Ælfric の説教集の第3弾とされる The Lives of the Saints は，998年までに書かれたとされる．そのなかから Life of King Oswald の冒頭部分をサンプル・テキストとして取り上げよう．King Oswald は633--641年にノーサンブリアを治めた王で，その子孫とともに十字架を篤く崇拝した者として知られている．ルーン文字の刻まれたノーサンブリアの有名な Ruthwell Cross も，そのような十字架崇拝の伝統の所産だろう．
Ælfric の説教集は多くの写本で現存しているが，以下の Smith 版テキストは，MS London, British Library Cotton Julius E.vii のものである．現代英語訳も付けて示す (Smith 132--33) ．
Æfter ðan ðe Augustīnus tō Engla lande becōm, wæs sum æðele cyning, Oswold gehāten, on Norðhumbra lande, gelȳfed swyþe on God. Sē fērde on his iugoðe fram his frēondum and māgum tō Scotlande on sǣ, and þǣr sōna wearð gefullod, and his gefēran samod þe mid him sīðedon. Betwux þām wearð ofslagen Eadwine his ēam, Norðhumbra cynincg, on Crīst gelȳfed, fram Brytta cyninge, Ceadwalla gecīged, and twēgen his æftergengan binnan twām gēarum; and se Ceadwalla slōh and tō sceame tūcode þā Norðhumbran lēode æfter heora hlāfordes fylle, oð þæt Oswold se ēadiga his yfelnysse ādwǣscte. Oswold him cōm tō, and him cēnlīce wið feaht mid lȳtlum werode, ac his gelēafa hine getrymde, and Crīst gefylste tō his fēonda slege. Oswold þā ærǣrde āne rōde sōna Gode tō wurðmynte, ǣr þan þe hē tō ðām gewinne cōme, and clypode tō his gefērum:`Uton feallan tō ðǣre rōde, and þone Ælmihtigan biddan þæt hē ūs āhredde wið þone mōdigan fēond þe ūs āfyllan wile. God sylf wāt geare þæt wē winnað rihtlīce wið þysne rēðan cyning tō āhreddenne ūre lēode.' Hī fēollon þā ealle mid Oswolde cyninge on gebedum; and syþþan on ǣrne mergen ēodon tō þām gefeohte, and gewunnon þǣr sige, swā swā se Eallwealdend heom ūðe for Oswoldes gelēafan; and ālēdon heora fȳnd, þone mōdigan Cedwallan mid his micclan werode, þe wēnde þaet him ne mihte nān werod wiðstandan.
After Augustine came to England, there was a certain noble king, called Oswald, in the land of the Northumbrians, who believed very much in God. He travelled in his youth from his friends and kinsmen to Dalriada ("Scotland in sea"), and there at once was baptised, and his companions also who travelled with him. meanwhile his uncle Edwin, king of the Northumbrians, who believed in Christ, was slain by the king of the Britons, named Ceadwalla, as were two of his successors within two years; and that Ceadwalla slew and humiliated the Northumbrian people after the death of their lord, until Oswald the blessed put an end to his evil-doing. Oswald came to him, and fought with him boldly with a small troop, but his faith strengthened him, and Christ assisted in the slaying of his enemies. Oswald then immediately raised up a cross in honour of God, before he came to the battle, and called to his companions: "Let us kneel to the cross, and pray to the Almighty that he rid us from the proud enemy who wishes to destroy us. God himself knows well that we strive rightly against this cruel king in order to redeem our people." They then all knelt with King Oswald in prayers; and then early on the morrow they went to the fight, and gained victory there, just as the All-powerful granted them because of Oswald's faith; and they laid low their enemies, the proud Ceadwalla with his great troop, who believed that no troop could withstand him.
・ Smith, Jeremy J. Old English: A Linguistic Introduction. Cambridge: CUP, 2009.
