The Exeter Book (Jebson)/Maxims I

Maxims I

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Frige mec frodum wordum!         Ne læt þinne ferð onhælne,
degol þæt þu deopost cunne!         Nelle ic þe min dyrne gesecgan,
gif þu me þinne hygecræft hylest         ond þine heortan geþohtas.
Gleawe men sceolon gieddum wrixlan.         God sceal mon ærest hergan

5

fægre, fæder userne,         forþon þe he us æt frymþe geteode
lif ond lænne willan;         he usic wile þara leana gemonian.
Meotud sceal in wuldre,         mon sceal on eorþan
geong ealdian.         God us ece biþ,
ne wendað hine wyrda         ne hine wiht dreceþ,

10

adl ne yldo         ælmihtigne;
ne gomelað he in gæste,         ac he is gen swa he wæs,
þeoden geþyldig.         He us geþonc syleð,
missenlicu mod,         monge reorde.
Feorhcynna fela         fæþmeþ wide

15

eglond monig.         Eardas rume
meotud arærde         for moncynne,
ælmihtig god,         efenfela bega
þeoda ond þeawa.         þing sceal gehegan
frod wiþ frodne;         biþ hyra ferð gelic,

20

hi a sace semaþ,         sibbe gelærað,
þa ær wonsælge         awegen habbað.
Ræd sceal mid snyttro,         ryht mid wisum,
til sceal mid tilum.         Tu beoð gemæccan;
sceal wif ond wer         in woruld cennan

25

bearn mid gebyrdum.         Beam sceal on eorðan
leafum liþan,         leomu gnornian.
Fus sceal feran,         fæge sweltan
ond dogra gehwam         ymb gedal sacan
middangeardes.         Meotud ana wat

30

hwær se cwealm cymeþ,         þe heonan of cyþþe gewiteþ.
Umbor yceð,         þa æradl nimeð;
þy weorþeð on foldan swa fela         fira cynnes,
ne sy þæs magutimbres         gemet ofer eorþan,
gif hi ne wanige         se þas woruld teode.

35

Dol biþ se þe his dryhten nat,         to þæs oft cymeð deað unþinged.
Snotre men sawlum beorgað,         healdað hyra soð mid ryhte.
Eadig bið se þe in his eþle geþihð,         earm se him his frynd geswicað.
Nefre sceal se him his nest aspringeð,         nyde sceal þrage gebunden.
Bliþe sceal bealoleas heorte.         Blind sceal his eagna þolian,

40

oftigen biþ him torhtre gesihþe.         Ne magon hi tunglu bewitian,
swegltorht sunnan ne monan;         þæt him biþ sar in his mode,
onge þonne he hit ana wat,         ne weneð þæt him þæs edhwyrft cyme.
Waldend him þæt wite teode,         se him mæg wyrpe syllan,
hælo of heofodgimme,         gif he wat heortan clæne.

45

Lef mon læces behofað.         Læran sceal mon geongne monnan,
trymman ond tyhtan þæt he teala cunne,         oþþæt hine mon atemedne hæbbe,
sylle him wist ond wædo,         oþþæt hine mon on gewitte alæde.
Ne sceal hine mon cildgeongne forcweþan,         ær he hine acyþan mote;
þy sceal on þeode geþeon,         þæt he wese þristhycgende.

50

Styran sceal mon strongum mode.         Storm oft holm gebringeþ,
geofen in grimmum sælum;         onginnað grome fundian
fealwe on feorran to londe,         hwæþer he fæste stonde.
Weallas him wiþre healdað,         him biþ wind gemæne.
Swa biþ sæ smilte,        

55

þonne hy wind ne weceð;        
swa beoþ þeoda geþwære,         þonne hy geþingad habbað,
gesittað him on gesundum þingum,         ond þonne mid gesiþum healdaþ
cene men gecynde rice.         Cyning biþ anwealdes georn;
lað se þe londes monað,         leof se þe mare beodeð.

