Ælfric's preface to Genesis (A translator's problems)

Aelfric munuc gret Aed`elwaerd ealdormann eadmodlice. D`u baede me, leof, t`aet ic sceolde d`e awendan of Lydene on Englisc t`a boc Genesis: d`a t`uhte me hefigtime t`e to tit`ienne t`aes, and t`u cwaede t`a t`aet ic ne t`orfte na mare awendan t`aere bec buton to Isaace, Abrahames suna, for t`am t`e sum od`er man t`e haefde awend fram Isaace t`a boc ot` ende. Nu t`incd` me, leof, t`aet t`aet weorc is swid`e pleolic me od`d`e aenigum men to underbeginnenne, for t`an t`e ic ondraede, gif sum dysig man t`as boc raet od`d`e raedan gehyrt`, t`aet he wille wenan, t`aet he mote lybban nu on t`aere niwan ae, swa swa t`a ealdan faederas leofodon t`a on t`aere tide, aer t`an t`e seo ealde ae gesett waere, ot`t`e swa swa men leofodon under Moyses ae.

Hwilon ic wiste t`aet sum maessepreost, se t`e min magister waes on t`am timan, haefde t`a boc Genesis, and he cud`e be daele Lyden understandan: t`a cwaet` he be t`am heahfaedere Iacobe, t`aet he haefde feower wif, twa geswustra and heora twa t`inena. Ful sod` he saede, ac he nyste, ne ic t`a git, hu micel todal ys betweohx t`aere ealdan ae and t`aere niwan. On anginne t`isere worulde nam se brot`er hys swuster to wife and hwilon eac se faeder tymde be his agenre dehter, and manega haefdon ma wifa to folces eacan and man ne mihte t`a aet fruman wifian buton on his siblingum. Gyf hwa wyle nu swa lybban aefter Cristes tocyme, swa swa men leofodon aer Moises ae ot`t`e under Moises ae, ne byd` se man na cristen ne he furt`on wyrd`e ne byd` t`aet him aenig cristen man mid ete.

D`a ungelaeredan preostas, gif hi hwaet litles understandad` of t`am Lydenbocum, t`onne t`ingd` him sona t`aet hi magon maere lareowas beon, ac hi ne cunnon swa t`eah t`aet gastlice andgit t`aerto, and hu seo ealde ae waes getacnung toweardra t`inga ot`t`e hu seo niwe gecyt`nis aefter Cristes menniscnisse waes gefillednys ealra t`aera t`inga, t`e seo ealde gecyd`nis getacnode towearde be Criste and be hys gecorenum. Hi cwet`at` eac oft be Paul, hwi hi ne moton habban wif, swa swa Petrus se apostol haefde, and hi nellad` gehiran ne witan, t`aet se eadiga Petrus leofede aefter Moises ae, ot` t`aet Crist, t`e on t`am timan to mannum com and began to bodienne his halige godspel and geceas Petrum aerest him to geferan: t`a forlet Petrus t`aerrihte his wif, and ealle t`a twelf apostolas, t`a t`e wif haefdon, forleton aegt`er ge wif ge aehta, and folgodon Cristes lare to t`aere niwan ae and claennisse, t`e he silf t`a araerde. Preostas sindon gesette to lareowum t`am laewedum folce: nu gedafnode him t`aet hig cut`on t`a ealdan ae gastlice understandan, and hwaet Crist silf taehte and his apostolas on t`aere niwan gecyd`nisse, t`aet hig mihton t`am folce wel wissian to Godes geleafan, and wel bisnian to godum weorcum.

We secgad` eac foran to t`aet seo boc is swit`e deop gastlice to understandenne, and we ne writat` na mare buton t`a nacedan gerecednisse. D`onne t`inct` t`am ungelaeredum t`aet eall t`aet andgit beo belocen on t`aere anfealdan gerecednisse, ac hit ys swit`e feor t`am. Seo boc ys gehaten Genesis, t`aet ys gecyndbod, for t`am t`e heo ys firmest boca and sprict` be aelcum gecinde, ac heo ne spricd` na be t`aera engla gesceapenisse. Heo ongind` t`us: In principio creauit Deus celum and terram; t`aet ys on Englisc, On annginne gesceop God heofenan and eort`an.Hit waes sod`lice swa gedon, t`aet God aelmihtig geworhte on anginne, t`a t`a he wolde, gesceafta. Ac swa t`eah aefter gastlicum andgite t`aet anginn ys Crist, swa swa he sylf cwaet` to t`am Iudeiscum: Ic eom angin, t`e to eow sprece. D`urh t`is angin worhte God Faeder heofenan and eort`an, for t`an t`e he gesceop ealle gesceafta t`urh t`one Sunu, se t`e was aefre of him accenned, wisdom of t`am wisan Faeder.

