In ðeosse abbudissan mynstre wæs sum broðor syndriglice mid godcundre gife gemæred ond geweorðad, forþon he gewunade gerisenlice leoð wyrcan, þa ðe to æfæstnisse ond to arfæstnisse belumpen, swa ðætte, swa hwæt swa he of godcundum stafum þurh boceras geleornode, þæt he æfter medmiclum fæce in scopgereorde mid þa mæstan swetnisse ond inbryrdnisse geglængde ond in Engliscgereorde wel geworht forþbrohte.
Ond for his leoþsongum monigra monna mod oft to worulde forhogdnisse ond to geþeodnisse þæs heofonlican lifes onbærnde wæron.
Ond eac swelce monige oðre æfter him in Ongelþeode ongunnon æfæste leoð wyrcan, ac nænig hwæðre him þæt gelice don meahte, forþon he nales from monnum ne þurh mon gelæred wæs, þæt he þone leoðcræft leornade, ac he wæs godcundlice gefultumed ond þurh Godes gife þone songcræft onfeng.
Ond he forðon næfre noht leasunge, ne idles leoþes wyrcan meahte, ac efne þa an þa ðe to æfæstnesse belumpon, ond his þa æfestan tungan gedafenode singan.
Wæs he, se mon, in weoruldhade geseted oð þa tide þe he wæs gelyfdre ylde, ond næfre nænig leoð geleornade.
Ond he forþon oft in gebeorscipe, þonne þær wæs blisse intinga gedemed, þæt heo ealle sceolden þurh endebyrdnesse be hearpan singan, þonne he geseah þa hearpan him nealecan, þonne aras he for scome from þæm symble ond ham eode to his huse.
Þa he þæt þa sumre tide dyde, þæt he forlet þæt hus þæs gebeorscipes, ond ut wæs gongende to neata scipene, þara heord him wæs þære neahte beboden — þa he ða þær in gelimplicre tide his leomu on reste gesette ond onslepte, þa stod him sum mon æt þurh swefn ond hine halette ond grette ond hine be his noman nemnde: "Cedmon, sing me hwæthwugu."
Þa ondswarede he ond cwæð: "Ne con ic noht singan; ond ic forþon of þeossum gebeorscipe ut eode, ond hider gewat, forþon ic naht singan ne cuðe."
Eft he cwæð, se ðe mid hine sprecende wæs: "Hwæðre þu meaht singan."
Þa cwæð he: "Hwæt sceal ic singan?"
Cwæð he: "Sing me frumsceaft."
Þa he ða þas andsware onfeng, þa ongon he sona singan in herenesse Godes Scyppendes þa fers ond þa word þe he næfre gehyrde, þara endebyrdnes þis is:
"Nu
sculon
herigean
heofonrices
Weard,
Meotodes meahte ond his modgeþanc,
weorc Wuldorfæder, swa he wundra gehwæs,
ece Drihten, or onstealde.
He ærest sceop eorðan bearnum
heofon to hrofe halig Scyppend.
Þa middangeard monncynnes Weard,
ece Drihten, æfter teode
firum foldan, Frea ælmihtig."
Þa aras he from þæm slæpe, ond eal þa þe he slæpende song fæste in gemynde hæfde ond þæm wordum sona monig word in þæt ilce gemet Gode wyrðes songes togeþeodde.
Þa com he on morgenne to þæm tungerefan, þe his ealdormon wæs: sægde him hwylce gife he onfeng, ond he hine sona to þære abbudissan gelædde ond hire þa cyðde ond sægde.
Þa heht heo gesomnian ealle þa gelæredestan men ond þa leorneras: ond him ondweardum het secgan þæt swefn, ond þæt leoð singan, þæt ealra heora dome gecoren wære, hwæt oððe hwonon þæt cuman wære.
Þa wæs him eallum gesegen, swa swa hit wæs, þæt him wære from Drihtne sylfum heofonlic gifu forgifen.
Þa rehton heo him ond sægdon sum halig spell ond godcundre lare word; bebudon him þa, gif he meahte, þæt he in swinsunge leoþsonges þæt gehwyrfde.
Þa he ða hæfde þa wisan onfongne, þa eode he ham to his huse ond cwom eft on morgenne ond þy betstan leoðe geglenged him asong ond ageaf þæt him beboden wæs.
Ða ongan seo abbudisse clyppan ond lufigean þa Godes gife in þæm men, ond heo hine þa monade ond lærde þæt he woruldhad anforlete ond munuchad onfenge, ond he þæt wel þafode.
Ond heo hine in þæt mynster onfeng mid his godum, ond hine geþeodde to gesomnunge þara Godes þeowa; ond heht hine læran þæt getæl þæs halgan stæres ond spelles.
