Medieval

Caedmon's Hymn

The Wanderer

Dream of the Rood

Beowulf 

Arming of Arthur

Sir Orfeo

Chaucer, Canterbury Tales

Nu sculon herian            heofon-rices Wear,

Metodes meahta       and his mod-gethanc

weorc Wuldor-Faeder       swa he wundra gehwaes

ece Drythen,        or astealde.

He aerest scop          ielda bearnum

heofon to hrofe         halig Scieppend ;

Tha middan-geard       mann-cynnes Weard

ece Dryhten        aefter teode

firum foldan         Frea aelmihtig

OFT him anhaga          are gebideth

metudes miltse           peah  pe he modcearig

geond lagulade         longe sceolde

hreran mid hondum    hrimcealde sae

wadan wraeclastas     Wyrd bith ful araed

Swa cwaep eardstapa     earfepa  gemyndig

wrapra waelsleahta,       winemaega hryre

Oft ic  sceolde ana         uhtna gehwylce

mine ceare cwipan.

Nis nu         cwricra nan

Fe ic him modsefan      minne durre

sweotule asecgan

Hwaet ic swefna cyst     secgan wylle

hwaet me gemaette    to midre nihte

syoban reordberend    reste wunedon

Puhte me paet ic gesawe     syllicre treow

On lyft laedan   leohte bewunden

beama beorhtost    Eall paet beacen waes

begoten mid golde     Gimmas stodon

faegere aet foldan sceatum     swylce paer fife waeron

uppe on pam eaxlegespanne    Beheoldon paerengel

Drythnes ealle

Geseah tha on searwum     sigeeadig  bil

Ealdsweord eotenisc     ecgum thyhtig

Wigena weorthmynd    that was waepna cyst

Buton hit was mare    thonne aenig mon other

To beadulace     aetberan meahte

God ond geatolic    giganta geweorc

Heo on flet gecrong

Sweord was swatig     secg weorce gefeh

Lixte se leoma     leoht inne stod

efne swa of hefene    hadre scineth

rodores candel

1. pa dude he on his burne ibroide of stele
2. pe makede on alvisc smid mid athelen his crafte
3. heo wes ihaten Wygar, the Witee wurthe
4. His sconke he helede mid hosen
5. Calibeorne his sweord he sweinde bi his side :
6. hit wes iworht in Avalun mid wizelefulle craften
7. Halm he set on hafde, heoeh stele
8. peron wes moni zimston al mid golde bigon
9. he wes Uderes pas adelen kinges
10.  he wes ihaten Goswhit, oelchen odere unilic
11.  He heng an his sweore oenne sceld deore
12.  his nome wes on Bruttisc Pridwen ihaten
13.  per wes innen igraven mid rede golde staven
14.  an onlicnes deore of Drihtenes moder
15.  his spere he nom an honde, pa ron wes ihaten