Genesis A Part 1

Genesis A.

by Anonymous.

PREFACE

The purpose of the translator in offering to the public this version of the _Genesis_ is to aid in forwarding--be it by but one jot or t.i.ttle--the general knowledge and appreciation of Old English literature. Professed students in this department will always have an incentive to master the language; but to the public at large the strangeness of this medium will prove an insurmountable barrier, and the general reader must therefore either remain in ignorance of our older literary monuments or else employ translations. The present contribution[1] to the growing body of such translations possesses, perhaps, more than a single interest or appeal, in that it renders accessible not only a poem of considerable intrinsic worth, a poem a.s.sociated with the earliest of the great names in English literary history, and a forerunner and possible source of _Paradise Lost_, but also an important example of a literary _genre_ once immensely popular, though now quite fallen into abeyance--namely, the lengthy versified Scriptural paraphrase. For some idea of the prominent part played by this form, even so late as the seventeenth century, the reader is referred to any comprehensive manual of English literature.

In this translation, prose has been employed instead of verse, for two reasons. In the first place, no metrical form has yet been found which, in the writer's judgment, at all adequately represents in modern English the effect of the Old English alliterative verse, or stave-rime. And in the second place, to the writer's thinking, no one but a poet should attempt to write verse: and on that principle, translations would be few and far between, unless prose were used.

But even granting the value of the _Genesis_ as a fit subject for translation, and the necessity for the employment of prose, the reader may still quarrel with the particular _kind_ of prose hereinbelow essayed; so a brief explanation and, it is hoped, vindication of the theory of translation here followed would seem desirable, inasmuch as considerable divergence is intended from the methods adopted by the various translators of the _Beowulf_, for example. First, Biblical phraseology has been eschewed, partly because in a modern writer it savors of affectation, but chiefly because his Bible was the point of departure for the Old English author, and to return now in the translation to our Bible would be a stultification of his purposes by a sort of _argumentum in circulo_. Secondly, archaisms, poetic diction, and unusual constructions (the "translation English" anathematized by the Rhetorics) have been so far as possible avoided, contrary to the practice of most translators from Old English poetry, because it is felt strongly that such usages will not produce upon modern readers the effect that this poetry produced originally upon the readers or hearers for whom it was intended. For this poetry could not have seemed alien or exotic to its original public: either through familiar poetic convention, or owing to the staccato and ejaculatory character of ordinary spoken language at the time, this spasmodic, apostrophic poetry must have seemed natural and beautiful, in the seventh or eighth century. But--

Why take the style of those heroic times?

For nature brings not back the mastodon, Nor we those times.

To translate is to modernize. This rendering, therefore, is not an artificial, pseudo-antique hybrid, but frankly endeavors to convey its original to modern readers in idiomatic modern literary English, devoid of any conscious mannerisms whatsoever. The writer has aimed at the utmost literal fidelity consistent with the observance of all the usages of current standard English; he has not attempted, however, to convert the explosive appositions, with prevailing asyndeton and excessive synonymy, of his original into the easy, flowing sentences more familiar to modern eyes and ears, for the change would sacrifice altogether too much of the distinctive character and flavor of Old English poetry.

The text upon which this work is based is that of the Grein-Wulker _Bibliothek der Angelsachsischen Poesie,_ 1894, save for a few minor changes in punctuation and the few departures recorded in the Notes.

Grein's translation of the poem into modern German stave-rime, 1857, has been frequently consulted, but the writer's real indebtedness to it is felt to be slight. He takes great pleasure, finally, in acknowledging his deep sense of obligation, on many grounds, to the general editor of this series, Professor Albert S. Cook; the work was undertaken at his suggestion, and he has been most kind in giving advice and criticism.

Lawrence Mason.

