Research: Caedmon's Hymn

Background Info:

• Caedmon was the earliest know english poet.
• One of twelve anglo-saxon poets identified in medievel sources
• This poem is a nine-line alliterative vernacular praise poem in honour of God
• He supposedly learned to sing in his initial dream
• The author was an Anglo-Saxon herdsman attached to the double monastery of Streonæshalch (Whitby Abbey) during the abbacy of St. Hilda (657–680), he was originally ignorant of "the art of song", but learned this in one of his dreams

The Story of Caedmon

1] In ðeosse abbudissan mynstre wæs sum brōðor syndriġlīċe mid godcundre ġife ġemǣred ond ġeweorðad, for þon hē ġewunade ġerisenliċe lēoð wyrċan þā ðe tō ǣfestnisse ond tō ārfæstnisse belumpen, swā ðætte swā hwæt swā hē of godcundum stafum þurh bōceras ġeleornode, þæt hē æfter medmiċlum fæce in scopġereorde mid þā mǣstan swētnisse ond inbryrdnisse ġeglænġde ond in Engliscġereorde wel ġeworht forþbrōhte. [2] Ond for his lēoþsongum moniġra monna mōd oft tō worulde forhogdnisse ond tō ġeþēodnisse þæs heofonlican līfes onbærnde wǣron. [3] Ond ēac swelċe moniġe ōðre æfter him in Ongelþēode ongunnon ǣfeste lēoð wyrċan; ac nǣniġ hwæðre him þæt ġelīċe dōn meahte, for þon hē nales from monnum ne þurh mon ġelǣred wæs, þæt hē þone lēoðcræft leornade, ac hē wæs godcundlīċe ġefultumed ond þurh Godes ġife þone songcræft onfēng. [4] Ond hē for ðon nǣfre nōht lēasunge ne īdles lēoþes wyrċan meahte, ac efne þā ān þā ðe tō ǣfestnesse belumpon, ond his þā ǣfestan tungan ġedeofanade singan.

Caedmon's Hymn

Old English:

Nu scylun hergan hefaenricaes uard

metudæs maecti end his modgidanc

uerc uuldurfadur sue he uundra gihuaes

eci dryctin or astelidæ

he aerist scop aelda barnum

heben til hrofe haleg scepen.

tha middungeard moncynnæs

uard eci dryctin æfter tiadæ

firum foldu frea allmectigprimo

cantauit Cædmon istud carmen.

English Translation:

Now let me praise the keeper of Heaven's kingdom,

The might of the Creator, and his thought,

The work of the Father of glory, how each of wonders

The Eternal Lord established in the beginning.

He first created for the sons of men

Heaven as a roof, the holy Creator,

Then Middle-earth the keeper of mankind,

The Eternal Lord, afterwards made,

The earth for men, the Almighty Lord.