Sermo Lupi ad Anglos

by Wulfstan

Lēofan men, gecnāwað þæt sōð is: ðēos worold is on ofste, and hit nēalǣcð þām ende, and þȳ hit is on worolde āā swā leng, swā wȳrse; and swā hit sceal nȳde for folces synnan ǣr Antecrīstes tōcyme yfelian swȳþe, and hūru hit wyrð þænne egeslic and grimlic wīde on worolde.

Understandað ēac georne þæt dēofol þās þēode nū fela gēara dwelode tō swyþe, and þæt lȳtle getrēowþa wǣran mid mannum, þēah hȳ wel spǣcan, and unrihta tō fela rīcsode on lande; and næs ā fela manna þe smēade ymbe þā bōte swā georne swā man scolde, ac dæghwāmlīce man īhte yfel æfter ōðrum and unriht rǣrde and unlaga manege ealles tō wīde gynd ealle þās þēode.

And wē ēac forþam habbað fela byrsta and bysmara gebiden, and gif wē ænige bōte gebidan scylan, þonne mote wē þæs tō Gode earnian bet þonne wē ær þysan dydan.

Forþam mid miclan earnungan wē geearnedan þā yrmða þe ūs onsittað, and mid swyþe micelan earnungan wē þā bōte motan æt Gode geræcan gif hit sceal heonanforð godiende weorðan.

La hwæt, wē witan ful georne þæt tō miclan bryce sceal micel bot nyde, and tō miclan bryne wæter unlȳtel, gif man þæt fyr sceal tō ahte acwencan.

And micel is nydþearf manna gehwilcum þæt hē Godes lage gyme heonanforð georne and Godes gerihta mid rihte gelæste.

On hæþenum þēodum ne dear man forhealdan lȳtel ne micel þæs þe gelagod is tō gedwolgoda weorðunge, and we forhealdað æghwær Godes gerihta ealles tō gelome.

And ne dear man gewanian on hæþenum þēodum inne ne ūte ænig þæra þinga þe gedwolgodan broht bið and tō lacum betæht bið, and we habbað Godes hus inne and ūte clæne berypte.

And Godes þeowas syndan mæþe and munde gewelhwær bedælde; and gedwolgoda þenan ne dear man misbeodan on ænige wisan mid hæþenum leodum, swā swā man Godes þeowum nū deð tō wīde þær Cristene scoldan Godes lage healdan and Godes þēowas griðian.

Ac soð is þæt ic secge, þearf is þære bote, forþam Godes gerihta wanedan tō lange innan þysse þēode on æghwylcan ende, and folclaga wyrsedan ealles tō swyþe, and halignessa syndan tō griðlease wide, and Godes hus syndan tō clæne berypte ealdra gerihta and innan bestrypte ælcra gerisena, and wydewan syndan fornydde on unriht tō ceorle, and tō mænege foryrmde and gehynede swyþe, and earme men syndan sare beswicene and hreowlīce besyrwde and ūt of þysan earde wīde gesealde, swyþe unforworhte, fremdum tō gewealde, and cradolcild geþeowede þurh wælhreowe unlaga for lȳtelre þyfþe wīde gynd þas þēode, and freoriht fornumene and þrælriht genyrwde and ælmesriht gewanode.

And, hrædest is tō cweþenne, Godes laga, laðe, and lāra forsawene.

And þæs wē habbað ealle þurh Godes yrre bysmor gelome, gecnāwe se ðe cunne; and se byrst wyrð gemæne, þeh man swā ne wene, eallre þysse þēode, butan God beorge.

Forþam hit is on ūs eallum swutol and gesene þæt wē ær þysan oftor bræcan þonne wē bettan, and þy is þysse þēode fela onsæge.

Ne dohte hit nū lange inne ne ūte, ac wæs here and hunger, bryne and blodgyte, on gewelhwylcan ende oft and gelōme.

And ūs stalu and cwalu, stric and steorfa, orfcwealm and uncoþu, hol and hete and rypera reaflac derede swyþe þearle, and ūs ungylda swyþe gedrehtan, and ūs unwedera foroft weoldan unwæstma.

Forþam on þysan earde wæs, swā hit þincan mæg, nū fela gēara unriht fela and tealte getrywða æghwær mid mannum.

Ne bearh nū foroft gesib gesibban þe ma þe fremdan, ne fæder his bearne, ne hwilum bearn his agenum fæder, ne broþor oþrum; ne ure ænig his lif ne fadode swā swa hē scolde, ne gehadode regollice, ne læwede lahlice, ac worhtan lust ūs tō lage ealles tō gelōme, and naþor ne heoldan ne lare ne lage Godes ne manna swā swa wē scoldan.

Ne ænig wið oþerne getrywlīce þohte swā rihte swā hē scolde, ac mæst ælc swicode and oþrum derede wordes and dæde, and hūru unrihtlīce mæst ælc oþerne æftan heaweþ sceandlican onscytan, do mare gif hē mæge.