何回目かになる，古英語のテキストとその現代英語訳を挙げるシリーズ（oe_text) ．今回は，The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle のE写本，いわゆる Peterborough Chronicle からのテキストで，ブリテン島の地理，民族，言語，歴史が述べられている部分を抜粋する．初学者用に綴字の標準化された市河・松浪版 (86--89) より，現代英語訳も合わせて示す．
Brytene īeġland is eahta hund mīla lang, and twā hund mīla brād. And hēr sind on þȳs īeġlande fīf ġeþēodu: Englisc, and Brytwilisc, and Scyttisc, and Pyhtisc, and Bōclæden. Ǣrest wǣron būend þisses landes Bryttas; þā cōmon of Armenia, and ġesǣton sūðewearde Brytene ǣrest. Þā ġelamp hit þæt Pyhtas cōmon sūþan of Scithian, mid langum scipum, nā manigum. And þā cōmon ǣrest on Norþ-Ibernia ūp, and þǣr bǣdon Scottas þæt hīe ðǣr mōsten wunian. Ac hīe noldon him līefan, for ðǣm hīe cwǣdon þæt hīe ne mihten ealle ætgædere ġewunian þǣr. And þā cwǣdon þā Scottas, `Wē ēow magon þēah hwæðere rǣd ġelǣran, wē witon ōþer īeġland hēr bē ēastan, þǣr ġē magon eardian ġif ġē willað, and ġif hwā ēow wiðstent, wē ēow fultumiað þæt ġē hit mæġen ġegān.'
Ðā fērdon þā Pyhtas, and ġefērdon þis land norþanweard, and sūþanweard hit hæfdon Bryttas, swā wē ǣr cwǣdon. And þā Pyhtas him ābǣdon wīf æt Scottas, on þā ġerād þæt hīe ġecuren hiera cynecynn ā on þā wīfhealfe. Þæt hīe hēoldon swā lange siððan. And þā ġelamp hit ymbe ġēara ryne þæt Scotta sum dǣl ġewāt of Ibernian on Brytene, and þæs landes sumne dǣl ġeēodon. And wæs hiera heretoga Reoda ġehāten, from þǣm hie sind ġenemnode Dǣl Reodi.
The island of Britain is eight hundred miles long, and two hundred miles broad. And here in this island are five languages: English, British, Pictish, and Latin. At first the inhabitants of this island were Britons; they came from Armenia, and first occupied Britain in the south (i.e. the southern part of Britain). Then it happened that the Picts came from the south from Scythia, with warships, not many. And they first landed in North Ireland, and there begged the Scots that they might dwell there. But they (= the Scots) would not allow them, because they said that they could not live there all together. And then the Scots said, `We can, however, give you advice: we know another island to the east from here, where you can dwell, if you wish; and if anyone resists you, we will help you that you may conquer it.'
Then the Picts went away, and conquered the northern part of this land, and the Britons had the southern part of it, as we have said before. And the Picts asked wives for them from the Scots, on the conditions that they should choose their royal line always on the female side. They kept it for a long time. And it happened then, in the course of years, that some portion of the Scots departed from Ireland to Britain, and conquered some part of the land, And their leader was called Reoda; from him they are named (the people) of Dal Rialda.
・ 市河 三喜，松浪 有 『古英語・中英語初歩』 研究社，1986年．
「#2895. 古英語聖書より「岩の上に家を建てる」」 ([2017-03-31-1]) に引き続き，新約聖書を古英語訳で読んでみよう．今回は，同じくよく知られた Matthew 13: 3--8 の「種をまく人の寓話」を紹介する．市川・松浪 (84--86) より，現代英語訳も付して示す．
Sōþlīċe ūt ēode se sāwere his sǣd tō sāwenne. And þā þā hē sēow, sumu hīe fēollon wiþ weȝ, and fuglas cōmon and ǣton þā. Sōþlīċe sumu fēollon on stǣnihte, þǣr hit næfde miċle eorþan, and hrædlīċe ūp sprungon, for þǣm þe hīe næfdon þāre eorþen dēopan; sōþlīċe, ūp sprungenre sunnan, hīe ādrūgodon and forscruncon, for þǣm þe hīe næfdon wyrtruman. Sōþlīċe sumu fēollon on þornas, and þā þornas wēoxon, and forþrysmdon þā. Sumu sōþlīċe fēollon on gōde eorþan, and sealdon wæstm, sum hundfealdne, sum siextiȝfealdne, sum þrītiȝfealdne.
Truly the sower went out to sow his seeds. And while he was sowing, some of them fell along the way, and birds came and ate them. Truly some fell on stony ground where it had not much earth, and quickly sprang up, because they had not any deep earth; truly, the sun (being) risen up, they dried up and shrank up, because they had not roots. Truly some fell on thorns, and the thorns grew, and choked them. Some truly fell on good ground, and gave fruit, some hundredfold, some sixtyfold, (and) some thirtyfold.
