კედმონის ამბავი და მისი ჰიმნი
თანამედროვე ინგლისური თარგმანი
Having lived in the secular habit till he was well advanced in years, he had never learned anything of versifying; and for this reason sometimes at a banquet, when it was agreed to make merry by singing in turn, if he saw the harp come towards him, he would rise up from table and go out and return home.
Once having done so and gone out of the house where the banquet was, to the stable, where he had to take care of the cattle that night, he there composed himself to rest at the proper time. Thereupon one stood by him in his sleep, and saluting him, and calling him by his name, said, “Cædmon, sing me something”. But he answered, “I cannot sing, and for this cause I left the banquet and retired hither, because I could not sing”. Then he who talked to him replied, “Nevertheless thou must sing to me”. “What must I sing?” he asked. “Sing the beginning of creation”, said the other. Having received this answer he straightway began to sing verses to the praise of God the Creator, which he had never heard, the purport whereof was after this manner:
“Now must we praise
the Maker of the heavenly kingdom,
the power of the Creator
and His counsel,
the deeds of the Father of glory.
How He, being the eternal God,
became the Author of all wondrous works,
Who being the Almighty Guardian of the human race,
first created heaven for the sons of men
to be the covering of their dwelling place,
and next the earth”.
Awaking from his sleep, he remembered all that he had sung in his dream, and soon added more after, the same manner, in words which worthily expressed the praise of God.
In the morning he came to the reeve who was over him, and having told him of the gift he had received, was conducted to the abbess, and bidden, in the presence of many learned men, to tell his dream, and repeat the verses, that they might all examine and give their judgement upon the nature and origin of the gift whereof he spoke. And they all judged that heavenly grace had been granted to him by the Lord.
They expounded to him a passage of sacred history or doctrine, enjoining upon him, if he could, to put it into verse. Having undertaken this task, he went away, and returning the next morning, gave them the passage he had been bidden to translate, rendered in most excellent verse.
Nu scylun herȝan
hefaen-ricaes uard,
metudæs maecti
end his mod-ȝidanc,
uerc uuldur-fadur,
sue he uundra ȝihuaes,
eci dryctin,
or astelidæ.
He aerist scop
aelda barnum
heben til hrofe,
haleȝ scepen;
tha middun-ȝeard
mon-cynnæs uard,
eci dryctin,
æfter tiadæ
firum foldu
frea allmectiȝ
Once having done so and gone out of the house where the banquet was, to the stable, where he had to take care of the cattle that night, he there composed himself to rest at the proper time. Thereupon one stood by him in his sleep, and saluting him, and calling him by his name, said, “Cædmon, sing me something”. But he answered, “I cannot sing, and for this cause I left the banquet and retired hither, because I could not sing”. Then he who talked to him replied, “Nevertheless thou must sing to me”. “What must I sing?” he asked. “Sing the beginning of creation”, said the other. Having received this answer he straightway began to sing verses to the praise of God the Creator, which he had never heard, the purport whereof was after this manner:
“Now must we praise
the Maker of the heavenly kingdom,
the power of the Creator
and His counsel,
the deeds of the Father of glory.
How He, being the eternal God,
became the Author of all wondrous works,
Who being the Almighty Guardian of the human race,
first created heaven for the sons of men
to be the covering of their dwelling place,
and next the earth”.
Awaking from his sleep, he remembered all that he had sung in his dream, and soon added more after, the same manner, in words which worthily expressed the praise of God.
In the morning he came to the reeve who was over him, and having told him of the gift he had received, was conducted to the abbess, and bidden, in the presence of many learned men, to tell his dream, and repeat the verses, that they might all examine and give their judgement upon the nature and origin of the gift whereof he spoke. And they all judged that heavenly grace had been granted to him by the Lord.
They expounded to him a passage of sacred history or doctrine, enjoining upon him, if he could, to put it into verse. Having undertaken this task, he went away, and returning the next morning, gave them the passage he had been bidden to translate, rendered in most excellent verse.
Nu scylun herȝan
hefaen-ricaes uard,
metudæs maecti
end his mod-ȝidanc,
uerc uuldur-fadur,
sue he uundra ȝihuaes,
eci dryctin,
or astelidæ.
He aerist scop
aelda barnum
heben til hrofe,
haleȝ scepen;
tha middun-ȝeard
mon-cynnæs uard,
eci dryctin,
æfter tiadæ
firum foldu
frea allmectiȝ
