Ælfric's Life of St Edmund

Part I: Deeds in Life (lines 126-222)

(126) Sum swyðe gelæred° munuc com suþan° ofer sæ fram sancte Benedictes stowe° on Æþelredes cynincges dæge to Dunstane ærcebisceope, þrim° gearum ær he forðferde°; and se munuc hatte° Abbo.
learned (nsm), south, place (ds), three (dp), died (pret 3s), is called (pass pres)

(128) Þa wurdon hi æt spræce oþþæt Dunstan rehte° be sancte Eadmunde, swa swa Eadmundes swurdbora° hit rehte Æþelstane cynincge þa þa Dunstan iung man wæs, and se swurdbora wæs forealdod° man.
explained (pret 3s), sword-bearer (ns), elderly (nsm)

(131) Þa gesette° se munuc ealle þa gereccednysse° on anre bec, and eft ða þa seo boc com to us binnan feawum gearum þa awende° we hit on Englisc, swa swa hit heræfter stent°.
composed (pret 3s), narrative (as), translated (pret 1p), remains (pres 3s)

(134) Se munuc þa Abbo binnan twam gearum gewende° ham to his mynstre and wearð sona to abbode geset° on þam ylcan mynstre.
returned (pret 3s), appointed (p ptc nsm)

(137) Eadmund se eadiga° eastengla° cynincg wæs snotor° and wurðfull°, and wurðode° symble° mid æþelum þeawum° þone ælmihtigan God.
blessed (nsm), of East Anglia, wise (nsm), honourable (nsm), worshipped (pret 3s), always, customs (dp)

(139) He wæs eadmod° and geþungen°, and swa anræde° þurhwunode° þæt he nolde abugan° to bysmorfullum° leahtrum°, ne on naþre° healfe he ne ahylde° his þeawas, ac wæs symble gemyndig° þære soþan lare.
humble (nsm), virtuous (nsm), resolute (nsm), persisted (pret 3s), to yield, shameful (dp), vices (dp), neither (dsf), deviated from (pret 3s), mindful (nsm + gen)

(142) Gif þu eart to heafodmen° geset, ne ahefe° þu ðe, ac beo betwux mannum swa swa an man of him.
leader (ds), raise (imp s)

(143) He wæs cystig° wædlum° and wydewum° swa swa fæder, and mid welwillendnysse° gewissode° his folc symle to rihtwisnysse, and þam reþum° styrde°, and gesæliglice° leofode on soþan geleafan.
generous (nsm), beggars (dp), widows (dp), benevolence (ds), directed (pret 3s), cruel [ones] (dpm), punished (pret 3s + dat), blessedly

(147) Hit gelamp° ða °æt nextan° þæt þa Deniscan leode ferdon° mid sciphere° hergiende° and sleande wide geond land swa swa heora gewuna° is.
happened (pret 3s), eventually, set out (pret 3p), fleet (ds), ravaging (pres ptc npm), custom (ns)

(149) On þam flotan° wæron þa fyrmestan° heafodmen Hinguar and Hubba, geanlæhte° þurh deofol, and hi on Norðhymbralande gelendon° mid æscum°, and aweston° þæt land, and þa leoda ofslogon.
ship (ds), foremost (npm), united (p ptc npm), arrived (pret 3p), spears (dpl), laid waste (pret 3p)

(152) Þa gewende Hinguar east mid his scipum, and Hubba belaf° on Norðhymbralande, gewunnenum° sige° mid wælhreownysse°.
remained behind (pret 3s), won (p ptc dsm), victory (ds), bloodthirstiness (ds)

(153) Hinguar þa becom to eastenglum rowende°, on þam geare þe ælfred æðelincg an and twentig geare wæs, se þe westsexena cynincg siþþan wearð mære°.
rowing (pres ptc), illustrious

