Revival: The Junius Manuscript (1931)

George Philip Krapp

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781351338707
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

This book is the first volume in a collective edition, the plan of which includes all the surviving records of Anglo-Saxon poetry. The main body of Anglo-Saxon poetry as it has come down to us is contained in four important miscellany manuscripts, the Junius Manuscript, the Vercelli Book, the Exeter Book, and the Beowulf Manuscript, each of which will constitute a separate volume in this edition. The remaining minor and more or less scattered examples of Anglo-Saxon poetry will be grouped together, in a volume of volumes of their own.

GENESIS

Us is riht micel ðæt we rodera weard,

wereda wuldorcining, wordum herigen,

modum lufien! He is mægna sped,

heafod ealra heahgesceafta,

5 frea ælmihtig. Næs him fruma æfre,

or geworden, ne nu ende cymþ

ecean drihtnes, ac he bið a rice

ofer heofenstolas. Heagum þrymmum

soðfæst and swiðfeorm sweglbosmas heold,

10 þa, wæron gesette wide and side

þurh geweald godes wuldres bearnum,

gasta weardum. Hæfdon gleam and dream,

and heora ordfruman, engla þreatas,

beorhte blisse. Wæs heora blæd micel!

15 Þegnas þrymfæste þeoden heredon,

sægdon lustum lof, heora liffrean

demdon, drihtenes dugeþum wæron

swiðe gesælige. Synna ne cuþon,

firena fremman, ac hie on friðe lifdon,

20 ece mid heora aldor. Elles ne ongunnon

ræran on roderum, nymþe riht and soþ,

ærðon engla weard for oferhygde

dwæl on gedwilde. Noldan dreogan leng

heora selfra ræd, ac hie of siblufan

25 godes ahwurfon. Hæfdon gielp micel

þæt hie wið drihtne dælan meahton

wuldorfæstan wic werodes þrymme,

sid and swegltorht. Him pær þær gelamp,

æfst and oferhygd, and þæs engles mod

30 þe þone unræd ongan ærest fremman,

wefan and weccean, þa he worde cwæð,

niþes ofþyrsted, þæt he on norðdæle

ham and heahsetl heofena rices

agan wolde. Þa wearð yrre god

35 and þam werode wrað þe he ær wurðode

wlite and wuldre. Sceop þam werlogan

wræclicne ham weorce to leane,

helleheafas, hearde niðas.

Heht þæt witehus wræcna bidan,

40 deop, dreama leas, drihten ure,

gasta weardas, þa, he hit geare wiste,

synnihte beseald, susle geinnod,

geondfolen fyre and færcyle,

rece and reade lege. Heht þa geond þæt rædlease hof

45 weaxan witebrogan. Hæfdon hie wrohtgeteme

grimme wið god gesomnod; him þæs grim lean becom!

Cwædon þæt heo rice, reðemode,

agan woldan, and swa eaðe meahtan.

Hirn seo wen geleah, siððan waldend his,

50 heofona heahcining, honda arærde,

hehste wið þam herge. Ne mihton hygelease,

mæne wið metode, mægyn bryttigan,

ac him se mæra mod getwæfde,

bælc forbigde. Þa he gebolgen wearð,

55 besloh synsceaþan sigore and gewealde,

dome and dugeðe, and dreame benam

his feond, friðo and gefean ealle,

torhte tire, and his torn gewræc

on gesacum swiðe selfes mihtum

60 strengum stiepe. Hæfde styrne mod,

gegremed grymme, grap on wraðe

faum folmum, and him on fæðm gebræc

yrre on mode; æðele bescyrede

his wiðerbrecan wuldorgestealdum.

65 Sceof þa and scyrede scyppend ure

oferhidig cyn engla of heofnum,

wærleas werod. Waldend sende

Laðwendne here on langne sið,

geomre gastas; wxs him gylp forod,

70 beot forborsten, and forbiged þrym,

wlite gewemmed. Heo on wrace syððan

seomodon swearte, siðe ne þorfton

hlude hlihhan, ac heo helltregum

werige wunodon and wean cuðon,

75 sar and sorge, susl þrowedon

þystrum beþeahte, þearl æfterlean

þæs þe heo ongunnon wið gode winnan.

þa wæs soð swa ær sibb on heofnum,

fægre freoþoþeawas, frea eallum leof,

80 þeoden his þegnum; þrymmas weoxon

duguða mid drihtne, dreamhæbbendra.

Wæron þa gesome, þa þe swegl buað,

wuldres eðel. Wroht wæs asprungen,

oht mid englum and orlegnið,

85 siððan herewosan heofon ofgæfon,

leohte belorene. Him on laste setl,

wuldorspedum welig, wide stodan

gifum growende on godes rice,

beorht and geblædfæst, buendra leas,

90 siððan wræcstowe werige gastas

under hearmlocan heane geforan.

þa þeahtode þeoden ure

modgeþonce, hu he þa mæran gesceaft,

eðelstaðolas eft gesette,

95 swegltorhtan seld, selran werode,

þa hie gielpsceaþan ofgifen hæfdon,

heah on heofenum. Forþam halig god

under roderas feng, ricum mihtum,

wolde þæt him eorðe and uproder

100 and sid wæter geseted wurde

woruldgesceafte on wraðra gield,

þara þe forhealdene of hleo sende.

Ne wæs her þa giet nymþe heolstersceado

wiht geworden, ac þes wida grund

105 stod deop and dim, drihtne fremde,

idel and unnyt. On þone eagum wlat

stiðfrihþ cining, and þa stowe beheold,

dreama lease, geseah deorc gesweorc

semian sinnihte sweart under roderum,

110 wonn and weste, oðþæt þeos woruldgesceaft

þurh word gewearð wuldorcyninges.

Her ærest gesceop ece drihten,

helm eallwihta, heofon and eorðan,

rodor arærde, and þis rume land

115 gestaþelode strangum mihtum,

frea ælmihtig. Folde wæs þa gyta

græs ungrene; garsecg þeahte

sweart synnihte, side and wide,

wonne wægas. þa wæs wuldortorht

120 heofonweardes gast ofer holm boren

miclum spedum. Metod engla heht,

lifes brytta, leoht forð cuman

ofer rumne...