Metrical Charm 12:  Against a Wen

By Unknown
Wenne, wenne,      wenchichenne,
her ne scealt þu timbrien,      ne nenne tun habben,
ac þu scealt north eonene      to þan nihgan berhge,
þer þu hauest, ermig,      enne broþer.

He þe sceal legge      leaf et heafde.
Under fot wolues,      under ueþer earnes,
under earnes clea,      a þu geweornie.
Clinge þu      alswa col on heorþe,
scring þu      alswa scerne awage,

and weorne      alswa weter on anbre.
Swa litel þu gewurþe      alswa linsetcorn,
and miccli lesse      alswa anes handwurmes hupeban,
and alswa litel þu gewurþe      þet þu nawiht gewurþe.

Notes:

Original text dates c. 1000-1100, by an unknown author. Source language text is public domain.

Copyright Credit: “Metrical Charm 12: Against a Wen” The Complete Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Poetry. Evinity Publishing Inc, n.d. https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/ascp/index.htm.