以下は,Mitchell and Robinson の A Guide to Old English (179) に掲載されている,現代英語としてほぼそのまま読める古英語の文章である.
Harold is swift. His hand is strong and his word grim. Late in līfe hē went tō his wīfe in Rōme.
Is his inn open? His cornbin is full and his song is writen.
Grind his corn for him and sing mē his song.
Hē is dēad. His bed is under him. His lamb is dēaf and blind. Hē sang for mē.
Hē swam west in storme and winde and froste.
Bring ūs gold. Stand ūp and find wīse men.
だが,年度の初めの授業で古英語を導入するつもりで上の文章を見せると,相当に誤解を招くことになるだろう.現代英語として理解できる語彙と文法で強引にでっちあげた文章であり,実際には,ほとんど違和感もなく読めてしまうこのような古英語文に出会う機会はまれと言わざるを得ない.しかし,古英語と現代英語が千年以上の時を隔てて連綿とつながっていることは,この文章からも明らかである.やはり,英語は英語である.
続いて,見た目は現代英語とかけ離れているが,多少の古英語の発音規則を学んだ後で発音してみると現代英語の響きにおよそ通じ,およそ理解可能という古英語文を見てみよう (Mitchell and Robinson 179--80) .
Is his þeġn hēr ġīet?
His līnen socc fēoll ofer bord in þæt wæter and scranc.
Hwǣr is his cȳþþ and cynn?
His hring is gold, his disc glæs, and his belt leðer.
Se fisc swam under þæt scip and ofer þone sciellfisc.
His ċicen ran from his horsweġe, ofer his pæð, and in his ġeard.
Se horn sang hlūde: hlysten wē!
Se cniht is on þǣre brycge.
Sēo cwēn went from þǣre ċiriċe.
Hēo siteþ on þǣre benċe.
God is gōd.
Þis trēow is æsc, ac þæt trēow is āc.
Hē wolde begān wiċċecræft, and hē began swā tō dōnne.
Fuhton ȝē manlīċe oþþe mānlīċe?
His smiððe is þām smiðe lēof.
新年度の古英語初学者のみなさん,恐れる必要はありません!
・ Mitchell, Bruce and Fred C. Robinson. A Guide to Old English. 8th ed. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
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