YALE UNIVERSITY, _July 17, 1913._

TABLE OF CONTENTS

With Specification of the Biblical Chapters and Verses represented in each Section of the Poem

PAGE

PREFACE III (135)

TABLE OF CONTENTS VI (138)

GENESIS A:

Section I[2] 1 (141) Section II (Gen. 1.1-5) 3 (143) Section III (Gen. 1.4-10) 4 (144) Lines 169-234 (Gen. 1.28, 31; 2.10-14, 18, 21, 22) 5 (145) Lines 852-871 (Gen. 3.8-10) 7 (147) Section X (Gen. 3.11-15) 7 (147) Section XI (Gen. 3.16, 17, 19, 21, 24; 4.1-5, 8) 9 (149) Section XII (Gen. 4.9-19, 21) 11 (151) Section XIII (Gen. 4.22-26; 5.3-14) 13 (153) Section XIV (Gen. 5.15-29, 32) 15 (155) Section XV (Gen. 6.1-8, 11-19, 22) 17 (157) Section XVI (Gen. 7.1-7, 11, 12, 16-23) 18 (158) Section XVII (Gen. 8.1-4, 6-12) 20 (160) Section XVIII (Gen. 8.15-18, 20; 9.1-9, 11-19) 22 (162) Section XIX (Gen. 9.20-28; 10.1, 2, 6, 8-10; 11.1) 24 (164) Section XX (Gen. 10.1, 20, 21; 11.2, 4-8, 10, 26, 27) 26 (166) Section XXI (Gen. 11.29-32; 12.1-8) 28 (168) Section XXII (Gen. 12.8, 10-20; 13.1-4) 30 (170) Section XXIII (Gen. 13.5-13) 32 (172) Section XXIV (Gen. 14.1, 2, 4, 10-16) 33 (173) Section XXV (Gen. 14.17-24; 15.1) 37 (177) Section XXVI (Gen. 15.2-5, 7, 18; 16.1-6) 39 (179) Section XXVII (Gen. 16.6-12, 15, 16; 17.1, 2, 10-14, 19) 41 (181) Section XXVIII (Gen. 17.17-21, 23, 24, 27; 18.12-14) 43 (183) Section XXIX (Gen. 18.16, 17, 20-22) 44 (184) Section x.x.x (Gen. 19.1-13, 18-26) 45 (185) Section x.x.xI (Gen. 19.27-30, 33, 35-38) 49 (189) Section x.x.xII (Gen. 20.1-10) 50 (190) Section x.x.xIII (Gen. 20.11, 13-18; 21.1-4) 51 (191) Section x.x.xIV (Gen. 21.5, 8-14, 22-24, 27) 53 (193) Section x.x.xV (Gen. 21.33, 34; 22.1-13) 55 (195) NOTES 58 (198)

GENESIS A

I.

Ours is a great duty--to praise in word and love at heart the heavens' Ruler, the glorious King of Hosts: He is the substance of all power, the head of all high things, the Lord Almighty. Origin or beginning was 5 never made for Him, nor shall an end ever come to the eternal G.o.d: but, on the contrary, He is for ever supreme by His high puissance over the heavenly kingdoms; just and mighty, He rules the mansions of the sky, 10 which were established far and wide through the power of G.o.d for the sons of glory, the keepers of souls.

These angelic hosts were wont to feel joy and rapture, transcendent bliss, in the presence of their Creator: their beat.i.tude was measureless. Glorious ministers 15 magnified their Lord, spoke his praise with zeal, lauded the Master of their being, and were excellently happy in the majesty of G.o.d. They had no knowledge of working evil or wickedness, but dwelt in innocence 20 forever with their Lord: from the beginning they wrought in heaven nothing but righteousness and truth, until a Prince of angels through pride strayed into sin: then they would consult their own advantage no longer, but turned away from G.o.d's lovingkindness. They had 25 vast arrogance, in that by the might of mult.i.tudes they sought to wrest from the Lord the celestial mansions, s.p.a.cious and heaven-bright. Then there fell upon them, grievously, the envy, presumption, and pride of the Angel who first began to carry out the evil plot, 30 to weave it and promote it, when he boasted by word-- as he thirsted for conflict--that he wished to own the home and high throne of the heavenly kingdom to the north. Thereupon G.o.d became angered and hostile 35 towards the beings whom he had formerly exalted in beauty and glory: he created for the traitors a marvelous abode as penalty for their action, namely the pangs of h.e.l.l, bitter afflictions; Our Lord called forth that 40 abysmal joyless house of punishment to wait for the outcast keepers of souls.[3] When he knew that it was ready, he enveloped it in eternal night and equipped it with torment, filling it with fire and fearful cold, with fume and red flame: then he commanded the terrors of suffering to increase throughout that hapless place. 45

