Layamon: Brut (lines 10534-10706)

in a normalised Early Middle English (East Midland dialect c 1200)

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Lage`man: Brite

Tha_ co_men ti_dinges to_ Arthur the kinge.

that se_k was Howel his meay thear-fore he_ was sa_riy.

in Clud liggende and thear he_ him be`leafde.

Hi_gend`li_ce swi_the forth he_ gan li_then.

that he_ be`halfes Bathe beah to_ a_ne fe_lde.

thear he_ a`lihte and his cnihtes alle.

and on mid here birnes bernes sterne.

and he_ a fi_f deales dealde his ferd.

Tha_ he_ hafde al y`sett and al hit y`se_med.

tha_ dide he_ on his birne y`broyden of ste_le.

the makede a_n elfisc smith mid athele his crafte.

he_ was y`ha_ten Wig`hard the Wi_tege worhte.

His scankes he_ helede mid hosen of ste_le.

Caliburne his swerd he_ swengde bi_ his si_de.

hit was y`wroht in Avalon mid wigel`fulle craftes.

Helm he_ sette on heafde he_h of ste_le.

thear-on was maniy a yimm-sta_n al mid golde be`ga_n.

it was Utheres the athele kinges.

it was y`ha_ten Go_s`hwi_t to_ ealc o_there un`i`li_c.

He_ he_ng on his swi_re eanne sce_ld de_re.

his name was on Britisc Pridwen y`ha_ten.

thear was innen y`grafen mid reade golde stafes.

a_n on-li_cnes de_re of Drihtenes mo_der.

His spere he_ nam on hande tha_ Ron was y`ha_ten.

Tha_ he_ hafde al his i`weades tha_ le_p he_ on his ste_de.

Tha_ hi_ mihten be`ha_lden tha_ be`halfes sto_den.

the fayereste cniht the ferde scolde leaden.

ne y`sah neafere na_ man se_lere cniht na_ne.

thanne him was Arthur athelest kinnes.

Tha_ clepede Arthur mid lu_de stefene.

La_ hwear he_r be`foren u_s heathene hu_ndes

the slo_gen u_re alderes mid li_there here craftes.

and hi_ us be_n on lande la_thest alre thinges.

Nu_ fu_sen we_ ha_m to_ and starkli_ce hem leggen on.

and wreken wunderlice u_re kin and u_re ri_ce.

and wreken the micele scame that hi_ us y`scend habben.

that hi_ ofer i_then co_men to_ Dertemu_the.

and alle hi_ be_n for`sworene and alle hi_ be_n for`lorene.

hi_ be_n for`de_med alle mid Drihtenes filste.

Fu_sen we_ nu_ forth`ward faste to_`samene.

efene alswa_ softe swa_ we_ na_n ifel ne thohten.

and thanne we_ hem cumen to_ mi_`self ic willen on`fo_n.

a_ne alre formeste that fiht ic wille be`ginnen.

Nu_ we_ sculen ri_den and ofer land gli_den,

and na_ man bi_ his life lu_de ne wircen,

ak faren fastli_ce. Drihten us filsten.

Tha_ ri_den a`gan Arthur the ri_ce man.

beah ofer wa_lde and Bathe wolde i`se_cen.

Tha_ ti_dende com to_ Cildrice the stra_nge and the ri_ce

that Arthur mid ferde com al yare to_ fihte.

Cildric and his ohte men le_pen hem to_ horse,

y`gripen here weapenes hi_ wisten hem y`fe_`d.

This i`sah Arthur athelest king,

i`sah he_ eanne heathene erl ha_lden him to_`yeanes,

mid sefen hundred cnihtes al yarwe to_ fihten.

The erl him`self fe_rde be`foren al his genge,

and Arthur him`self arn be`foren al his ferde.

Arthur the re_ge Ron nam on hande,

he_ strahte scaft starke, sti_th`mo_de king.

his hors he_ le_t ernen that the erthe dinede.

Sce_ld he_ breayd on bre_ste - the king was a`bolgen.

He_ sma_t Borel the erl thurh`u_t the bre_ste.

that the herte to_`ca_n and the king clepede ana_n.

"The formeste is feaye nu_ filsten us Drihten

and the hefenlice cwe_n the Drihten a`kennede."

Tha_ clepede Arthur athelest king:

"Nu_ hem to_! Nu_ hem to_! That formest is wel i`do_n!"

Brites hem leyden on swa_ me scal a li_there do_n.

Hi_ bittere swipes yeafen mid axes and mid swerdes.

Thear fe_llen Cildrices men fulle twa_ thu_send,

swa_ neafere Arthur ne leas neafere eanne of his.

thear wearen Saxisce men of folke alre armest.

and tha_ Alemainisce men yemerest alre le_des.

Arthur mid his swerde feayescipe worhte.

al that he_ sma_t to_ hit was so_ne for`do_n.

Al was the king a`bolgen swa_ bith the wi_lde ba_r,

thanne he_ in the maste maniye swi_n i`me_teth.

This i`sah Cildric and gan him to_ cerren.

and beah him ofer Avone to_ bergen him`selfe.

and Arthur him leak to_ swa_ hit a lion weare,

and fu_sde hem to_ flo_de; maniye thear wearen feaye.

thear sunken to_ the gru_nde fi_f and twentiy hundred.

tha_ al was Avone stream mid ste_le y`brigged.

Cildric ofer that water fleah mid fi_f`te_ne hundred cnihten,

thohte forth si_then and ofer sea li_then.

Arthur i`sah Colgrim cli_mben to_ munte.

bugen to_ the hille tha_ ofer Bathe standeth,

and Baldulf beah him after mid sefen thu_send cnihtes.

