Anglo-Saxon Primer, With Grammar, Notes, and Glossary / Eighth Edition Revised

by Henry Sweet

I.

SENTENCES.

Ān on-ġinn is ealra þinga, þæt is God æl-mihtiġ. Se

ġe·lēafa þe biþ būtan gōdum weorcum, sē is dēad; þis sind

þāra apostola word. Ic eom gōd hierde: se gōda hierde

sęlþ his āgen līf for his sċēapum. Ūre Ā·līesend is se gōda

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hierde, and wē crīstene męnn sind his sċeap. Se mōna his

leoht ne sęlþ, and steorran of heofone feallaþ. Swā swā

wæter ā·dwǣsċþ fȳr, swā ā·dwǣsċþ sēo ælmesse synna.

Ealle ġe·sċeafta, heofonas and ęnġlas, sunnan and mōnan,

steorran and eorþan, eall nīetenu and ealle fuglas, sǣ and

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ealle fiscas God ġe·scōp and ġe·worhte on siex dagum; and

on þǣm seofoþan dæġe hē ġe·ęndode his weorc; and hē

be·hēold þā eall his weorc þe hē ġe·worhte, and hīe wǣron

eall swīþe gōd. Hē fērde ġeond manigu land, bodiende

Godes ġe·lēafan. Hē for·lēt eall woruld-þing. Se cyning

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be·bēad þæt man scolde ofer eall Angel-cynn sċipu wyrċan;

and hiera wæs swā fela swā nǣfre ǣr ne wæs on nānes

cyninges dæġe. Se cyning hēt of·slēan ealle þā Dęniscan

męnn þe on Angel-cynne wǣron.

Þā ne mihton hīe him nān word and-swarian, ne nān

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mann ne dorste hine nān þing māre āscian. Hīe fuhton

on þā burg ealne dæġ, and þōhton þæt hīe hīe scolden

ā·brecan. Se eorl ġe·węnde west tō Īr-lande, and wæs þǣr

ealne þone winter. Æþelred cyning and Ælfred his brōþor

fuhton wiþ ealne þone hęre on Æsces-dūne.

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Se mann is ēċe on ānum dǣle, þæt is, on þǣre sāwle;

hēo ne ġe·ęndaþ nǣfre. Ġif se biscop dēþ be his āgnum

willan, and wile bindan þone un-scyldigan, and þone scyldigan

ā·līesan, þonne for·līest hē þā miht þe him God

for·ġeaf. Þēod winþ on·ġēan þēode, and rīċe on·ġēan rīċe.

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Ealle męnn ēow hatiaþ for mīnum naman. Hē ġe·worhte

fela wundra binnan þǣm fierste þe hē biscop wæs. Hē

ġe·hǣlde sum wīf mid hālgum wætre. Se cyning wearþ

of·slæġen fram his āgnum folce. On þǣm ilcan ġēare wæs

se miċla hungor ġeond Angel-cynn. Se mæsse-prēost āscaþ

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þæt ċild, and cwiþþ: 'Wiþ·sæcst þū dēofle?' Þonne andwyrt

se god-fæder, and cwiþþ: 'Ic wiþ·sace dēofle.' God

ælmihtiga, ġe·miltsa mē synn-fullum! Æþelred cyning cōm

hām tō his āgenre þēode, and hē glædlīce fram him eallum

on·fangen wearþ.

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Crīst, ūre Dryhten, be·bēad his leornung-cnihtum þæt

hīe scolden tǣċan eallum þēodum þā þing þā hē self him

tǣhte. Ġif ġē for·ġiefaþ mannum hiera synna, þonne for·giefþ

ēower se heofonlica Fæder ēowre synna. Ne mæġ nān

mann twǣm hlāfordum þēowian: oþþe hē ānne hataþ and

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ōþerne lufaþ, oþþe hē biþ ānum ġe·hīersum and ōþrum unġehīersum.

Se cyning nam þæs eorles sunu mid him tō Ęnġla-lande.

Męnn be·hōfiaþ gōdre lāre on þissum tīman, þe is ġe·ęndung

þisse worulde. Se līchama, þe is þǣre sāwle rēaf, andbīdaþ

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þæs miċlan dōmes; and þēah hē bēo tō dūste for·molsnod,

God hine ā·rǣrþ, and ġe·bringþ tō·gædre sāwle and

līchaman tō þǣm ēċan līfe. Hwelc fæder wile sęllan his

ċilde stān, ġif hit hine hlāfes bitt? Ā·ġiefaþ þǣm cāsere þā

þing þe þæs cāseres sind, and Gode þā þing þe Godes sind.

