Classic Poem

Crist waes acennyd, cyninga wuldor,
on midne winter, maere þeoden,
ece aelmihtig, on þy eahteo├░an daeg
Haelend gehaten, heofonrices weard.
Swa þa sylfan tiid side herigeas,
folc unmaete, habba├░ foreweard gear,
for þy se kalend us cyme├░ geþincged
on þam ylcan daege us to tune,
forma mona├░; hine folc mycel
Ianuarius gerum heton.
And þaes embe fif niht þaette fulwihttiid
eces drihtnes to us cyme├░,
þaene twelfta daeg tireadige,
haele├░ hea├░urofe, hata├░ on Brytene,
in foldan her. Swylce emb feower wucan
þaette Solmona├░ sige├░ to tune
butan twam nihtum, swa hit getealdon geo,
Februarius faer, frode gesiþas,
ealde aegleawe. And þaes embe ane niht
þaet we Marian maessan healda├░,
cyninges modor, forþan heo Crist on þam daege,
bearn wealdendes, brohte to temple
?aenne þaes emb fif niht þaet afered by├░
winter of wicum, and se wigend þa
aefter seofentynum swylt þrowade
nihtgerimes, nergendes þegen,
Mathias maere, mine gefraege,
þaes þe lencten on tun geliden haefde,
werum to wicum. Swylce eac is wide cu├░
ymb III and twa þeodum gewelhwaer
his cyme kalend ceorlum and eorlum
(butan þaenne bises geboden weor├░e
feor├░an geare; þaenne he fur├░or cyme├░
ufor anre niht us to tune),
hrime gehyrsted hagolscurum faer├░
geond middangeard. Martius re├░e,
Hlyda healic ?aenne se halga þaes
emb XI niht aeþele scynde
Gregorius in godes waere,
breme in Brytene. Swylce Benedictus
embe nigon niht þaes nergend sohte,
heard and higestrang, þaene heria├░ wel
in gewritum wise, wealdendes þeow
rincas regolfaeste. Swylce eac rimcraeftige
on þa ylcan tiid emniht healda├░,
for├░an wealdend god worhte aet frym├░e
on þy sylfan daege sunnan and monan.
Hwaet, ymb feower niht faeder onsende,
þaes þe emnihte eorlas healda├░,
heahengel his, se haelo abead
Marian mycle, þaet heo meotod sceolde
cennan, kyninga betst, swa hit gecy├░ed wear├░
geond middangeard; waes þaet maere wyrd,
folcum gefraege! Swylce emb feower and þreo
nihtgerimes, þaette nergend sent
Aprelis mona├░, on þam oftust cym├░
seo maere tiid mannum to frofre,
drihtnes aerist; þaenne dream gerist
wel wide gehwaer, swa se witega sang:
" þis is se daeg þaene drihten us
wisfaest worhte, wera cneorissum,
eallum eor├░warum eadigum to blisse. "
Ne magon we þa tide be getale healdan
dagena rimes, ne drihtnes stige
on heofenas up, forþan þe hwearfa├░ aa
wisra gewyrdum, ac sceal wintrum frod
on circule craefte findan
halige dagas. Sculan we hwae├░ere gyt
martira gemynd ma areccan,
wrecan wordum for├░, wisse gesingan,
þaet embe nihgontyne niht and fifum,
þaes þe Eastermona├░ to us cyme├░,
þaet man reliquias raeran onginne├░,
halige gehyrste; þaet is healic daeg,
bentiid bremu. Swylce in burh raþe.
embe siex niht þaes, smicere on gearwum,
wudum and wyrtum cyme├░ wlitig scri├░an
þrymilce on tun, þearfe bringe├░
Maius micle geond menigeo gehwaer.
Swa þi ylcan daege aeþele geferan,
Philippus and Iacob, feorh agefan,
modige magoþegnas for meotudes lufan.
And þaes embe twa niht þaette taehte god
Elenan eadigre aeþelust beama,
on þam þrowode þeoden engla
for manna lufan, meotud on galgan
be faeder leafe. Swylce ymb fyrst wucan
butan anre niht þaette yldum bring├░
sigelbeorhte dagas sumor to tune,
wearme gewyderu. þaenne wangas hra├░e
blostmum blowa├░, swylce blis astih├░
geond middangeard manigra hada
cwicera cynna, cyninge lof secga├░
maenifealdlice, maerne brema├░,
aelmihtigne. þaes emb eahta and nigon
dogera rimes þaette drihten nam
in o├░er leoht. Agustinus,
bli├░ne on breostum, þaes þe he on Brytene her
ea├░mode him eorlas funde
to godes willan, swa him se gleawa bebead
Gregorius. Ne hyrde ic guman a fyrn
aenigne aer aefre bringan
ofer sealtne mere selran lare,
bisceop bremran. Nu on Brytene rest
on Cantwarum cynestole neah,
mynstre maerum. þaenne mona├░ bring├░
ymb twa and feower tiida lange
Ærra Li├░a us to tune,
Iunius on geard, on þam gim astih├░
on heofenas up hyhst on geare,
tungla torhtust, and of tille agrynt,
to sete sige├░. Wyle sy├░├░an leng
grund behealdan and gangan lator
ofer foldan wang faegerust leohta,
woruldgesceafta. þaenne wuldres þegn
ymb þreotyne, þeodnes dyrling,
Iohannes in geardagan wear├░ acenned,
tyn nihtum eac; we þa tiid healda├░
on midne sumor mycles on aeþelum.
