166 ONE THOUSAND FAMOUS THINGS
Songs of 1000 Years
It may be said of Caedmon that his gentle figure sleeps in the cradle of our English
literature. He sang the Song of Creation in the seventh century. Here is a free
rendering of the imagery in his beautiful way of telling the story.
As yet was nought save shadows of darkness ; the spacious Earth
lay hidden, deep and dim, alien to God, unpeopled and unused.
Thereon the Steadfast King looked down and beheld it, a place
empty of joy. He saw dim chaos hanging in eternal night, obscure
beneath the heavens. Here first with mighty power the Everlasting
Lord, the Helm of all created things, Almighty King, made Earth
and Heaven, raised up the sky, and founded the spacious land. The
Earth was not yet green with grass ; the dark waves of the sea
flowed over it | midnight darkness was upon it, far and wide.
In radiant glory God's holy spirit moved upon the waters with won-
drous might. The Lord of angels, Giver of Life, bade light shine forth.
One thousand years after came another English poet, who read the story of
Caedmon and wrote Creation's Song again. He was John Milton, and his majestic
words have crowned that Temple of Literature of which Caedmon laid the first stone.
TJEAVEN opened wide
JTT Her ever-during Gates, Harmonious sound
On golden hinges moving, to let forth
The King of Glorie in his powerful Word
And Spirit coming to create new worlds.
Silence, ye troubled waves, and thou Deep, peaces
Said then the Omnific Word : Your discord end,
Nor staid, but on the Wings of Cherubim
Uplifted, in paternal glorie rode
Far into Chaos and the world unborn ;
For Chaos heard his voice : him all his train
Followed in bright procession to behold
Creation, and the wonders of his might.
Then staid the fervid wheels, and in his hand
He took the golden compasses, prepared
In God's eternal store, to circumscribe
This Universe, and all created things.
One foot he centred, and the other turned
Round through the vast profundity obscure*
And said : Thus far esctend^ thus far thy bounds.
This be thy just circumference, O World.
Thus God the Heaven created, thus the Earth,
Matter unformed and void. Darkness profound
Covered the Abyss ; but on the watery calm
His brooding wings the Spirit of God outspread,
And Earth self-balanced on her centre hung.
Let there be Light, said God, and forthwith Light
Sprang from the Deep, and from her Native East
To journey through the airy gloom began
Sphered in a radiant Cloud.