Tra nsacliont>. 1 j 1 



hymn. In the Runes also the letter k occurs, which did not 

 appear in southern English till two centuries later. The dual 

 accusative ungket is extremely old, and occurs nowhere else. 

 The n of the infinitive has been clipped, and the dialect is thus 

 in close agreement with the old Norse and Frisic. In southern 

 English the intinite ends in an. The n of the plural imperfect 

 has also been clipped, and there is a curious softening of the 

 guttural h ( = ch in loch) in celmihtig, wliich is here written 

 ahneyottig. The word til (to) is unknown in southern English, 

 but occurs in the Northumbrian original of Cadmon's hymn and 

 in the Northumbrian Gospels. For comparison with the lines 

 above printed, we may here give the Northumbrian original 

 of Cadmon's hymn along with King Alfred's West Saxon version. 

 The Northumbrian is as follows :-- 



" Nil scyluu hergaii hefiburicffis uard, 



Metudffis niificti end his modgidauc, 



Uere uuldurfadur, sue he uundra gihua/s, 



Eci dryctin, or astelid;e. 



He jerist scop alda barnum 



Heben till hrofe, haleg scepeu : 



Tha middungeard moncynncES uard, 



Eci dryctin, cefter tiadie 



Firuni, foldu, frea allmectig." 



King Alfred's version is : — 



" Nu we sculan herian heofonrices Weard, 

 Metodes mihte and his modgethouc, 

 Wera Wuldorfaeder ; swa he wiindra gchwws, 

 Ece Dryhten, ord onstealde. 

 He serest gesceop eorthan beamuni 

 Heofon to hrofe, halig Scyppend ; 

 Tha middangeard, monncynnes Weard, 

 Ece Dryhten, after teode 

 Firum foldan, Frea xElmihtig." 

 Translation — 



" Now shall we praise heaven-kingdom's warden. 

 The Creator's might and His mind's thought. 

 Of men the glorious father, — as He of every wonder, 

 He, the Lord Eternal, formed the bcgiuuing. 

 He first shaped for earth's bairns 

 Heaven as a roof, holy Creator (" shaper ") ; 

 Then mid-earth, mankind's Warden, 

 Eternal Lord, afterwards made, 

 The earth for men, Almighty Lord." 



Wanley in his catalogue of Anglo-Saxon manuscripts placed the 

 date of the manuscript containing Cadmon's hymn in the year 