(156) And se foresæda° Hinguar færlice° swa swa wulf on lande bestalcode°, and þa leode sloh weras and wif, and þa ungewittigan° cild, and °to bysmore° tucode° þa bilewitan° Cristenan.
aforementioned (nsm), swiftly, stalked (pret 3s), guileless (apm), shamefully, mistreated (pret 3s), innocent (ap)

(159) He sende ða sona syððan to þam cyninge beotlic° ærende°, þæt he abugan° sceolde to his manrædene° gif he rohte° his feores°.
boastful (asn), message (as), to bow, service (ds), cared about (pret 3s + gen), life (gs)

(160) Se ærendraca° com þa to Eadmunde cynincge and Hinguares ærende him ardlice° abead°.
messenger (ns), quickly, delivered (pret 3s)

(162) "Hinguar ure cyning, cene and sigefæst° on sæ and on lande, hæfð fela þeoda gewyld°, and com nu mid fyrde færlice her to lande þæt he her wintersetl° mid his werode° hæbbe.
victorious (nsm), control (as), winter quarters (as), troop (ds)

(164) Nu het° he þe dælan° þine digelan° goldhordas and þinra yldrena° gestreon° ardlice wið hine, and þu beo his underkyning, gif ðu cucu° beon wylt, forðan þe ðu næfst þa mihte þæt þu mage him wiðstandan."
commands (pres 3s), to share, secret (apm), of ancestors, treasure (as), alive (nsm)

(168) Hwæt þa Eadmund clypode° ænne bisceop þe him þa gehendost° wæs, and wið hine smeade° hu he þam reþan Hinguare andwyrdan° sceolde.
summoned (pret 3s), nearest, reflected (pret 3s), to answer

(170) Þa forhtode° se bisceop for þam færlican° gelimpe°, and for þæs cynincges life, and cwæþ þæt him ræd þuhte þæt he to þam gebuge° þe him bead° Hinguar.
feared (pret 3s), sudden (dsn), misfortune (ds), might submit (pres subj 3s), commanded (pret 3s)

(172) Þa suwode° se cynincg and beseah° to þære eorþan, and cwæþ þa °æt nextan° cynelice° him to, "Eala þu bisceop, °to bysmore° synd getawode° þas earman landleoda°, and me nu leofre° wære þæt ic on feohte feolle wið þam þe min folc moste heora eardes brucan°."
became quiet (pret 3s), looked (pret 3s), eventually, regally, shamefully, mistreated (p ptc npm), inhabitants (np), more agreeable (nsn), to enjoy

(176) And se bisceop cwæþ, "Eala þu leofa cyning, þin folc lið ofslagen, and þu næfst þone fultum° þæt þu feohtan mæge, and þas flotmen° cumað, and þe cucenne° gebindað° butan þu mid fleame° þinum feore° gebeorge°, oððe þu þe swa gebeorge þæt þu buge to him."
support (as), Vikings (np), alive (asm), hold fast (pres 3p), flight (ds), life (ds), protect (pres subj 2s)

(180) Þa cwæð Eadmund cyning swa swa he ful cene° wæs, "þæs ic gewilnige° and gewisce° mid mode, þæt ic ana ne belife° æfter minum leofum þegnum þe on heora bedde° wurdon, mid bearnum and wifum, færlice ofslægene fram þysum flotmannum.
brave (nsm), desire (pres 1s), wish (pres 1s), survive (pres 1s), bed (ds)

(184) Næs me næfre gewunelic° þæt ic worhte° fleames, ac ic wolde swiðor° sweltan° gif ic þorfte° for minum agenum earde, and se ælmihtiga God wat þæt ic nelle abugan fram his biggengum° æfre, ne fram his soþan lufe, swelte ic, lybbe ic."
customary (nsn), took (pret subj 1s + gen), rather, to die, needed (pret 1s), observances (dp)

