Hwaet thu ece God!
Ealra gesceafta
Wundorlice
Wel gesceope,

10
Ungesewenlicra,
And eac swa same,
Gesewenlicra;
Softe wealdest
Scirra gesceafta,

15
Mid gesceadwisum
Mægne and cræfte.
Thu thysne middan geard
From fruman ærest,
Forth oth ende,

20
Tidum todældes,
Swa hit getæsost was
Endebyrdes :
That hi æghwæther
Ge arfarath

25
Ge estcumath.
Thu the unstilla
Agna gesceafta
To thinum willan
Wislice astyrest,

30
And the self wunæst
Swithe stille,
Unanwendendlic,
A forth simle!
Nis nan mihtigra,

35
Ne nan mærra,
Ne geond ealle tha gesceaft,
Efnlica thin.
Ne the aenig ned-thearf naes
Æfre giet ealra

40
Thara weorca,
The thu geworht hafast ;
Ac mid thinum willan
Thu hit worhtes eall.
And mid anwalde

45
Thinum agenum,
Weorulde geworhtest,
And wuhta gehwæt;
Theah the nænegu
Ned-thearf wäre eallra 50
Thara mærtha !
Is thaet micel gecynd
Thines goodes ;
Thencth ymb se the wile :
Forthon hit is eall an

55
Ælces thincges,
Thu and thæt thin good ;
Hit is thin agen,
Forthæm hit nis utan,
Ne com auht to the.

60
Ac ic georne wat,
That thin goodnes is
Ælmihtig good,
Eall mid the selfum.
Hit is ungelic

65
Urum gecynde :
Us is utan cymen
Eall the we habbath
Gooda on grundum,
From Gode selfum.

70
Neft thu to negum
Andan genumenne,
Fortham the nan thing nis
Thin gelica;
Ne huru ænig

75
Ælcræftigre;
Forthæm thu eal good,
Anes getheahte,
Thines gethohtest,
And hi tha worhtest.

80
Næs æror the
Ænegu gesceaft,
The auht oththe nauht
Auther worhte.
Ac thu butan bysne,

85
Brego moncynnes,
Æl ælmihtig God,
Eall geworhtest
Thing, thearle good;
Eart the selfa

90
Thæt hehste good !
Hwt thu halig feder,
Æfter thinum willan,
Woruld gesceope,
Thisne middan geard,

95
Meahtum thinum.

Weorada Drihten,
Swa thu woldest self:
And mid thinum willan
Wealdest ealles !

100
Forthæm thu sotha God,
Selfa dælest
Gooda æghwilc;
Forthæm thu geara ær,
Ealle gesceafta

105
Ærest gesceope,
Swithe gelice,
Sumes hwæthre theah
Ungelice;
Nemdest eall swa theah 110
Mid ane noman,
Ealle togædere,
Woruld under wolcnum.
Hwæt thu wuldres God!
Thone anne naman

115
Eft todældes,
Fæder, on feower:
Was thara folde an,
And water other,
Worulde dæles,

120
And fyr is thridde,
And feowerthe lyft;
Thæt is eall weoruld
Eft togædere.
Habbath theah tha feower 125
Frum-stol hiora;
Ængwilc hiora
Agenne stede :
Theah anra hwilc
With other sie

130
Miclum gemenged;
And mid mægne eac
Fæder ælmihtiges
Fæste gebunden,
Gesiblice,

135
Softe togædere,
Mid bebode thine,
Bilewit fæder!
Thæt te heora ænig
Othres ne dorste

140
Mearc ofergangan,
For metodes ege;
Ac geth weorod sint
Thegnas togædere,
Cyninges cempan.

145
Cele with hæto,
Wat with drygum,
Winnath hwæthre.
Water and eorthe
Wæstmas brengath;

150
Tha sint on gecynde
Cealda ba twa.
Water wæt and ceald,
Wangas ymbe-licgath.
Eorthe æl greno

155
Eac hwæthre ceald lyft
Is gemenged,
Forthæm hio on middum wunath
Nis thaet nan wundor
Thaet hio sie wearm and ceald 160
Wat wolcnes tier
Winde geblonden;
Forthæm bio is on midle,
Mine gefræge,
Fyres and eorthan.

165
Fela monna wat
Thæt te yfemest is
Eallra gesceafta
Fyr ofer eorthan,
Folde neothemest.

170
Is thaet wundorlic,
Weroda Drihten !
Thæt thu mid getheahte
Thinum wyrcest;
Thaet thu thaem gesceaftum 175
Swa gesceadlice
Mearce gesettest,
And hi ne mengdest eac.
Hwet thu thaem wttere
Watum and cealdum, 180
Foldan to flore
Fæste gesettest;
Forthæm hit unstille,
Æghwider wolde
Wide toscrithan,

185 Wac and hnesce;

Ne meahte hit on him selfum.
Soth ic geare wat
Æfre gestandan :
Ac hit sio eorthe

190
Hilt and swelgeth eac.
Be sumum dæle,
That hio siththan mæg,
For thæm sy pe weorthan
Geleht lyftun.

195 Forthæm leaf and gærs, Braed geond Bretene, Bloweth and groweth, Eldum to are. Eorthe sio cealde

200 Brength waestma fela, Wundorlicra, Forthaem hio mid thaem waetere Weorthath gethawened. Gif thaet nære,

205 Thonne hio wäre Fordrugod to duste, And todrien siththan Wide mid winde; Swa nu weorthath oft 210 Axe giond eorthan Eall toblawen. Ne neahte on thaere eorthan Awuht libban, Ne wuhte thon ma

215 Wætres brucan, Oneardian Ænige cræfte, For cele anum: Gif thu, cyning engla, 220 With fyre hwæt-hwugu, Foldan and lagu-sream Ne mengdest togædere; And gemetgodest Cele and hæto

