Passage from the ‘Ormulum’

Passage from the ‘Ormulum’ in both Audio and text versions.

Middle English

Þiss boc iss nemmnedd Orrmulum,
Forr þi þatt Orrm itt wrohhte.

Icc hafe wennd inntill Ennglissh
Goddspelless hallghe láre,
Affterr þatt little witt þatt me
Min Drihhtin hafeþþ lenedd.

Modern English

This book is named Ormulum,
because Orm created it.

I have turned into English
the Holy Gospels' lore,
according to that little wit that
My Lord has granted me.


Passage from “Ormulum” (late 12th Century) (17 sec) (from Palgrave Macmillan).