(1) In
ðeosse abbudissan° mynstre wæs sum broðor syndriglice° mid godcundre° gife
gemæred° 7 geweorðad°.
abbess (gs), especially, divine (dsf), made famous (p ptc), honoured (p ptc)
(2) Forþon he gewunade° gerisenlice° leoð° wyrcan, þa ðe to æfestnisse° 7 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 7 inbryrdnisse° geglængde° 7 in Engliscgereorde wel geworht forþbrohte°.
was accustomed to (pret 3s), suitable (apn), poems (ap), religion (ds), piety (ds), pertained (pret 3p), letters (dp), scholars (ap), brief (dsn), interval (ds), poetic language (ds), inspiration (as), adorned (pret 3s), produced (pret 3s)
(7) Ond for his leoþsongum° monigra monna mod oft to worulde forhogdnisse° 7
to geþeodnisse° þæs heofonlican lifes onbærnde° wæron.
sung poems (dp), contempt (ds), joining (ds), inspired (p ptc)
(10) Ond eac swelce monige oðre æfter him in Ongelþeode ongunnon æfeste leoð wyrcan: ac nænig hwæðre° him þæt gelice don meahte.
nevertheless
(12) Forþon he
nales° from monnum ne þurh mon gelæred wæs, þæt he þone leoðcræft leornade, ac he wæs
godcundlice° gefultumed° 7 þurh Godes gife þone songcræft onfeng°.
not at all, divinely, helped (p ptc), received (pret 3s)
(14) Ond he forðon næfre noht° leasunge°, ne idles leoþes wyrcan meahte, ac efne° þa an þa ðe to æfestnesse belumpon, 7 his þa æfæstan tungan° gedeofanade° singan.
not at all, fable (gs), only, tongue (as), befitted (pret 3s)
(18) Wæs he se mon in weoruldhade° geseted° oð þa tide þe he wæs gelyfdre° ylde, 7 næfre nænig leoð geleornade.
secular life (ds), settled (p ptc), advanced (gsf)
(19) Ond he forþon oft in gebeorscipe°,
þonne þær wæs blisse intinga° gedemed, þæt heo ealle scalde þurh endebyrdnesse° be hearpan singan, þonne he geseah þa
hearpan him nealecan°, þonne aras° he
for forscome° from þæm symble° 7 ham eode to his huse.
feast (ds), cause (ns), succession (as), to draw near, arose (pret 3s), shame (ds), feast (ds)
(23) Þa he þæt þa sumre tide dyde, þæt he forlet° þæt hus þæs gebeorscipes, 7 ut wæs gongende to neata° scipene°, þara heord° him wæs þære neahte° beboden°.
left (pret 3s), of the cattle, shed (ds), custody (ns), night (ds), commanded (p ptc)
(25) þa he ða þær in gelimplice° tide his leomu° on reste gesette 7 onslepte, þa stod him sum mon æt þurh swefn° 7 hine
halette° 7 grette 7 hine be his noman nemnde°: Cedmon, sing me hwæthwugu°.
suitable (ds), limbs (ap), dream (as), hailed (pret 3s), called (pret 3s), something (as)
(28) Þa ondswarede he 7 cwæð: Ne con ic noht singan; 7 ic forþon of þeossum gebeorscipe uteode, 7 hider gewat°, forþon ic naht singan ne cuðe.
departed (pret 1s)
(31) Eft he cwæð se ðe wið hine sprecende wæs: Hwæðre þu meaht singan.
(32) Þa cwæð he: Hwæt sceal ic singan?
(33) Cwæð he: Sing me frumsceaft°.
creation (as)
(33) Þa he Ýa ßas andsware onfeng, ßa ongon he sona singan in herenesse° Godes Scyppendes ßa fers° & ßa word ße he n¾fre gehyrde,
ß¾re endebyrdnesse ßis is:
praise (ds), verses (ap)
Nu sculon herigean° heofonrices° weard°, to praise, of heaven, guardian (as)
meotodes° meahte° & his modgeßanc°, of the creator, power (as), purpose (as)
weorc wuldorf¾der°, swa he wundra gehw¾s°, of the father of glory, each (gsn)
ece Drihten, or° onstealde°. beginning (as), instituted (pret 3s)
he ærest sceop eorðan° bearnum of the earth
heofon to hrofe° halig scyppend; roof (ds)
þa middangeard monncynnes weard,
ece Drihten, æfter teode° adorned (pret 3s)
firum° foldan°, frea° ælmihtig. people (dp), earth (as), lord (ns)
(45) Þa aras he from þæm slæpe, 7 eal, þa þe he slæpende song, fæste in gemynde° hæfde.
remembrance (ds)
(46) 7 þæm wordum sona monig word in þæt ilce gemet° Gode wyrðes° songes togeþeodde°.
