Genesis A, lines 852–986

þa com feran frea ælmihtig
ofer midne dæg, mære þeoden,
on neorxnawang neode sine;
wolde neosian nergend usser,
bilwit fæder, hwæt his bearn dyde;
wiste forworhte þam he ær wlite sealde.
Gewitan him þa gangan geomermode
under beamsceade blæde bereafod,
hyddon hie on heolstre, þa hie halig word
drihtnes gehyrdon, and ondredon him.
þa sona ongann swegles aldor
weard ahsian woruldgesceafta,
het him recene to rice þeoden
his sunu gangan. Him þa sylfa oncwæð,
hean hleoðrade hrægles þearfa:
"Ic wreo me her wæda leasne,
liffrea min, leafum þecce.
Scyldfull mine sceaðen is me sare,
frecne on ferhðe; ne dear nu forð gan
for ðe andweardne. Ic eom eall eall nacod."
Him ða ædre god andswarede:
"Saga me þæt, sunu min, for hwon secest ðu
sceade sceomiende? þu sceonde æt me
furðum ne anfenge, ac gefean eallum.
For hwon wast þu wean and wrihst sceome,
gesyhst sorge, and þin sylf þecest
lic mid leafum, sagast lifceare
hean hygegeomor, þæt þe sie hrægles þearf,
nymþe ðu æppel ænne byrgde
of ðam wudubeame þe ic þe wordum forbead?"
Him þa Adam eft andswarode:
"Me ða blæda on hand bryd gesealde,
freolucu fæmne, freadrihten min,
ðe ic þe on teonan geþah. Nu ic þæs tacen wege
sweotol on me selfum. Wat ic sorga ðy ma."
ða ðæs Euan frægn ælmihtig god:
"Hwæt druge þu, dohtor, dugeþa genohra,
niwra gesceafta neorxnawanges,
growendra gifa, þa þu gitsiende
on beam gripe, blæda name
on treowes telgum, and me on teonan
æte þa unfreme, Adame sealdest
wæstme þa inc wæron wordum minum
fæste forbodene?" Him þa freolecu mæg,
ides æwiscmod andswarode:
"Me nædre beswac and me neodlice
to forsceape scyhte and to scyldfrece,
fah wyrm þurh fægir word, oðþæt ic fracoðlice
feondræs gefremede, fæhðe geworhte,
and þa reafode, swa hit riht ne wæs,
beam on bearwe and þa blæda æt."
þa nædran sceop nergend usser,
frea ælmihtig fagum wyrme
wide siðas and þa worde cwæð:
"þu scealt wideferhð werig þinum
breostum bearm tredan bradre eorðan,
faran feðeleas, þenden þe feorh wunað,
gast on innan. þu scealt greot etan
þine lifdagas. Swa þu laðlice
wrohte onstealdest, þe þæt wif feoð,
hatað under heofnum and þin heafod tredeð
fah mid fotum sinum. þu scealt fiersna sætan
tohtan niwre; tuddor bið gemæne
incrum orlegnið a þenden standeð
woruld under wolcnum. Nu þu wast and canst,
lað leodsceaða, hu þu lifian scealt."
ða to Euan god yrringa spræc:
"Wend þe from wynne! þu scealt wæpnedmen
wesan on gewealde, mid weres egsan
hearde genearwad, hean þrowian
þinra dæda gedwild, deaðes bidan,
and þurh wop and heaf on woruld cennan
þurh sar micel sunu and dohtor."
Abead eac Adame ece drihten,
lifes leohtfruma, lað ærende:
"þu scealt oðerne eðel secean,
wynleasran wic, and on wræc hweorfan
nacod niedwædla, neorxnawanges
dugeðum bedæled; þe is gedal witod
lices and sawle. Hwæt, þu laðlice
wrohte onstealdest; forþon þu winnan scealt
and on eorðan þe þine andlifne
selfa geræcan, wegan swatig hleor,
þinne hlaf etan, þenden þu her leofast,
oðþæt þe to heortan hearde gripeð
adl unliðe þe þu on æple ær
selfa forswulge; forþon þu sweltan scealt."
Hwæt, we nu gehyrað hwær us hearmstafas
wraðe onwocan and woruldyrmðo.
Hie þa wuldres weard wædum gyrede,
scyppend usser; het heora sceome þeccan
frea frumhrægle; het hie from hweorfan
neorxnawange on nearore lif.
Him on laste beleac liðsa and wynna
hihtfulne ham halig engel
be frean hæse fyrene sweorde;
ne mæg þær inwitfull ænig geferan
womscyldig mon, ac se weard hafað
miht and strengðo, se þæt mære lif
dugeðum deore drihtne healdeð.
No hwæðre ælmihtig ealra wolde
Adame and Euan arna ofteon,
fæder æt frymðe, þeah þe hie him from swice,
ac he him to frofre let hwæðere forð wesan
hyrstedne hrof halgum tunglum
and him grundwelan ginne sealde;
het þam sinhiwum sæs and eorðan
tuddorteondra teohha gehwilcre
to woruldnytte wæstmas fedan.
Gesæton þa æfter synne sorgfulre land,
eard and eðyl unspedigran
fremena gehwilcre þonne se frumstol wæs
þe hie æfter dæde of adrifen wurdon.
Ongunnon hie þa be godes hæse
bearn astrienan, swa him metod bebead.
Adames and Euan aforan wæron
freolicu twa frumbearn cenned,
Cain and Abel. Us cyðað bec,
hu þa dædfruman dugeþa stryndon,
welan and wiste, willgebroðor.
Oðer his to eorðan elnes tilode,
se wæs ærboren; oðer æhte heold
fæder on fultum, oðþæt forð gewat
dægrimes worn. Hie þa drihtne lac
begen brohton. Brego engla beseah
on Abeles gield eagum sinum,
cyning eallwihta, Caines ne wolde
tiber sceawian. þæt wæs torn were
hefig æt heortan. Hygewælm asteah
beorne on breostum, blatende nið,
yrre for æfstum. He þa unræden
folmum gefremede, freomæg ofsloh,
broðor sinne, and his blod ageat,
Cain Abeles. Cwealmdreore swealh
þæs middangeard, monnes swate.