Nu sculon[2] herigean heofonrices ƿeard,
meotodes meahte, ond his modgeþanc,
ƿeorc ƿuldorfæder— sƿa[3] he ƿundra gehƿæs,
5 He ærest sceop eorðan bearnum
heofon to hrofe, halig scyppend;
1a Nu] {([Nu T1 Nu O (Pre-Correction)])([Ne N])}{([Nuƿe B1 Nu ƿe To Nu⁁\ƿe/ O (Post-Correction) Nu ƿe| Ca])}.
1a sculon herigean] {([sculon herıgean T1][sculan herıan O][sceolon herıan To][sceolan herıgean Ca][sculon her gean N])}{([herıgan sculon| B1])}.
1b heofonrices] {([heofon|rıces T1 heofonrıces B1 heofonrıces To heofon rıces N heofon|rıces O heofon rıces Ca])}.
1b ƿeard] {([ƿeard T1 ƿeard B1 ƿeard· To ƿe:|ard N ƿeard O ƿeard Ca])}.
2a meotodes] {([meotodes T1][metodes B1 metodes To metodes N metodes O metodes Ca])}.
2a meahte] {([meahte T1][mıhte| B1 mıhte To mıhte· N mıhte O mıhte Ca])}.
2b ond] {([Ond N][⁊ T1 ⁊ B1 ⁊ To ⁊ O ⁊ Ca])}.
2b his] {([hıs T1 hıs B1 hıs To hıs N hıs O hıs Ca])}.
2b modgeþanc] {([⟨mod⟩geþanc T1 mod ge þanc B1 mod|geþanc· To mod ge þanc· Ca][mod geþonc N mod ⟨g⟩e þonc| O])}.
3a ƿeorc] {([ƿeorc| T1 ƿeorc B1 ƿeorc To])}{([ƿeoroda N])}{([ƿero O (Pre-Correction)])}{([ƿer{a} O (Post-Correction) ƿera| Ca])}.
3a ƿuldorfæder] {([ƿuldor fæder T1 ƿul:|dor fæder N ƿuldor fæder O ƿuldor fæder· Ca][ƿulder fæder To])}{([ƿuldor godes| B1])}.
3b sƿa] {([sƿa T1 sƿa B1 sƿa To sƿa N sƿa O sƿa Ca])}.
3b he] {([he T1 he B1 he To he N he O he Ca])}.
3b ƿundra] {([ƿundra T1 ƿund ra B1 ƿundra To ƿundra N ƿundra O])}{([ƿuldres Ca])}.
3b gehƿæs] {([gehƿæs T1 gehƿæs⟨·⟩ To ge hƿæs| O ge hƿæs Ca])([ge⟨h⟩{ƿ}hƿæs N])}{([fela B1])}.
4a ece] {([ee{c}e T1 éce B1 ece To ece N ece O ece Ca])}.
4a drihten] {([⟨ad⟩rih⟨t⟩en T1 drıhten B1 drıhten To drıhten N drıhten· Ca][dryhten O])}.
4b or] {([or T1 or| N][oór O (Pre-Correction)])}{([ord| B1 ord Ca][oór⁁\d/ O (Post-Correction)])}{([ær| To])}.
4b onstealde] {([on|stealde· T1 onstealde N onstealde O onstealde Ca])}{([astealde B1 astealde· To])}.
5a He] {([he T1 he B1 He To he N he O he Ca])}.
5a ærest] {([ærest T1 ærest B1 ærest N ærest O][ærost To])([æres Ca])}.
5a sceop] {([sceop T1 sceop B1 sceop⟨·⟩ To][scop N])}{([gesceop| O][ge|scóp Ca])}.
5b eorðan] {([eorðan T1 eorðan B1 eorðan To eorðan O ⁁|e|orðan Ca])}{([eorþū N])}.
5b bearnum] {([bear|num B1 bearnu{m}{::} O (Post-Correction)][bearnū T1 bearnū To bearnū N bearnū Ca])}{([bearnunum O (Pre-Correction)])}.
