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Wulfstan
ca. 960 - 1023
 


 






 




S e r m o   L u p i
a d   A n g l o s


Version I

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L a r s p e l l


Leofan men, gecnawadh thæt sodh is: theos woruld is on ofste, (and) hit nealæcdh tham ende, (and) thy hit is on worulde aa swa lencg swa wyrse, (and) swa hit sceal nyde ær Antecristes tocyme yfelian swidhe. Understandadh eac georne thæt deofol thas theode nu fela geara dwelode to swidhe, (and) thæt lytle getreowdha wæron mid mannum, theah heo wel sprecan, (and) unrihta to fela rixode on lande; (and) næs a fela manna the hogade ymbe tha bote swa georne swa man sceolde, ac dæghwamlice man ehte yfel æfter odhrum (and) unriht rærde (and) unlaga manege ealles to wide geond ealle thas dheode. And we eac fordham habbadh fela byrsta (and) bismra gebiden, (and) gif we ænige bote gebidan scylen, thonne mote we thæs to Gode geearnian bet thonne we ær thyssan dydan. Fordham mid miclum earnungan we geearnedan tha yrmdha the us onsittadh, (and) mid swidhe micelan earnungan we tha bote motan æt Gode geræcan gif hit sceal heonanfordh godiende weordhan. La hwæt, we witan full georne thæt to miclan bryce sceal micel bot nyde, (and) to miclan bryne wæter unlytel gif man thæt fyr sceal to ahte acwencan. And mycel is neodthearf manna gehwylcum thæt he Godes lage gyme heonanfordh georne and Godes gerihta mid rihte gelæste. On hædhenum theodum ne dear man forhealdan lytel ne micel thæs dhe gelagod is to gedwolgoda weordhunga, (and) we forhealdadh Godes gerihta æghwær ealles to gelome. And ne dear man gewanian on hædhenum theodum inne ne ute ænig thara thinga the gedwolgodan gebroht bidh (and) to lacum betæht bidh, (and) we habbadh Godes hus inne (and) ute clæne berypte ælcra gerisena. And Godes theowas syndan mæthe (and) munde gewelhwær bedælde; (and) gedwolgoda thenan ne dear man misbeodan on ænige wisan mid hædhenum leodum, swa swa man Godes theowan nu dedh to wide thær cristene sceoldan Godes lage healdan.

      Ac sodh is thæt ic secge: Godes gerihta wanedon nu lange, (and) folclaga wyrsedan ealles to swidhe, (and) halignessa syndan to gridhlease wide, (and) Godes hus syndon to clæne berypte ealdra gerihta (and) innan bestrypte ælcra gerisena, (and) godcunde hadas wæron nu lange swidhe forsawene; (and) wydewan fornydde on unriht to ceorle, (and) to manige foryrmde, (and) earme men beswicene (and) hreowlice besyrwde, ge æt freme ge æt fostre, ge æt feo ge æt feore, ealles to gelome, (and) ut of thysan earde wide gesealde, swydhe unforworhte fremdan to gewealde; (and) cradolcild gedheowade thurh wælhreowe unlage for lytlere theofdhe, (and) freoriht fornumene (and) thrælriht genyrwde, (and) ælmesriht gewanode, (and), hrædest is to cwedhenne, Godes laga ladhe (and) lara forsawene; (and) thæs we habbadh ealle thurh Godes yrre bysmor gelome, gecnawe se dhe cunne. And se byrst wyrdh gemæne, theh man swa ne wene, ealre thyssere dheode, butan God byrge.