225 Cræfte thine, Thaet thaet fyr ne maeg Foldan and mere-stream Blate forbærnan, Theah hit with ba twa sie 230 Fæste gefeged ; Fæder eald geweorc. Ne thincth me that wundur Wuhte the læsse, Thæt thios eorthe maeg,

235 And egor-stream, Swa ceald gesceaft, Cræfta nane, Ealles adwæscan That thaet him on innan sticath Fyres, gefeged

241 Mid frean cræste. That is agen craft Eagor-streames, Wætres and eorthan,

245 And on wolcnum eac, And efne swa same Uppe ofer rodere. Thonne is thær fyres Frum-stol on riht Eard ofer eallum Othrum gesceastum Gesewenlicum, Geond thisne sidan grund; Theah hit with ealle sie 255 Eft gemenged Weoruld-gesceafta: Theah waldan ne mot, That hit ænige Eallunga fordo

250

Thriefald gesceaft,

365
Thegna gehwilces :
Forthæm uthwitan
Ealle seggath,
That te an gecynd
Ælcre saule

370
Yrsung wære,
Other wilnung;
Is sio thridde gecynd
Thaem twaem betere,
Sio gescead wisnes.

375
Nis thaet scandlic craeft,
Forthaem hit naenig hafath,
Neat buton monnum.
Haefth tha othra twa
Unrim wuhta.

380
Hæfth tha wilnunga
Wel hwilc neten,
And tha yrsunga
Eac swa selfe.
Foi thy men habbæth

385
Geond middan geard,
Eorth-gesceafta
Ealle oferthungen;
Forthæm the hi habbath
Thas the hi nabbath, 390
Thone ænne cræft
The we ær nemdon,
Sio gesceadwisnes
Sceal on gehwelcum
There wilnunge

395
Waldan semle,
And irsunge
Eac swa selfe.
Hio sceal mid getheahte,
Thegnes mode,

400
Mid andgite
Ealles waldan
Hio is that mæste mægen
Monpes saule,
And se selesta

405
Sundor cræfta
Hwæt thu tha saule,
Sigora waldend,
Theoda thrym-cyning,
Thus gesceope,

410
That hio hwearfode
On hire selfre,
Hire utan ymb,
Swa swa eal deth
Rine swifte rodor:

415
Recene ymbscritheth
Dogora gehwilce,
Drihtnes meahtum
Thisne middan geard :
Swa deth monnes saul,

420
Hweole gelicost,
Hwarfeth ymbe hy selfe,
Oft smeagende
Ymb thas eorthlican
Drihtnes gesceasta,

425
Dagum and nihtum.
Hwilum hi selfe
Secende smeath
Hwilum eft smeath
Ymb thone ecan God, 430
Sceppend hire;
Scrithende færth
Hweole gelicost,
Hwærfth ymb hi selfe.
Thonne hio ymb hire scyppend 435
Mid gesceаd smeath,
Hio bith upahæfen
Ofer hi selfe ;
Ac hio bith eallunga
An bire selfre

440
Thonne hio ymb hi selle
Secende smeath.
Hio bith swithe fior
Hire selfre beneothan,
Thonne hio thæs lænan 445
Lufath and wundrath
Eorthlicu thing,
Ofer ecne ræd.
Hwæt thu ece God,
Eard forgeafe

450
Saulum on heofonum;
Selest weorthlica
Ginfæsta gisa,

God ælmihtig!
Be ge earnunga

455
Anra gehwelcre.
Ealle hi scinath
Thurh tha sciran neaht
Hadre on heofenum ;
Na hwæthre theah

460
Ealle efenbeorhte.
Hwæt we oft gesioth
Hadrum nihtum,
That te heofon-steorran
Ealle efenbeorhte,

465
Æfre ne scinath.
Hwæt thu ece God,
Eac gemengest
Tha heofoncundan
Hither with eorthan;

470
Saula with lice
Siththan wuniath :
This eorthlice
And that ece samod,
Saul in flæsce.

475
Hwæt hi simle to the
Hiona fundiath,
Forthæm hi hider of the
Æror comon;
Sculon eft to the.

480
Sceal se lichama
Last weardigan
Eft on eorthan,
Forthæm he ær of hire
Weox on weorulde.

485
Wunedon æt somne
Efen swa lange
Swa him lyfed wæs
From thæm ælmihtigan,
The hi æror gio

490
Gesomnade.
Thæt is soth cyning,
Se thas foldan gesceop,
And hi gifylde tha
Swithe mislicum

495
Mine gefræge,
Neata cynnum,
Nergend user.
He hi siththan asiow
Sæda monegum

500
Wuda and wyrta,
Weorulde sceatum.
Forgif nu ece God,
Urum modum,
Thæt hi moten to the, 505
Metod alwuhta,
Thurh thas earfothu
Up astigan:
And of thisum by segum,
Bilewit fæder,

510
Theoda waldend,
To the cuman ;
And thonne mid openum
Eagum moten
Modes ures,

515
Thurh thinra mægna sped,
Æwelm gesion
Eallra gooda;
Thæt thu eart selfa,
Sige Drihten God!

520
Ge tha eagan hal
Ures modes,
That we hi on the selfum
Siththan moten
Afæstnian,

525
Pæder engla!
Todrif thone thiccan mist,
The thrage nu
With tha eagan foran
Usses modes

530
Hangode hwyle,
Hefig and thystre.
Onliht nu tha eagan
Usses modes
Mid thinum leohte,

535
Lifes waldend;
Forthæm thu eart sio birhtu,
Bilewit fæder,
Sothes leohtes :
And thu selfa eart

540
Sio fæste ræst,
Fæder ælmihtig!