(188) Æfter þysum wordum he gewende° to þam ærendracan þe Hinguar him to sende, and sæde him unforht°, "Witodlice° þu wære wyrðe° sleges° nu, ac ic nelle afylan° on þinum fulum° blode mine clænan handa, forðan þe ic Criste folgie°, þe us swa gebysnode°, and ic bliðelice° wille beon ofslagen þurh eow gif hit swa god foresceawað°.
turned (pret 3s), unafraid (nsm), certainly, worthy, of slaughter, to defile, vile (dsn), follow (pres 1s + dat), set an example (pret 3s), gladly, preordains (pres 3s)

(193) Far° nu swiþe hraðe°, and sege þinum reþan hlaforde, 'ne abihð næfre Eadmund Hingware on life, hæþenum heretogan°, buton he to Hælende Criste ærest mid geleafan on þysum lande gebuge.'"
go (imp s), quickly, commander (ds)

(197) Þa gewende se ærendraca ardlice aweg, and gemette be wæge° þone wælhreowan° Hingwar mid eallre his fyrde° fuse° to Eadmunde, and sæde þam arleasan° hu him geandwyrd° wæs.
road (ds), bloodthirsty (asm), army (ds), hastening (ap), dishonourable [man] (dsm), answered (p ptc)

(199) Hingwar þa bebead mid bylde° þam sciphere þæt hi þæs cynincges anes ealle cepan° sceoldon, þe his hæse° forseah°, and hine sona bindan.
boldness (ds), to seize (+ gen), command (as), rejected (pret 3s)

(201) Hwæt þa Eadmund cynincg mid þam þe Hingwar com, stod innan his healle þæs Hælendes gemyndig, and awearp° his wæpna, wolde geæfenlæcan° Cristes gebysnungum, þe forbead° Petre mid wæpnum to winnenne° wið þa wælhreowan Iudeiscan.
discarded (pret 3s), to imitate, forbade (pret 3s), fight (infl inf)

(205) Hwæt þa arleasan þa Eadmund gebundon, and gebysmrodon° huxlice°, and beoton° mid saglum°; and swa syððan læddon þone geleaffullan° cyning to anum eorðfæstum° treowe, and tigdon° hine þærto mid heardum° bendum°, and hine eft swuncgon° langlice° mid swipum°, and he symble clypode betwux þam swinglum mid soðan geleafan to Hælende Criste, and þa hæþenan þa for his geleafan wurdon wodlice° yrre° forþanþe he clypode Crist him to fultume.
mocked (pret 3p), shamefully, beat (pret 3p), cudgels (dp), faithful (asm), firmly rooted in the earth (dsn), fastened (pret 3p), sturdy (dp), bonds (dp), beat (pret 3p), for a long time, whips (dp), furiously, angry (npm)

(212) Hi scuton° þa mid gafelucum° swilce him to gamenes° to, oð þæt he eall wæs besæt° mid heora scotungum° swilce igles° byrsta°, swa swa Sebastianus wæs.
shot (pret 3p), missiles (dp), amusement (gs), covered (p ptc), missiles (dp), of a hedgehog, bristles (np)

(214) Þa geseah Hingwar, se arlease flotman, þæt se æþela cyning nolde Criste wiðsacan°, ac mid anrædum° geleafan hine æfre clypode, het hine þa beheafdian° and þa hæðenan swa dydon.
to renounce (+ dat), resolute (dsm), to behead

(217) Betwux þam þe° he clypode to Criste þagit°, þa tugon° þa hæþenan þone halgan to slæge, and mid anum swencge slogon him of þæt heafod°, and his sawl siþode° gesælig° to Criste.
while, still, dragged (pret 3p), head (as), travelled (pret 3s), blessed (nsf)

(220) Þær wæs sum man gehende°, gehealden° þurh God behyd° þam hæþenum, þe þis gehyrde° eall, and hit eft sæde swa swa we hit secgað her.
nearby, preserved (p ptc), concealed (p ptc), heard (pret 3s)