Layamon: Brut (lines 10534-10706)
the original text
view normalised textLay`amon: Brut
T`a comen tidende to Ard`ure t`an kinge.
t`at seoc wes Howel his maei t`er-fore he wes sari.
i Clud ligginde & t`er he hine bilaefde.
Hiy`enliche swid`e ford` he gon lid`e.
t`at he bihalues Ba[d`]e beh to ane uelde.
t`er he alihte & his cnihtes alle.
and on mid heore burnen beornes sturne.
& he a fif daele daelde his ferde.
T`a he hafde al iset and al hit isemed.
t`a dude he on his burne ibroide of stele.
t`e makede on aluisc smid` mid ad`elen his crafte.
he wes ihaten Wygar t`e Witey`e wurhte.
His sconken he helede mid hosen of stele.
Calibeorne his sweor[d] he sweinde bi his side.
hit wes iworht in Aualun mid wiy`ele-fulle craften.
Halm he set on hafde haeh of stele.
t`er-on wes moni y`im-ston al mid golde bi-gon.
he wes V[d`]eres t`as ad`elen kinges.
he wes ihaten Goswhit aelchen od`ere vnilic.
He heng an his sweore aenne sceld deore.
his nome wes on Bruttisc Pridwen ihaten.
t`er wes innen igrauen mid rede golde stauen.
an on-licnes deore of Drihtenes moder.
His spere he nom an honde t`a Ron wes ihaten.
T`a he hafden al his i-weden t`a leop he on his steden.
T`a he mihte bihalden t`a bihalues stoden.
t`ene uaeireste cniht t`e verde scolde leden.
ne isaeh naeuere na man selere cniht nenne.
t`ene him wes Ard`ur ad`elest cunnes.
T`a cleopede Ard`ur ludere staefne.
Lou war her biforen us hed`ene hundes
t`e sloy`en ure alderen mid lud`ere heore craften.
and heo us beod` on londe laed`est alre t`inge.
Nu fusen we hom to & staercliche heom leggen on.
& wraeken wunder-liche ure cun & ure riche.
& wreken t`ene muchele scome t`at heo us i-scend habbeod`.
t`at heo ouer vd`en comen to Derte-mud`en.
& alle heo beod` for-sworene & alle heo beod` for-lorene.
heo beod` for-demed alle mid Drihttenes fulste.
Fuse we nu ford`-ward uaste to-somne.
aefne al swa softe swa we nan ufel ne t`ohten.
and t`enne we heom cumed` to mi-seolf ic wullen on-fon.
an alre freomeste t`at fiht ich wulle big[i]nnen.
Nu we scullen riden. and ouer lond gliden.
and na man bi his liue lude ne wurchen.
ah faren faestliche Drihten us fulsten.
T`a riden agon Ard`ur t`e riche mon.
beh ouer waelde & Bad`e wolde isechen.
T`a tidende com to Childriche t`an strongen & t`an richen.
t`at Ard`ur mid ferde com al y`aru to fihte.
Childric & his ohte men leopen heom to horsen.
igripen heore wepnen heo wusten heom ifaeied.
T`is isaeh Ard`ur ad`elest kinge.
isaeh he aenne. haed`ene eorl. haelden him to-y`eines.
mid seouen hundred. cnihten al y`aerewe to fihten.
T`e orl him-seolf ferde bi-foren al his genge.
& Ard`ur him-seolf arnde bi-uoren al his ferde.
Ard`ur t`e raeie Ron nom an honde.
he straehte scaft staercne stid`imoden king.
his hors he lette irnen t`at t`a eord`e dunede.
Sceld he braid on breosten t`e king wes aboly`en.
he smat Borel t`ene eorl t`urh-ut t`a breosten.
t`at t`ae heorte to-chan and t`e king cleopede anan.
T`e formeste is faeie nu fulsten us Drihte.
and t`a hefen-liche quene t`a Drihten akende.
T`a cleopede Ard`ur ad`elest kinge.
Nu heom to nu heom to t`at formest is wel idon.
Bruttes hom leiden on swa me scal a lud`ere don.
heo bittere swipen y`efuen mid axes & mid sweordes
T`er feolle Cheldriches men fulle twa t`usend.
swa neuere Ard`ur ne les naeuere aenne of his.
t`er weoren Saexisce men folken alre aermest.
& t`a Alemainisce men y`eomerest alre leoden.
Ard`ur mid his sweorde faeie-scipe wurhte.
al t`at he smat to hit wes sone for-don.
Al waes t`e king aboly`en swa bid` t`e wilde bar.
t`enne he i t`an maeste monie [swin] imeted`.
T`is isaeh Childric & gon him to charren.
& beh him ouer Auene to bury`en him-seoluen.
and Ard`ur him laec to swa hit a liun weoren.
& fusde heom to flode monie t`er weoren faeie.
t`er sunken to t`an grunde fif & twenti hundred.
t`a al wes Auene stram mid stele ibrugged.
Cheldric ouer t`at wate[r] flaeh mid fif-tene hundred cnihten.
t`ohte ford` sid`en & ouer sae lid`en.
Ard`ur isaeh Colgrim climben to munten.
buy`en to t`an hulle t`a ouer Bad`en stonded`.