・ 市河 三喜，松浪 有 『古英語・中英語初歩』 研究社，1986年．
古英語末期を代表する散文作家 Ælfric (955--1010) は，標準的な West-Saxon 方言で多くの文章を残した．今回は，Catholic Homilies の第2集に収められた，Pope Gregory のイングランド伝道に対する熱い想いを綴った，有名なテキストを紹介しよう．市川・松浪のエディション (105--10) の POPE GREGORY より，古英語テキストと現代英語訳を示す．
Þā underȝeat se pāpa þe on ðām tīman þæt apostoliċe setl ȝesæt, hū sē ēadiga Grēgōrius on hālgum mæȝnum ðēonde wæs, and hē ðā hine of ðǣre munuclican drohtnunge ȝenam, and him tō ȝefylstan ȝesette, on diaconhāde ȝeendebyrdne. Ðā ȝelāmp hit æt sumum sǣle, swā swā ȝȳt foroft dēð, þæt englisce ċȳpmenn brōhton heora ware tō Rōmāna byriȝ, and Gregorius ēode be ðǣre strǣt tō ðām engliscum mannum heora ðing scēawiȝende. Þā ȝeseah hē betwux ðām warum, ċȳpecnihtas ȝesette, þā wǣron hwītes līchaman and fæȝeres andwlitan menn, and æðelīċe ȝefexode.
Grēgōrius ðā behēold þǣra cnapena wlite, and befrān of hwilċere þēode hī ȝebrohte wǣron. Þā sǣde him man þæt hī of engla lande wǣron, and þæt ðǣre ðēode mennisc swā wlitiȝ wǣre. Eft ðā Grēgōrius befrān, hwæðer þæs landes folc cristen wǣre ðe hǣðen. Him man sǣde þæt hī hǣðene wǣron. Grēgōrius ðā of innweardre heortan langsume siċċetunge tēah, and cwæð: “Wā lā wā, þæt swa fæȝeres hīwes menn sindon ðām sweartan dēofle underðēodde.” Eft hē āxode hū ðǣre ðēode nama wǣre, þe hī of comon. Him wæs ȝeandwyrd þæt hī Angle ȝenemnode wǣron. Þā cwæð hē: “rihtlīċe hī sind Angle ȝehātene, for ðan ðe hī engla wlite habbað, and swilcum ȝedafenað þæt hī on heofonum engla ȝefēran bēon.” Gȳt ðā Grēgōrius befrān, hū ðǣre scīre nama wǣre, þe ðā cnapan of ālǣdde wæron. Him man sǣde þæt ðā scīrmen wǣron Dēre ȝehātene. Grēgōrius andwyrde: “Wel hī sind Dēre ȝehātene. for ðan ðe hī sind fram graman ȝenerode, and tō cristes mildheortnysse ȝecȳȝede.” Gȳt ðā hē befrān: “Hū is ðǣre leode cyning ȝehāten?” Him wæs ȝeandswarod þæt se cyning Ælle ȝehāten wǣre. Hwæt, ðā Grēgōrius gamenode mid his wordum to ðām naman, and cwæð: “Hit ȝedafenað þæt alleluia sȳ ȝesungen on ðām lande. tō lofe þæs ælmihtigan scyppendes.”
Grēgōrius ðā sōna ēode tō ðām pāpan þæs apostolican setles, and hine bæd þæt hē Angelcynne sume lārēowas āsende, ðe hī to criste ȝebiȝdon, and cwæð þæt hē sylf ȝearo wǣre þæt weorc tō ȝefremmenne mid godes fultume, ȝif hit ðām pāpan swā ȝelīcode. Þā ne mihte sē pāpa þæt ȝeðafian, þeah ðe hē eall wolde, for ðan ðe ðā rōmāniscan ċeasterȝewaran noldon ȝeðafian þæt swā ȝetoȝen mann and swā ȝeðungen lārēow þā burh eallunge forlēte, and swā fyrlen wræcsīð ȝename.
Then perceived the pope who at that time sat on the apostolic seat, how the blessed Gregory was thriving in the holy troops, and he then picked him up from the monastic condition, and made him (his) helper, (being) ordained to deaconhood. Then it happened at one time (= one day), as it yet very often does, that English merchants brought their wares to the city of Rome, and Gregory went along the street to the English men, looking at their things. Then he saw, among the wares, slaves set. They were men of white body and fair face, and excellently haired.