      Fordham hit is on us eallum swutol (and) gesene thæt we ær thyssan oftor bræcon thonne we bettan, (and) thy is thisse theode fela onsæge. Ne dohte hit nu lange inne ne ute, ac wæs here (and) hunger, bryne (and) blodgyte on gewelhwylcan ende oft (and) gelom; (and) us stalu (and) cwalu, stric (and) steorfa, orfcwealm (and) uncodhu, hol (and) hete (and) rypera reaflac derede swidhe thearle, (and) us ungylda swidhe gedrehtan, (and) us unwedera foroft weoldan unwæstma; fordham on thysan earde wæs, swa hit thyncan mæg, nu fela geara unrihta fela (and) tealte getreowdha æghwær mid mannum. Ne bearh nu foroft gesib gesibban the ma the fremdan, ne fæder his suna, ne hwilum bearn his agenum fæder, ne brodher odhrum; ne ure ænig his lif ne fadode swa swa he sceolde, ne gehadode regollice, ne læwede lahlice, ne ænig widh odherne getreowlice ne thohte swa rihte swa he sceolde. Ac mæst ælc swicode (and) odhrum derede wordes (and) dæde, (and) huru unrihtlice mæst ælc odherne æftan heawedh mid sceandlican onscytan, do mare gif he mæge. Fordham syn on lande ungetreowdha micele for Gode and for worulde, (and) eac her syn on earde on mistlice wisan hlafordswican manige. And ealra mæst hlafordswica se bidh on worulde thæt man his hlafordes sawle beswice; (and) ful micel hlafordswica eac bidh on worulde thæt man his hlaford on life beswice odhdhon of lande lifigende drife, (and) ægdher is geworden on thyssan earde: Eadweard man forrædde (and) sydhdhan acwealde (and) æfter tham forbærnde; (and) Æthelred man dræfde ut of his earde. And godsibbas (and) godbearn to fela man forspilde wide geond thas dheode; (and) ealles to manege halige stowa wide forwurdan thurh thæt the man sume men ær tham gelogode, swa man na ne sceolde, gif man on Godes gridhe mæthe witan wolde; (and) cristenes folces to fela man gesealde ut of thysson earde nu ealle hwile; (and) thæt is Gode ladh, gelyfe se dhe wille. Eac we witan ful georne hwær seo yrmdh geweardh thæt fæder gesealde bearn widh weorthe, (and) bearn his moder, (and) brodhor odherne fremdum to gewealde; (and) eall thæt syndon micle (and) egeslice dæda, understande se the wille. And gyt hit is mare (and) eac menigfealdre thæt deredh thissere theode; manige synd forsworene (and) swidhe forlogene, (and) wedd synd tobrocene oft (and) gelome; (and) thæt is gesyne on thisse theode thæt us Godes yrre hetelice onsitt, gecnawe se dhe cunne.

      Nis eac nan wundor theah us mislimpe, fordham we witon ful georne thæt nu fela geara man na ne rohtan foroft hwæt hy worhtan wordes odhdhe dæde. Eac weardh thes theodscipe, swa hit thyncan mæg, swydhe forsyngod thurh menigfealde synna (and) thurh fela misdæda: thurh mordhdæda (and) thurh mandæda, thurh gitsunga (and) thurh gifernessa, thurh stala (and) thurh strudunga, thurh mansylene (and) thurh hæthene unsida, thurh swicdomas (and) thurh searocræftas, thurh lahbricas (and) thurh æswicas, thurh mægræsas (and) thurh manslihtas, thurh hadbricas (and) thurh æwbricas, thurh siblegeru (and) thurh mistlice forligeru. And eac syndon wide, swa we ær cwædon, thur adhbricas (and) thurh wedbrycas (and) thurh mistlice leasunga forloren (and) forlogen ma thonne sceolde; (and) freolsbrycas (and) fæstenbrycas wide geworhte oft (and) gelome. And eac her synd on earde Godes widhersacan (and) cirichatan hetole (and) leodhatan grimme ealles to manege, (and) oferhogan wide godcundra rihtlaga (and) cristenra theawa, (and) hocorwyrde dysige æghwær on theode oftost on tha thing the Godes bodan beodath (and) swidhost to Godes lage gebyriadh mid rihte. And thy is nu geworden wide (and) side to ful yfelan gewunan thæt men sceamadh for godan dædan swydhor thonne for yfelan dædan, fordham to oft man mid hocere gode dæda hyrwedh (and) godfyrhte lehtredh ealles to swidhe, (and) swidhost man tæledh (and) mid olle gegretedh ealles to gelome tha dhe riht lufiadh (and) Godes ege habbadh be ænigum dæle. And thurh thæt the man swa dedh thæt man eal hyrwedh thæt man sceolde herian (and) to fordh ladhedh thæt man sceolde lufian, thurh thæt man gebringedh ealles to manige on yfelum gethance (and) on undaede, swa thæt hy ne sceamadh na, theh hy syngian swidhe (and) widh God sylfne forwyrcan hy mid ealle; ac for idelan onscytan hy sceamadh thæt hy betan heora misdæda swa swa bec tæcan, gelice tham dwæsan the for heora prytan lewe nelladh beorgan ær hy na ne magon theh hy eall willan.

      Ac la, on Godes naman utan don swa us neod is, beorgan us sylfum swa we geornost magon the læs we ætgædere ealle forweordhan. And utan don swa us thearf is, gebugan to rihte (and) be sumum dæle unriht forlætan (and) betan swidhe georne thæt we ær bræcon. And utan God lufian (and) Godes laga fylian, (and) gelæstan swidhe georne thæt thæt we behetan tha we fulluht underfengon, odhdhon tha the æt fulluhte ure forespecan wæron. And utan word (and) weorc rihtlice fadian (and) ure ingethanc clænsian georne (and) adh (and) wedd wærlice healdan (and) sume getreowdha habban us betweonan butan uncræftan. And utan gelome understandan thone miclan dom the we ealle to sceolan, (and) beorgan us georne widh thone weallendan bryne helle wites, (and) geearnian us tha mærdha (and) tha myrhdha the God hæfdh gegearwod tham the his willan on worulde gewyrcadh. Him simble sy lof (and) woldor in ealra worulda woruld a butan ende, amen.
 
 
 
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