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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 II

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S e r m o   L u p i   a d   A n g l o s
q u a n d o   D a n i   m a x i m e   p e r s e c u t i  
s u n t   e o s ,   q u o d   f u i t  
a n n o   m i l l e s i m o   . V I I I I .
a b   i n c a r n a t i o n e   d o m i n i  
n o s t r i   I e s u   C r i s t i



Leofan men, gecnawadh thæt sodh is: theos world is on ofste, (and) hit nealæcdh tham ende, (and) thi hit is on worlde a swa lengc swa wirse; (and) swa hit sceal nyde ær Antecristes tocyme yfelian swidhe. this wæs on Ædhelredes cyninges dagum gediht, feowor geara fæce ær he fordhferde. Gime se dhe wille hu hit tha wære (and) hwæt sidhdhan gewurde. Understandadh eac georne thæt litle getreowdha wæron mid mannum, theah hi wel spræcon, (and) unrihta to fela ricsode on lande. And næs na fela manna the hogode ymbe tha bote swa georne swa man scolde, ac dæghwamlice man ihte yfel æfter odhrum, (and) unriht arærde (and) unlaga manega ealles to wide geond ealle thas dheode. And we eac fordham habbadh fela bersta (and) bismra gebiden, (and) gif we ænige bote gebidan sculon, thonne mote we thæt to Gode earnian bet thonne we ær dhisum didon. Fordham mid micclum earnungum we geearnodon tha yrmdha the us onsittadh, (and) mid swidhe micelan earnungan we tha bote motan æt Gode geræcan gif hit sceal heonanfordh godigende wurdhan. La hwæt we witan ful georne thæt to micelan bryce sceal micel bot nide, (and) to micclan bryne wæter unlitel, gif man thæt fir sceal to ahte acwæncan. And micel is nydthearf manna gehwilcum thæt he Godes lage gime heonanfordh georne (and) Godes gerihta mid rihte gelæste. On hæthenum theodum ne dear man forhealdan micel ne litel thæs the gelagod is to gedwolgoda wurdhunge, (and) we forhealdadh æghwar Godes gerihta 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 beripede. And Godes theowas sindon mæthe (and) munde gewelhwar bedælede; (and) gedwolgodan thenan ne dear man misbeodan on ænige wisan mid hædhenum leodum, swa swa man Godes theowum nu dedh to wide thar cristene sceoldon Godes lage healdan (and) Godes theowas gridhian.

      Ac sodh is thæt ic secge, thearf is thare bote fordham Godes gerihta wanodean nu lange innan thisse theode on æghwilcum ende, (and) folclaga wirsedon ealles to swidhe, (and) halinessa sindon to gridhlease wide, (and) Godes hus sindon to clæne beripte ealra gerihta (and) innan bestripte ælcra gerisena, (and) godcunde hadas wæron nu lange swidhe forsawene, (and) wuduwan fornydde on unriht to ceorle, (and) to manega foryrmde, (and) earme men beswicene (and) reowlice besirwde (and) ut of thisum earde wide gesealde swidhe unforworhte fremdum to gewealde; (and) cradolcild getheowode thurh wælreowe unlaga, (and) freoriht fornumene, (and) dhrælriht genirwde, (and) ælmesriht gewanode. Frige men ne motan wealdan heora sylfra, ne faran thar hi willadh, ne ateon heora agen swa swa hi willadh. Ne thrælas ne moton habban thæt hi agon on agenan hwilan mid earfedan gewunnen, ne thæt thæt heom on Godes est gode men geudhon, (and) to ælmesgife for Godes lufan sealdon. Ac æghwilc ælmesriht the man on Godes est scolde mid rihte georne gelæstan ælc man gelitladh odhdhe forhealdedh, (and), radhost is to cwedhenne, Godes laga ladhe (and) lara forsawene. And thæs we habbadh ealle thurh Godes irre bismor gelome, gecnawe se the cunne; (and) se berst wurdh gemæne, theah man swa ne wene, ealre thisse theode, butan God beorge.

