Genesis A, lines 1–234

Us is riht micel ðæt we rodera weard,
wereda wuldorcining, wordum herigen,
modum lufien! He is mægna sped,
heafod ealra heahgesceafta,
frea ælmihtig. Næs him fruma æfre,
or geworden, ne nu ende cymþ
ecean drihtnes, ac he bið a rice
ofer heofenstolas. Heagum þrymmum
soðfæst and swiðfeorm sweglbosmas heold,
þa wæron gesette wide and side
þurh geweald godes wuldres bearnum,
gasta weardum. Hæfdon gleam and dream,
and heora ordfruman, engla þreatas,
beorhte blisse. Wæs heora blæd micel!
þegnas þrymfæste þeoden heredon,
sægdon lustum lof, heora liffrean
demdon, drihtenes dugeþum wæron
swiðe gesælige. Synna ne cuþon,
firena fremman, ac hie on friðe lifdon,
ece mid heora aldor. Elles ne ongunnon
ræran on roderum nymþe riht and soþ,
ærðon engla weard for oferhygde
dwæl on gedwilde. Noldan dreogan leng
heora selfra ræd, ac hie of siblufan
godes ahwurfon. Hæfdon gielp micel
þæt hie wið drihtne dælan meahton
wuldorfæstan wic werodes þrymme,
sid and swegltorht. Him þær sar gelamp,
æfst and oferhygd, and þæs engles mod
þe þone unræd ongan ærest fremman,
wefan and weccean, þa he worde cwæð,
niþes ofþyrsted, þæt he on norðdæle
ham and heahsetl heofena rices
agan wolde. þa wearð yrre god
and þam werode wrað þe he ær wurðode
wlite and wuldre. Sceop þam werlogan
wræclicne ham weorce to leane,
helleheafas, hearde niðas.
Heht þæt witehus wræcna bidan,
deop, dreama leas, drihten ure,
gasta weardas, þa he hit geare wiste,
synnihte beseald, susle geinnod,
geondfolen fyre and færcyle,
rece and reade lege. Heht þa geond þæt rædlease hof
weaxan witebrogan. Hæfdon hie wrohtgeteme
grimme wið god gesomnod; him þæs grim lean becom!
Cwædon þæt heo rice, reðemode,
agan woldan, and swa eaðe meahtan.
Him seo wen geleah, siððan waldend his,
heofona heahcining, honda arærde,
hehste wið þam herge. Ne mihton hygelease,
mæne wið metode, mægyn bryttigan,
ac him se mæra mod getwæfde,
bælc forbigde. þa he gebolgen wearð,
besloh synsceaþan sigore and gewealde,
dome and dugeðe, and dreame benam
his feond, friðo and gefean ealle,
torhte tire, and his torn gewræc
on gesacum swiðe selfes mihtum
strengum stiepe. Hæfde styrne mod,
gegremed grymme, grap on wraðe
faum folmum, and him on fæðm gebræc
yrre on mode; æðele bescyrede
his wiðerbrecan wuldorgestealdum.
Sceof þa and scyrede scyppend ure
oferhidig cyn engla of heofnum,
wærleas werod. Waldend sende
laðwendne here on langne sið,
geomre gastas; wæs him gylp forod,
beot forborsten, and forbiged þrym,
wlite gewemmed. Heo on wrace syððan
seomodon swearte, siðe ne þorfton
hlude hlihhan, ac heo helltregum
werige wunodon and wean cuðon,
sar and sorge, susl þrowedon
þystrum beþeahte, þearl æfterlean
þæs þe heo ongunnon wið gode winnan.
þa wæs soð swa ær sibb on heofnum,
fægre freoþoþeawas, frea eallum leof,
þeoden his þegnum; þrymmas weoxon
duguða mid drihtne, dreamhæbbendra.
Wæron þa gesome, þa þe swegl buað,
wuldres eðel. Wroht wæs asprungen,
oht mid englum and orlegnið,
siððan herewosan heofon ofgæfon,
leohte belorene. Him on laste setl,
wuldorspedum welig, wide stodan
gifum growende on godes rice,
beorht and geblædfæst, buendra leas,
siððan wræcstowe werige gastas
under hearmlocan heane geforan.
þa þeahtode þeoden ure
modgeþonce, hu he þa mæran gesceaft,
eðelstaðolas eft gesette,
swegltorhtan seld, selran werode,
þa hie gielpsceaþan ofgifen hæfdon,
heah on heofenum. Forþam halig god
under roderas feng, ricum mihtum,
wolde þæt him eorðe and uproder
and sid wæter geseted wurde
woruldgesceafte on wraðra gield,
þara þe forhealdene of hleo sende.
Ne wæs her þa giet nymþe heolstersceado
wiht geworden, ac þes wida grund
stod deop and dim, drihtne fremde,
idel and unnyt. On þone eagum wlat
stiðfrihþ cining, and þa stowe beheold,
dreama lease, geseah deorc gesweorc
semian sinnihte sweart under roderum,
wonn and weste, oðþæt þeos woruldgesceaft
þurh word gewearð wuldorcyninges.