Forþam hēr syn on lande ungetrywþa micle for Gode and for worolde, and ēac hēr syn on earde on mistlīce wīsan hlāfordswican manege.

And ealra mæst hlāfordswice se bið on worolde þæt man his hlāfordes saule beswice; and ful micel hlāfordswice ēac bið on worolde þæt man his hlāford of life forræde oððon of lande lifiendne drife; and ægþer is geworden on þysan earde.

Ēadweard man forrædde and syððan acwealde and æfter þam forbærnde.

And godsibbas and godbearn tō fela man forspilde wīde gynd þas þēode toeacan ōðran ealles tō manegan þe man unscyldgige forfor ealles tō wide.

And ealles tō manege halige stowa wīde forwurdan þurh þæt þe man sume men ær þam gelogode swā man na ne scolde, gif man on Godes griðe mæþe witan wolde; and Cristenes folces tō fela man gesealde ūt of þysan earde nū ealle hwile.

And eal þæt is Gode lað, gelyfe se þe wille.

And scandlic is tō specenne þæt geworden is tō wīde and egeslic is tō witanne þæt oft doð tō manege þe drēogað þā yrmþe, þæt sceotað tōgædere and ane cwenan gemænum ceape bicgað gemæne, and wið þā ane fylþe ādrēogað, an after anum and ælc æfter ōðrum, hundum gelicost þe for fylþe ne scrifað, and syððan wið weorðe syllað of lande feondum tō gewealde Godes gesceafte and his agenne ceap þe hē deore gebohte.

Ēac wē witan georne hwær seo yrmð gewearð þæt fæder gesealde bearn wið weorþe and bearn his modor, and broþor sealde oþerne fremdum tō gewealde; and eal þæt syndan micle and egeslīce dæda, understande se þe wille.

And git hit is mare and ēac mænigfealdre þæt dereð þysse þēode.

Mænige synd forsworene and swyþe forlogene, and wed synd tobrocene oft and gelōme, and þæt is gesyne on þysse þēode þæt ūs Godes yrre hetelīce onsit, gecnāwe se þe cunne.

And la, hu mæg mare scamu þurh Godes yrre mannum gelimpan þonne ūs deð gelōme for agenum gewyrhtum?

Ðeah þræla hwylc hlāforde ætleape and of Cristendome tō wicinge weorþe, and hit æfter þam eft geweorþe þæt wæpengewrixl weorðe gemæne þegene and þræle, gif þræl þæne þegen fullīce afylle, licge ægylde ealre his mægðe, and gif se þegen þæne þræl þe hē ær ahte fullīce afylle, gylde þegengylde.

Ful earhlīce laga and scandlīce nydgyld þurh Godes yrre ūs syn gemæne, understande se þe cunne. And fela ungelimpa gelimpð þysse þēode oft and gelōme.

Ne dohte hit nū lange inne ne ūte, ac wæs here and hete on gewelhwilcan ende oft and gelōme, and Engle nū lange eal sigelease and tō swyþe geyrgde þurh Godes yrre, and flotmen swā strange þurh Godes þafunge þæt oft on gefeohte an feseð tyne and hwilum læs, hwilum ma, eal for urum synnum.

And oft tyne oððe twelfe, ælc æfter oþrum, scendað tō bysmore þæs þegenes cwenan and hwilum his dohtor oððe nydmagan þær hē on locað þe læt hine sylfne rancne and ricne and genoh godne ær þæt gewurde.

And oft þræl þæne þegen þe ær wæs his hlāford cnyt swyþe fæste and wyrcð him tō þræle þurh Godes yrre.

Wala þære yrmðe and wala þære woroldscame þe nū habbað Engle eal þurh Godes yrre.

Oft twegen sæmen oððe þry hwilum drifað þā drafe Cristenra manna fram sæ tō sæ ūt þurh þas þēode gewelede tōgædere, ūs eallum tō woroldscame, gif we on eornost ænige cuþon ariht understandan.

Ac ealne þæne bysmor þe wē oft þoliað wē gyldað mid weorðscipe þam þe ūs scendað.

We him gyldað singallice, and hȳ ūs hynað dæghwamlice.

Hȳ hergiað and hȳ bærnað, rypaþ and reafiað and tō scipe lædað; and la, hwæt is ænig oðer on eallum þam gelimpum butan Godes yrre ofer þas þēode, swutol and gesæne?

Nis ēac nan wundor þēah ūs mislimpe, forþam wē witan ful georne þæt nū fela gēara men na ne rohtan foroft hwæt hȳ worhtan wordes oððe dæde, ac wearð þes þēodscipe, swā hit þincan mæg, swyþe forsyngod þurh mænigfealde synna and þurh fela misdæda: þurh morðdæda and þurh mandæda, þurh gitsunga and þurh gifernessa, þurh stala and þurh strudunga, þurh mannsylena and þurh hæþene unsida, þurh swicdomas and þurh searacræftas, þurh lahbrycas and þurh æswicas, þurh mægræsas and þurh manslyhtas, þurh hadbrycas and þurh æwbrycas, þurh siblegeru and þurh mistlīce forligru.

