Top 11 Bede Quotes

Now must we hymn the Master of heaven,
The might of the Maker, the deeds of the Father,
The thought of His heart. He, Lord everlasting,
Established of old the source of all wonders:
Creator all-holy, He hung the bright heaven,
A roof high upreared, o’er the children of men;
The King of mankind then created for mortals
The world in its beauty, the earth spread beneath them,
He, Lord everlasting, omnipotent God.

Nū þ sculan herian • heofonrices þeard,
metudes myhte • his modᵹeþanc,
þurc þuldorfæder, • sþa he þundra ᵹehþilc,
ece drihten • ord astealde;
he ærest ᵹesceop • ylda bearnum
heofon to hrofe, • haliᵹ scyppend,
middanᵹearde • mancynnes þard;
ece drihtin, • æfter tida
firum on foldum, • frea ællmyhtiᵹ.

Nu scilun herᵹa • hefenricæs uard
metudæs mehti • and his modᵹithanc
uerc uuldurfadu • sue he uundra ᵹihuæs
eci dryctin • or astelidæ.
he ærist scop • ældu barnum
hefen to hrofæ • haliᵹ sceppend
tha middinᵹard • moncynnæs uard
eci dryctin • æfter tiadæ
firum foldu • frea allmehtiᵹ

Nū scylun herᵹan • hefaenrīcaes Uard,
metudæs maecti • end his mōdᵹidanc,
uerc Uuldurfadur, • suē hē uundra ᵹihwaes,
ēci dryctin • ōr āstelidæ
hē ǣrist scōp • aelda barnum
heben til hrōfe, • hāleᵹ scepen.
Thā middunᵹeard • moncynnæs Uard,
eci Dryctin, • æfter tīadæ
firum foldu, • Frēa allmectiᵹ.

Before the dread journey which needs must be taken
No man is more mindful than meet is and right
To ponder, ere hence he departs, what his spirit
Shall, after the death-day, receive as its portion
Of good or of evil, by mandate of doom.

For þam nedfere • næni wyrþeþ
þances snotera, • þonne him þearf sy
to gehicgenne • ær his heonengange
hwæt his gaste • godes oþþe yfeles
æfter deaþe heonon • demed weorþe.

Fore there neidfaerae • naenig uuiurthit
thoncsnotturra • than him tharf sie
to ymbhycggannae • aer his hiniongae
huaet his gastae • godaes aeththa yflaes
aefter deothdaege • doemid uueorthae.

It is told that there was then such perfect peace in Britain, wheresoever the dominion of King Edwin extended, that, as is still proverbially said, a woman with her new-born babe might walk throughout the island, from sea to sea, without receiving any harm.

Tanta eo tempore pax in Britannia fuisse perhibetur, ut, sicut usque hodie in proverbio dicitur, etiamsi mulier una cum recens nato parvulo vellet totam perambulare insulam a mari ad mare, nullo se laedente valeret.

The present life of man upon earth, O king, seems to me, in comparison with that time which is unknown to us, like to the swift flight of a sparrow through the house wherein you sit at supper in winter, with your ealdormen and thegns, while the fire blazes in the midst, and the hall is warmed, but the wintry storms of rain or snow are raging abroad. The sparrow, flying in at one door and immediately out at another, whilst he is within, is safe from the wintry tempest ; but after a short space of fair weather, he immediately vanishes out of your sight, passing from winter into winter again. So this life of man appears for a little while, but of what is to follower what went before we know nothing at all. If, therefore, this new doctrine tells us something more certain, it seems justly to deserve to be followed.

Talis ... mihi uidetur, rex, vita hominum praesens in terris, ad conparationem eius, quod nobis incertum est, temporis, quale cum te residente ad caenam cum ducibus ac ministris tuis tempore brumali, accenso quidem foco in medio, et calido effecto caenaculo, furentibus autem foris per omnia turbinibus hiemalium pluviarum vel nivium, adveniens unus passeium domum citissime pervolaverit; qui cum per unum ostium ingrediens, mox per aliud exierit. Ipso quidem tempore, quo intus est, hiemis tempestate non tangitur, sed tamen parvissimo spatio serenitatis ad momentum excurso, mox de hieme in hiemem regrediens, tuis oculis elabitur. Ita haec vita hominum ad modicum apparet; quid autem sequatur, quidue praecesserit, prorsus ignoramus. Unde si haec nova doctrina certius aliquid attulit, merito esse sequenda videtur.