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GOD'S CURSE ON ADAM AND EVE, AND THE ADDER.
| Vn-buxumhed he hauen hem don, Vn-buxumhed iſ hem cumen on; | |
| Vn-welde woren and in win, 348 Here owen limes hem wið-in. | Weakness and sorrow troubled their limbs. |
| fleſſes fremeðe and ſafte ſame boðen he felten on here lichame; ðo gunen he ſame ſriden, | They were ashamed of their nakedness, |
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And limes in leues hiden. Nu wot adam ſum-del o wo, Her-after ſal he leren mo. | and shrouded themselves in leaves. |
| After ðiſ dede a
ſteuone cam, 356 "ðu, nu, quor art, adam, adam?" "Louerd, quat ſame iſ me bi-tid, for ic am naked and haue me hid?" "Quo ſeide ðe dat gu[[102]] wer[e] naked; 360 ðu haues ðe ſorges ſigðhe waked, | After this deed a voice came, saying, "Where art thou, Adam?" Quoth Adam, "I am naked, and hid myself." |
| for ðhu min bode-word haues broken, ðhu ſalt ben ut in ſorge luken, | Then said God, "Because thou hast broken my command, |
| In ſwinc ðu ſalt tilen ði mete[n], 364 ðin bred wid ſwotes teres eten, | thou shalt till thy meat with toil, and eat thy bread with sweat and tears, |
| Til gu[[102]] beas eft in to erðe
cumen, Quer-of gu[[102]] beaſ to manne numen; | until thou come again to the earth. |
| And wif ſal under were wunen, 368 In heuerilc birðhe ſorge numen; | [Fol. 8] Woman shall be under man, and have sorrow in every birth. |
| And niðful neddre, loð an
liðer, ſal gliden on hiſe breſt neðer And erðe freten wile he mai liuen, | The adder shall glide on his breast and eat earth. |
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And atter on is tunge cliuen; | Poison shall cleave to his tongue. |
| And nið, and ſtrif, and ate, and ſan, Sal ben bi-twen neddre and wimman; And get ſal wimman ouercumen, 376 His heued under fote bi-numen." | Envy, strife, hate, and shame shall be between the adder and the woman." |
| Two pilches weren ðurg engeles
wrogt, And to adam and to eue brogt, | Two pilches the angels wrought for Adam and Eve, |
| ðor-wið he ben nu boðen ſrid, 380 And here ſame ſumdel is hid. | so that their shame might be hid. |
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EVE BEGETS CAIN AND ABEL, AND OTHER CHILDREN.
| He ben don ut of paradiſ, ðat erd al ful of ſwete bliſ; He ben don ut of bliſſes erd, | They were turned out of Paradise. |
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Cherubin hauet ðe gateſ ſperd; | Cherubim closed the gates. |
| Ne ſulen it neuere ben un-don, Til ihesus beð on Rode don; Ne ſulen it neuermore ben opened, 388 Til ihesus beð on rode dead. | Never shall they be undone till Christ is crucified. |
| Iff mikel is ſorge, and
more care, Adam and eue it wite ful gare; Of paradiſ hem ðinkeð ſwem, | Thus Adam and Eve became acquainted with sorrow and care. |
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Of iwel and dead hem ſtondeð greim. On ſundri ðhenken he to ben, And neiðere on oðer ſen, Til angel brogte adam bode, | [Fol. 8b.] Evil and death troubled them. They thought that they must never look upon one another. |
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bodeword and tiding fro gode:— | Message came from God, |
| "Adam, ðhu knowe eue ðin wif, And leded ſamen gunker lif; | "Adam, know Eve, thy wife, and live together. |
| Summe ſulen of gu to kumen, 400 Sulen ben in to reſte numen; Summe ſulen folwen fendes red, And ben in ſorwe after ðe dead; And get ſal godeſ dere ſune | Some that shall be born of you shall come to bliss, others shall be in sorrow after their death. |
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In gure kin in werlde wunen, And he ſal bringen man a-gen In paradiſ to wunen and ben." | God's dear Son shall bring man again into Paradise." |
| Swilc tiding ðhugte adam god, 408 And ſumdel quemeð it his ſeri mood. Ðiſ angel is to heuone numen, | These tidings partly softened Adam's sorry mood. |
| And adam iſ to eue cumen, More for erneſte dan[[103]] for gamen; 412 Adam and eue wunen ſamen, | Adam and Eve lived together. |
| And hadden childre manige i-wiſ, Mo ðan of telleð de geneſis; | Children had they, many more than Genesis tells of. |
| for fiftene ger hadde adam, 416 ðan caim of eue cam, | After fifteen years Cain was born, |
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