14-18. The text is too corrupt to permit of reconstruction. A literal translation of the fragmentary lines has been given in order to show the student something of the loss we have suffered in not having the whole of this finely conceived lament for fallen grandeur. The line numbers are those of Kluge's text.
[Concerning the man Cædmon, we have nothing but Bede's account in his _Ecclesiastical History_ (see p. 179 below) and Cædmon's Hymn.
_Genesis_ was first published in Amsterdam 1655, next in 1752. The first editions brought _Genesis_ under Cædmon's name, because of Bede's account. There is, however, no such clue in the manuscript. The assignment of _Genesis_ to Cædmon was questioned by Hicks as early as 1689. The Cædmonian authorship was defended in the early part of the nineteenth century by Conybeare and Thorpe. It is now agreed that all the Cædmonian Paraphrases are probably by different authors.
Cf. A. S. Cook, "The Name Cædmon," _Publications of the Modern Language Association of America_, vi, 9, and "Cædmon and the Ruthwell Cross," _Modern Language Notes_, v, 153.]
[Text used: Kluge, _Angelsächsisches Lesebuch_.
Prose translation: Kennedy, _The Cædmon Poems_, p. xvii.
The poem is interesting in that it is found in two texts, the Northumbrian and the West Saxon. It is the only thing we have that was undoubtedly written by Cædmon.]
Now shall we praise the Prince of heaven, The might of the Maker and his manifold thought, The work of the Father: of what wonders he wrought The Lord everlasting, when he laid out the worlds. 5 He first raised up for the race of men The heaven as a roof, the holy Ruler. Then the world below, the Ward of mankind, The Lord everlasting, at last established As a home for man, the Almighty Lord. _Primo cantavit_ Cædmon _istud carmen_.
6. The many synonyms (known as "kennings") make this passage impossible to translate into smooth English. This fact is true in a measure of all old English poetry, but it is especially the case with this hymn.
[Text used: Kluge, _Angelsächsisches Lesebuch_.
This poem was attributed to Bede, who died in 735, by his pupil, Cuthbert, who translated it into Latin. The Northumbrian version is in a manuscript at St. Gall.