Her ærest gesceop ece drihten,
helm eallwihta, heofon and eorðan,
rodor arærde, and þis rume land
gestaþelode strangum mihtum,
frea ælmihtig. Folde wæs þa gyta
græs ungrene; garsecg þeahte
sweart synnihte, side and wide,
wonne wegas. þa wæs wuldortorht
heofonweardes gast ofer holm boren
miclum spedum. Metod engla heht,
lifes brytta, leoht forð cuman
ofer rumne grund. Raþe wæs gefylled
heahcininges hæs; him wæs halig leoht
ofer westenne, swa se wyrhta bebead.
þa gesundrode sigora waldend
ofer laguflode leoht wið þeostrum,
sceade wið sciman. Sceop þa bam naman,
lifes brytta. Leoht wæs ærest
þurh drihtnes word dæg genemned,
wlitebeorhte gesceaft. Wel licode
frean æt frymðe forþbæro tid,
dæg æresta; geseah deorc sceado
sweart swiðrian geond sidne grund.
þa seo tid gewat ofer timber sceacan
middangeardes, metod æfter sceaf
scirum sciman, scippend ure,
æfen ærest. Him arn on last,
þrang þystre genip, þam þe se þeoden self
sceop nihte naman. Nergend ure
hie gesundrode; siððan æfre
drugon and dydon drihtnes willan,
ece ofer eorðan. ða com oðer dæg,
leoht æfter þeostrum. Heht þa lifes weard
on mereflode middum weorðan
hyhtlic heofontimber. Holmas dælde
waldend ure and geworhte þa
roderas fæsten; þæt se rica ahof
up from eorðan þurh his agen word,
frea ælmihtig. Flod wæs adæled
under heahrodore halgum mihtum,
wæter of wætrum, þam þe wuniað gyt
under fæstenne folca hrofes.
þa com ofer foldan fus siðian
mære mergen þridda. Næron metode ða gyta
widlond ne wegas nytte, ac stod bewrigen fæste
folde mid flode. Frea engla heht
þurh his word wesan wæter gemæne,
þa nu under roderum heora ryne healdað,
stowe gestefnde. ða stod hraðe
holm under heofonum, swa se halga bebead,
sid ætsomne, ða gesundrod wæs
lago wið lande. Geseah þa lifes weard
drige stowe, dugoða hyrde,
wide æteowde, þa se wuldorcyning
eorðan nemde. Gesette yðum heora
onrihtne ryne, rumum flode,
and gefetero...
Ne þuhte þa gerysne rodora wearde,
þæt Adam leng ana wære
neorxnawonges, niwre gesceafte,
hyrde and healdend. Forþon him heahcyning,
frea ælmihtig fultum tiode;
wif aweahte and þa wraðe sealde,
lifes leohtfruma, leofum rince.
He þæt andweorc of Adames
lice aleoðode, and him listum ateah
rib of sidan. He wæs reste fæst,
and softe swæf, sar ne wiste,
earfoða dæl, ne þær ænig com
blod of benne, ac him brego engla
of lice ateah liodende ban,
wer unwundod, of þam worhte god
freolice fæmnan. Feorh in gedyde,
ece saula. Heo wæron englum gelice,
þa wæs Eue, Adames bryd,
gaste gegearwod. Hie on geogoðe bu
wlitebeorht wæron on woruld cenned
meotodes mihtum. Man ne cuðon
don ne dreogan, ac him drihtnes wæs
bam on breostum byrnende lufu.
þa gebletsode bliðheort cyning,
metod alwihta, monna cynnes
ða forman twa, fæder and moder,
wif and wæpned. He þa worde cwæð:
"Temað nu and wexað, tudre fyllað
eorðan ælgrene, incre cynne,
sunum and dohtrum. Inc sceal sealt wæter
wunian on gewealde and eall worulde gesceaft.
Brucað blæddaga and brimhlæste
and heofonfugla. Inc is halig feoh
and wilde deor on geweald geseald,
and lifigende, ða ðe land tredað,
feorheaceno cynn, ða ðe flod wecceð
geond hronrade. Inc hyrað eall."
þa sceawode scyppend ure
his weorca wlite and his wæstma blæd,
niwra gesceafta. Neorxnawong stod
god and gastlic, gifena gefylled
fremum forðweardum. Fægere leohte
þæt liðe land lago yrnende,
wylleburne. Nalles wolcnu ða giet
ofer rumne grund regnas bæron,
wann mid winde, hwæðre wæstmum stod
folde gefrætwod. Heoldon forðryne
eastreamas heora æðele feower
of þam niwan neorxnawonge.
þa wæron adælede drihtnes mihtum
ealle of anum, þa he þas eorðan gesceop,
wætre wlitebeorhtum, and on woruld sende.
þæra anne hatað ylde, eorðbuende,
Fison folcweras; se foldan dæl
brade bebugeð beorhtum streamum
Hebeleac utan. On þære eðyltyrf
niððas findað nean and feorran
gold and gymcynn, gumþeoda bearn,
ða selestan, þæs þe us secgað bec.
þonne seo æftre Ethiopia
land and liodgeard beligeð uton,
ginne rice, þære is Geon noma.
þridda is Tigris, seo wið þeodscipe,
ea inflede, Assirie belið.
Swilce is seo feorðe, þa nu geond folc monig
weras Eufraten wide nemnað.