Bible -- History of Biblical events -- Poetry; English poetry -- Old English, ca. 450-1100
(ll. 1493-1511) And Noah hearkened unto God with great rejoicing,
and did according as the Voice commanded. And he went out upon
the shore, and led forth from the ark all who had survived that
time of woe. Then Noah, wise of counsel, began to offer
sacrifice to God. And for an offering he took a part of all his
goods which God had given him to enjoy, and, great in wisdom and
in glory, made sacrifice to God, the King of angels. And
straightway our Lord made known that He had blessed Noah, and
Noah's children, because he had offered that thank-offering, and
in his youth by good deeds had deserved the bounteous mercies
which Almighty God in majesty bestowed upon him. And God, the
Lord of glory, spake unto Noah and said:
(ll. 1512-1531) "Be fruitful and multiply, enjoying honour,
delighting in peace. Fill all the earth with your increase. To
you is given the home of your fathers, dominion over the fish of
the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field,
over all the green earth and its teeming herds. Never shall ye
eat in blood your shameful feasts through sin defiled with blood.
For most he injureth himself and his soul's honour whoso shall
slay another with the sword. Verily! in no wise shall his heart
have joy in his reward! For many times more heavily will I
avenge man's life upon his murderer, because his sword hath
prospered in violence and blood, and his hands in death. Man was
first fashioned in the image of God. Each hath the form of God
and of the angels, whoso will keep My holy laws.
(ll. 1532-1542) "Be fruitful and multiply, enjoying grace on
earth and every pleasant thing. Fill all the regions of the
earth with your increase, your issue, and your seed. And unto
you I give My covenant that never again will I bring the waters
upon the earth or a flood on the wide-stretching land. Oft shall
ye behold the token of My promise in the heavens, when I show
forth My rainbow, that I will keep this covenant with men while
the world standeth."
(ll. 1543-1554) And the wise son of Lamech, the warden of wealth,
came forth from the ship as the flood receded, and his three sons
with him. And their four wives were called Percoba, and Olla,
and Olliva, and Ollivani. The Faithful Lord had saved them to
survive the flood. And Noah's stout-hearted sons were Shem and
Ham, and the third was Japheth. From them sprang many peoples,
and all the earth was filled with the sons of men.
(ll. 1555-1561) Then a second time Noah began to establish a home
with his kinsmen, and to till the earth for food. He toiled and
wrought and planted a vineyard and sowed seed, and laboured that
the green earth might bring forth her shining harvests, her
gleaming crops, in every season.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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