60

þrym sceal mid wlenco,         þriste mid cenum,
sceolun bu recene         beadwe fremman.
Eorl sceal on eos boge,         eorod sceal getrume ridan,
fæste feþa stondan.         Fæmne æt hyre bordan geriseð;
widgongel wif word gespringeð,         oft hy mon wommum bilihð,

65

hæleð hy hospe mænað,         oft hyre hleor abreoþeð.
Sceomiande man sceal in sceade hweorfan,         scir in leohte geriseð.
Hond sceal heofod inwyrcan,         hord in streonum bidan,
gifstol gegierwed stondan,         hwonne hine guman gedælen.
Gifre biþ se þam golde onfehð,         guma þæs on heahsetle geneah;

70

lean sceal, gif we leogan nellað,         þam þe us þas lisse geteode.
Forst sceal freosan,         fyr wudu meltan,
eorþe growan,         is brycgian,
wæter helm wegan,         wundrum lucan
eorþan ciþas.         An sceal inbindan

75

forstes fetre         felameahtig god;
winter sceal geweorpan,         weder eft cuman,
sumor swegle hat,         sund unstille.
Deop deada wæg         dyrne bið lengest;
holen sceal inæled,         yrfe gedæled

80

deades monnes.         Dom biþ selast.
Cyning sceal mid ceape         cwene gebicgan,
bunum ond beagum;         bu sceolon ærest
geofum god wesan.         Guð sceal in eorle,
wig geweaxan,         ond wif geþeon

85

leof mid hyre leodum,         leohtmod wesan,
rune healdan,         rumheort beon
mearum ond maþmum,         meodorædenne
for gesiðmægen         symle æghwær
eodor æþelinga         ærest gegretan,

90

forman fulle         to frean hond
ricene geræcan,         ond him ræd witan
boldagendum         bæm ætsomne.
Scip sceal genægled,         scyld gebunden,
leoht linden bord,         leof wilcuma

95

Frysan wife,         þonne flota stondeð;
biþ his ceol cumen         ond hyre ceorl to ham,
agen ætgeofa,         ond heo hine in laðaþ,
wæsceð his warig hrægl         ond him syleþ wæde niwe,
liþ him on londe         þæs his lufu bædeð.

100

Wif sceal wiþ wer wære gehealdan,         oft hi mon wommum belihð;
fela bið fæsthydigra,         fela bið fyrwetgeornra,
freoð hy fremde monnan,         þonne se oþer feor gewiteþ.
Lida biþ longe on siþe;         a mon sceal seþeah leofes wenan,
gebidan þæs he gebædan ne mæg.         Hwonne him eft gebyre weorðe,

105

ham cymeð, gif he hal leofað,         nefne him holm gestyreð,
mere hafað mundum         mægðegsan wyn.
Ceapeadig mon         cyningwic þonne
leodon cypeþ,         þonne liþan cymeð;
wuda ond wætres nyttað,         þonne him biþ wic alyfed,

110

mete bygeþ, gif he maran þearf,         ærþon he to meþe weorþe.
Seoc se biþ þe to seldan ieteð;         þeah hine mon on sunnan læde,
ne mæg he be þy wedre wesan,         þeah hit sy wearm on sumera,
ofercumen biþ he, ær he acwele,         gif he nat hwa hine cwicne fede.
Mægen mon sceal mid mete fedan,         morþor under eorþan befeolan,

115

hinder under hrusan,         þe hit forhelan þenceð;
ne biþ þæt gedefe deaþ,         þonne hit gedyrned weorþeð.
Hean sceal gehnigan,         hadl gesigan,
ryht rogian.         Ræd biþ nyttost,
yfel unnyttost,         þæt unlæd nimeð.

120

God bið genge,         ond wiþ god lenge.
Hyge sceal gehealden,         hond gewealden,
seo sceal in eagan,         snyttro in breostum,
þær bið þæs monnes         modgeþoncas.
Muþa gehwylc mete þearf,         mæl sceolon tidum gongan.

