Metrical Charm 1: To Restore Farmland

Ed. Murray McGillivray. Online Corpus of Old English Poetry (OCOEP). Edition in progress. This file last updated 19/08/09.

Her ys seo bot, hu ðu meaht þine æceras betan gif hi nellaþ wel wexan oþþe þær hwilc ungedefe þing on gedon bið on dry oððe on lyblace.

Genim þonne on niht, ær hyt dagige, feower tyrf on feower healfa þæs landes, and gemearca hu hy ær stodon.

Nim þonne ele and hunig and beorman, and ælces feos meolc þe on þæm lande sy, and ælces treowcynnes dæl þe on þæm lande sy gewexen, butan heardan beaman, and ælcre namcuþre wyrte dæl, butan glappan anon, and do þonne haligwæter ðær on, and drype þonne þriwa on þone staðol þara turfa, and cweþe ðonne ðas word: Crescite, wexe, et multiplicamini, and gemænigfealda, et replete, and gefylle, terre, þas eorðan. In nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti sit benedicti. And Pater Noster swa oft swa þæt oðer.

And bere siþþan ða turf to circean, and mæssepreost asinge feower mæssan ofer þan turfon, and wende man þæt grene to ðan weofode, and siþþan gebringe man þa turf þær hi ær wæron ær sunnan setlgange. And hæbbe him gæworht of cwicbeame feower Cristes mælo and awrite on ælcon ende: Matheus and Marcus, Lucas and Iohannes.

Lege þæt Cristes mæl on þone pyt neoþeweardne, cweðe ðonne: Crux Matheus, crux Marcus, crux Lucas, crux sanctus Iohannes. Nim ðonne þa turf and sete ðær ufon on and cweþe ðonne nigon siþon þas word, Crescite [et multiplicamini, etc.], and swa oft Pater Noster, and wende þe þonne eastweard, and onlut nigon siðon eadmodlice, and cweð þonne þas word:

1 (26)

Eastweard ic stande,    arena ic me bidde,
bidde ic þone mæran domine,    bidde ðone miclan drihten
bidde ic ðone haligan    heofonrices weard,
eorðan ic bidde    and upheofon

5 (30)

and ða soþan    sancta Marian
and heofones meaht    and heahreced,
þæt ic mote þis gealdor    mid gife drihtnes
toðum ontynan    þurh trumne geþanc,
aweccan þas wæstmas    us to woruldnytte,

10 (35)

gefyllan þas foldan    mid fæste geleafan,
wlitigan þas wancgturf,    swa se witega cwæð
þæt se hæfde are on eorþrice,    se þe ælmyssan
dælde domlice    drihtnes þances.

Wende þe þonne III sunganges, astrece þonne on andlang and arim þær letanias and cweð þonne: Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus oþ ende. Sing þonne Benedicite aþenedon earmon and Magnificat and Pater Noster III, and bebeod hit Criste and sancta Marian and þære halgan rode to lofe and to weorþinga and þam are þe þæt land age and eallon þam þe him underðeodde synt.

Ðonne þæt eall sie gedon, þonne nime man uncuþ sæd æt ælmesmannum and selle him twa swylc, swylce man æt him nime, and gegaderie ealle his
sulhgeteogo togædere; borige þonne on þam beame stor and finol and gehalgode sapan and gehalgod sealt. Nim þonne þæt sæd, sete on þæs sules bodig, cweð þonne:

Erce, Erce, Erce, eorþan modor,

15 (52)

geunne þe se alwalda,    ece drihten,
æcera wexendra    and wridendra,
eacniendra    and elniendra,
sceafta hehra,    scira wæstma,
and þæra bradan    berewæstma,

20 (57)

and þæra hwitan    hwætewæstma,
and ealra    eorþan wæstma.
Geunne him    ece drihten
and his halige,    þe on heofonum synt,
þæt hys yrþ si gefriþod    wið ealra feonda gehwæne,

25 (62)

and heo si geborgen    wið ealra bealwa gehwylc,
þara lyblaca    geond land sawen.
Nu ic bidde ðone waldend,    se ðe ðas woruld gesceop,
þæt ne sy nan to þæs cwidol wif    ne to þæs cræftig man
þæt awendan ne mæge    word þus gecwedene.

Þonne man þa sulh forð drife and þa forman furh onsceote, cweð þonne:

30 (69)

Hal wes þu, folde,    fira modor!
Beo þu growende    on godes fæþme,
fodre gefylled    firum to nytte.

Nim þonne ælces cynnes melo and abacæ man innewerdne handa bradnæ hlaf and gecned hine mid meolce and mid
haligwætere and lecge under þa forman furh. Cweþe þonne:

Ful æcer fodres fira cinne,
beorhtblowende, þu gebletsod weorþ

35 (77)

þæs haligan noman    þe ðas heofon gesceop
and ðas eorþan    þe we on lifiaþ.
Se god, se þas grundas geworhte,    geunne us growende gife,
þæt us corna gehwylc    cume to nytte.

Cweð þonne III "Crescite in nomine patris, sit benedicti, Amen," and Pater Noster þriwa.