Cædmōnes Lof

Folio 129r of þǣre ærran ǣlfrǣden cennæ, Oxford, Bodleian Bibliohð, MS Hatton 43, ætwyð showing ā page of Bēda's Læden text, mid Cædmon's Hymn aseted on þǣre læwran gemǣne

Cædmōnes Lof ðis is an brēme lytel Ænglisc metrical lyric ættributed to Cædmon, an supposedly unlearned and unmusical cu-hereþe, se wæs, be æfter Bēde, Northumbrian munce, wið mīracle forgeafen to singan on heonore Godes þæs Scyppend. Se leōð is Cædmon's ānhwylc gemynd.

Þes læsc has a gæld to beon þæt ealdest þearfend Englisc læcge: gif Bēda's cyðness is riht, þes læsc wæs gecweden twixt 658 and 680, on þǣm ærran styrgan þæs Cristendomes of Anglo-Sæxisc Englalande; eac on þǣm hāldigum handgeþingum, þes læsc is þæt ærest hæbben beædling þæs Eald Englisc fæde.

Cyninglice, hit is án of þǽm ealdum forðweardum bearnum þæs Germaenes ǣlþēodig ālēhð, hæbende āwyrtendes stōwe for þǽm lǣran of Eald Englisc leohtra and for þǽm ærran nytte of forððǽl ðēaw for Cristen wiðerfæt after þǽm cynges of ærran middealdum Englalande tō Cristendome. Sōþlīce, án leornere hæfð cweðen þæt Bēde geseah hit swā ealdrīce of Germaenes lofpoet, þæt lēad hit him tō þēon cædēstan þǽr he hæfde lātan awriten ac ne ðæt fruma leahtra.

Þæt léoð is eac se Eald Englisc léoð geattod on þære twéonung mæstum noð — twentig and an — æfter Bēda's Swinsung deaðe. Þás ealle sind gēot tō Bēda's Ealdgēnealað Cynnunga. Þás gēot scēowað sigefæst wiðerhðing on þære form of þæs cyþþe, wyrðeþe hit an wiðerlice case-studie for þone scriba tæht of Eald Englisc fræsce.