- The poet Caedmon was granted a heavenly gift of song by God while asleep. - He told the abbess of his dream and gift, and she asked him to sing his song to the scholars and learned men to judge its source and merit. - They determined it was a heavenly gift from God. The abbess then took Caedmon into the monastery and had him taught religious history and doctrine. - Caedmon composed many poems in the best meter retelling biblical stories from Genesis and other books in a way that was delightful to hear.

1. Lauren
Tursellino
From Bede’s Account of the Poet Caedmon
ˇà àràs hè from †åm slåpe,
Then arose he from that sleep,
Adv. Verb Pron. Prep. Def. Art Noun
Pret. n.s.m d.s.m d.s
3s, strong
ond eal †à †e hè slåpende song
and all those (things) which he sleeping sang
Conj. Adj. Pron. Ind.Rel.Part. Pron. Verb Verb
a.p n.s.m Pres.Ptc. Pret.
3s, strong
fæste in gemynde hæfde,
firmly into mind had,
Adv. Prep. Noun. Verb.
d.s.n Pret.
3s, weak
ond †åm wordum sòna monig word in
and (to)those words soon many words in
Conj. Pron. Noun Adv. Adj. Noun. Prep.
d.p d.p.n a.p a.p.n
47) †æt ilce gemet Gode wyrƒes songes
tòge†èodde.
the same meter God dear (to) (of) song added.
Def.Art. Adj. Noun Noun Adj. Noun. Verb.
a.s.n a.s.n a.s.n d.s.m g.s.n g.s.m Pret.
3s, weak

2. ˇà còm hè on morgenne tò †åm
tùngerèfan,
Then came he unto morning to the overseer,
Adv. Verb. Pron. Prep. Noun. Prep. Def.Art. Noun
Pret. n.s.m d.s.m d.s d.s.m
3s, strong
†e his ealdormon wæs; sægde him
who his ruler was; (he) told him
Ind.Rel.Part. Poss.Adj. Noun. Verb. Verb. Pron.
n.s.m n.s.m Pret. Pret. d.s.m
3s, anom. 3s, strong
hwylce gife hè onfèng. Ond hè
hine
what gift he accepted. And he
him
Interr.Pron. Noun Pron. Verb. Conj. Pron.
Pron.
a.s.f a.s.f n.s.m Pret. n.s.m
a.s.m
3s, strong
sòna tò †åre abbudissan gelådde ond hire †à
immediately unto this abbess led and her it
Adv. Prep. Pron. Noun. Verb. Conj. Pron.
Pron.
d.s d.s.f Pret. g.s.f a.s.f
3s, weak

3. cûƒde ond sægde. ˇà hèht hèo gesomnian
revealed and told. Then summoned she to assemble
Verb Conj. Verb. Adv. Verb. Pron. Verb.
Pret. Pret. Pret. n.s.f Infinitive
3s, weak 3s, strong 3s, strong
ealle †à gelåredestan men ond †à leorneras, ond
him
all the most learned men and the scholars, and
them
Adj. D.A. Superlative. Noun. Conj. D.A. Noun. Con.
Pron.
a.p.f a.p a.p.m a.p.m a.p a.p.m d.p
ondweardum hèt secgan †æt swefn ond †æt lèoƒ
singan,
present named to tell that dream and that poetry to
sing,
Adj. Verb. Verb. Pron. Noun Conj. Pron. Noun. Verb.
d.p Pret. Inf. a.s.n a.s.n a.s.n a.s.n Inf.
3s, strong
†æt ealra heora dòme gecoren wåre,
so that all their judgment decided might have
Conj. Adj. Pron. Noun. Verb. Verb.
g.p.m g.p d.s.m Past Ptc. Pret.Subj.
2s, anomalous
hwæt oƒƒe hwonon †æt cuman wåre.

4. what or whence it come had.
Pron. Conj. Adv. Pron. Verb. Verb.
a.s.n n.s.n Inf. Pret.
Strong 2s, anomalous
ˇà wæs him eallum gesegen
Then was (to) them all (it) seemed
Adv. Verb. Pron. Adj. Verb.
Pret. d.p d.p.n Pret.
3s, anom. 3s, strong
swà swà hit wæs, †æt him wåre from
just as it was, that it was from
Conj. Pron. Verb. Conj. Pron. Verb. Prep.
n.s.n Pret. d.s.n Pret.
3s, anom. 2s, anom.
55)Drihtne sylfum heofonlic gifu forgifen.
the Lord himself heavenly gift giving.
Noun. Pron. Adj. Noun Verb.
d.s.m d.s.m n.s.f n.s.f past ptc.
ˇà rehton hèo him ond
Then explained she (to) them and
Adv. Verb. Pron. Pron. Conj.
Pret. n.s.f d.p
3p, weak
sægdon sum hàlig spell ond godcundre
said some holy story and religious
Verb. Adj. Adj. Noun. Conj. Adj.
Pret. a.s.n a.s.n a.s.n g.s.f
3p, weak