Eft stynt on t`aere bec on t`am forman ferse: Et spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas; t`aet is on Englisc, and Godes gast waes geferod ofer waeteru. Godes gast ys se Halga Gast, t`urh t`one geliffaeste se Faeder ealle t`a gesceafta, t`e he gesceop t`urh t`one Sunu, and se Halga Gast faert` geond manna heortan and syld` us synna forgyfnysse aerest d`urh waeter on d`am fulluhte and syd`d`an d`urh daedbote; and gyf hwa forsyhd` d`a forgyfnysse, d`e se Halga gast syld`, d`onne bid` his syn aefre unmiltsigendlic on ecnysse. Eft is seo halige d`rynnys geswutelod on d`isre bec, swa swa is on d`am worde, d`e God cwaed`: Uton wyrcean mannan to ure anlicnisse. Mid d`am d`e he cwaed`: Uton wyrcean, is seo d`rynnys gebicnod; mid d`am d`e he cwaed`: to ure anlicnysse, is seo sod`e annys geswutelod. He ne cwaed` na menigfealdlice: to urum anlicnyssum, ac anfealdlice: to ure anlicnysse. Eft comon d`ry englas to Abrahame, and he spraec to him eallum d`rym swa swa to anum. Hu clypode Abeles blod to Gode buton swa swa aelces mannes misdaeda wregad` hine to Gode butan wordum? Be d`isum lytlan man maeg understandan, hu deop seo boc is on gastlicum andgyte, d`eah d`e heo mid leohtum wordum awriten sy.

Eft Iosep, d`e waes geseald to Egypta lande and he ahredde d`aet folc wid` d`one miclan hunger, haefde Cristes getacnunge, d`e waes geseald for us to cwale and us ahredde fram d`am ecan hungre helle susle. D`aet micele geteld, d`e Moyses worhte mid wundorlicum craefte on d`am westene, swa swa him God sylf gedihte, haefde getacnunge Godes gelad`unge, d`e he sylf astealde d`urh his apostolas mid menifealdum fraetewum and faegerum d`eawum. To d`am weorce brohte d`aet folc gold and seolfor and deorwurd`e gimstanas and maenifealde maerd`a; sume eac brohton gatehaer, swa swa seo ae bebead. D`aet gold getacnode urne geleafan and ure gode ingehyd, d`e we Gode offrian sceolon; d`aet seolfor getacnode Godes spraeca and d`a halgan lare, d`e we habban sceolon to Godes weorcum; d`a gimstanas getacnodon mislice faegernyssa on Godes mannum; d`aet gatehaer getacnode d`a stid`an daedbote d`aera manna, d`e heora synna behreowsiad`. Man offrode eac fela cynna orf Gode to lace binnan d`am getelde; be d`am is swyd`e maenifeald getacnung, and waes beboden d`aet se taegl sceolde beon gehal aefre on d`am nytene aet d`aere offrungae, for d`aere getacnunge d`aet God wile d`aet we symble well don od` ende ures lifes; d`onne bid` se taegl geoffrod on urum weorcum.

Nu is seo foresaede boc on manegum stowum swyd`e nearolice gesett, and d`eah swyd`e deoplice on d`am gastlican andgyte; and heo is swa geendebyrd,swa swa God sylf hi gedihte d`am writere Moyse, and we ne durron na mare awritan on Englisc t`onne d`aet Leden haefd`, ne d`a endebyrdnysse awendan, buton d`am anum, d`aet d`aet Leden and d`aet Englisc nabbad` na ane wisan on d`aere spraece fandunge: aefre se d`e awent od`d`e se d`e taecd` of Ledene on Englisc, aefre he sceal gefadian hit swa d`aet d`aet Englisc haebbe his agene wisan, elles hit bid` swyd`e gedwolsum to raedenne d`am d`e d`aes Ledenes wise ne can. Is eac to witene d`aet sume gedwolmen waeron d`e woldon awurpan d`a ealdan ae, and sume woldon habban d`a ealdan and awurpan d`a niwan, swa d`a Iudeiscean dod`; ac Crist sylf and his apostolas us taehton aegd`er to healdenne, d`a ealdan gastlice and d`a niwan sod`lice mid weorcum. God gesceop us twa eagan and twa earan, twa nosd`yrlu, twegen weleras, twa handa and twegen fet, and he wolde eac habban twa gecyd`nyssa on d`isre worulde gesett, d`a ealdan and d`a niwan; for d`an d`e he ded` swa swa hine sylfne gewyrd`, and he naenne raedboran naefd`, ne nan man ne d`earf him cwed`an to, Hwi dest d`u swa? We sceolon awendan urne willan to his gesetnyssum, and we ne magon gebigean his gesetnyssa on urum lustum.

Ic cwed`e nu d`aet ic ne dearr ne ic nelle nane boc aefter d`isre of Ledene on Englisc awendan; and ic bidde d`e, leof ealdormann, d`aet d`u me d`aes na leng ne bidde, d`i laes d`e ic beo d`e ungehyrsum, od`d`e leas gyf ic do. God d`e sy milde a on ecnysse. Ic bidde nu on Godes naman, gyf hwa d`as boc awritan wille, d`aet he hi gerihte wel be d`aere bysne, for d`an d`e ic nah geweald, d`eah d`e hi hwa to woge gebringe d`urh lease writeras, and hit bid` d`onne his pleoh na min: micel yfel ded` se unwritere, gyf he nele his gewrit gerihtan.