Sacred Texts  Legends and Sagas  WordGumbo: Old English Dictionaries [External Site]
Index  Previous  Next 

The Death of Edward

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Her Eadward kingc,      Engla hlaford,
sende soþfæste      sawle to Criste
on godes wæra,      gast haligne.
He on worulda her      wunode þrage
5
on kyneþrymme,      cræftig ræda,
XXIIII,      freolic wealdend,
wintra gerimes,      weolan britnode,
and healfe tid,      hæleða wealdend,
weold wel geþungen      Walum and Scottum
10
and Bryttum eac,      byre æðelredes,
Englum and Sexum,      oretmægcum,
swa ymbclyppað      cealde brymmas,
þæt eall Eadwarde,      æðelum kinge,
hyrdon holdlice      hagestealde menn.
15
Wæs a bliðemod      bealuleas kyng,
þeah he lange ær,      lande bereafod,
wunode wræclastum      wide geond eorðan,
syððan Cnut ofercom      kynn æðelredes
and Dena weoldon      deore rice
20
Engla landes      XXVIII
wintra gerimes,      welan brytnodon.
Syððan forð becom      freolice in geatwum
kyningc kystum god,      clæne and milde,
Eadward se æðela,      eðel bewerode,
25
land and leode,      oðþæt lungre becom
deað se bitera,      and swa deore genam
æþelne of eorðan;      englas feredon
soþfæste sawle      innan swegles leoht.
And se froda swa þeah      befæste þæt rice
30
heahþungenum menn,      Harolde sylfum,
æþelum eorle,      se in ealle tid
hyrde holdlice      hærran sinum
wordum and dædum,      wihte ne agælde
þæs þe þearf wæs      þæs þeodkyninges.