5. làre word; bebudon him †à, gif hè
doctrine’s word; commanded them then if he
Noun Noun Verb. Pron. Adv. Conj. Pron.
g.s.f a.p.n Pret. d.p n.s.m
3p, strong
meahte, †æt hè in swinsunge lèo†songes
could, that he in melody (of) poetry
Verb. Conj. Pron. Prep. Noun Noun
Subj. n.s.m d.s.f g.s.m
3s, Pret.Pres
†æt gehwyrfde. ˇà hè ∂à hæfde †à
it should turn. When he then held (“then” is
silent)
Pron. Verb. Adv. Pron. Adv. Verb. Adv.
a.s.n Subj. n.s.m Pret.
3s, weak 3s, weak
wìsan onfongne, †à èode hè hàm
wise accepting, then walked he homewards
Adj. Verb. Adv. Verb. Pron. Adv.
a.s.m Past Part. Pret. n.s.m
3s, anom.
tò his hùse, and cwòm eft on
morgenne,
to his house, and came again unto morning

6. Prep. Poss. Adj. Noun. Conj. Verb. Adv. Prep. Noun.
d.s.m d.s.n Pret. d.s.m
3s, strong
ond †ÿ betstan lèo∂e geglenged him
àsong
and by (that much) best poetry adorning them
sang
Conj. Pron. Adj. Noun. Verb. Pron.
Verb.
i.s.n i.s.n i.s.n Past.Ptc. d.p
Pret.
3s,
strong
ond àgeaf †æt him beboden wæs.
and gave that (which) (to) him dictated was.
Conj. Verb. Pron. Pron. Verb. Verb.
Pret. a.s.n d.s.m Past.Ptc. Pret.
3s, strong 3s,
anom.
Îà ongan sèo abbudisse clyppan ond
lufigean
Then began the abbess to embrace and to
love
Adv. Verb. Def. Art. Noun. Verb. Conj. Verb.
Pret. n.s.f n.s.f Inf. Inf.
3s, strong weak weak
†à Godes gife in †åm men;
then God’s gift in the man;

7. Adv. Noun. Noun. Prep. Def.Art. Noun.
g.s.m a.s.f d.s.m d.s.m
ond hèo hine †à monade ond lårde
and she he then urged and taught
Conj. Pron. Pron. Adv. Verb. Conj. Verb.
n.s.f a.s.m Pret. Pret.
3s, weak 3s, weak
†æt hè woruldhàd ànforlète ond
so that he secular life might renounce and
Conj. Pron. Noun. Verb. Conj.
n.s.m a.s.m Pret.Subj.
3s, strong
munuchàd onfènge; ond hè †æt wel
†afode. monastic orders might accept; and he (to) that
readily consented.
Noun. Verb. Conj. Pron. Pron. Adv. Verb.
a.s.m Pret.Subj. n.s.m a.s.n Pret.
3s, strong 3s,
weak
Ond hèo hine in †æt mynster onfèng
And she him in the monastery received
Conj. Pron. Pron. Prep. Def.Art Noun. Verb.
n.s.f a.s.m a.s.n a.s.n Pret.
3s, strong
mid his gòdum, ond hine ge†èodde

8. with his goodness, and him joined
Prep. Poss.Adj. Noun. Conj. Pron. Verb.
d.p.n d.p.n a.s.m Pret.
3s, weak
tò gesomnunge †àra Godes †èowa, ond
to community that (of) God’s servants, and
Prep. Noun. Def.Art. Noun. Noun. Conj.
d.s.f g.p g.s.m g.p.m
hèht hine låran †æt getæl †æs
summoned him to teach that account afterwards
Verb. Pron. Verb. Def.Art. Noun. Adv.
Pret. a.s.m Inf. a.s.n a.s.n
3s, strong weak
hàlgan stæres ond spelles. Ond hè
holy (of)history and (of) story. And he
Adj. Noun. Conj. Noun. Conj. Pron.
g.s.n g.s.n g.s.n n.s.m
eal †à hè in gehûrnesse
all those things which he in hearing
Adj. Pron. Pron. Prep. Noun.
a.p.n a.p n.s.m d.s.f
geleornian meahte mid hine gemyndgade,
(to) learn could within himself remembered,
Verb. Verb. Prep. Pron. Verb.
Inf. Pret. a.s.m Pret.
weak 3s, pret.pres 3s, weak