125

Gold geriseþ         on guman sweorde,
sellic sigesceorp,         sinc on cwene,
god scop gumum,         garniþ werum,
wig towiþre         wicfreoþa healdan.
Scyld sceal cempan,         sceaft reafere,

130

sceal bryde beag,         bec leornere,
husl halgum men,         hæþnum synne.
Woden worhte weos,         wuldor alwalda,
rume roderas;         þæt is rice god,
sylf soðcyning,         sawla nergend,

135

se us eal forgeaf         þæt we on lifgaþ,
ond eft æt þam ende         eallum wealdeð
monna cynne.         þæt is meotud sylfa.
Ræd sceal mon secgan,         rune writan,
leoþ gesingan,         lofes gearnian,

140

dom areccan,         dæges onettan.
Til mon tiles         ond tomes meares,
cuþes ond gecostes         ond calcrondes;
nænig fira         to fela gestryneð.
Wel mon sceal wine healdan         on wega gehwylcum;

145

oft mon fereð feor bi tune,         þær him wat freond unwiotodne.
Wineleas, wonsælig mon         genimeð him wulfas to geferan,
felafæcne deor.         Ful oft hine se gefera sliteð;
gryre sceal for greggum,         græf deadum men;
hungre heofeð,         nales þæt heafe bewindeð,

150

ne huru wæl wepeð         wulf se græga,
morþorcwealm mæcga,         ac hit a mare wille.
Wræd sceal wunden,         wracu heardum men.
Boga sceal stræle,         sceal bam gelic
mon to gemæccan.         Maþþum oþres weorð,

155

gold mon sceal gifan.         Mæg god syllan
eadgum æhte         ond eft niman.
Sele sceal stondan,         sylf ealdian.
Licgende beam         læsest groweð.
Treo sceolon brædan         ond treow weaxan,

160

sio geond bilwitra         breost ariseð.
Wærleas mon ond wonhydig,        
ætrenmod ond ungetreow,        
þæs ne gymeð god.        
Fela sceop meotud þæs þe fyrn gewearð,         het siþþan swa forð wesan.

165

Wæra gehwylcum wislicu         word gerisað,
gleomen gied         ond guman snyttro.
Swa monige beoþ men ofer eorþan,         swa beoþ modgeþoncas;
ælc him hafað sundorsefan.        
Longað þonne þy læs         þe him con leoþa worn,

170

oþþe mid hondum con         hearpan gretan;
hafaþ him his gliwes giefe,         þe him god sealde.
Earm biþ se þe sceal ana lifgan,        
wineleas wunian         hafaþ him wyrd geteod;
betre him wære þæt he broþor ahte,         begen hi anes monnes,

175

eorles eaforan wæran,         gif hi sceoldan eofor onginnan
oþþe begen beran;         biþ þæt sliþhende deor.
A scyle þa rincas         gerædan lædan
ond him ætsomne swefan;        
næfre hy mon tomælde,        

180

ær hy deað todæle.        
Hy twegen sceolon tæfle ymbsittan,         þenden him hyra torn toglide,
forgietan þara geocran gesceafta,         habban him gomen on borde;
idle hond æmetlan geneah tæfles monnes,         þonne teoselum weorpeð.
Seldan in sidum ceole,         nefne he under segle yrne,

185

werig scealc wiþ winde roweþ;         ful oft mon wearnum tihð
eargne, þæt he elne forleose,         drugað his ar on borde.
Lot sceal mid lyswe,         list mid gedefum;
þy weorþeð se stan forstolen.        
Oft hy wordum toweorpað,        

190

ær hy bacum tobreden;        
geara is hwær aræd.        
Wearð fæhþo fyra cynne,         siþþan furþum swealg
eorðe Abeles blode.         Næs þæt andæge nið,
of þam wrohtdropan         wide gesprungon,

195

micel mon ældum,         monegum þeodum
bealoblonden niþ.         Slog his broðor swæsne
Cain, þone cwealm nerede;         cuþ wæs wide siþþan,
þæt ece nið ældum scod,         swa aþolwarum.
Drugon wæpna gewin         wide geond eorþan,

200

ahogodan ond ahyrdon         heoro sliþendne.
Gearo sceal guðbord,         gar on sceafte,
ecg on sweorde         ond ord spere,
hyge heardum men.         Helm sceal cenum,
ond a þæs heanan hyge         hord unginnost.