre wōd, feaht fæstlīce,     flēam hē forhogode.

Dunnere þā cwæð,     daroð ācwehte, unorne ceorl,     ofer eall clypode, bæd þæt beorna gehwylc     Byrhtnōð wrǣce: 'Ne mæg nā wandian     sē þe wrecan þenceð frēan on folce,     nē for feore murnan.'

Þā hī forð ēodon,     feores hī ne rōhton; ongunnon þā hīredmen     heardlīce feohtan, grame gārberend,     and God bǣdon þæt hī moston gewrecan     hyra winedrihten, and on hyra fēondum     fyl gewyrcan.

Him sē gȳsel ongan     geornlīce fylstan; hē wæs on Norðhymbron     heardes cynnes, Ecglāfes bearn,     him wæs Æscferð nama:

hē ne wandode nā     æt þām wīgplegan, ac hē fȳsde forð     flān genehe;

hwīlon hē on bord scēat,     hwīlon beorn tǣsde; ǣfre embe stunde     hē sealde sume wunde, þā hwīle ðe hē wǣpna     wealdan mōste. Ðā gȳt on orde stōd     Ēadweard sē langa, gearo and geornful;     gylpwordum spræc, þæt hē nolde flēogan     fōtmǣl landes, ofer bæc būgan,     þā his betera læg: hē bræc þone bordweall,     and wið þā beornas feaht, oð þæt hē his sincgyfan     on þām sǣmannum wurðlīce wrec,     ǣr hē on wæle lǣge.

Swā dyde Æþerīc,     æþele gefēra, fūs and forðgeorn,     feaht eornoste, Sībyrhtes brōðor     and swīðe mænig ōþer clufon cellod bord,     cēne hī weredon; bærst bordes lǣrig,     and sēo byrne sang gryreleoða sum. Þā æt gūðe slōh Offa þone sǣlidan,     þæt hē on eorðan feoll, and ðǣr Gaddes mǣg     grund gesōhte: raðe wearð æt hilde     Offa forhēawen; hē hæfde ðēah geforþod     þæt hē his frēan gehet, swā hē bēotode ǣr     wið his bēahgifan þæt hī sceoldon bēgen     on burh rīdan, hāle tō hāme,     oððe on here crincgan, on wælstōwe     wundum sweltan; hē læg ðegenlīce     ðēodne gehende.

Ðā wearð borda gebræc;     brimmen wōdon, gūðe gegremode;     gār oft þurhwōd fǣges feorhhūs. Forð þā ēode Wīstān,

Þurstānes sunu,     wið þās secgas feaht; hē wæs on geþrange     hyra þrēora bana, ǣr him Wīgelīnes bearn     on þām wæle lǣge. [300] Þǣr wæs stīð gemōt;     stōdon fæste wigan on gewinne,     wīgend cruncon, wundum wērige;     wæl fēol on eorþan. Oswold and Ealdwold     ealle hwīle, bēgen þā gebrōþru,     beornas trymedon, hyra winemāgas     wordon bǣdon þæt hī þǣr æt ðearfe     þolian sceoldon, unwāclīce     wǣpna nēotan. Byrhtwold maþelode,     bord hafenode, (sē wæs eald genēat),     æsc ācwehte; hē ful baldlīce     beornas lǣrde:

'Hige sceal þē heardra,     heorte þē cēnre, mōd sceal þē māre,     þē ūre mægen lȳtlað. hēr līð ūre ealdor     eall forhēawen, gōd on grēote;     ā mæg gnornian sē ðe nū fram þīs wīgplegan     wendan þenceð. Ic eom frōd fēores;     fram ic ne wille, ac ic mē be healfe     mīnum hlāforde be swā lēofan men,     licgan þence.'

Swā hī Æþelgāres bearn      ealle bylde, [320] Godrīc tō gūþe;      oft hē gār forlēt wælspere windan      on þā wīcingas, swā hē on þām folce     fyrmest ēode, hēow and hȳnde,     oð þæt hē on hilde gecranc. Næs þæt nā sē Godrīc     þe ðā gūðe forbēah