Gregory then beheld the appearance of those boys, and asked from which country they were brought. Then he was told that they were from England, and that the people of that country were so beautiful. Then again Gregory asked whether the fold of the land was Christian or heathen. They told him that they were heathen. Gregory then drew a long sigh from the depth of (his) heart, and said, 'Alas! that men of so fair appearance are subject to the black devil.' Again he asked how the name of the nation was, where they came from. He was answered that they were named Angles. Then said he, 'rightly they are called Angles, because they have angels' appearance, and it befits such (people) that they should be angels' companions in heavens!' Still Gregory asked how the name of the shire was, from which they were led away. They told him that the shiremen were called Deirians. Gregory answered, 'They are well called Deirians, because they are delivered from ire, and invoked to Christ's mercy.' Still he asked 'How is the king of the people called?' He was answered that the king was called Ælle. What! then Gregory joked with his words to the name, and said, 'It is fitting that Halleluiah be sung in the land, in praise of the Almighty Creator.'
Then Gregory at once went to the pope of the apostolic seat, and entreated him that he should send some preachers to the English, whom they converted to Christ, and said that he himself was ready to perform the work with God's help, if it so pleased the pope. The pope could not permit it, even if he quite desired (it), because the Roman citizens would not consent that such an educated and competent scholar should leave the city completely and take such a distant journey of peril.
なお，この逸話の主人公は後の Gregory I だが，テキスト中で示されている pāpa は当時の Pelagius II を指している．この後，さすがに Gregory が自らイングランドに布教に出かけるというわけにはいかなかったので，後に Augustinus (St Augustine) を送り込んだというわけだ．
この逸話を受けて，渡部とミルワード (50--51) は，英国のキリスト教はダジャレで始まったようなものだと評している．
渡部 若いときにグレゴリーがローマで非常に肌の白い，金髪の奴隷を見ました．で，その奴隷に「おまえはどこから来たのか」ときいたら，「アングル (Angle)」人と答えた．そこでグレゴリーは「おまえはアングル人じゃなくてエンジェル (angel) のようだ」といったというような有名な話があります．
ミルワード そう，有名なシャレです．ですから，ある意味でイギリスのキリスト教史は言葉のシャレから始まると言うことができます．--- Non angli, sed angeli, --- Not Angles, but angels.
渡部 そして，「おまえの国は？」と聞いたら「デイラ (Deira) です」とその奴隷は答えた．すると「〔神の〕怒から (de ira) 救われて，キリストの慈悲に招かれるであろう」とグレゴリーは言ってやった．それから「おまえの王様の名は何か」と聞いたら「エルラ (Ælla) です」と奴隷は答えた．するとグレゴリーはそれをアレルヤとかけて「エルラの国でもアルレルリア (Allelulia) と，神をたたえる言葉が唱えられるようにしよう」と言った有名な話がありますね．本当にジョークで始まったんですね，イギリスの布教は．
（後記 2024/04/13(Sat)：Voicy 「英語の語源が身につくラジオ (heldio)」にて，この1節の "Eft hē āxode . . . ȝefēran bēon." の部分について古英語音読していますのでご参照ください．「#1048. コアリスナーさんたちと古英語音読」です．）
（後記 2024/06/12(Wed)：上記 Voicy で読み上げた部分の写本画像へのリンクです：Catholic Homilies, Second Series, "IX, St Gregory the Great" (MS Ii.1.33, fol. 140v) *
・ 市河 三喜，松浪 有 『古英語・中英語初歩』 研究社，1986年．
・ 渡部 昇一，ピーター・ミルワード 『物語英文学史――ベオウルフからバージニア・ウルフまで』 大修館，1981年．
Bede の古英語訳により，英語史上記念すべき449年の記述 ("The Coming of the English") を市川・松浪編の古英語テキスト（現代英語訳付き）で読んでみよう (pp. 89--94) ．アングロサクソン人は，ブリトン人に誘われた機会に乗じて，いかにしてブリテン島に居座るに至ったのか．
Ðā wæs ymb fēower hund wintra and nigon and fēowertiġ fram ūres Drihtnes menniscnysse þæt Martiānus cāsere rīċe onfēng and vii ġēar hæfde. Sē wæs syxta ēac fēowertigum fram Augusto þām cāsere. Ðā Angelþēod and Seaxna wæs ġelaðod fram þām foresprecenan cyninge, and on Breotone cōm on þrim miċlum scipum, and on ēastdæle þyses ēalondes eardungstōwe onfēng þurh ðæs ylcan cyninges bebode, þe hī hider ġelaðode, þæt hī sceoldan for heora ēðle compian and fohtan. And hī sōna compedon wið heora ġewinnan, þe hī oft ǣr norðan onherġedon; and Seaxan þā siġe e ġeslōgan. Þā sendan hī hām ǣrendracan and hēton secgan þysses landes wæstmbǣrnysse and Brytta yrgþo. And hī sōna hider sendon māran sciphere strengran wiġena; and wæs unoferswīðendliċ weorud,þā hī tōgædere ġeþēodde wǣron. And him Bryttas sealdan and ġēafan eardungstōwe betwih him, þæt hī for sibbe and for hǣlo heora ēðles campodon and wunnon wið heora fēondum, and hī him andlyfne and āre forġēafen for heora ġewinne.