And ēac syndan wide, swā wē ær cwædan, þurh aðbricas and þurh wedbrycas and þurh mistlīce leasunga forloren and forlogen ma þonne scolde, and freolsbricas and fæstenbrycas wīde geworhte oft and gelōme.

And ēac hēr syn on earde apostatan abroþene and cyrichatan hetole and leodhatan grimme ealles tō manege, and oferhogan wīde godcundra rihtlaga and Cristenra þeawa, and hocorwyrde dysige æghwær on þēode oftost on þā þing þe Godes bodan beodaþ and swyþost on þā þing þe æfre tō Godes lage gebyriað mid rihte.

And þy is nū geworden wīde and side tō ful yfelan gewunan, þæt menn swyþor scamað nū for goddædan þonne for misdædan; forþam tō oft man mid hocere goddæda hyrweð and godfyrhte lehtreð ealles tō swyþe, and swyþost man tæleð and mid olle gegreteð ealles tō gelōme þā þe riht lufiað and Godes ege habbað be ænigum dæle.

And þurh þæt þe man swā deð þæt man eal hyrweð þæt man scolde heregian and tō forð laðet þæt man scolde lufian, þurh þæt man gebringeð ealles tō manege on yfelan geþance and on undæde, swā þæt hȳ ne scamað na þēah hȳ syngian swyðe and wið God sylfne forwyrcan hȳ mid ealle, ac for idelan onscytan hȳ scamað þæt hȳ betan heora misdæda, swā swa bec tæcan, gelīce þam dwæsan þe for heora prytan lewe nellað beorgan ær hȳ na ne magan, þēah hȳ eal willan.

Hēr syndan þurh synleawa, swā hit þincan mæg, sare gelewede tō manege on earde.

Hēr syndan mannslagan and mægslagan and mæsserbanan and mynsterhatan; and hēr syndan mansworan and morþorwyrhtan; and hēr syndan myltestran and bearnmyrðran and fule forlegene horingas manege; and hēr syndan wiccan and wælcyrian.

And hēr syndan ryperas and reaferas and woroldstruderas and, hrædest is tō cweþenne, mana and misdæda ungerim ealra.

And þæs ūs ne scamað na, ac þæs ūs scamað swyþe þæt wē bōte aginnan swā swā bec tæcan, and þæt is gesyne on þysse earman forsyngodon þēode.

Eala, micel magan manege gyt hertoeacan eaþe beþencan þæs þe an man ne mehte on hrædinge asmeagan, hu earmlīce hit gefaren is nū ealle hwile wīde gynd þas þēode.

And smeage huru georne gehwa hine sylfne and þæs na ne latige ealles tō lange.

Ac la, on Godes naman utan don swā ūs nēod is, beorgan ūs sylfum swā wē geornost magan þe læs wē ætgædere ealle forweorðan.

An þēodwita wæs on Brytta tidum Gildas hatte.

Se awrat be heora misdædum hu hȳ mid heora synnum swā oferlīce swyþe God gegræmedan þæt hē let æt nyhstan Engla here heora eard gewinnan and Brytta dugeþe fordon mid ealle.

And þæt wæs geworden þæs þe hē sæde, þurh ricra reaflac and þurh gitsunge wohgestreona, ðurh leode unlaga and þurh wohdomas, ðurh biscopa asolcennesse and þurh lyðre yrhðe Godes bydela þe soþes geswugedan ealles tō gelōme and clumedan mid ceaflum þær hȳ scoldan clypian.

Þurh fulne ēac folces gælsan and þurh oferfylla and mænigfealde synna heora eard hȳ forworhtan and selfe hȳ forwurdan.

Ac utan don swā ūs þearf is, warnian ūs be swilcan. And soþ is þæt ic secge, wyrsan dæda wē witan mid Englum þonne wē mid Bryttan ahwar gehyrdan.

And þy ūs is þearf micel þæt wē ūs beþencan and wið God sylfne þingian georne.

And utan don swā ūs þearf is, gebugan tō rihte and be suman dǣle unriht forlætan and betan swyþe georne þæt we ær bræcan.

And utan God lufian and Godes lagum fylgean, and gelæstan swyþe georne þæt þæt wē behetan þā wē fulluht underfengan, oððon þā þe æt fulluhte ūre forespecan wǣran.

And utan word and weorc rihtlīce fadian and ūre ingeþanc clænsian georne and að and wed wærlīce healdan and sume getrywða habban ūs betweonan butan uncræftan.

And utan gelōme understandan þone miclan dom þe wē ealle tō sculon, and beorgan ūs georne wið þone weallendan bryne hellewites, and geearnian ūs þā mærða and þā myrhða þe God hæfð gegearwod þam þe his willan on worolde gewyrcað.

God ūre helpe, amen.