They had committed a dire sin against G.o.d: on that account dire punishment befell them. They a.s.serted, in fierce mood, that they wished to seize the kingdom and could easily do so: but this presumption mocked them when their Lord, the high King of heaven, lifted 50 up his almighty hand against the throng. The mad rebels, accursed ones, could not make head against G.o.d, but the Highest troubled their spirits and humbled their pride, for he was incensed; he stripped the sinners of 55 victory and might, of dominion and honor, and further took from his foes happiness, peace, and all joys, as well as bright glory, and finally, with his own exceeding power, wreaked his wrath on his adversaries in mighty ruin. 60 He was stern in mood, grimly embittered, and seized upon his foes with resistless grasp and broke them in his grip, enraged at heart, and deprived his opponents of their native seat,[4] their bright abodes on high. For 65 our Creator dismissed and banished from heaven the overweening band of angels: the Lord sent away on a long journey the faithless mult.i.tude, the hateful host, the miserable spirits; their pride was broken, their threat 70 overthrown, their glory shattered, and their beauty dimmed; thenceforth they abode in desolation, because of their dark exile. They did not dare to laugh aloud, but lived wearied by the torments of h.e.l.l and became familiar with woes, bitterness, and sorrow; covered with 75 darkness, they bore their pain,--a heavy sentence, because they had begun to battle against G.o.d.

Then, as formerly, true peace existed in heaven, fair amity: for the Lord was dear to all, the Sovereign to his 80 servants; and the majesty of the joyful angelic hosts increased, through the favor of the Almighty.

II.

So those who inhabited the sky, home of glory, were at peace; hatred was gone, as well as sorrow and strife among angels, ever since the rebellious hosts, bereft of the 85 light, had relinquished heaven. Behind them stood in grandeur their seats rich in glorious workmanship, teeming with blessings in G.o.d's kingdom, bright and perennially bountiful,--but all devoid of occupants, ever since the 90 miserable spirits had gone to their place of punishment, their vile prison. Then our Lord bethought him, in meditative mood, how he might people again, and with a better race, his high creation, the n.o.ble seats and glory- 95 crowned abodes which the haughty rebels had left vacant, high in heaven. Therefore Holy G.o.d willed by his plenteous power that under the circle of the firma- ment the earth should be established, with sky above and 100 wide water, a world-creation in place of the foes whom in their apostasy he hurled from bliss.

As yet there was nothing at all created here, except shadows, but this broad earth stood deep and dim, idle 105 and useless, alien even to G.o.d himself; on it the King whose purpose never falters turned his eyes and beheld the place void of joy; he saw dark clouds, black under the firmament, throng in the eternal night, dun and 110 waste, until this world-creation came to pa.s.s through the word of the King of Glory. First the everlasting Lord, protector of all things, created heaven and earth; as the almighty King put forth the firmament and with 115 victorious might established this ample world. The earth was as yet unadorned by vegetation: the ocean covered it far and wide, turbid waves in the eternal night. Then was the glorious Spirit of heaven's guardian 120 borne over the sea with sovereign virtue. For the King of the angels commanded Light, dispenser of life, to come forth over the broad expanse: quickly was the Arch-King's mandate fulfilled, and Holy Light appeared 125 over the waste s.p.a.ces, as the Creator had ordained it.

The Wielder of Victory next sundered light from darkness, shadow from radiance, over the surge of the sea. Then he formed the two names of the dispensers of life: light was first called "Day" by the word of the Lord, a 130 beauteous creation. This period of creation greatly pleased G.o.d, in the beginning: the first day saw the dark shadows duskily flee away over the wide earth.