Cōmon hī of þrim folcum ðām strangestan Germānie, þæt is of Seaxum and of Angle and of Ġēatum. Of Ġēata fruman syndon Cantware and Wihtsǣtan; þæt is se þēod þe Wiht þæt ēalond oneardað. Of Seaxum, þæt is of ðām lande þe mon hāteð Ealdseaxan, cōmon Ēastseaxan and Sūðseaxan and Westseaxan. And of Engle cōman Ēastngle and Middelengle and Myrċe and eall Norðhembra cynn; is þæt land ðe Angulus is nemned, betwyh Ġēatum and Seaxum; and is sǣd of ðǣre tīde þe hī ðanon ġewiton oð tōdæġe þæt hit wēste wuniġe. Wǣron ǣrest heora lāttēowas and heretogan twēġen ġebrōðra, Henġest and Horsa. Hī wǣron Wihtgylses suna, þæs fæder wæs Witta hāten, þæs fæder wæs Wihta hāten, þæs fæder wæs Woden nemned, of ðæs strȳnde moniġra mǣġðra cyningcynn fruman lǣdde. Ne wæs ðā ylding tō þon þæt hī hēapmǣlum cōmon māran weorod of þām þēodum þe wǣ ǣr ġemynegodon. And þæt folc ðe hider cōm ongan weaxan and myċlian tō þan swīðe þæt hī wǣron on myclum eġe þām sylfan landbīġengan ðe hī ǣr hider laðedon and cȳġdon.
It was 449 years after our Lord's incarnation that the emperor Martianus received the kingdom, and he had (it) seven years. He was the forty-sixth from the emperor Augustus. Then the Angles and Saxons were invited by the aforesaid king (Vortigern), and came to Britain on three great ships, and received a dwelling place in the east of this island by order of the same king, who invited them hither, that they should strive and fight for their country. And they soon fought with their enemies who had oft harassed them from the north before; and the Saxons won victory then. Then they sent home messengers and bade (them) tell the fertility of this land and the Britons' cowardice. And then they sent a larger fleet of the stronger friends soon; and (it) was an invincible troop when there were united together. And the Britons gave and alloted them habitation among themselves, on the condition that they should fight for the peace and safety of their country and resist their enemies, and they (the Britons) should give them sustenance and estates in return for their strife.
They came of the three strongest races of Germany, that is, of Saxons and of Angles and of Jutes. Of Jutes' origin are the people of Kent and the 'Wihtsætan', that is, the people who inhabit the Isle of Wight. Of the Saxons, of the land (of the people) that is called Old Saxons, came the East Saxons, the South Saxons, and the West Saxons. And of Angles came the East Angles and the Middle Angles and Mercians and the whole race of Northumbria; it is the land that is called Angulus, between the Jutes and the Saxons; and it is said from the time when they departed thence till today that it remains waste. At first their leaders and commanders were two brothers, Hengest and Horsa. They were the sons of Wihtgyls, whose father was called Witta, whose father was named Wihta, whose father was named Woden, of whose stock the royal families of many tribes took their origin. There was no delay until they came in crowds, larger hosts from the tribes that we had mentioned before. And the people who came hither began to increase and multiply so much that they were a great terror to the inhabitants themselves who had invited and invoked them hither.
