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Genesis (Old English) · c. 8th-9th century (poet unknown)

Genesis B, lines 356–476

by Anonymous (Old English) c. 7th–11th century


"Is þæs ænga styde ungelic swiðe
þam oðrum ham þe we ær cuðon,
hean on heofonrice, þe me min hearra onlag,
þeah we hine for þam alwaldan agan ne moston,
romigan ures rices. Næfð he þeah riht gedon
þæt he us hæfð befælled fyre to botme,
helle þære hatan, heofonrice benumen;
hafað hit gemearcod mid moncynne
to gesettanne. þæt me is sorga mæst,
þæt Adam sceal, þe wæs of eorðan geworht,
minne stronglican stol behealdan,
wesan him on wynne, and we þis wite þolien,
hearm on þisse helle. Wa la, ahte ic minra handa geweald
and moste ane tid ute weorðan,
wesan ane winterstunde, þonne ic mid þys werode--
Ac licgað me ymbe irenbenda,
rideð racentan sal. Ic eom rices leas;
habbað me swa hearde helle clommas
fæste befangen. Her is fyr micel,
ufan and neoðone. Ic a ne geseah
laðran landscipe. Lig ne aswamað,
hat ofer helle. Me habbað hringa gespong,
sliðhearda sal siðes amyrred,
afyrred me min feðe; fet synt gebundene,
handa gehæfte. Synt þissa heldora
wegas forworhte, swa ic mid wihte ne mæg
of þissum lioðobendum. Licgað me ymbe
heardes irenes hate geslægene
grindlas greate. Mid þy me god hafað
gehæfted be þam healse, swa ic wat he minne hige cuðe;
and þæt wiste eac weroda drihten,
þæt sceolde unc Adame yfele gewurðan
ymb þæt heofonrice, þær ic ahte minra handa geweald.
Ac ðoliaþ we nu þrea on helle, (þæt syndon þystro and hæto),
grimme, grundlease. Hafað us god sylfa
forswapen on þas sweartan mistas; swa he us ne mæg ænige synne gestælan,
þæt we him on þam lande lað gefremedon, he hæfð us þeah þæs leohtes bescyrede,
beworpen on ealra wita mæste. Ne magon we þæs wrace gefremman,
geleanian him mid laðes wihte þæt he us hafað þæs leohtes bescyrede.
He hæfð nu gemearcod anne middangeard, þær he hæfð mon geworhtne
æfter his onlicnesse. Mid þam he wile eft gesettan
heofona rice mid hluttrum saulum. We þæs sculon hycgan georne,
þæt we on Adame, gif we æfre mægen,
and on his eafrum swa some, andan gebetan,
onwendan him þær willan sines, gif we hit mægen wihte aþencan.
Ne gelyfe ic me nu þæs leohtes furðor þæs þe he him þenceð lange niotan,
þæs eades mid his engla cræfte. Ne magon we þæt on aldre gewinnan,
þæt we mihtiges godes mod onwæcen. Uton oðwendan hit nu monna bearnum,
þæt heofonrice, nu we hit habban ne moton, gedon þæt hie his hyldo forlæten,
þæt hie þæt onwendon þæt he mid his worde bebead. þonne weorð he him wrað on mode,
ahwet hie from his hyldo. þonne sculon hie þas helle secan
and þas grimman grundas. þonne moton we hie us to giongrum habban,
fira bearn on þissum fæstum clomme. Onginnað nu ymb þa fyrde þencean!
Gif ic ænegum þægne þeodenmadmas
geara forgeafe, þenden we on þan godan rice
gesælige sæton and hæfdon ure setla geweald,
þonne he me na on leofran tid leanum ne meahte
mine gife gyldan, gif his gien wolde
minra þegna hwilc geþafa wurðan,
þæt he up heonon ute mihte
cuman þurh þas clustro, and hæfde cræft mid him
þæt he mid feðerhoman fleogan meahte,
windan on wolcne, þær geworht stondað
Adam and Eue on eorðrice
mid welan bewunden, and we synd aworpene hider
on þas deopan dalo. Nu hie drihtne synt
wurðran micle, and moton him þone welan agan
þe we on heofonrice habban sceoldon,
rice mid rihte; is se ræd gescyred
monna cynne. þæt me is on minum mode swa sar,
on minum hyge hreoweð, þæt hie heofonrice
agan to aldre. Gif hit eower ænig mæge
gewendan mid wihte þæt hie word godes
lare forlæten, sona hie him þe laðran beoð.
Gif hie brecað his gebodscipe, þonne he him abolgen wurðeþ;
siððan bið him se wela onwended and wyrð him wite gegarwod,
sum heard hearmscearu. Hycgað his ealle,
hu ge hi beswicen! Siððan ic me sefte mæg
restan on þyssum racentum, gif him þæt rice losað.
Se þe þæt gelæsteð, him bið lean gearo
æfter to aldre, þæs we her inne magon
on þyssum fyre forð fremena gewinnan.
Sittan læte ic hine wið me sylfne, swa hwa swa þæt secgan cymeð
on þas hatan helle, þæt hie heofoncyninges
unwurðlice wordum and dædum
lare"
Angan hine þa gyrwan godes andsaca,
fus on frætwum, (hæfde fæcne hyge),
hæleðhelm on heafod asette and þone full hearde geband,
spenn mid spangum; wiste him spræca fela,
wora worda. Wand him up þanon,
hwearf him þurh þa helldora, (hæfde hyge strangne),
leolc on lyfte laþwendemod,
swang þæt fyr on twa feondes cræfte;
wolde dearnunga drihtnes geongran,
mid mandædum men beswican,
forlædan and forlæran, þæt hie wurdon lað gode.
He þa geferde þurh feondes cræft
oððæt he Adam on eorðrice,
godes handgesceaft, gearone funde,
wislice geworht, and his wif somed,
freo fægroste, swa hie fela cuðon
godes gegearwigean, þa him to gingran self
metod mancynnes mearcode selfa.
And him bi twegin beamas stodon
þa wæron utan ofætes gehlædene,
gewered mid wæstme, swa hie waldend god,
heah heofoncyning handum gesette,
þæt þær yldo bearn moste on ceosan
godes and yfeles, gumena æghwilc,
welan and wawan. Næs se wæstm gelic!
Oðer wæs swa wynlic, wlitig and scene,
liðe and lofsum, þæt wæs lifes beam;
moste on ecnisse æfter lybban,
wesan on worulde, se þæs wæstmes onbat,
swa him æfter þy yldo ne derede,
ne suht sware, ac moste symle wesan
lungre on lustum and his lif agan,
hyldo heofoncyninges her on worulde,
habban him to wæron witode geþingþo
on þone hean heofon, þonne he heonon wende.

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). Genesis (Old English), Genesis B, lines 356–476. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/work/genesis-oe/2/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). Genesis (Old English), Genesis B, lines 356–476. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/work/genesis-oe/2/.

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