      Fordham hit is on us eallum swutol (and) gesene thæt we ær dhisan oftor bræcon thonne we betton, (and) thi is thisse theode fela onsæge. Ne dohte hit nu lange inne ne ute, ac wæs here (and) hunger, bryne (and) blodgite, on gewelhwylcum ende oft (and) gelome; (and) us stalu (and) cwalu, stric (and) steorfa, orfcwealm (and) uncodhu, hol (and) hete (and) ripera reaflac derede swidhe thearle, (and) us ungylda swidhe gedrehton, (and) us unwidera foroft weoldon unwæstma; fordham on thisum earde wæs, swa hit thincan mæg, nu fela geara unrihta fela (and) tealte getriwdha æghwar mid mannum. Ne bearh nu foroft gesib gesibban the ma dhe fremdan, ne fæder his bearne, ne hwilum bearn his agenum fæder, ne brodhor odhrum; ne ure ænig his lif ne fadode swa swa he scolde, ne gehadode regollice, ne læwede lahlice; ne ænig widh odherne getrywlice thohte swa rihte swa he scolde, ac mæst ælc swicode (and) odhrum derede wordes (and) dæda; (and) huru unrihtlice (and) unthegenlice mæst ælc odherne æftan heawedh mid scandlican onscitan, do mare gyf he mæge. Fordham her sind on lande ungetriwdha micele for Gode (and) for worlde, (and) eac her sind on earde ealra mæst hlafordswice se bidh on worlde thæt man his hlafordes sawle beswice. And ful micel hlafordswice eac bidh on worlde thæt man his hlaford of life forræde odhdhe of lande lifiendne drife, (and) ægther is geworden on dhisum earde: Eadweard man forrædde (and) sidhdhan acwealde (and) æfter tham forbærnde. And godsibbas (and) godbearn to fela man forspilde wide geond thas theode; (and) ealles to mænige halige stowe eac dha forwurdon thurh thæt the man sume men ær tham gelogode, swa swa man na ne scolde gif man on Godes gridhe mædhe witan wolde; (and) cristenes folces to fela man sealde ut of thisan earde nu ealle hwile, (and) eac thæt is Gode ladh, gelife se the wille. And eac we witan ful georne hwar seo yrmdh geweardh thæt fæder gesealde his bearn widh wurdhe, (and) bearn his modor, (and) brodhor sealde otherne fremdum to gewealde; (and) eal thæt sindon micele (and) egeslice dæda, understande se dhe wille. And git hit is mare (and) mænigfealdre thæt deradh thisse theode: manige sind forsworene (and) swidhe forlogone, (and) wed synd tobrocene oft (and) gelome; (and) thæt is gesyne on thissere theode thæt us Godes irre hetelice onsyt, gecnawe se dhe cunne.

      La, hu mæg mare scamu thurh Godes irre mannum gelympan thonne us dedh gelome for agenum gewirhtum? dheah thræla hwilc hlaforde ætleape (and) of cristendome to wicinge wurdhe, (and) hit æfter tham eft gewurdhe thæt wæpengewrixl wurdhe gemæne thegne (and) thræle, gif thræl thone thegen fullice afille, licge ægilde ealre his mægdhe; and gif se thegen thone thræl the he ær ahte fullice afille, gilde thegengilde. Ful earhlice laga (and) scandlice nydgild thurh Godes irre us sind gemæne, understande se the cunne, (and) fela ungelumpa gelumpdh thisse theode oft (and) gelome. Ne dohte hit nu lange inne ne ute, ac wæs here (and) hæte on gewelhwilcan ende oft (and) gelome, (and) Engle nu lange eal sigelease (and) to swidhe geyrgde thurh Godes irre, (and) flotmen swa strange thurh Godes thafunge thæt oft on gefeohte an fealledh tyne (and) twegen oft twentig, (and) hwilum læs, hwilum ma, eal for urum sinnum. And oft tyne odhdhe twelfe, ælc æfter odhrum, scændadh (and) tawiadh to bismore micclum thæs thegnes cwenan (and) hwilum his dohtor odhdhe nydmagan, thar he on locadh the læt hine silfne rancne (and) ricne (and) genoh godne ær thæt gewurde. And oft thræl thone thegn the ær wæs his hlaford cnit swidhe fæste (and) wircdh him to thræle thurh Godes irre. Wala thare yrmdhe (and) wala thare worldscame the nu habbadh Engle, eall for Godes irre! And oft twegen sæmen, odhdhe thri hwilum, drifadh tha drafe cristenra manna fram sæ to sæ ut thurh thas theode gewilede togædere, us eallum to worldscame, gif we on earnost ænige scame cudhe odhdhe a woldan ariht understandan. Ac ealne thone bismor the we oft tholiadh we gildadh mid weordhscipe tham the us scændadh. We him gildadh singallice, (and) hi us hynadh dæghwamlice. Hi hergiadh (and) heawadh, bændadh (and) bismriadh, ripadh (and) reafiadh (and) to scipe lædadh. And hwæt is, la, ænig odher on eallum tham gelympum buton Godes irre ofer dhas theode swutol (and) gesene?