・ 市河 三喜，松浪 有 『古英語・中英語初歩』 研究社，1986年．
731年に完成したとされる Bede の Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (= Ecclesiastical History of the English People) は，アルフレッド大王の時代にマーシアの学者によって古英語に訳されている．そこには文盲の牛飼い Cædmon が霊感を得て作成したとされる，9行からなる現存する最古の古英詩 Cædmon's Hymn が収録されているが，そのテキストについては，さらに早い8世紀初頭の Bede のラテン語写本 (MS Kk. v. 16, Cambridge University Library; 通称 "Moore Manuscript") の中に，ノーサンブリア方言で書かれたバージョンも残されている．まず，オリジナルに最も近いと言われる Moore バージョンのテキストおよび現代英語訳を Irvine (37) より再掲しよう．
Nu scylun hergan hefænricæs uard,
metudæs mæcti end his modgidanc,
uerc uuldurfadur, sue he uundra gihuæs,
eci dryctin, or astelidæ.
He ærist scop aelda barnum
heben til hrofe, haleg scepen;
tha middungeard moncynnæs uard,
eci dryctin, æfter tiadæ
firum foldu, frea allmectig.
Now [we] must praise the Guardian of the heavenly kingdom, the Creator's might and His intention, the glorious Father's work, just as He, eternal Lord, established the beginning of every wonder. He, holy Creator, first shaped heaven as a roof for the children of men, then He, Guardian of mankind, eternal Lord, almighty Ruler, afterwards fashioned the world, the earth, for men.
次に，アルフレッド時代のものを Mitchell (212) より引用する．両テキスト間の綴字，音韻，形態，語彙の差に注意したい．
Nū sculon heriġean heofonrīċes weard,
Meotodes meahte ond his mōdġeþanc,
weorc wuldorfæder, swā hē wundra ġehwæs,
ēċe Drihten, ōr onstealde.
Hē ǣrest scēop eorðan bearnum
heofon tō hrōfe, hāliȝ Scyppend;
þā middanġeard monncynnes weard,
ēċe Drihten, æfter tēode
fīrum foldan, Frēa ælmihtiġ.
・ Irvine, Susan. "Beginnings and Transitions: Old English." Chapter 2 of The Oxford History of English. Ed. Lynda Mugglestone .Oxford: OUP, 2006.
・ Mitchell, Bruce. An Invitation to Old English and Anglo-Saxon England. Blackwell: Malden, MA, 1995.
古英語訳の聖書は，古英語読解のための初級者向け教材として有用である．近代英語の欽定訳聖書 (The Authorized Version) や現代英語版はもちろん，日本語を含むありとあらゆる言語への訳も出されており，比較・参照できるからだ．
以下，新約聖書より Matthew 7: 24--27 の「岩の上に家を建てる」寓話について，古英語版テキストを MS Corpus Christi College Cambridge 140 より示そう (Mitchell 60) ．合わせて，対応する近代英語テキストを欽定訳聖書より引用する．
Ǣlċ þāra þe ðās mīne word ġehȳrþ and þā wyrcþ byþ ġelīċ þǣm wīsan were se hys hūs ofer stān ġetimbrode.
Þā cōm þǣr reġen and myċel flōd and þǣr blēowon windas and āhruron on þæt hūs and hyt nā ne fēoll・ sōþlīċe hit wæs ofer stān ġetimbrod.
And ǣlċ þāra þe ġehȳrþ ðās mīne word and þā ne wyrcþ・ sē byþ ġelīċ þǣm dysigan menn þe ġetimbrode hys hūs ofer sand-ċeosel.
Þā rīnde hit and þǣr cōmon flōd and blēowon windas and āhruron on þæt hūs and þæt hūs fēoll・ and hys hryre wæs miċel
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
聖書に関する古英語テキストについては，「#1803. Lord's Prayer」 ([2014-04-04-1])，「#1870. 「創世記」2:18--25 を7ヴァージョンで読み比べ」 ([2014-06-10-1]) も参照されたい．
（後記 2022/05/03(Tue)：Voicy 「英語の語源が身につくラジオ (heldio)」にて，この1節を古英語の発音で読み上げていますのでご参照ください．「古英語をちょっとだけ音読 マタイ伝「岩の上に家を建てる」寓話より」です．）
・ Mitchell, Bruce. An Invitation to Old English and Anglo-Saxon England. Blackwell: Malden, MA, 1995.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle は，アルフレッド大王の命により890年頃に編纂が開始された年代記である．古英語で書かれており，9写本が現存している．最も長く続いたものは通称 Peterborough Chronicle と呼ばれもので，1154年までの記録が残っている．以下の抜粋は，Worcester Chronicle と呼ばれるバージョンの793年の記録である（Crystal 19 より現代英語訳も合わせて引用）．数年前からイングランドに出没し始めたヴァイキングが，この年に，ノーサンブリアのリンディスファーン島を襲った．イングランド人の怯える様が，印象的に記されている．最後に言及されている Sicga なる人物は，788年にノーサンブリア王 Ǣlfwald を殺した悪名高い貴族である．
Ann. dccxciii. Her ƿæron reðe forebecna cumene ofer noðhymbra land . 7 þæt folc earmlic breȝdon þæt ƿæron ormete þodenas 7 liȜrescas . 7 fyrenne dracan ƿæron ȝeseƿene on þam lifte fleoȝende. þam tacnum sona fyliȝde mycel hunȝer . 7 litel æfter þam þæs ilcan ȝeares . on . vi. id. ianr . earmlice hæþenra manna herȝunc adileȝode ȝodes cyrican in lindisfarna ee . þurh hreaflac 7 mansliht . 7 Sicȝa forðferde . on . viii . kl. martius.