& Baldulf beh him after. mid seoue t`usend cnihtes.
heo t`ohten i t`an hulle haehliche at-stonden.
weorien heom mid wepnen & Ard`ur awaemmen.
T`a isaeh Ard`ur ad`elest kingen.
whar Colgrim at-stod & aec stal wrohte.
t`a clupede t`e king kenliche lude.
Balde mine t`eines buhy`ed` to t`an hulles.
For y`erstendaei wes Colgrim monnen alre kennest.
nu him is al swa t`ere gat t`er he t`ene hul wat.
haeh uppen hulle fehted` mid hornen.
t`enne come[d`] t`e wlf wilde touward hire winden.
T`eh t`e wulf beon ane buten aelc imane.
& t`er weoren in ane loken. fif hundred gaten.
t`e wulf heom to iwited` and alle heom abited`.
Swa ich wulle nu to-daei Colgrim. al fordemen.
ich am wulf & he is gat. t`e gume scal beon faeie.
T`a y`et c[l]eopede Ard`ur ad`elest kingen.
Ȝurstendaei wes Baldulf cnihten alre baldest.
nu he stant on hulle & Auene bi-halded`.
hu liged` i t`an straeme stelene fisces.
mid sweorde bi-georede heore sund is awemmed.
heore scalen wleoted` swulc gold-fay`e sceldes.
t`er fleoted` heore spiten swulc hit spaeren weoren.
T`is beod` seolcud`e t`ing isiy`en to t`issen londe.
swulche deor an hulle swulche fisces in waelle.
Ȝurstendaei wes t`e kaisere kennest alre kingen.
nu he is bicumen hunte & hornes him fulied`.
flihd` ouer bradne waeld beorked` his hundes.
he hafed` bihalues Bad`en his huntinge bilaefued.
freom his deore he flicd` & we hit scullen fallen.
and his balde ibeot to nohte ibringen.
and swa we scullen bruken rihte bi-y`aeten
Efne t`an worde t`a t`e king seide.
he braeid haey`e his sceld forn to his breosten
he igrap his spere longe his hors he gon spurie.
Neh al swa swi[d`e] swa t`e fuy`el fliy`ed`.
fuleden t`an kinge fif and twenti t`usend.
wihtere monnen wode under wepnen.
haelden to hulle mid haehy`ere strengd`e.
and uppen Colgrime smiten mid swid`e smaerte biten
And Colgrim heom t`er hente and feolde t`a Bruttes to grunde.
i t`an uormeste raese fulle fif hundred.
T`at isaeh Ard`ur ad`elest kingen
and wrad` him iwraed`d`ed wunder ane swid`e.
and t`us cleopien a-gon Ard`ur t`e haehy`e man.
War beo y`e Bruttes. balde mine beornes.
Her stonded` us biuoren vre ifan alle icoren.
gumen mine gode legge we heom to grunde.
Ard`ur igrap his sweord riht & he smat aenne Sexise cniht.
t`at t`at sweord t`at wes swa god aet t`an tot`en at-stod.
& he smat enne od`er t`at wes t`as cnihtes brod`er
t`at his halm & his haefd halden to grunde.
t`ene t`ridde dunt he sone y`af & enne cniht atwa claef.
T`a weoren Bruttes swid`e ibalded.
& leiden o t`an Saexen laey`en swi[d`e] stronge.
mid heore speren longe and mid sweoreden swid`e stronge.
Sexes t`er uullen & faeie-sih makeden.
bi hundred bi hundred haelden to t`an grunde.
bi t`usund & bi t`usend t`er feollen aeuere in t`ene grund.
T`a iseh Colgrim waer Ard`ur com tou-ward him.
ne mihte Colgrim for t`an waele fleon a nare side.
t`er faeht Baldulf bi-siden his brod`er.
T`a cleopede Ard`ur ludere stefne.
Her ich cume Colgrim to cud`d`en wit scullen raechen.
nu wit scullen t`is lond dalen swa t`e bid` alre lad`d`est
Æfne t`an worde t`a t`e king saeide.
his brode swaerd he up ahof and haerdliche adun sloh.
and smat Colgrimes haelm t`at he a-midde to-claef.
and t`ere burne hod t`at hit at t`e breoste at-stod.
And he sweinde touward Baldulfe mid his swid`ren honde.
& swipte t`at haefued of ford` mid t`an helme.
T`a loh Ard`ur t`e ad`ele king.
and t`us y`eddien agon mid gomenfulle worden.
Lien nu t`ere Colgrim t`u were i-clumben hay`e
and Baldulf t`i bro[d`]er lid` bi t`ire side.
nu ich al t`is kine-lond sette an eower ahy`ere hond.
dales & dunes & al mi drihtliche uolc.
T`u clumbe a t`issen hulle wunder ane haey`e
swulc t`u woldest to haeuene nu t`u scalt to haelle.
t`er t`u miht kenne muche of t`ine cunne.
And gret t`u t`er Hengest t`e cnihten wes fay`erest.
Ebissa & Ossa. Octa & of t`ine cunne ma
and bide heom t`er wunie wintres & sumeres.
& we scullen on londe libben in blisse.
bidden for eower saulen t`at sel ne wurd`en heom nauaere.
& scullen her aeuwer ban biside Bad`e ligen