Hi_ thohten in the hille he_hli_ce at`standen,

werren hem mid weapenen and Arthur a`wemmen.

Tha_ i`sah Arthur athelest of kinges,

hwear Colgrim at`sto_d and eak stathel (ste_l) wrohte,

tha_ clepede the king ke_nlice lu_de.

Ba_lde mi_ne theynes bu_gen to_ the hilles.

For yestren`day was Colgrim of manne alre ke_nest.

Nu_ to_ him is al swa_ to_ the ga_te thear he_ the hil bewa_t,

heah uppen hille fehteth mid hornes.

Thenene cumeth the wulf wi_lde to_`ward him wi_ndende.

Theah the wulf be_ a_ne bu_ten ealc i`ma_ne,

and thear wearen in a_ne loke fi_f hundred ga_tes,

the wulf hem to_ i`wi_teth and alle hem a`bi_teth.

Swa_ ic wille nu_ to_`day Colgrim al for`de_men.

Ic am wulf and he_ is ga_t. The gume scal be_n feaye.

Tha_ ye_t clepede Arthur athelest kinges.

"Yestren`day was Baldulf cnihtes alre ba_ldest.

Nu_ he_ standeth on hille and Avone be`ha_ldeth;

hu_ liyen in the streame ste_les fisces.

Mid swerde be`yarwede here su_nd is a`wemmed;

here scales wlitiy`en swilc gold-fa_ge sce_ldes;

thear fle_ten here spites swilc hit speres wearen.

Thise be_n selcu_the thing y`sigen to_ thise lande;

swilce de_r on hille, swilce fisces in welle.

Yestren`day was the keysere ke_nest alre kinges.

Nu_ he_ is be`cumen hunte and hornes him folgen.

fle_hth ofer bra_de wa_ld; berken his hu_ndes.

He_ hafeth be`halfes Bathen his huntinge be`leafed;

fram his de_re he_ fle_hth and we_ hit sculen fallen,

and his ba_lde i`be_t to_ nohte i`bringen;

and swa_ we_ sculen bruken rihtes beyeten."

Efene mid the wordes that the king seyde,

he_ breayd he_ge his sce_ld foren to_ his bre_ste;

he_ i`gra_p his spere la_nge; his hors he_ gan spuren.

Ne_h al swa_ swi_the swa_ the fugel fle_geth,

folgeden the kinge fi_f and twentiy thu_send

_wihte manne, wo_de under weapenes.

helden to_ hille mid he_gere strengthe.

and uppen Colgrime smiten mid swi_the smarte bites

And Colgrim hem thear hente and fellde tha_ Brites to_ gru_nde.

in the formeste reas fulle fi_f hundred.

That i`sah Arthur athelest kinges

and warth him i`wra_thed wunder a_ne swi_the.

and thus clepen a`gan Arthur the he_ge man.

War be_th ye_ Brites; ba_lde mi_ne bernes.

He_r standen us be`foren u_re i`fa_n alle i`coren.

gumen mi_ne go_de leggen we_ hem to_ gru_nde.

Arthur i`gra_p his swerd riht and he_ sma_t eanne Saxisce cniht.

that the swerd that was swa_ go_d at the te_th at`sto_d.

and he_ sma_t eanne o_ther that was the cnihtes bro_ther

that his helm and his heafed helden to_ gru_nde.

the thridde dint he_ so_ne yaf and eanne cniht a`twa_ cleaf.

Tha_ wearen Brites swi_the y`ba_lded.

and leyden on the Saxen _lages swi_the stra_nge.

mid here speres la_nge and mid swerdes swi_the stra_nge.

Saxes thear fe_llen and feaye-si_th makeden.

bi_ hundred bi_ hundred helden to_ the gru_nde.

bi thu_send and bi_ thu_send thear fe_llen eafere in the gru_nd.

Tha_ i`sah Colgrim hwear Arthur com to_`ward him.

ne mihte Colgrim for the wale fle_n on na_ne si_de.

thear faht Baldulf be`si_de his bro_ther.

Tha_ clepede Arthur mid lu_de stefene.

He_r ic cume Colgrim to_ ki_ththe wit sculen reacen;

nu_ wit sculen this land dealen swa_ the_ be_th alre la_thest.

Efene the wordes tha_ the king sayde,

his bra_de swerd he_ up a`ho_f and hardli_ce a`du_n slo_h.

and sma_t Colgrimes helm that he_ a`midde to_`cleaf,

and the birnes ho_d that hit at the bre_ste at`sto_d.

And he_ swengde to_`ward Baldulfe mid his swi_there hande.

and swipte that heafed of forth mid the helme.

Tha_ lo_h Arthur the athele king.

and thus yedden a`gan mid gamenfule wordes.

Liy nu_ thear Colgrim, thu_ weare y`clu_mben he_ge;

and Baldulf thi_ bro_ther liyth bi_ thi_ne si_de.

nu_ ic al this kine-land sette on yower a_gene hand.

dales and du_nes and al mi_ drihtlice folk.

Thu_ clu_mbe a thise hille wunder a_ne he_ge

swilc thu_ woldest to_ hefene nu_ thu_ scalt to_ helle.

thear thu_ miht kennen micele of thi_ne kinne.

And gre_t thu_ thear Hengest the cnihtes was fayer`est,

Ebissa and Ossa, Octa and of thi_ne kinne ma_

and bidde hem thear wunen winteres and sumer`es;

and we_ sculen on lande libben in blisse.

bidden for yower sa_weles that se_l ne werthe hem neafere.

and sculen he_r eafer' ba_nes be`si_de Bathe liyen.