Lamech Kills Cain and His Own Servant
| for ai was rigt and kire bi-forn, 452 On man, on wiſ, til he was boren. | |
| Lamech him two wifes nam, On adda, an noðer wif ſellam. | Two wives he took—Adah and Zillah. |
| Adda bar him ſune Iobal, | Adah bare Jabal. |
| 456 He was hirde wittere and wal; Of merke, and kinde, and helde, & ble, | He was a cunning shepherd. |
| ſundring and ſameni[n]g tagte he; | He taught separation and assembling. |
| Iobal iſ broðer ſong and glew, 460 Wit of muſike, wel he knew; | Jubal, his brother, wise in song and glee, |
| On two tableſ of tigel and braſ wrot he ðat wiſtom, wiſ he was, ðat it ne ſulde ben undon 464 If fier or water come ðor-on. | wrote on tile and brass. |
| Sella wuneð oc lamech wið, ghe bar tubal, a ſellic ſmið; | Zillah bare Tubal, a mighty smith. |
| Of irin, of golde, ſiluer, and bras 468 To ſundren and mengen wiſ he was; | Iron, gold, silver, and brass he well knew how to separate and to mix. |
| Wopen of wigte and tol of grið, wel cuðe 106egte and ſafgte106 wið. | He was skilled in making weapons of war and household tools. |
| Lamech ledde long lif til ðan | [Fol. 10.] |
| 472 ðat he wurð biſne, and haued a man ðat ledde him ofte wudes ner, To ſcheten after ðe wilde der; Al-so he miſtagte, alſo he ſchet, 476 And caim in ðe wude iſ let; | Lamech at last became blind. He had a man to lead him to the woods in search of wild deer. |
| His knape wende it were a der, An lamech droge iſ arwe ner, | The knave mistook Cain for a deer. |
| And letet flegen of ðe ſtreng, 480 Caim unwarde it under-feng, | Lamech let fly an arrow, |
| Gruſnede, and ſtrekede, and ſtarf wið-ðan. Lamech wið wreðe iſ knape nam, | which struck Cain and killed him. |
| Vn-bente iſ boge, and bet, and slog, 484 Til he fel dun on dedeſ ſwog. | Lamech beat and slew his servant. |
| Twin-wifing ant twin-manſlagt Of his ſoule beð mikel hagt. | Thus was he guilty of twi-wiving and twin-slaughter. |
Notes
106 read fegte and sagte?