6a heofon] {([heofon T1 heofon B1 heofon To heofon N heofon O heofon Ca])}.
6a to] {([to T1 to B1 to To to N to O to Ca])}.
6a hrofe] {([hrofe| T1 hrofe B1 hrofe· To hrofe| N hrofe O][rofe Ca])}.
6b halig] {([halıg T1 halıg B1 halıg| To halıg N halıg| O halıg Ca])}.
6b scyppend] {([scyppend· T1 scyp|pend B1 scyppend O scyppend· Ca][sc⁁\y/pend· N])}{([drıhten· To])}.
7a þa] {([þa T1 þa To þa N þa Ca][ða O])}{([þe B1])}.
7a middangeard] {([mıddangeard T1 mıddan geard B1 mıddan geard N mıddan geard Ca][mıddon geard O][mıddan eard To])}.
7b moncynnes] {([moncynnes T1 moncynnes N moncynnes O mon‑|cynnes Ca][mann cynnes| B1][mancynnes To])}.
7b ƿeard] {([ƿeard T1 ƿeard B1 ƿeard To ƿeard N ƿeard| O ƿeard Ca])}.
8a ece] {([ece| T1 éce B1 ece To ece| N ece O ece Ca])}.
8a drihten] {([drıhten T1 drıhten B1 drıhten To drıhten N][dryhten O][drıht̄ Ca])}.
8b æfter] {([æfter T1 æfter B1 æfter N æfter O][æfť To æft̄ Ca])}.
8b teode] {([teode T1 teode| B1 teode·| To teo{:}de O (Post-Correction) teode Ca])([teodde O (Pre-Correction)])}{([eode N])}.
9a firum] {([fın{r}um T1 fırum To fırum O][fyrum B1][fırū Ca])([fınū N])}.
9a foldan] {([foldan T1 foldan B1 foldan· To foldan N folda⁁\n/ O (Post-Correction) foldan Ca])([folda O (Pre-Correction)])}.
9b frea] {([frea T1 frea B1 frea To frea N frea| O m{fr}ea Ca])}.
9b ælmihtig] {([ælmıhtıg· T1 ælmıhtıg| B1 ælmıhtıg·| To ælmıhtıg· N ælmıhtıg· O ælmıhtıg· Ca])}.
[1]The scribe of O has altered his text considerably by correction (see above, Chapter 4: Manuscripts (O) and Chapter 7: Editorial introduction, West-Saxon eorðan recension). Pre- and post-correction forms are collated separately (where applicable) except in the All readings (parallel) apparatus.
[2]sculon] sculon is either first person plural with an unexpressed subject (i.e. [ƿue/ƿe] sculon), or third person plural with ƿeorc ƿuldorfæder, 3a, as subject. The former interpretation is supported by the form in Bede’s paraphrase, debemus; but the latter interpretation is suggested by a lack of convincing syntactic parallels in Old English (see especially Mitchell 1985b), and, perhaps, similar syntax in the Benedicite (Stanley 2002, 3). See above, §§ 5.18-5.20 and 2.43. sculon (and variant spellings) appears without a pronominal subject in all witnesses to the Northumbrian aelda recension (i.e. P and M) and the earliest witnesses to the West-Saxon eorðan recension (N, O [Pre-Correction], and T1). All other recensions and later manuscripts of the West-Saxon eorðan recension have a variant of ƿue/ƿe as subject.
[3]sƿa] Howlett suggests that sƿa may be intended as an adverb (“thus”) rather than a causal conjunction (“as, because”). For a discussion of the evidence, see above, § C.9. The punctuation here assumes sƿa is a conjunction.
[4]þa] þa can be construed as either a causal conjunction (“when”) or an adverb (“then”). While the reading has considerable effect on our understanding of the poem’s structure and theology (see above, § C.9, and esp. Blockley 1998, 20-26), neither reading can be ruled out conclusively. The punctuation in this edition follows that of most modern editions in treating þa as an adverb.