BEDE'S ECLESIASTICAL HISTORY (HISTORIA ECLESIASTICA GENTIS ANGLORUM)
BOOK IV c. 24 (An account of the Poet Caedmon)
Þa he þaet þa sumre tíde dyde, þaet he forlet þaet hus þaes gebeorscipes, ond ut waes gongende to neata scipene, þara heord him waes þaere neaht beboden, þa he ða þaer in gelimplice tide his leomu on reste gesette ond onslepte, þa stod him sum mon aet þurh swefn ond hine halette ond grette ond hine be his noman nemnde:
"Caedmon, sign me hwaethugu".
þa ondswarede he ond cwaeð:
"Ne con ic noht singan, ond ic for þon of þeossum gebeorscipe ut eode, ond hider gewat, for þon ic naht singan ne cuðe."
Eft he cwaeð, se ðe wið hine sprecende waes:
"Hwaeðre þu me aht singan".
Þa cwaeð he:
"Hwaet sceal ic singan?".
Cwaeð he:
"Sing me frumsceaft".
Þa he ða þas andsware on feng, þa ongon he sona singan in herenesse Godes ScyppendesÞa fers ond þa word þe he naefre gehyrde, þaere endebyrdnesse þid is:Nu (we) sculon herigean heofonrices Weard,
Meotodes meahte ond his modgeþanc,
Weorc Wuldorfaeder, swa he wundre gehwaes,
ece Drihten, or onstealde.
He aerest sceop eorðan bearnum
heofon to hrofe, halig Scyppend.
þa middangeard monncynnes Weard,
ece Drihten, aefter teode
fírum foldan, Frea aelmihtig.
Traducción:Now we shall praise to the Heaven's Guardian
To the Providence Power And to his Divine Devise.
To the Glorious father's work So, he, each wonder
The Eternal Lord Created at the beginning
The first thing he shaped for the earthlings
Was the heaven as a roof The holy creator
The Middle earth The Mankind's ward
The everlating Lord after that he prepared
For the men, the earth the almight Lord.EARLY NORTHUMBRIAN TEXTS
Caedmon's hymn, from Bede's
Historia Eclesiástica Gentis Anglorum.Four copies of this hymn in a Northumbrian form are known, all written in manuscripts of Bede. Three in the margin or at the foot of the page, the fourth on the last page. It is very interesting and important to see study and compare this form with the west saxon version.
(The Leningrad Version)Nu scilun herige hefenricaes Uard,
Metudes mehti and his modgethanc.
Uerc Uuldurfadur, sue he uundra gihuaes,
eci Dryctin, or astelidae.
He aerist scop aeldu barnum
hefen to hrofae, halig Sceppend.
Tha middingard moncynnaes Uard,
eci Dryctin, aefter tiadae
fírum foldu, Frea allmehtig.PRIMO CANTAUIT CAEDMON ISTUD CARMEN
The Moore Version
Nu scylun hergan hefaenricaes Uard,
Metudaes maecti end his modgidanc,
uerc Uuldurfadur, sue he uundra gihuaes,
eci Dryctin, or astelidae.
He aerist scop aelda barnum
heben til hrofe, haleg Scepen.
Tha middungeard moncynnaes Uard,
eci Dryctin, aefter tiadae
fírum foldu, Frea allmectig.JEB
30/08/02