      Nis eac nan wundor theah us mislympe, fordham we witan ful georne thæt nu fela geara men na ne rohton foroft hwæt hi worhtan wordes odhdhe dæde, ac weardh thes theodscipe, swa hit thyncan mæg, swydhe forsyngod thurh mænigfealda synna (and) thurh fela misdæda: dhurh mordhdæda (and) dhurh mandæda, dhurh gytsunge (and) thurh gifernesse, dhurh stala (and) thurh strudunga, dhurh mansylene (and) thurh hædhene unsida, thurh swicdomas (and) thurh searocræftas, dhurh lahbrycas (and) dhurh æswicas, dhurh mægræsas (and) thurh manslihtas, dhurh hadbrycas (and) thurh æwbrycas, dhurh sibgelegeru (and) dhurh mistlice forlegeru. And eac synd wide, swa we ær cwædan, thurh adhbrycas (and) thurh wedbrycas (and) thurh mistlice leasunga forloren (and) forlogen ma thonne scolde, (and) freolsbrycas (and) fæstenbrycas wide geworhte oft (and) gelome. And eac her synd on earde a Godes widhersacan apostatan abrodhene (and) cirichatan hetole (and) leodhatan grimme ealles to manega (and) oferhogan wide godcundra rihtlaga (and) cristenra theawa, (and) hocorwyrde disige æghwar on dheode oftost of dha thinge the swidhost to Godes lage gebiriadh mid rihte. And thi is nu geworden wide (and) side to ful yfelan gewunan thæt menn swidhor scamadh nu for godan dædan swydhor thonne for misdædan. Fordham to oft man mid hocere gode dæda hyrwedh (and) godfyrhte leahtredh ealles to swidhe; (and) swidhost man tæledh (and) mid olle gegretedh ealles to gelome dha the riht lufiadh (and) Godes ege habbadh dedh thæt man eal hyrwedh thæt man scolde herian, (and) to fordh ladhet thæt man scolde lufian, thurh thæt man gebryngedh ealles to manega on yfelan gethance (and) on undaeda, swa thæt hi ne scamadh na, theah hi singian swidhe (and) widh God sylfne forwyrcan hi mid ealle, (and) for idelan onscitan hi scamadh thæt hi betan heora misdæda, swa swa bec tæcan, gelice tham dwæsan the for heora prytan sare nelladh beorgan ær hi na ne magan, theah hi eal willan. Eala, micel magan manega git hertoeacan eadhe bethencan thæs the ic ana on rædinge ne mihte fullice asmeagan, hu earmlice hit gefaran is nu ealle hwile innan thisse earman forsingodre theode. And smeage huru gehwa georne hine sylfne (and) thæs na ne gelatige ealles to lange.

      Ac nu on Godes naman uton don, swa us neod is, beorgan us silfum swa we geornost magon, thi læs we ætgædere ealle forweordhan. And utan don swa us thearf is, gebugan to rihte (and) be sumon dæle unriht ascunian (and) forlætan, (and) betan swidhe georne thæt we ær bræcan. Uton creopan to Criste (and) bifigendre heortan clipian gelome (and) geearnian his mildse. Uton God lufian (and) his lagum filigan, (and) gelæstan swidhe georne thæt thæt we behetan tha we fulluht underfengon, odhdhe tha the æt fulluhte ure foresprecan wæron. And utan word (and) weorc rihtlice fadian (and) ure ingethanc clænsian georne, (and) adh (and) wed wærlice healdan (and) sume getriwdha habban us betweonan buton uncræfton. And utan gelome understandan thone micclan dom the we ealle to sculon, (and) beorgan us georne widh thone weallendan bryne helle wites, (and) geearnian us dha mærdha (and) tha myrhdha the God hæfdh gegearwod tham the his willan on worlde gewyrcadh. God ure helpe, amen. Sit nomen Domini benedictum, et reliqua.
 
 
 
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