The Story of Genesis and Exodus: An Early English Song, about 1250 A.D.

Bible. Exodus -- History of Biblical events -- Poetry; Bible. Genesis -- History of Biblical events -- Poetry; Christian poetry, English (Middle)

and make you as
                                wise as those who
                                dwell above in
                                heaven?"

  And ben ſo wiſe alle euene
  So ðo ðe wunen a-buuen i_n_ heuone."             332

                                When Eve saw
                                that it was fair
                                to the sight and
                                soft to the hand,

  Ðanne ðogte eue on hire mod,
  ðanne iſ tiſ fruit wel ſwiðe good,
  fair on ſigðhe and ſofte on hond,
  Of ðiſ fruit wile ic hauen fond.                 336

                                she ate thereof,
                                and took some
                                and brought it to
                                Adam.

  Su_m_ ghe ðer at, and ſu_m_ ghe nam,
  And bar it to her fere adam;
  So manie times ghe him ſcroðt,

                                    [Fol. 7b.]

  Q_u_eðer so him was lef or loðt,                 340
  for to forðen iſ fendes wil,

                                He ate that fruit
                                and did foolishly.

  At he dat[100] fruit, and dede unskil;
  Sone it was under breſt numen;

                                Then death's two
                                bonds came upon
                                them.

  Dedes two bondes on hem ben comen;               344

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GOD'S CURSE ON ADAM AND EVE, AND THE ADDER.


  Vn-buxumhed he hauen hem don,
  Vn-buxu_m_hed iſ hem cumen on;

                                Weakness and
                                sorrow troubled
                                their limbs.

  Vn-welde woren and in win,
  Here owen limes he_m_ wið-in.                    348

                                They were
                                ashamed of their
                                nakedness,

  fleſſes fremeðe and ſafte ſame
  boðen he felten on here lichame;
  ðo gunen he ſame ſriden,

                                and shrouded
                                themselves in
                                leaves.

  And limes in leues hiden.                        352
  Nu wot adam ſum-del o wo,
  Her-after ſal he leren mo.

                                After this deed a
                                voice came, saying,
                                "Where art
                                thou, Adam?"
                                Quoth Adam, "I
                                am naked, and
                                hid myself."

  After ðiſ dede a ſteuone cam,
  "ðu, nu, q_u_or art, adam, adam?"                356
  "Lou_er_d, q_u_at ſame iſ me bi-tid,
  for ic am naked and haue me hid?"
  "Quo ſeide ðe dat gu[102] wer[e] naked;
  ðu haues ðe ſorges ſigðhe waked,                 360

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Story of Genesis and Exodus: An Early English Song, about 1250 A.D.

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