Lamech ledde long lif til ðan
ðat he wurð biſne, and haued a man
ðat ledde him ofte wudeſ ner,
To scheten after ðe wilde der;
Al-so he miſtagte, alſo he ſchet,
And caim in ðe wude iſ let;
His knape wende it were a der,
An lamech droge iſ arwe ner,
And letet flegen of ðe ſtreng,
Caim unwar[_n_]de it under-feng,
Gruſnede, and ſtrekede, and ſtarf wið-ðan.
Lamech wið wreðe iſ knape nam,
Vn-bente iſ boge, and bet, and slog,
Til he fel dun on dedeſ ſwog.
Twin-wifing and twin-manſlagt,
Of his ſoule beð mikel hagt.
Lamech led long life till then
That he became blind and had a man
That led him oft to woods near,
To shoot after the wild deer (animals);
As he mistaught, so he shot,
And Cain in the wood is let;
His knave (servant) weened it were a deer,
And Lamech drew his arrow near
And let it fly off the string,
Cain unwarned it received,
Groaned, fell prostrate (stretched) and died with-that.
Lamech with wrath his knave seized,
Unbent his bow, and beat and slew,
Till he fell down in death's swoon.
Twi-wiving (bigamy) and twi-slaughter (double homicide)
On his soul is great trouble (anxiety).
—(ll. 471-486.)