Maxims I

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Frige mec frodum wordum! Ne læt þinne ferð onhælne, degol þæt þu deopost cunne! Nelle ic þe min dyrne gesecgan, gif þu me þinne hygecræft hylest ond þine heortan geþohtas. Gleawe men sceolon gieddum wrixlan. God sceal mon ærest hergan 5 fægre, fæder userne, forþon þe he us æt frymþe geteode lif ond lænne willan; he usic wile þara leana gemonian. Meotud sceal in wuldre, mon sceal on eorþan geong ealdian. God us ece biþ, ne wendað hine wyrda ne hine wiht dreceþ, 10 adl ne yldo ælmihtigne; ne gomelað he in gæste, ac he is gen swa he wæs, þeoden geþyldig. He us geþonc syleð, missenlicu mod, monge reorde. Feorhcynna fela fæþmeþ wide 15 eglond monig. Eardas rume meotud arærde for moncynne, ælmihtig god, efenfela bega þeoda ond þeawa. þing sceal gehegan frod wiþ frodne; biþ hyra ferð gelic, 20 hi a sace semaþ, sibbe gelærað, þa ær wonsælge awegen habbað. Ræd sceal mid snyttro, ryht mid wisum, til sceal mid tilum. Tu beoð gemæccan; sceal wif ond wer in woruld cennan 25 bearn mid gebyrdum. Beam sceal on eorðan leafum liþan, leomu gnornian. Fus sceal feran, fæge sweltan ond dogra gehwam ymb gedal sacan middangeardes. Meotud ana wat 30 hwær se cwealm cymeþ, þe heonan of cyþþe gewiteþ. Umbor yceð, þa æradl nimeð; þy weorþeð on foldan swa fela fira cynnes, ne sy þæs magutimbres gemet ofer eorþan, gif hi ne wanige se þas woruld teode. 35 Dol biþ se þe his dryhten nat, to þæs oft cymeð deað unþinged. Snotre men sawlum beorgað, healdað hyra soð mid ryhte. Eadig bið se þe in his eþle geþihð, earm se him his frynd geswicað. Nefre sceal se him his nest aspringeð, nyde sceal þrage gebunden. Bliþe sceal bealoleas heorte. Blind sceal his eagna þolian, 40 oftigen biþ him torhtre gesihþe. Ne magon hi tunglu bewitian, swegltorht sunnan ne monan; þæt him biþ sar in his mode, onge þonne he hit ana wat, ne weneð þæt him þæs edhwyrft cyme. Waldend him þæt wite teode, se him mæg wyrpe syllan, hælo of heofodgimme, gif he wat heortan clæne. 45 Lef mon læces behofað. Læran sceal mon geongne monnan, trymman ond tyhtan þæt he teala cunne, oþþæt hine mon atemedne hæbbe, sylle him wist ond wædo, oþþæt hine mon on gewitte alæde. Ne sceal hine mon cildgeongne forcweþan, ær he hine acyþan mote; þy sceal on þeode geþeon, þæt he wese þristhycgende. 50 Styran sceal mon strongum mode. Storm oft holm gebringeþ, geofen in grimmum sælum; onginnað grome fundian fealwe on feorran to londe, hwæþer he fæste stonde. Weallas him wiþre healdað, him biþ wind gemæne. Swa biþ sæ smilte, 55 þonne hy wind ne weceð; swa beoþ þeoda geþwære, þonne hy geþingad habbað, gesittað him on gesundum þingum, ond þonne mid gesiþum healdaþ cene men gecynde rice. Cyning biþ anwealdes georn; lað se þe londes monað, leof se þe mare beodeð. 60 þrym sceal mid wlenco, þriste mid cenum, sceolun bu recene beadwe fremman. Eorl sceal on eos boge, eorod sceal getrume ridan, fæste feþa stondan. Fæmne æt hyre bordan geriseð; widgongel wif word gespringeð, oft hy mon wommum bilihð, 65 hæleð hy hospe mænað, oft hyre hleor abreoþeð. Sceomiande man sceal in sceade hweorfan, scir in leohte geriseð. Hond sceal heofod inwyrcan, hord in streonum bidan, gifstol gegierwed stondan, hwonne hine guman gedælen. Gifre biþ se þam golde onfehð, guma þæs on heahsetle geneah; 70 lean sceal, gif we leogan nellað, þam þe us þas lisse geteode. Forst sceal freosan, fyr wudu meltan, eorþe growan, is brycgian, wæter helm wegan, wundrum lucan eorþan ciþas. An sceal inbindan 75 forstes fetre felameahtig god; winter sceal geweorpan, weder eft cuman, sumor swegle hat, sund unstille. Deop deada wæg dyrne bið lengest; holen sceal inæled, yrfe gedæled 80 deades monnes. Dom biþ selast. Cyning sceal mid ceape cwene gebicgan, bunum ond beagum; bu sceolon ærest geofum god wesan. Guð sceal in eorle, wig geweaxan, ond wif geþeon 85 leof mid hyre leodum, leohtmod wesan, rune healdan, rumheort beon mearum ond maþmum, meodorædenne for gesiðmægen symle æghwær eodor æþelinga ærest gegretan, 90 forman fulle to frean hond ricene geræcan, ond him ræd witan boldagendum bæm ætsomne. Scip sceal genægled, scyld gebunden, leoht linden bord, leof wilcuma 95 Frysan wife, þonne flota stondeð; biþ his ceol cumen ond hyre ceorl to ham, agen ætgeofa, ond heo hine in laðaþ, wæsceð his warig hrægl ond him syleþ wæde niwe, liþ him on londe þæs his lufu bædeð. 100 Wif sceal wiþ wer wære gehealdan, oft hi mon wommum belihð; fela bið fæsthydigra, fela bið fyrwetgeornra, freoð hy fremde monnan, þonne se oþer feor gewiteþ. Lida biþ longe on siþe; a mon sceal seþeah leofes wenan, gebidan þæs he gebædan ne mæg. Hwonne him eft gebyre weorðe, 105 ham cymeð, gif he hal leofað, nefne him holm gestyreð, mere hafað mundum mægðegsan wyn.