illustration by Maija
Graham, inspired by various 11th c. Anglo-Saxon sources
In ðeosse abbudissan mynstre wæs sum broðor syndriglice mid godcundre gife gemæred & geweorðad.
Forþon he gewunade gerisenlice leoð wyrcan, þa ðe to æfæstnisse & to arfæstnisse belumpen, swa ðætte, swa hwæt swa he of godcundum stafum þurh boceras geleornode, þæt he æfter medmiclum fæce in scopgereorde mid þa mæstan swetnisse & inbryrdnisse geglængde & in Engliscgereorde wel geworht forþbrohte.
Ond for his leoþsongum monigra monna mod oft to worulde forhogdnisse & to geþeodnisse þæs heofonlican lifes onbærnde wæron.
Ond eac swelce monige oðre æfter him in Ongelþeode ongunnon æfæste leoð wyrcan: ac nænig hwæðre him þæt gelice don meahte.
Forþon he nales from monnum ne þurh mon gelæred wæs, þæt he þone leoðcræft leornade, ac he wæs godcundlice gefultumed & þurh Godes gife þone songcræft onfeng.
Ond he forðon næfre noht leasunge, ne idles leoþes wyrcan meahte, ac efne þa an þa ðe to æfæstnesse belumpon, & his þa æfestan tungan gedafenode singan.
Wæs he, se mon, in weoruldhade geseted oð þa tide þe he wæs gelyfdre ylde, & næfre nænig leoð geleornade.
Ond he forþon oft in gebeorscipe, þonne þær wæs blisse intinga gedemed, þæt heo ealle sceolden þurh endebyrdnesse be hearpan singan, þonne he geseah þa hearpan him nealecan, þonne aras he for scome from þæm symble & ham eode to his huse.
Þa he þæt þa sumre tide dyde, þæt he forlet þæt hus þæs gebeorscipes, & ut wæs gongende to neata scipene, þara heord him wæs þære neahte beboden — þa he ða þær in gelimplicre tide his leomu on reste gesette & onslepte, þa stod him sum mon æt þurh swefn & hine halette & grette & hine be his noman nemnde: "Cedmon, sing me hwæthwugu."
Þa ondswarede he & cwæð: "Ne con ic noht singan; & ic forþon of þeossum gebeorscipe ut eode, & hider gewat, forþon ic naht singan ne cuðe."
Eft he cwæð, se ðe mid hine sprecende wæs: "Hwæðre þu meaht singan."
Þa cwæð he: "Hwæt sceal ic singan?"
Cwæð he: "Sing me frumsceaft."
Þa he ða þas andsware onfeng, þa ongon he sona singan in herenesse Godes Scyppendes þa fers & þa word þe he næfre gehyrde, þara endebyrdnes þis is:
"Nu
sculon
herigean
heofonrices
Weard,
Meotodes
meahte
&
his
modgeþanc,
weorc Wuldorfæder,
swa
he
wundra gehwæs,
ece
Drihten,
or
onstealde.
He
ærest
sceop
eorðan bearnum
heofon
to
hrofe
halig
Scyppend;
þa
middangeard
monncynnes Weard,
ece
Drihten,
æfter
teode
firum
foldan,
Frea
ælmihtig."
Þa aras he from þæm slæpe, & eal þa þe he slæpende song fæste in gemynde hæfde & þæm wordum sona monig word in þæt ilce gemet Gode wyrðes songes togeþeodde.
Þa com he on morgenne to þæm tungerefan, þe his ealdormon wæs: sægde him hwylce gife he onfeng; & he hine sona to þære abbudissan gelædde & hire þa cyðde & sægde.
Þa heht heo gesomnian ealle þa gelæredestan men & þa leorneras: & him ondweardum het secgan þæt swefn, & þæt leoð singan, þæt ealra heora dome gecoren wære, hwæt oððe hwonon þæt cuman wære.
Þa wæs him eallum gesegen, swa swa hit wæs, þæt him wære from Drihtne sylfum heofonlic gifu forgifen.
Þa rehton heo him & sægdon sum halig spell & godcundre lare word: bebudon him þa, gif he meahte, þæt he in swinsunge leoþsonges þæt gehwyrfde.
Þa he ða hæfde þa wisan onfongne, þa eode he ham to his huse & cwom eft on morgenne & þy betstan leoðe geglenged him asong & ageaf þæt him beboden wæs.
Ða ongan seo abbudisse clyppan & lufigean þa Godes gife in þæm men; & heo hine þa monade & lærde þæt he woruldhad anforlete & munuchad onfenge: & he þæt wel þafode.
Ond heo hine in þæt mynster onfeng mid his godum, & hine geþeodde to gesomnunge þara Godes þeowa; & heht hine læran þæt getæl þæs halgan stæres & spelles.
