Rime of King William

The Rime of King William is an Old English poem about William the Conqueror from the Peterborough Chronicle.

The Writ

Old English

Castelas he let ƿyrcean, ⁊ earme men sƿiðe sƿencean. Se cyng ƿæs sƿa sƿiðe stearc, ⁊ benam of his underþeoddan manig marc goldes ⁊ ma hundred punda seolfres. Det he nam be ƿihte ⁊ mid micelan unrihte of his landleode, for littelre neode. He ƿæs on gitsunge befeallan, ⁊ grædinæsse he lufode mid ealle He sætte mycel deorfrið, ⁊ he lægde laga þærƿið þet sƿa hƿa sƿa sloge heort oððe hinde, þet hine man sceolde blendian. He forbead þa heortas, sƿylce eac þa baras. Sƿa sƿiðe he lufode þa headeor sƿilce he ƿære heora fæder. Eac he sætte be þam haran þet hi mosten freo faran. His rice men hit mændon, ⁊ þa earme men hit beceorodan ac he ƿæs sƿa stið þet he ne rohte heora eallra nið. Ac hi moston mid ealle þes cynges ƿille folgian, gif hi ƿoldon libban, oððe land habban, land oððe eahta, oððe ƿel his sehta. Ƿalaƿa, þet ænig man sceolde modigan sƿa, hine sylf upp ahebban ⁊ ofer ealle men tellan. Se ælmihtiga god cyþæ his saule mildheortnisse, ⁊ do him his synna forgifenesse.

Anglish

Castels he had ƿrougt, ⁊ to arm men sƿink brougt. Þe king ƿas so sƿiþ stark, ⁊ benum his underlings of her marks. Boþ gold ⁊ silfer he num from his landleed, ⁊ for littel need. He ƿas in gissing befallen, ⁊ ƿiþ greediness he ƿas all in. He set muc deerfriþ, ⁊ he laid laƿs þereƿiþ so þat hƿoefer sleƿ a hart or hind, þat he sculd be made blind. He forbade þe harts, eke þe boars. So sƿiþ he lufed þe higedeer it ƿere as if he ƿere her faþer. Eke he set for þe hares þat hy may freely fare. His ric men bemoaned it, ⁊ þe arm men mumbelled at it. Ack he ƿas so stiþe þat he nefer recked her niþe. Ack hy must folloƿ þe kings ƿill if hy ƿuld lif, or haf land. Land ⁊ ougt, or þe kings saugt. Ƿelaƿay, þat any man sculd becum so lonkful ⁊ heaf himself up ⁊ tell himself ofer all men. May þe almigty god kiþe his soul mildheartness, ⁊ do for him his sins forgeefeness.