Cædmon's Hymn

Cædmon's Hymn is a short Old English poem originally composed by Cædmon. It was about God. It survives in a Latin translation by Bede in his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum and in other dialects written down in several manuscripts of Bede's Historia. Bede wrote about the poet and his work in the fourth book of his Historia.

Cædmon's Hymn written in Northumbrian. This is the earliest known version of this work.

Cædmon

Bede told the story of Cædmon who was an illiterate cow-herder who was suddenly able to recite a Christian song of creation in Old English verse. This miracle happened after Cædmon left a feast when they were passing a harp around for all to sing a song. He left the hall after feeling ashamed that he could not contribute a song. Later in a dream he said a man appeared to him and asked him to sing a song. Cædmon responded that he could not sing. But the man told him that he could and asked him to “Sing to me the beginning of all things.” Cædmon was then able to sing verses and words that he had not heard of before. Cædmon then reported his experience first to a steward then to Hild the abbess. She invited scholars to evaluate Cædmon’s gift. Cædmon was sent home to turn more divine doctrine into song. The abbess was so impressed with the success of his gift that she told him to become a monk. Cædmon lived a long and very productive life as a monk. He created songs from all kinds of Church history and doctrine.

Choral settings of Caedmon's Hymn

The text has been set to music by a number of composers of choral music. Graham Keitch used Bede's translation for a motet which was commissioned to mark the 1100th anniversary of the death of the Anglo Saxon queen, Aethelflaed. It was first sung during the commemorative Evensong for Queen Aethelflaed which took place in Gloucester Cathedral, June 12th 2018.

Translated text

Old English

nu scylun hergan     hefaenricaes uard

metudæs maecti     end his modgidanc

uerc uuldurfadur     swe he uundra gihwaes

eci dryctin     or astelidæ

he aerist scop     aelda barnum

heben til hrofe     haleg scepen.

tha middungeard     moncynnæs uard

eci dryctin     æfter tiadæ

firum foldu     frea allmectig

Latin (Bede)

Nunc laudare debemus auctorem regni caelestis,

potentiam creatoris, et consilium illius

facta Patris gloriae: quomodo ille,

cum sit aeternus Deus, omnium miraculorum auctor exstitit;

qui primo filiis hominum

caelum pro culmine tecti

dehinc terram custos humani generis

creavit.

omnipotens

Modern English translation

Now [we] must honour the guardian of heaven,

the might of the architect, and his purpose,

the work of the father of glory

as he, the eternal lord, established the beginning of wonders;

he first created for the children of men

heaven as a roof, the holy creator

Then the guardian of mankind,

the eternal lord, afterwards appointed the middle earth,

the lands for men, the Lord almighty.

Other websites

• CAEDMON'S HYMN, Washington State University