Year 793. Here were dreadful forewarnings come over the land of Northumbria, and woefully terrified the people: these were amazing sheets of lightning and whirlwinds, and fiery dragons were seen flying in the sky. A great famine soon followed these signs, and shortly after in the same year, on the sixth day before the ides of January, the woeful inroads of heathen men destroyed god's church in Lindisfarne island by fierce robbery and slaughter. And Sicga died on the eighth day before the calends of March.
歴史上，この793年の事件は，イングランドにおける本格的なヴァイキングの侵攻の開始を告げる画期的な出来事である．
・ Crystal, David. Evolving English: One Language, Many Voices. London: The British Library, 2010.
Beowulf は，古英語で書かれた最も長い叙事詩（3182行）であり，アングロサクソン時代から現存する最も重要な文学作品である．スカンディナヴィアの英雄 Beowulf はデンマークで怪物 Grendel を殺し，続けてその母をも殺した．Beowulf は後にスウェーデン南部で Geat 族の王となるが，年老いてから竜と戦い，戦死する．
この叙事詩は，古英語で scop と呼ばれた宮廷吟遊詩人により，ハープの演奏とともに吟じられたとされる．現存する唯一の写本（1731年の火事で損傷している）は1000年頃のものであり，2人の写字生の手になる．作者は不詳であり，いつ制作されたかについても確かなことは分かっていない．8世紀に成立したという説もあれば，11世紀という説もある．
冒頭の11行を Crystal (18) より，現代英語の対訳付きで以下に再現しよう．
1 HǷÆT ǷE GARDEna in ȝeardaȝum . Lo! we spear-Danes in days of old 2 þeodcyninȝa þrym ȝefrunon heard the glory of the tribal kings, 3 hu ða æþelinȝas ellen fremedon . how the princes did courageous deeds. 4 oft scyld scefing sceaþena þreatum Often Scyld Scefing from bands of enemies 5 monegū mæȝþum meodo setla ofteah from many tribes took away mead-benches, 6 eȝsode eorl[as] syððan ærest ƿearð terrified earl[s], since first he was 7 feasceaft funden he þæs frofre ȝebad found destitute. He met with comfort for that, 8 ƿeox under ƿolcum, ƿeorðmyndum þah, grew under the heavens, throve in honours 9 oðþ[æt] him æȝhƿylc þara ymbsittendra until each of the neighbours to him 10 ofer hronrade hyran scolde over the whale-road had to obey him, 11 ȝomban ȝyldan þ[æt] ƿæs ȝod cyninȝ. pay him tribute. That was a good king!
冒頭部分を含む写本画像 (Cotton MS Vitellius A XV, fol. 132r) は，こちらから閲覧できる．その他，以下のサイトも参照．
・ Cotton MS Vitellius A XV, Augustine of Hippo, Soliloquia; Marvels of the East; Beowulf; Judith, etc.: 写本画像を閲覧可能．
・ Beowulf: BL による物語と写本の解説．
・ Beowulf Readings: 古英語原文と「読み上げ」へのアクセスあり．
・ Beowulf Translation: 現代英語訳．
・ Diacritically-Marked Text of Beowulf facing a New Translation (with explanatory notes): 古英語原文と現代英語の対訳のパラレルテキスト．
・ Crystal, David. Evolving English: One Language, Many Voices. London: The British Library, 2010.
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