by frozen waters
and wall of ice.
Of watres froren, of yſeſ wal,
ðis middel werld it luket al;—
No fire has ever
yet melted this
ice.
May no fir get melten ðat yſ;
He ðe it made iſ migtful and wis,— 100
This enclosure
may be called
Heaven-roof.
It mai ben hoten heuene-Rof;
It hiled[80] al ðis werldes drof,
And fier, and walkne, and water, and lond,
Al iſ bi-luken in godes hond, 104
It shall last until
Doomsday.
Til domeſ-dai ne ſal it troken.
Al middel-erd ðer-inne is loken,
[Fol. 3.]
watres ben her ðer-under ſuuen,
And watres ðor a-buuen; 108
Above this is another
heaven full
of bliss and life.
And ouer ðat ſo ful i-wis,
An oðer heuene ful o blis,
And ful o lif ðe leſted oo,
wo may him ben ðe fel ðor-fro. 112
Thus passed this
second day's
night.
Forð glod ðis oðer daiſ nigt,
ðo cam ðe ðridde dais ligt:
Then came the
third day's light.
ðe ðridde dai, ſo god it bad,
Water and earth
became separated.
was water and erðe o ſunder ſad; 116
God bi-q_u_uad watres here ſtede,
The earth did
bring forth grass,
herb, and fruit
tree.
And erðe brimen and beren dede;
Ilk gres, ilc wurt, ilc birðheltre,
Hiſ owen ſed beren bad he; 120
Thus was earth
made mother of
wealth.
Of euerilc ougt, of eu_er_ilc ſed,
Waſ erðe mad moder of ſped.
ðe ðridde dai was al ðis wrogt,
And erðes fodme on werldes brogt; 124
An eu_er_ilc fodme his kinde q_u_uemeðen.
Then was all fair
here below.
ðo was it her fair bi-neðen,
God saw that it
was so, and
blessed it.
God ſag his ſafte fair and good,
And bliſcede it wid[81] milde mood. 128
Then came the
fourth day's
light, and Might
made the sun and
moon and each
bright star.
Forð glod ðis ðridde daiſ nigt,
ðo cam ðe ferðe daiſ ligt.
ðe ferðe dai made migt
Sunne, and mone, and ilc ſterre brigt, 132
[80] _read_ hileð
[81] _read_ wið