| Wrætlic is þes wealstan; wyrde gebræcon, burgstede burston, brosnað enta geweorc. Hrofas sind gehrorene, hreorge torras, hrungeat berofen, hrim on lime, scearde scurbeorge scorene, gedorene, Aeldo undereotone. Eorðgrop hafað waldendwyrhtan, forweorone, geleorene heard gripe hrusan, oþ hund cnea werþeoda gewitan. Oft þæs wag gebad, ræghar and readfah, rice æfter oþrum, ofstondem under stormum; steap geap gedreas. ........................................... Mod monade, myne swiftne gebrægd; hwætred in hringas, hygerof gebond weallwalan wirum wundrum togæedre. Beorht wæeron burgræced, burnsele monige, heah horngestreon, heresweg micel, meodoheall monig mondreama full, oþþæt þæt onwende, wyrd seo swiþe Crungon walo wide, cwoman woldagas swylt eall fornom secgrofra wera; wurdon hyra wigsteal westenstaþolas brosnade burgsteall. Betend crungon, hergas to hrusan. Forþon þas hofu dreorgiað and þaes teaforgeapa tigelum sceadeð hrostbeages hrof. Hryre wong gecrong gebrocen to beorgum þær iu beorn monig glædmod and goldbeorht gleoma gefrætwed, wlonc and wingal wighyrstum scan, seah on sinc, on sylfor, on searogimmas, on ead, on æht, on eorcanstan, on þas beorhtan burg bradan rices. Stanhofu stodan, stream hate wearp widan wylme; weal eall befeng beorhtan bosme þær þa baþu wæron, hat on hreþre; þæt wæs hyðelic. Leton þonne geotan ...................... ofer harne stan hate streamas under............ .................... oþþæt hringmere, Hate.............. ................ þær þa baþu wæron. ...........................................
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Well-wrought
this wall: Wierds broke it. The stronghold burst... Snapped rooftrees, towers fallen, the work of the Giants, the stonesmiths, mouldereth. Rime scoureth gatetowers rime on mortar. Shattered the showershields, roofs ruined, age under-ate them. And the wielders & wrights? Earthgrip holds them - gone, long gone fast in gravesgrasp while fifty fathers and sons have passed. Wall stood, grey lichen, red stone, kings fell often, stood under storms, high arch crashed - stands yet the wallstone, hacked by weapons, by files grim-ground... ...shone the old skilled work ...sank to loam-crust Mood quickened
mind, and man of wit, Bright were
the buildings, halls where springs ran, Came days
of pestilence, on all sides men fell dead, There
once many a man Stood stone
houses; wide streams welled ............
Thence hot streams, loosed, ran over hoar stone Alexander, M. 1966 The Earliest English Poems |