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Sēo sāwol and-bīdaþ þæs ēċan ǣristes.

Hē wæs cyning ofer eall Ęnġla-land twęntiġ wintra. God

ælmihtiġ is ealra cyninga cyning, and ealra hlāforda hlāford.

Dēofol is ealra un-riht-wīsra manna hēafod, and þā

yflan męnn sind his limu. Synnfulra manna dēaþ is yfel and

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earmlic, for þǣm þe hīe faraþ of þissum scortan līfe tō ēċum

wītum. Hū fela hlāfa hæbbe ġē? Seofon, and fēa fisca.

Ne ġe·wilna þū ōþres mannes ǣhta!

On þǣm landum eardodon Ęnġle, ǣr þǣm þe hīe hider on

land cōmon. Hīe fuhton on þā burg ealne dæġ, ac hīe ne

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mihton hīe ā·brecan. Þā ēodon hīe tō hiera sċipum. Þǣr

bēoþ swīþe maniġe byriġ on þǣm lande, and on ǣlcre byriġ

biþ cyning.

God cwæþ tō Noē: 'Ic wile for·dōn eall mann-cynn mid

wætre for hiera synnum, ac ic wile ġe·healdan þē, and þīn

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wīf, and þīne þrīe suna.' Ān mann hæfde twēġen suna; þā

cwæþ hē tō þǣm ieldran: 'gā and wyrċ tō·dæġ on mīnum

wīn-ġearde.' Þā cwæþ hē: 'ic nyle:' ēode þēah siþþan tō

þǣm wīnġearde. Hē dyde his fæder willan. Se prēost

cwæþ tō þǣm folce: 'Ic ēow blētsiġe on naman þæs Fæder,

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þæs Suna, and þæs Hālgan Gāstes.' Āra þīnum fæder and

þīnre mēder! Sum wīf cōm tō Crīste, and bæd for hiere

dehter. Sēo dohtor wearþ ġe·hǣled þurh ġe·lēafan þǣre

mōdor.

Bēoþ ġe·myndiġe þāra twēġra worda þe Dryhten cwæþ on

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his god-spelle! Hē cwæþ: 'For·ġiefaþ, and ēow biþ for·ġiefen;

sęllaþ, and ēow biþ ġe·seald.'

Twēġen męnn ēodon intō Godes temple hīe tō ġe·biddenne.

Ælfred cyning fōr mid þrim sċipum ūt on sǣ, and

ġe·feaht wiþ fēower sċip-hlæstas Dęniscra manna, and þāra

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sċipa twā ġe·nam, and þā męnn of·slæġene wǣron þe

þǣr-on wǣron. Þā cōmon þrēo sċipu. Þā ġe·fēngon hīe

þāra þrēora sċipa twā, and þˉa męnn of·slōgon, ealle būtan

fīfum. Se wītega ā·wrāt be þǣm fēower nīetenum þe him

æt·īewdu wǣron, þæt hīe hæfden ēagan him on ǣlce healfe.

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Ān þāra nīetena wæs on męnniscre onsīene him æt·īewed,

ōþer on lēon onsīene, þridde on ċealfes, fēorþe on earnes.

God þone ǣrestan mann rihtne and gōdne ġe·scōp, and

eall mann-cynn mid him. Ælfred Æþelwulfing wæs cyning

ofer eall Angel-cynn būtan þǣm dǣle þe under Dęna onwealde

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wæs. Ǣlc gōd trēow bierþ gōde wæstmas, and ǣlc

yfel trēow bierþ yfle wæstmas; ne mæġ þæt gōde trēow

beran yfle wæstmas, ne þæt yfle trēow gōde wæstmas.

Ēadigu sind ēowru ēagan, for þǣm þe hīe ġe·sēoþ, and

ēowru ēaran, for þǣm þe hīe ġe·hīeraþ. Swā hwā swā sęlþ

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ānum þurstigum męnn ċeald wæter on mīnum naman, ne

for·līest hē his mēde. Ne fare ġē on hǣþenra manna weġe!