Ond he eal þa he in gehyrnesse geleornian meahte mid hine gemyndgade & swa swa clæne neten eodorcende in þæt sweteste leoð gehwerfde; & his song & his leoð wæron swa wynsumu to gehyranne, þætte seolfan þa his lareowas æt his muðe wreoton & leornodon.
Song he ærest be middangeardes gesceape & bi fruman moncynnes & eal þæt stær Genesis, þæt is seo æreste Moyses booc; & eft bi utgonge Israhela folces of Ægypta londe & bi ingonge þæs gehatlandes; & bi oðrum monegum spellum þæs halgan gewrites canones boca; ond bi Cristes menniscnesse; & bi his þrowunge; & bi his upastignesse in heofonas; & bi þæs Halgan Gastes cyme, & þara apostola lare: & eft bi þæm dæge þæs toweardan domes, & bi fyrhtu þæs tintreglican wiites, & bi swetnesse þæs heofonlecan rices, he monig leoð geworhte.
Ond swelce eac oðer monig be þæm godcundan fremsumnessum & domum he geworhte.
In eallum þæm he geornlice gemde, þæt he men atuge from synna lufan & mandæda, & to lufan & to geornfulnesse awehte godra dæda.
Forþon he wæs se mon swiþe æfæst & regollecum þeodscipum eaðmodlice underþeoded.
Ond wið þæm þa ðe in oðre wisan don woldon, he wæs mid welme micelre ellenwodnisse onbærned.
Ond he forðon fægre ænde his lif betynde & geendade.
Forþon þa ðære tide nealæcte his gewitenesse & forðfore, þa wæs he feowertynum dagum ær, þæt he wæs lichomlicre untrymnesse þrycced & hefgad, hwæðre to þon gemetlice, þæt he ealle þa tid meahte ge sprecan ge gongan.
Wæs þær in neaweste untrumra monna hus, in þæm heora þeaw wæs, þæt heo þa untrumran, & þa ðe æt forðfore wæron, inlædan sceoldon & him þær ætsomne þegnian.
Þa bæd he his þegn on æfenne þære neahte, þe he of worulde gongende wæs, þæt he in þæm huse him stowe gegearwode, þæt he gerestan meahte.
Þa wundrode se þegn, for hwon he ðæs bæde, forþon him þuhte þæt his forðfor swa neah ne wære: dyde hwæðre swa swa he cwæð & bibead.
Ond mid þy he ða þær on reste eode, & he gefeonde mode sumu þing mid him sprecende ætgædere & gleowiende wæs, þe þær ær inne wæron, þa wæs ofer middeneaht þæt he frægn, hwæðer heo ænig husl inne hæfdon.
Þa ondswarodon heo & cwædon: "Hwylc þearf is ðe husles? Ne þinre forþfore swa neah is, nu þu þus rotlice & þus glædlice to us sprecende eart."
Cwæð he eft: "Berað me husl to."
Þa he hit þa on honda hæfde, þa frægn he hwæþer heo ealle smolt mod & buton eallum incan bliðe to him hæfdon.
Þa ondswaredon hy ealle & cwædon, þæt heo nænigne incan to him wiston, ac heo ealle him swiðe bliðemode wæron: & heo wrixendlice hine bædon, þæt he him eallum bliðe wære.
Þa ondswarade he & cwæð: "Mine broðor mine þa leofan, ic eom swiðe bliðemod to eow & to eallum Godes monnum."
Ond swa wæs hine getrymmende mid þy heofonlecan wegneste, & him oðres lifes ingong gegearwode.
Þa gyt he frægn, hu neah þære tide wære, þætte þa broðor arisan scolden & Godes lof ræran & heora uhtsong singan.
Þa ondswaredon heo: "Nis hit feor to þon."
Cwæð he: "Teala: wuton we wel þære tide bidan."
& þa him gebæd & hine gesegnode mid Cristes rodetacne, ond his heafod onhylde to þæm bolstre ond medmicel fæc onslepte & swa mid stilnesse his lif geendade .
Ond swa wæs geworden, þætte swa swa he hluttre mode & bilwitre & smyltre wilsumnesse Drihtne þeode, þæt he eac swylce swa smylte deaðe middangeard wæs forlætende, & to his gesihðe becwom.
Ond seo tunge, þe swa monig halwende word in þæs Scyppendes lof gesette, he ða swelce eac þa ytmæstan word in his herenisse, hine seolfne segniende & his gast in his honda bebeodende, betynde.
Eac swelce þæt is gesegen, þæt he wære gewis his seolfes forðfore, of þæm we nu secgan hyrdon. -->
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