Bede's, account testo e traduzione

(Filologia Germanica) Testo in inglese antico; Bede’s Account of the Poet

Cædmon

In ðeosse abbudissan mynstre wæs sum broðor syndriglice mid godcundre gife

gemæred ond geweorðad, forþon he gewunade gerisenlice leoð wyrcan, þa ðe to

æfæstnisse ond 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 ond inbryrdnisse geglængde ond in

Engliscgereorde wel geworht forþbrohte.

Ond for his leoþsongum monigra monna mod oft to worulde forhogdnisse ond 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 ond 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, ond his þa æfestan tungan gedafenode singan.

Wæs he, se mon, in weoruldhade geseted oð þa tide þe he wæs gelyfdre ylde, ond

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 ond ham eode to his huse.

Þa he þæt þa sumre tide dyde, þæt he forlet þæt hus þæs gebeorscipes, ond 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 ond onslepte, þa stod him sum

mon æt þurh swefn ond hine halette ond grette ond hine be his noman nemnde:

"Cedmon, sing me hwæthwugu."

Þa ondswarede he ond cwæð: "Ne con ic noht singan; ond ic forþon of þeossum

gebeorscipe ut eode, ond 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 ond þa word þe he næfre gehyrde, þara endebyrdnes þis is:

"Nu sculon herigean heofonrices Weard,

Meotodes meahte ond 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, ond eal þa þe he slæpende song fæste in gemynde

hæfde ond 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, ond he hine sona to þære abbudissan gelædde ond hire þa

cyðde ond sægde.

Þa heht heo gesomnian ealle þa gelæredestan men ond þa leorneras: ond him

ondweardum het secgan þæt swefn, ond 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 ond sægdon sum halig spell ond 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 ond cwom eft on

morgenne ond þy betstan leoðe geglenged him asong ond ageaf þæt him beboden

wæs.

Ða ongan seo abbudisse clyppan ond lufigean þa Godes gife in þæm men, ond heo

hine þa monade ond lærde þæt he woruldhad anforlete ond munuchad onfenge, ond

he þæt wel þafode.

Ond heo hine in þæt mynster onfeng mid his godum, ond hine geþeodde to

gesomnunge þara Godes þeowa; ond heht hine læran þæt getæl þæs halgan stæres

ond spelles.

Ond he eal þa he in gehyrnesse geleornian meahte mid hine gemyndgade ond swa

swa clæne neten eodorcende in þæt sweteste leoð gehwerfde; ond his song ond his

leoð wæron swa wynsumu to gehyranne, þætte seolfan þa his lareowas æt his muðe

wreoton ond leornodon.

Song he ærest be middangeardes gesceape ond bi fruman moncynnes ond eal þæt

stær Genesis, þæt is seo æreste Moyses booc, ond eft bi utgonge Israhela folces of

Ægypta londe ond bi ingonge þæs gehatlandes; ond bi oðrum monegum spellum

þæs halgan gewrites canones boca; ond bi Cristes menniscnesse; ond bi his

þrowunge; ond bi his upastignesse in heofonas; ond bi þæs Halgan Gastes cyme,

ond þara apostola lare. Ond eft bi þæm dæge þæs toweardan domes, ond bi fyrhtu

þæs tintreglican wiites, ond bi swetnesse þæs heofonlecan rices, he monig leoð

geworhte.

Ond swelce eac oðer monig be þæm godcundan fremsumnessum ond domum he

geworhte.

In eallum þæm he geornlice gemde, þæt he men atuge from synna lufan ond

mandæda, ond to lufan ond to geornfulnesse awehte godra dæda.

Forþon he wæs, se mon, swiþe æfæst ond 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 ond geendade.

Forþon þa ðære tide nealæcte his gewitenesse ond forðfore, þa wæs he

feowertynum dagum ær, þæt he wæs lichomlicre untrymnesse þrycced ond hefgad,

hwæðre to þon gemetlice, &