Wide is geweor├░od, swa þaet wel gerist,
haligra tid geond haele├░a bearn,
Petrus and Paulus. Hwaet, þa apostolas,
þeodenholde, þrowedon on Rome
ofer midne sumor, miccle gewisse,
fur├░or fif nihtum, folcbealo þrealic,
maerne martyrdom; haefdon maenige aer
wundra geworhte geond waerþeoda,
swylce hi aefter þam unrim fremedon
swutelra and gesynra þurh sunu meotudes,
ealdorþegnas. þaenne aedre cym├░
emb twa niht þaes tidlice us
Iulius mona├░, on þam Iacobus
ymb feower niht feorh gesealde
ond twentigum, trum in breostum,
frod and faestraed folca lareow,
Zebedes afera. And þaes symle scriþ
ymb seofon niht þaes sumere gebrihted
Weodmona├░ on tun, welhwaer bringe├░
Agustus yrmenþeodum
hlafmaessan daeg. Swa þaes haerfest cym├░
ymbe o├░er swylc butan anre wanan,
wlitig, waestmum hladen; wela by├░ geywed
faegere on foldan. þaenne for├░ gewat
ymb þreo niht þaes þeodne getrywe
þurh martyrdom, maere diacon,
Laurentius, haef├░ nu lif wi├░þan
mid wuldorfaeder weorca to leane.
Swylce þaes ymb fif niht faegerust maeg├░a,
wifa wuldor, sohte weroda god
for suna sibbe, sigefaestne ham
on neorxnawange; haefde nergend þa
faegere fostorlean faemnan forgolden
ece to ealdre. þaenne ealling by├░
ymb tyn niht þaes tiid geweor├░ad
Bartholomeus in Brytene her,
wyrd welþungen. Swylce eac wide by├░
eorlum geypped aeþelinges dea├░
ymb feower niht, se þe faegere iu
mid waetere oferwearp wuldres cynebearn,
wiga weor├░lice. Be him wealdend cwae├░
þaet nan maerra man geond middangeard
betux wife and were wurde acenned.
Ond þaes ymbe þreo niht geond þeoda feala
þaette Haligmon├░, heleþum geþinged,
fere├░ to folce, swa hit foregleawe,
ealde uþwitan, aeror fundan,
Septembres faer, and þy seofoþan daeg
þaet acenned wear├░ cwena selost,
drihtnes modor. þaenne dagena worn
ymbe þreotyne þegn unforcu├░,
godspelles gleaw, gast onsende
Matheus his to metodsceafte,
in ecne gefean. þaenne ealling cym├░
ymb þreo niht þaes þeodum wide
emnihtes daeg, ylda bearnum.
Hwaet, we weor├░ia├░ wide geond eor├░an
heahengles tiid on haerfeste,
Michaheles, swa þaet menigo wat,
fif nihtum ufor þaes þe folcum by├░,
eorlum geywed emnihtes daeg.
And þaes embe twa niht þaet se teo├░a mon├░
on folc fere├░, frode geþeahte,
October on tun us to genihte,
Winterfylle├░, swa hine wide ciga├░
igbuende. Engle and Seaxe,
weras mid wifum. Swylce wigena tiid
ymb twentig þaes twegra healda├░
and seofon nihtum samod aetgaedere
on anne daeg. We þa aeþelingas
fyrn gefrunan þaet hy foremaere,
Simon and Iudas, symble waeron,
drihtne dyre; forþon hi dom hlutan,
eadigne upweg. And þaes ofstum bring├░
embe feower niht, folce genihtsum,
Blotmona├░ on tun, beornum to wiste,
Nouembris, ni├░a bearnum
eadignesse, swa nan o├░er na de├░
mona├░ maran miltse drihtnes.
And þy ylcan daege ealra we healda├░
sancta symbel þara þe si├░ o├░├░e aer
worhtan in worulde willan drihtnes.
Syþþan wintres daeg wide gange├░
on syx nihtum, sigelbeortne genim├░
haerfest mid herige hrimes and snawes,
forste gefeterad, be frean haese,
þaet us wunian ne moton wangas grene,
foldan fraetuwe. þaes ymb feower niht
þaette Martinus maere geleorde,
wer womma leas wealdend sohte,
upengla weard. þaenne embe eahta niht
and feowerum þaette fan gode
besenctun on saegrund sigefaestne wer,
on brime haran, þe iu beorna fela
Clementes oft clypi├░ to þearfe.
And þaes embe seofon niht, sigedrihtne leof,
aeþele Andreas up on roderum
his gast ageaf on godes waere,
fus on for├░weg. þaenne folcum bring├░
morgen to mannum mona├░ to tune,
Decembris drihta bearnum,
Ærra Iula. Swylce emb eahta and twelf
nihtgerimes þaette nergend sylf
þristhydigum Thomase forgeaf
wi├░ earfe├░um ece rice,
bealdum beornwigan bletsunga his.
þaenne emb feower niht þaette faeder engla
his sunu sende on þas sidan gesceaft
folcum to frofre. Nu ge findan magon
haligra tiida þe man healdan sceal,
swa bebuge├░ gebod geond Brytenricu
Sexna kyninges on þas sylfan tiid.