III.

Time now went forth over the frame-work of the 135 world: after this shining splendor, the Lord our Creator fashioned the first evening, but on its track rushed a thronging welter of darkness which the Lord himself called by the name of "Night." Our Saviour sundered 140 these two: ever since then they have ceaselessly wrought and fulfilled the will of the Lord over the earth.

Then the second day advanced, light after darkness; and the Ruler of Life straightway commanded a glad 145 sky-substance to appear in the midst of the flood: our Master parted the waves and wrought there the found- ations of the firmament: this the Mighty One, omnipotent King, reared aloft from the earth through his own word. 150 The flood was divided under the high heavens by holy power, the waters from the waters, and still they remain so under the firmament which roofs all nations.

Then swiftly came advancing over the world the third 155 great morn. Nor were the spreading lands and ways yet deemed needful by our Lord, but the earth stood girt fast by water. Through his word, the Ruler of the angels bade the waters be gathered together, which now hold their course beneath the skies in an appointed 160 place. Then speedily the broad ocean stood all together under heaven, as the Holy One commanded, for the flood was sundered from the dry land. Thereupon Life's Ruler looked upon the dry land, the Preserver of mankind [found it] widely visible, and the King of 165 Glory called it "Earth." He established a proper channel for the waves, the broad flood, and fettered....

(_Lacuna in MS._[5])

The Ruler of Heaven did not think it fitting that 170 Adam, the keeper of Paradise and shepherd of the new creation, should be alone any longer: so the supreme King, Ruler Almighty, made a companion for him-- created Woman, and gave this helpmate to his cherished 175 Man as the first and fruitful light of his life. He took his material from Adam's body and skilfully removed a rib from his side: the latter was deep in repose and slumbered peacefully; he felt no pain, though a little 180 uneasiness, nor did a drop of blood come from the wound, but the Prince of the Angels took from his body a living bone while the man was unwounded. From this G.o.d fashioned a n.o.ble woman, and put into her the breath of life and an immortal soul: these two were like the 185 angels. Thus was Adam's bride[6] endowed with a living spirit. They were both radiantly beautiful in their youthfulness, in the world prepared by the might of the Lord: they did not know how to undertake or 190 work evil, but on the contrary there was in the breast of each a burning love of G.o.d. Then the benign King, Ruler of everyone born of the race of man, blessed these first two creatures, father and mother, woman and man. Thereafter he spoke these words: 195

"Be fruitful now and increase; fill the verdant earth with progeny, your race, both sons and daughters. Under your sway shall be the salt water and all the created world. Enjoy prosperous days, [ruling over] both 200 the fishes of the deep and the fowls of the air. Into your power are given the sacred herd and the wild beasts and every living thing that walks the earth; all breath- ing creatures, whatsoever the sea brings forth over the 205 whale-paths, all things belong to you two."

Then our Maker beheld the beauty of his works and the fullness of his abundance, his new creations. Pa- radise stood, good and holy, filled with blessings, ever- 210 lasting bounty. That kindly soil was beauteously watered by the rushing seas and springing fountains; for never yet had clouds dark with wind brought down rains over the broad earth: but none the less the ground stood crowned with its harvest. From this new Garden 215 four n.o.ble river-streams have their outflow: these were all part.i.tioned out of one fair-shining water by the might of the Lord, when he created the earth, and [were thus] 220 sent out into the world. Men dwelling on the earth, the peoples of the nations, call one of these Fison, which broadly girdles with its bright streams a quarter of the earth beyond Hebeleac[7]: in that ancestral soil the sons 225 of men, nations near and far, find the best gold and precious stones,[8] as the books tell us. Then the second [river], whose name is Geon, girdles the land and govern- ment of Ethiopia, an ample kingdom. The third is 230 Tigris, a foaming stream which encircles the people of a.s.syria. Such likewise is the fourth, which men among many a nation now widely call Eufrates....[9]

(_Genesis B intervenes here_.)