metre (as), dear (gsn), added (pret 3s)
(47) Þa com he on morgenne to þæm tungerefan°, þe his ealdormon° wæs: sægde him hwylce gife he onfeng; 7 he hine sona to þære abbudissan gelædde 7 hire þa cyðde 7 sægde.
town-reeve (ds), employer (ns)
(50) Þa heht heo gesomnian° ealle þa gelæredestan° men 7 þa leorneras°: 7 him ondweardum° het secgan þæt swefn, 7 þæt leoð singan, þæt ealra heora dome° gecoren° wære, hwæt oððe hwonon þæt cumen wære.
to assemble, most learned (superl apm), scholars (ap), present (dp), judgement (ds), decided (p ptc nsn)
(53) Þa wæs him eallum gesegen, swa swa hit wæs, þæt him wære from Drihtne sylfum heofonlic gifu forgifen°.
given (p ptc)
(55) Þa rehton° heo him 7 sægdon sum halig spell° 7 godcundre lare word: bebudon° him þa, gif he meahte, þæt he in swinsunge° leoþsonges° þæt gehwyrfde°.
related (pret 3p), story (as), commanded (pret 3p), melody (ds), poetry (gs), turned (pret subj 3s)
(58) Þa he ða hæfde þa wisan° onfongne°, þa eode he ham to his huse; 7 cwom eft on morgenne, 7 þy betstan° leoðe geglenged° him asong° 7 ageaf°, þæt him beboden wæs.
task (as), accepted (p ptc asf), best (isn), adorned (p ptc), recited (pret 3s), gave back (pret 3s)
(61) Üa ongan seo abbudisse clyppan° & lufigean ßa Godes gife in ß¾m men; & heo hine ßa monade° & l¾rde° ß¾t he woruldhad° anforlete° & munuchad° onfenge: 7 he ß¾t wel ßafode°.
to embrace, exhorted (pret 3s), advised (pret 3s), secular life (ds), abandoned (pret subj 3s), monastic orders (as), consented to (pret 3s)
(63) Ond heo hine in þæt mynster onfeng mid his godum°, 7 hine geþeodde° to gesomnunge° þara Godes þeowa°; 7 heht hine læran þæt getæl° þæs halgan stæres° 7 spelles.
goods (dp), joined (pret 3s), community (ds), of servants, sequence (as), of history
(66) Ond he eal, þa he in gehyrnesse° geleornian meahte, mid hine gemyndgade°; 7 swa swa clæne neten° eodorcende° in þæt sweteste leoð gehwerfde°.
hearing (ds), remembered (pret 3s), beast (ns), chewing the cud (pres ptc nsn), turned (pret 3s)
(68) 7 his song 7 his leoð wæron swa wynsumu° to gehyranne, þætte seolfan þa his lareowas æt his muðe wreoton° 7 leornodon.
delightful (npm), wrote (pret 3p)
(70) Song he ærest be middangeardes gesceape° 7 bi fruman° moncynnes 7 eal þæt stær° Genesis, þæt is seo æreste° Moyses booc; 7 eft bi utgonge° Israhela folces of ægypta londe 7 bi ingonge° þæs gehatlandes°; 7 bi oðrum monegum spellum þæs halgan gewrites canones° boca; ond bi Cristes menniscnesse°; 7 bi his þrowunge°; 7 bi his upastignesse° in heofonas; 7 bi þæs Halgan Gastes cyme, 7 þara apostola lare: 7 eft bi þæm dæge þæs toweardan° domes, 7 bi fyrhtu° þæs tintreglican° wiites°, 7 bi swetnesse þæs heofonlecan° rices, he monig leoð geworhte.
creation (ds), beginning (ds), history (as), first (nsf), exodus (ds), entry (ds), of the promised land, of the canon, incarnation (ds), suffering (ds), ascension (ds), imminent (gsm), horror (ds), tormenting (gsn), of punishment, heavenly (gsn)
(79) Ond swelce eac oðer monig be þæm godcundan fremsumnessum° 7 domum° he geworhte.
benefits (dp), judgements (dp)
(80) In eallum þæm he geornlice° gemde°, þæt he men atuge° from synna° lufan 7 mandæda°, 7 to lufan 7 to geornfulnesse° awehte° godra dæda.
eagerly, took heed (pret 3s), withdrew (pret subj 3s), of sins, of evil deeds, desire (ds), roused (pret subj 3s)
(82) Forþon he wæs se mon swiþe æfest° 7 regollecum° þeodscipum° eaðmodlice° underþeoded°.
pious (nsm), regular (dpm), disciplines (dp), humbly, devoted (p ptc)
(84) Ond wið þæm þa ðe in oðre wisan don woldon, he wæs mid welme° micelre ellenwodnisse° onbærned°.
fervour (ds), of zeal, kindled (p ptc)
(85) Ond he forðon fægre° ænde° his lif betynde° 7 geendade.
beautiful (ism), conclusion (is), closed (pret 3s)