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

by James W. Bright

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 tīr
geslōgon æt sæcce sweorda ecgum
ymbe Brunanburh: bordweall clufan,
hēowan heaðolinde hamora lāfum,
eaforan Ēadweardes, swā him geæðele wæs
fram cnēomāgum, ðæt hī æt campe oft
wið laðra gehwæne land ealgodon,
hord and hāmas. Hettend crungon
Scotta lēode and scipflotan,
fǣge fēollan, feld dennode
secga swāte, siþþan sunne ūpp
on morgentīd, mǣre tungol,
glād ofer grundas, Godes candel beorht,
ēces Drihtnes, oð sīo æðele gesceaft
sāh to setle. Ðær læg secg monig
gārum āgēted, guma Norðerna
ofer scyld scoten, swylce Scyttisc ēac,
wērig wīges sæd. Wesseaxe forð
andlangne dæg ēorodcystum
on lāst legdon lāðum ðēodum;
hēowan hereflȳman hindan ðearle
mēcum mylenscearpum. Myrce ne wyrndon
heardes handplegan hæleða nānum
ðāra ðe mid Anlāfe ofer ēargebland
on lides bōsme land gesōhton,
fǣge tō gefeohte. Fīfe lāgon
on ðām campstede cyningas geonge,
sweordum āswefede, swylce seofene ēac
eorlas Anlāfes, unrīm herges,
flotena and Scotta. Ðær geflȳmed wearð
Norðmanna brego, nēade gebǣded,
tō lides stefne lȳtle weorode:
crēad cnear on flot, cyning ūt gewāt
on fealene flōd, feorh generede.
Swylce ðǣr ēac sē frōda mid flēame cōm
on his cȳþþe norð, Costantīnus,
hār hilderinc; hrēman ne ðorfte
mēca gemānan; hē wæs his māga sceard,
frēonda gefylled on folcstede,
beslægen æt sæcce, and his sunu forlēt
on wælstōwe wundum forgrunden,
geongne æt gūðe. Gylpan ne ðorfte
beorn blandenfeax billgeslihtes,
eald inwidda, nē Anlāf ðȳ mā
mid heora herelāfum hlihhan ne ðorftun
ðæt hī beaduweorca beteran wurdon
on campstede cumbolgehnāstes,
gārmittinge, gumena gemōtes,
wǣpemgewrīxles, ðæs hī on wælfelda
wið Ēadweardes eaforan plegodon.
Gewiton him þā Norðmenn nægledcearrum,
drēorig daroða lāf, on Dinges mere
ofer 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 bryttigan
salowigpādan, ðone sweartan hræfn,
hyrnednebban, and ðone hasopādan,
earn æftan hwīt, ǣses brūcan,
grǣdigne gūðhafoc, and ðæt grǣge dēor,
wulf on wealda. Ne wearð wæl māre
on ðȳs īglande ǣfre gȳta
folces gefylled beforan ðyssum
sweordes ecgum, ðæs ðe ūs secgað bēc,
ealde ūðwitan, siþþan ēastan hider
Engle and Seaxe ūpp becōmon,
ofer brāde brimu Brytene sōhton,
wlance wīgsmiðas, Wēalas ofercōmon,
eorlas ārhwate eard begēatan.