Ond he eal þa he in gehyrnesse geleornian meahte mid hine gemyndgade ond swa swa clæne neten eodorcende in þæt sweteste leoð gehwerfde; ond his song ond his leoð wæron swa wynsumu to gehyranne, þætte seolfan þa his lareowas æt his muðe wreoton ond leornodon.
Song he ærest be middangeardes gesceape ond bi fruman moncynnes ond eal þæt stær Genesis, þæt is seo æreste Moyses booc, ond eft bi utgonge Israhela folces of Ægypta londe ond bi ingonge þæs gehatlandes; ond bi oðrum monegum spellum þæs halgan gewrites canones boca; ond bi Cristes menniscnesse; ond bi his þrowunge; ond bi his upastignesse in heofonas; ond bi þæs Halgan Gastes cyme, ond þara apostola lare. Ond eft bi þæm dæge þæs toweardan domes, ond bi fyrhtu þæs tintreglican wiites, ond bi swetnesse þæs heofonlecan rices, he monig leoð geworhte.
Ond swelce eac oðer monig be þæm godcundan fremsumnessum ond domum he geworhte.
In eallum þæm he geornlice gemde, þæt he men atuge from synna lufan ond mandæda, ond to lufan ond to geornfulnesse awehte godra dæda.
Forþon he wæs, se mon, swiþe æfæst ond regollecum þeodscipum eaðmodlice underþeoded.
Ond wið þæm, þa ðe in oðre wisan don woldon, he wæs mid welme micelre ellenwodnisse onbærned.
Ond he forðon fægre ænde his lif betynde ond geendade.
Forþon þa ðære tide nealæcte his gewitenesse ond forðfore, þa wæs he feowertynum dagum ær, þæt he wæs lichomlicre untrymnesse þrycced ond hefgad, hwæðre to þon gemetlice, þæt he ealle þa tid meahte ge sprecan ge gongan.
Wæs þær in neaweste untrumra monna hus, in þæm heora þeaw wæs, þæt heo þa untrumran, ond þa ðe æt forðfore wæron, inlædan sceoldon ond him þær ætsomne þegnian.
Þa bæd he his þegn on æfenne þære neahte, þe he of worulde gongende wæs, þæt he in þæm huse him stowe gegearwode, þæt he gerestan meahte.
Þa wundrode se þegn, for hwon he ðæs bæde, forþon him þuhte þæt his forðfor swa neah ne wære; dyde hwæðre swa swa he cwæð ond bibead.
Ond mid þy he ða þær on reste eode, ond he gefeonde mode sumu þing mid him sprecende ætgædere ond gleowiende wæs, þe þær ær inne wæron, þa wæs ofer middeneaht þæt he frægn, hwæðer heo ænig husl inne hæfdon.
Þa ondswarodon heo ond cwædon: "Hwylc þearf is ðe husles? Ne þinre forþfore swa neah is, nu þu þus rotlice ond þus glædlice to us sprecende eart."
Cwæð he eft: "Berað me husl to."
Þa he hit þa on honda hæfde, þa frægn he hwæþer heo ealle smolt mod ond buton eallum incan bliðe to him hæfdon.
Þa ondswaredon hy ealle ond cwædon, þæt heo nænigne incan to him wiston, ac heo ealle him swiðe bliðemode wæron. Ond heo wrixendlice hine bædon, þæt he him eallum bliðe wære.
Þa ondswarade he ond cwæð: "Mine broðor, mine þa leofan, ic eom swiðe bliðemod to eow ond to eallum Godes monnum," ond swa wæs hine getrymmende mid þy heofonlecan wegneste, ond him oðres lifes ingong gegearwode.
Þa gyt he frægn, hu neah þære tide wære, þætte þa broðor arisan scolden ond Godes lof ræran ond heora uhtsong singan.
Þa ondswaredon heo: "Nis hit feor to þon."
Cwæð he, "Teala, wuton we wel þære tide bidan," ond þa him gebæd ond hine gesegnode mid Cristes rodetacne, ond his heafod onhylde to þæm bolstre ond medmicel fæc onslepte ond swa mid stilnesse his lif geendade.
Ond swa wæs geworden, þætte swa swa he hluttre mode ond bilwitre ond smyltre wilsumnesse Drihtne þeode, þæt he eac swylce swa smylte deaðe middangeard wæs forlætende, ond to his gesihðe becwom.
Ond seo tunge, þe swa monig halwende word in þæs Scyppendes lof gesette, he ða swelce eac þa ytmæstan word in his herenisse, hine seolfne segniende ond his gast in his honda bebeodende, betynde.
Eac swelce þæt is gesegen, þæt he wære gewis his seolfes forðfore, of þæm we nu secgan hyrdon.