Gōd mann of gōdum gold-horde bringþ gōd forþ; and yfel

mann of yflum goldhorde bringþ yfel forþ.

Gregōrius se hālga pāpa is rihtlīce ġe·cweden Ęnġliscre

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þēode apostol. Þā hē ġe·seah þæt se mǣsta dǣl þǣre þēode

his lāre for·sāwon, þā for·lēt hē hīe, and ġe·ċēas þā hǣþnan

lēode. Ġif se blinda blindne lǣtt, hīe feallaþ bēġen on ānne

pytt. Se Hālga Gāst is lufu and willa þæs Fæder and þæs

Suna; and hīe sind ealle ġe·līce mihtiġe. Bętere is sēo

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sāwol þonne se męte, and bętera se līchama þonne his scrūd.

Sēo sāwol is gāst, and be eorþlicum męttum ne leofaþ.

Be·healdaþ þās flēogendan fuglas, þe ne sāwaþ ne ne rīpaþ,

ac se heofonlica Fæder hīe ā·fētt. Hē cwæþ, 'Ic neom

ōþrum mannum ġe·līc;' swelce hē cwǣde, 'Ic āna eom rihtwīs,

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and þā ōþre sind synn-fulle.'

Þā se Hǣlend þanon fōr, þā folgodon him twēġen blinde,

cweþende: 'Ġe·miltsa unc, Davīdes sunu!' Hē cwæþ tō

him: 'Ġe·līefe ġit þæt ic inc mæġe ġe·hælan?' Hē cwæþ:

'Sīe inc æfter incrum ġe·lēafan.' Æþelstān cyning fōr

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inn on Scot-land, ǣġþer ġe mid land-hęre ġe mid sċip-hęre,

and his miċel ofer·hęrgode. Se mann þe God for·ġiett, God

for·ġiett ēac hine. Faraþ, and lǣraþ ealle þēoda! Lǣraþ

hīe þæt hīe healden eall þā þing þe ic ēow be·bēad! Sume

męnn sæġdon be him þæt hē wǣre Ælfredes sunu cyninges.

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Se Hǣlend āscode his leornung-cnihtas, 'Hwone sęċġaþ

męnn þæt sīe mannes Sunu?' Hwæt sęċġe ġē þæt ic sīe?

Þū eart þæs libbendan Godes sunu. Crīst cwæþ be his

Fæder: 'Ġē sęċġaþ þæt hē ēower God sīe, and ġē hine ne

on·cnēowon.' Ġif hīe þone hālgan Fæder on·cnēowen,

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þonne under·fēngen hīe mid ġe·lēafan his Sunu, þe hē ā·sęnde

tō middan-ġearde. Se weġ is swīþe nearu and sticol

sē þe lǣtt tō heofona rīċe; and se weġ is swīþe brād and

smēþe sē þe lǣtt tō hęlle wĭte. Dysiġ biþ se weġ-fērenda

mann sē þe nimþ þone smēþan weġ þe hīne mis-lǣtt, and

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for·lǣtt þone sticolan þe hine ġe·bringþ tō þǣre byriġ. Þæt

ic ēow sęċġe on þēostrum, sęċġaþ hit on leohte; and þæt

ġē on ēare ġe·hīeraþ, bodiaþ uppan hrōfum. Hīe scufon ūt

hiera sċipu, and ġe·węndon him be·ġeondan sǣ.

Healdaþ and dōþ swā hwæt swā hīe sęċġaþ; and ne dō

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ġē nā, æfter hiera weorcum: hīe sęċġaþ, and ne dōþ. Eall

hiera weorc hīe dōþ þæt męnn hīe ġe·sēon. Hīe lufiaþ þæt

man hīe grēte on strǣtum. Ēalā ġē nǣddran and nǣddrena

cynn, hū flēo ġē fram hęlle dōme?

Wē sind ealle cuman on þissum and-weardan līfe, and

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ūre eard nis nā hēr; ac wē sind hēr swelce weġ-fērende

męnn: ān cymþ, ōþer færþ. Hwelc mann sęlþ his bearne

nǣddran, ġif hit fisces bitt? Ǣlc þāra þe bitt, hē on·fēhþ;

and sē þe sēċþ, hē hit fint. Ne gǣþ ǣlc þāra on heofona

rīċe þe cwiþþ tō mē, 'Dryhten, Dryhten;' ac sē þe wyrċþ

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mīnes Fæder willan þe on heofonum is, sē gǣþ on heofona

rīċe. Nis hit nā gōd þǣt man nime bearna hlāf and hundum

weorpe. Ic hæbbe þeġnas under mē: and ic cweþe tō

þissum, 'gā,' and hē gǣþ; and tō ōþrum, 'cum,' and hē

cymþ, and tō mīnum þēowe, 'wyrċ þis,' and hē wyrċþ.

