Ðā se ellen‐gǣst[1]earfoðlīce
þrāge geþolode,sē þe in þȳstrum bād,
þæt hē dōgora gehwāmdrēam gehȳrde
hlūdne in healle;þǣr wæs hearpan swēg,
90swutol sang scopes.Sægde sē þe cūþe
frumsceaft fīrafeorran reccan,
*cwæð þæt se Ælmihtigaeorðan worh[te],[2]Fol. 132a.
wlite‐beorhtne wang,swā wæter bebūgeð;
gesette sige‐hrēþigsunnan and mōnan
95lēoman tō lēohteland‐būendum,
ond gefrætwadefoldan scēatas
leomum and lēafum;līf ēac gesceōp
cynna gehwylcum,þāra ðe cwice hwyrfaþ.
Swā ðā driht‐gumandrēamum lifdon
100ēadiglīce,oð ðæt ān ongan
fyrene fre[m]man,fēond on helle;[3]
wæs se grimma gæstGrendel hāten,
mǣre mearc‐stapa,sē þe mōras hēold,
fen ond fæsten;fīfel‐cynnes eard
105won‐sǣli[4] werweardode hwīle,
siþðan him Scyppendforscrifen hæfde.
In Caines cynneþone cwealm gewræc,
ēce Drihten,[5]þæs þe hē Ābel slōg.
- ↑ 86. Rieger ‘ellor-gǣst,’ adopted by Earle; cf. ll. 807, 1617, &c.
- ↑ 92. MS. defective at corner.
- ↑ 101. MS. defective at edge. Earle adopts Bugge’s emendation of healle for helle, because it is “so simple, and gives so much relief”! On the other hand, in l. 142 he adopts Ettmüller’s hel-ðegnes for heal-ðegnes. Both changes are needless.
- ↑ 105. Almost all editions adopt the usual form won-salig.
- ↑ 106—8. Sievers:
forscrifen hæfde
in Caines cynne(þon[n]e cwealm gewraec
ēce Drihten),
