Ƿiþer Ferstic

Foreward
This is an Anglish translation of the Old English text Wið Færstice.

The Writ
Hie were loud, lo, loud when hie rode over the low.

Hie were onemood when hie rode over the land.

scyld ðū ðē nū þū ðysne nīð genesan mōte

Out little spear, if there is one in here

I stood under linden, under a light shield

There mighty bade

⁊ hie, yelling, sent

I will to send another

A flying

Out little spear, if it be herein

A smith sat, a sex

lȳtel īserna wund swīðe

ūt lȳtel spere gif hēr inne sȳ

syx smiðas sǣtan wælspera worhtan

ūt spere næs in spere

gif hēr inne sȳ īsenes dǣl

hægtessan geweorc hit sceal gemyltan

gif ðū wǣre on fell scoten oððe wǣre on flǣsc scoten

oððe wǣre on blōd scoten

oððe wǣre on lið scoten nǣfre ne sȳ ðīn līf ātǣsed

gif hit wǣre ēsa gescot oððe hit wǣre ylfa gescot

oððe hit wǣre hægtessan gescot nū ic wille ðīn helpan

þis ðē tō bōte ēsa gescotes ðis ðē tō bōte ylfa gescotes

ðis ðē tō bōte hægtessan gescotes ic ðīn wille helpan

flēo [?MS fled] þǣr on fyrgenhǣfde

hāl westū helpe ðīn drihten

Then nim the sex, ado in water