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Se Hǣlend ġe·nam þā fīf hlāfas, and blētsode, and tō·bræc,

and tō·dǣlde be·twix þǣm sittendum; swā ġe·līce ēac

þā fiscas tō·dǣlde; and hīe ealle ġe·nōg hæfdon. Þā þe

þǣr ǣton wǣron fēower þūsend manna, būtan ċildum and

wīfum. Hīe cōmon tō him, and tō him ġebǣdon, and þus

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cwǣdon: 'Sōþlīce þū eart Godes sunu.' Ne wēne ġē þæt

ic cōme sibbe on eorþan to sęndenne: ne cōm ic sibbe tō

sęndenne, ac sweord. Hē be·bēad þæt hīe sǣten ofer þǣre

eorþan. Hē sæġde þæt Norþ-manna land wǣre swīþe lang

and swīþe smæl.

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Hīe ealle on þone cyning wǣron feohtende, oþ þæt hīe

hine ofslæġenne hæfdon. Ǣlc mann þe ōþre męnn for·sihþ

biþ fram Gode for·sewen. Sē þe ēaran hæbbe tō ġe·hiērenne,

ġe·hīere. Gōd is ūs hēr tō bēonne.

God cwæþ tō ānum wītegan, sē wæs Ionas ġe·hāten:

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'Far tō þǣre byriġ, and boda þǣr þā word þe ic þē sęċġe.'

Lufiaþ ēowre fīend, and dōþ wel þǣm þe ēow yfel dōþ.

Lufa Dryhten þīnne God on ealre þīnre heortan, and on

ealre þīnre sawle, and on eallum þīnum mōde. Sē þe ne

lufaþ his brōþor, þone þe hē ġe·sihþ, hū mæġ hē lufian God,

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þone þe hē ne ġe·sihþ līcham-līce? Sęġe ūs hwonne þās

þing ġe·weorþen, and hwelc tācen sīe þīnes tō-cymes and

worulde ġe·ęndunge.

Se Hǣlend cwæþ tō ānum his leornung-cnihta, sē wæs

hāten Philippus: 'Mid hwǣm magon wē byċġan hlāf þissum

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folce?' Wel wiste Crīst hwæt hē dōn wolde, and hē wiste

þæt Philippus þæt nyste. God mæġ dōn eall þing; wē

sculon wundrian his mihte, and ēac ġe·līefan. Crīst ā·rǣrde

Lazarum of dēaþe, and cwæþ tō his leornung-cnihtum: 'Tō·līesaþ

his bęndas, þæt hē gān mæġe.' God is ælmihtiġ,

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and mæġ dōn eall þæt hē wile. Ġē nyton on hwelcre tīde

ēower hlāford cuman wile. For þǣm bēo ġē ġearwe; for

þǣm þe mannes Sunu wile cuman on þǣre tīde þe ġē nyton.

Se Hǣlend cwæþ be his Fæder: 'Ic hine cann, and ġif ic

sęċġe þæt ic hine ne cunne, þonne bēo ic lēas, ēow ġe·līc.'

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Se dēofol cwæþ tō Crīste: 'Ġif þū sīe Godes sunu, cweþ

tō þissum stānum þæt hīe bēon ā·węnde tō hlāfum.' Þā

and-wyrde se Hǣlend, and cwæþ: 'Hit is ā·writen, "ne

leofaþ se mann nā be hlāfe ānum, ac leofaþ be eallum þǣm

wordum þe gāþ of Godes mūþe."' Se Hǣlend cōm tō him,

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þǣr hīe wǣron ġe·gadrode, and cwæþ: 'Sīe sibb be·twix

ēow; ic hit eom; ne bēo ġē nā ā·fyrhte.' Fæder ūre, þū þe

eart on heofonum, sīe þīn nama ġe·hālgod. Wē syngodon,

wē dydon un-rihtlīce; sęle ūs for·ġiefnesse: hwæt sculon wē

dōn?