9. ond swà swà clåne nèten eodorcende
and just as clean cattle chew the cud
Conj. Adv. Adj. Noun. Verb.
n.s.n n.s.n Pres.Ptc.
in †æt swèteste lèo∂ gehwerfde.
into the sweetest poetry turned.
Prep. Def.Art. Adj(Superl.) Noun. Verb.
a.s.n a.s.n n.s.n Pret.
3s, weak
Ond his song ond his
And his song and his
Conj. Poss.Adj. Noun. Conj. Poss.Adj.
n.s.m n.s.m n.s.n
lèo∂ wåron swà wynsumu tò gehûranne
poetry were thus delightful to hear
Noun. Verb. Adv. Adj. Verb.
n.s.n Pret. n.p.m Infl.Inf.
3p, anom. weak
†ætte †à seolfan his làrèowas
that the same ones his teachers
Conj. Def.Art. Adj. Poss.Adj. Noun.
n.p n.p.m n.p.m n.p.m
æt his mù∂e wreoton ond leornodon.
from his mouth wrote and learned.

10. Prep. Poss. Adj. Noun. Verb. Conj. Verb.
d.s.m d.s.m Pret. Pret.
3p, strong 3p, weak
Song hè årest be middangeardes
Sang he first about (of) world
Verb. Pron. Adj. Prep. Noun.
Pret. n.s.m n.s.f g.s.m
3s, strong
gesceape ond bì fruman moncynnes
creation and about beginning (of) mankind
Noun. Conj. Prep. Noun. Noun.
d.s.n d.s.m g.s.n
ond eal †æt stær Genesis
and all the history (of) Genesis
Conj. Adj. Def.Art. Noun. Noun.
a.p.n a.s.n a.s.n g.s
(†æt is sèo åreste Moyses booc);
that is the first (of) Moses book
Pron. Verb. Def.Art. Adj. Noun. Noun.
n.s.n Present n.s.f n.s.f g.s.n n.s.f
3s, anom.
ond eft bì ùtgonge Israhèla
and thereupon about (the)exodus (of) Israelites

11. Conj. Adv. Prep. Noun. Noun.
d.s.m g.p.m
folces of Ågypta londe ond
the people of Egypt’s land and
Noun Prep. Noun. Noun. Conj.
g.s.n g.p.m a.s.n
bì ingonge †æs gehàtlandes ond
about immigration (to) the promised land (of) and
Prep. Noun. Def.Art. Noun. Conj.
d.s.m g.s.n g.s.n
bì ò∂rum monegum spellum †æs
about another many (a) stories the
Prep. Pron. Pron. Noun. Def.Art.
d.p.n d.p.f d.p.n g.s.n
hàlgan gewrites canònes bòca, ond
holy writing (of) canon’s books’, and
Adj. Noun. Noun. Noun. Conj.
g.s.n g.s.n g.s.m g.p.f
bì Crìstes menniscnesse ond bì
about Christ’s incarnation and about
Prep. Noun. Noun. Conj. Prep.
g.s.n d.s.f

12. his †ròwunge ond bì his
his suffering and about his
Poss.Adj. Noun. Conj. Prep. Posss.Adj.
d.s.m d.s.f d.s.m
ùpàstìgnesse in heofonas ond bì †æs
ascension into heaven and about the
Noun. Prep. Noun. Conj. Prep. Def.Art.
d.s.f a.p.m g.s.m
Hàlgan Gàstes cyme ond †àra
God’s spirit (of) coming and the
Noun. Noun. Noun. Conj. Def. Art.
g.s.m g.s.m d.s.m g.p
apostola làre; ond eft bì
apostles’ teaching and again about
Noun. Noun. Conj. Adv. Prep.
g.p.m g.s.f
†åm dæge †æs tòweardan dòmes ond
bì
the day the coming judgment (0f) and
about
Def.Art. Noun. Def.Art. Adj. Noun. Conj.
Prep.

13. d.s.m d.s.m g.s.m g.s.m g.s.m
fyrhtu †æs tintreglican wiites ond bì
swètnesse
fear (of) the tormenting punishment and about
sweetness
Noun. Def.Art. Adj. Noun. Conj. Prep. Noun.
d.s.f g.s.n g.s.n g.s.n d.s.f
†æs heofonlecan rìces hè monig lèo∂
geworhte.
the heavenly kingdom (of) he many (a) poem
performed.
Def.Art. Adj. Noun. Pron. Pron. Noun. Verb.
g.s.n g.s.n g.s.n n.s.m a.p a.s.n Pret.
3s, weak.
“The same meter of song dear to God added.”
So that it might be determined by the judgment of them all what or whence it had come.
Waes gesegen=seemed, “Then (it) seemed (to) them all”
“and sang and gave back to them what had been dictated to him, adorned with the best
poetry.”
“mulled over”