Hwæt
þa
Oswold
cyning
his
cynedom
geheold
hlisfullice for worulde and mid micclum geleafan
and on eallum dædum his Drihten arwurðode,
oð þæt he ofslagen wearð for his folces ware
on þam nigoðan geare þe he rices geweold,
þa þa he sylf wæs on ylde eahta and þrittig geara.
Hit gewearð swa be þam þæt him wann on Penda,
Myrcena cyning, þe æt his mæges slege ær,
Eadwines cyninges, Ceadwallan fylste—
and se Penda ne cuðe be Criste nanþincg,
and eall Myrcena folc wæs ungefullod þa git.
Hi comon þa to gefeohte to Maserfelda begen,
and fengon togædere oð þæt þær feollon þa Cristenan
and þa hæðenan genealæhton to þam halgan Oswolde.
Þa geseah he genealecan his lifes geendunge
and gebæd for his folc þe þær feallende sweolt
and betæhte heora sawla and hine sylfne Gode
and þus clypode on his fylle, "God gemiltsa urum sawlum."
Þa het se hæþena cynincg his heafod ofaslean
and his swiðran earm, and settan hi to myrcelse.
Þa æfter Oswoldes slege, feng Oswig his broðor
to Norðhymbra rice, and rad mid werode
to þær his broðor heafod stod on stacan gefæstnod,
and genam þæt heafod and his swiðran hand
and mid arwurðnysse ferode to Lindisfarnea cyrcan.
Þa wearð gefylled swa we her foresædon,
þæt his swiðre hand wunað hal mid þam flæsce
butan ælcere brosnunge, swa se bisceop gecwæð.
Se earm wearþ geled arwurðlice on scrine
of seolfre asmiþod, on sancte Petres mynstre
binnan Bebbanbyrig be þære sæ strande,
and lið þær swa andsund swa he ofaslagen wæs.
His broðor dohtor eft siððan on Myrcan wearð cwen,
and geaxode his ban and gebrohte hi to Lindesige
to Bardanige mynstre, þe heo micclum lufode.
Ac þa mynstermenn noldon for menniscum gedwylde
þone sanct underfon, ac man sloh an geteld
ofer þa halgan ban binnan þære licreste.
Hwæt þa God geswutelode þæt he halig sanct wæs,
swa þæt heofonlic leoht ofer þæt geteld astreht
stod up to heofonum swilce healic sunnbeam
ofer ealle ða niht, and þa leoda beheoldon
geond ealle þa scire swiðe wundrigende.
Þa wurdon þa mynstermen micclum afyrhte,
and bædon þæs on mergen þæt hi moston þone sanct
mid arwurðnysse underfon, þone þe hi ær forsocon.
Þa ðwoh man þa halgan ban and bær into þære cyrcan
arwurðlice on scrine, and gelogodon hi upp,
and þær wurdon gehælede þurh his halgan geearnunge
fela mettrume menn fram mislicum coþum.
Þæt wæter þe man þa ban mid aþwoh
binnan þære cyrcan wearð agoten
swa on anre hyrnan, and seo eorðe siþþan
þe þæt wæter underfeng wearð manegum to bote.
Mid þam duste wurdon afligde deofla fram mannum,
þa þe on wodnysse ær wæron gedrehte.
Eac swilce þær he feol on þam gefeohte ofslagen
men namon ða eorðan to adligum mannum,
and dydon on wæter wanhalum to þicgenne,
and hi wurdon gehælede þurh þone halgan wer.
Sum wegfarende man ferde wið þone feld.
Þa wearð his hors gesicclod, and sona þær feol
wealwigende geond ða eorðan wodum gelicost.
Mid þam þe hit swa wealweode geond þone widgillan feld,
þa becom hit embe lang þær se cynincg Oswold
on þam gefeohte feoll swa swa we ær foresædan.
And hit sona aras swa hit hrepode þa stowe,
hal eallum limum, and se hlaford þæs fægnode.
Se ridda þa ferde forð on his weg
þider he gemynt hæfde. Þa wæs þær an mæden
licgende on paralisyn lange gebrocod.
He began þa to gereccenne hu him on rade getimode,
and mann ferode þæt mæden to þære foresædan stowe.
Heo wearð ða on slæpe and sona eft awoc
ansund eallum limum fram þam egeslican broce,
band þa hire heafod and bliðe ham ferde,
gangænde on fotum swa heo gefyrn ær ne dyde.
Eft siððan ferde eac sum ærendfæst ridda
be ðære ylcan stowe, and geband on anum claþe
of þam halgan duste þære deorwurðan stowe,
and lædde forð mid him þær he fundode to.
Þa gemette he gebeoras bliðe æt þam huse.
He aheng þa þæt dust on ænne heahne post
and sæt mid þam gebeorum blissigende samod.
Man worhte þa micel fyr tomiddes ðam gebeorum
and þa spearcan wundon wið þæs rofes swyðe,
oðþæt þæt hus færlice eall on fyre wearð,
and þa gebeoras flugon afyrhte aweg.
Þæt hus wearþ ða forburnon buton þam anum poste
þe þæt halige dust on ahangen wæs.
Se post ana ætstod ansund mid þam duste,
and hi swyðe wundrodon þæs halgan weres geearnunga
þæt þæt fyr ne mihte þa moldan forbærnan.
And manega menn siððan gesohton þone stede
heora hæle feccende, and heora freonda gehwilcum.