Genesis (Old English) · c. 8th-9th century (poet unknown)
Genesis A, lines 2382–2505
þa þæt wif ahloh wereda drihtnes
nalles glædlice, ac heo gearum frod
þone hleoðorcwyde husce belegde
on sefan swiðe. Soð ne gelyfde,
þæt þære spræce sped folgode.
þa þæt gehyrde heofona waldend,
þæt on bure ahof bryd Abrahames
hihtleasne hleahtor, þa cwæð halig god:
"Ne wile Sarran soð gelyfan
wordum minum. Sceal seo wyrd swa þeah
forð steallian swa ic þe æt frymðe gehet.
Soð ic þe secge, on þas sylfan tid
of idese bið eafora wæcned.
þonne ic þas ilcan oðre siðe
wic gesece, þe beoð wordgehat
min gelæsted. þu on magan wlitest,
þin agen bearn, Abraham leofa!"
Gewiton him þa ædre ellorfuse
æfter þære spræce spedum feran
of þam hleoðorstede, halige gastas,
lastas legdon, (him wæs Lothes mæg
sylfa on gesiððe), oðþæt hie on Sodoman,
weallsteape burg, wlitan meahton.
Gesawon ofer since salo hlifian,
reced ofer readum golde. Ongan þa rodera waldend,
arfæst wið Abraham sprecan, sægde him unlytel spell:
"Ic on þisse byrig bearhtm gehyre,
synnigra cyrm swiðe hludne,
ealogalra gylp, yfele spræce
werod under weallum habban; forþon wærlogona sint,
folces firena hefige. Ic wille fandigan nu,
mago Ebrea, hwæt þa men don,
gif hie swa swiðe synna fremmað
þeawum and geþancum, swa hie on þweorh sprecað
facen and inwit; þæt sceal fyr wrecan,
swefyl and sweart lig sare and grimme,
hat and hæste hæðnum folce."
Weras basnedon witelaces,
wean under weallum, and heora wif somed.
Duguðum wlance drihtne guldon
god mid gnyrne, oðþæt gasta helm,
lifes leohtfruma leng ne wolde
torn þrowigean, ac him to sende
stiðmod cyning strange twegen
aras sine, þa on æfentid
siðe gesohton Sodoma ceastre.
Hie þa æt burhgeate beorn gemitton
sylfne sittan sunu Arones,
þæt þam gleawan were geonge þuhton
men for his eagum. Aras þa metodes þeow
gastum togeanes, gretan eode
cuman cuðlice, cynna gemunde
riht and gerisno, and þam rincum bead
nihtfeormunge. Him þa nergendes
æðele ærendracan andswarodon:
"Hafa arna þanc, þara þe þu unc bude!
Wit be þisse stræte stille þencað
sæles bidan, siððan sunnan eft
forð to morgen metod up forlæt."
þa to fotum Loth
þam giestum hnah, and him georne bead
reste and gereorda and his recedes hleow
and þegnunge. Hie on þanc curon
æðelinges est, eodon sona,
swa him se Ebrisca eorl wisade,
in undor edoras. þær him se æðela geaf,
gleawferhð hæle, giestliðnysse
fægre on flette, oðþæt forð gewat
æfenscima. þa com æfter niht
on last dæge. Lagustreamas wreah,
þrym mid þystro þisses lifes,
sæs and sidland. Comon Sodomware,
geonge and ealde, gode unleofe
corðrum miclum cuman acsian,
þæt hie behæfdon herges mægne
Loth mid giestum. Heton lædan ut
of þam hean hofe halige aras,
weras to gewealde, wordum cwædon
þæt mid þam hæleðum hæman wolden
unscomlice, arna ne gymden.
þa aras hraðe, se ðe oft ræd ongeat,
Loth on recede, eode lungre ut,
spræc þa ofer ealle æðelinga gedriht
sunu Arones, snytra gemyndig:
"Her syndon inne unwemme twa
dohtor mine. Doð, swa ic eow bidde
(ne can þara idesa owðer gieta
þurh gebedscipe beorna neawest)
and geswicað þære synne. Ic eow sylle þa,
ær ge sceonde wið gesceapu fremmen,
ungifre yfel ylda bearnum.
Onfoð þæm fæmnum, lætað frið agon
gistas mine, þa ic for gode wille
gemundbyrdan, gif ic mot, for eow."
Him þa seo mænigeo þurh gemæne word,
arlease cyn, andswarode:
"þis þinceð gerisne and riht micel,
þæt þu ðe aferige of þisse folcsceare.
þu þas werðeode wræccan laste
freonda feasceaft feorran gesohtest,
wineþearfende. Wilt ðu, gif þu most,
wesan usser her aldordema,
leodum lareow?" þa ic on Lothe gefrægn
hæðne heremæcgas handum gripan,
faum folmum. Him fylston wel
gystas sine, and hine of gromra þa,
cuman arfæste, clommum abrugdon
in under edoras, and þa ofstlice
anra gehwilcum ymbstandendra
folces Sodoma fæste forsæton
heafodsiena. Wearð eal here sona
burhwarena blind. Abrecan ne meahton
reðemode reced æfter gistum,
swa hie fundedon, ac þær frome wæron
godes spellbodan. Hæfde gistmægen
stiðe strengeo, styrnde swiðe
werode mid wite. Spræcon wordum þa
fæle freoðoscealcas fægre to Lothe:
"Gif þu sunu age oððe swæsne mæg,
oððe on þissum folcum freond ænigne
eac þissum idesum þe we her on wlitað,
alæde of þysse leodbyrig, þa ðe leofe sien,
ofestum miclum, and þin ealdor nere,
þy læs þu forweorðe mid þyssum wærlogan.
Cite this text
MLA
Anonymous (Old English). Genesis (Old English), Genesis A, lines 2382–2505. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/work/genesis-oe/18/.
Chicago
Anonymous (Old English). Genesis (Old English), Genesis A, lines 2382–2505. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/work/genesis-oe/18/.