Bright's Anglo-Saxon Reader/The Battle of Brunanburh
For other versions of this work, see Battle of Brunanburh.
[From the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]
An. DCCCCXXXVII.
Hēr Æðelstān cyning, eorla drihten,beorna bēahgifa, and his brōðor ēac,Ēadmund æðeling, ealdorlangne tīrgeslōgon æt sæcce sweorda ecgumymbe Brunanburh: bordweall clufan,hēowan heaðolinde hamora lāfum,eaforan Ēadweardes, swā him geæðele wæsfram cnēomāgum, ðæt hī æt campe oftwið laðra gehwæne land ealgodon,hord and hāmas. Hettend crungonScotta lēode and scipflotan,fǣge fēollan, feld dennodesecga swāte, siþþan sunne ūppon morgentīd, mǣre tungol,glād ofer grundas, Godes candel beorht,ēces Drihtnes, oð sīo æðele gesceaftsāh to setle. Ðær læg secg moniggārum āgēted, guma Norðernaofer scyld scoten, swylce Scyttisc ēac,wērig wīges sæd. Wesseaxe forðandlangne dæg ēorodcystumon lāst legdon lāðum ðēodum;hēowan hereflȳman hindan ðearlemēcum mylenscearpum. Myrce ne wyrndonheardes handplegan hæleða nānumðāra ðe mid Anlāfe ofer ēargeblandon lides bōsme land gesōhton,fǣge tō gefeohte. Fīfe lāgonon ðām campstede cyningas geonge,sweordum āswefede, swylce seofene ēaceorlas Anlāfes, unrīm herges,flotena and Scotta. Ðær geflȳmed wearðNorðmanna brego, nēade gebǣded,tō lides stefne lȳtle weorode:crēad cnear on flot, cyning ūt gewāton fealene flōd, feorh generede.Swylce ðǣr ēac sē frōda mid flēame cōmon his cȳþþe norð, Costantīnus,hār hilderinc; hrēman ne ðorftemēca gemānan; hē wæs his māga sceard,frēonda gefylled on folcstede,beslægen æt sæcce, and his sunu forlēton wælstōwe wundum forgrunden,geongne æt gūðe. Gylpan ne ðorftebeorn blandenfeax billgeslihtes,eald inwidda, nē Anlāf ðȳ māmid heora herelāfum hlihhan ne ðorftunðæt hī beaduweorca beteran wurdonon campstede cumbolgehnāstes,gārmittinge, gumena gemōtes,wǣpemgewrīxles, ðæs hī on wælfeldawið Ēadweardes eaforan plegodon.Gewiton him þā Norðmenn nægledcearrum,drēorig daroða lāf, on Dinges mereofer dēop wæter Dyflin sēcan,and eft Īraland, ǣwiscmōde.Swylce ðā gebrōðor bēgen ætsomne,cyning and æðeling, cȳþþe sōhton,Wesseaxena land, wīges hrēmige.Lētan him behindan hrā bryttigansalowigpādan, ðone sweartan hræfn,hyrnednebban, and ðone hasopādan,earn æftan hwīt, ǣses brūcan,grǣdigne gūðhafoc, and ðæt grǣge dēor,wulf on wealda. Ne wearð wæl māreon ðȳs īglande ǣfre gȳtafolces gefylled beforan ðyssumsweordes ecgum, ðæs ðe ūs secgað bēc,ealde ūðwitan, siþþan ēastan hiderEngle and Seaxe ūpp becōmon,ofer brāde brimu Brytene sōhton,wlance wīgsmiðas, Wēalas ofercōmon,eorlas ārhwate eard begēatan.