Genesis A — Text and Context

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In Category - Fantasy Juvenile Worlds

Authors: Mason, Lawrence, 1882-1939 [Translator], Cook, Albert S. (Albert Stanburrough), 1853-1927 [Editor] Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2005 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Poetry -- Early works to 1800 Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 23,245

Reading time 102 min

Text sections 4

This digital edition of Genesis A — Text and Context is described by source-level measurements including 23,245 words, 1 hr 42 min estimated reading time, and 4 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 27.4 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Poetry -- Early works to 1800,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #15612

This editorial note examines Lawrence Mason's 1915 prose translation of the Old English poem Genesis A, focusing on its deliberate avoidance of biblical phrasing, the translator's justification for prose over verse, and the poem's vivid battle imagery and moral contrasts as seen in the excerpt of Abraham and Lot.

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File: pg15612

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They had committed a dire sin against God: on that account dire punishment befell them. They asserted, in fierce mood, that they wished to seize the kingdom and could easily do so: but this presumption mocked them when their Lord, the high King of heaven, lifted 50 up his almighty hand against the throng. The mad rebels, accursed ones, could not make head against God, but the Highest troubled their spirits and humbled their pride, for he was incensed; he stripped the sinners of 55 victory and might, of dominion and honor, and further took from his foes happiness, peace, and all joys, as well as bright glory, and finally, with his own exceeding power, wreaked his wrath on his adversaries in mighty ruin. 60 He was stern in mood, grimly embittered, and seized upon his foes with resistless grasp and broke them in his grip, enraged at heart, and deprived his opponents of their native seat,[4] their bright abodes on high. For 65 our Creator dismissed and banished from heaven the overweening band of angels: the Lord sent away on a long journey the faithless multitude, the hateful host, the miserable spirits; their pride was broken, their threat 70 overthrown, their glory shattered, and their beauty dimmed; thenceforth they abode in desolation, because of their dark exile. They did not dare to laugh aloud, but lived wearied by the torments of hell and became familiar with woes, bitterness, and sorrow; covered with 75 darkness, they bore their pain,--a heavy sentence, because they had begun to battle against God.

Then, as formerly, true peace existed in heaven, fair amity: for the Lord was dear to all, the Sovereign to his 80 servants; and the majesty of the joyful angelic hosts increased, through the favor of the Almighty.

So those who inhabited the sky, home of glory, were at peace; hatred was gone, as well as sorrow and strife among angels, ever since the rebellious hosts, bereft of the 85 light, had relinquished heaven. Behind them stood in grandeur their seats rich in glorious workmanship, teeming with blessings in God's kingdom, bright and perennially bountiful,--but all devoid of occupants, ever since the 90 miserable spirits had gone to their place of punishment, their vile prison. Then our Lord bethought him, in meditative mood, how he might people again, and with a better race, his high creation, the noble seats and glory- 95 crowned abodes which the haughty rebels had left vacant, high in heaven. Therefore Holy God willed by his plenteous power that under the circle of the firma- ment the earth should be established, with sky above and 100 wide water, a world-creation in place of the foes whom in their apostasy he hurled from bliss.

As yet there was nothing at all created here, except shadows, but this broad earth stood deep and dim, idle 105 and useless, alien even to God himself; on it the King whose purpose never falters turned his eyes and beheld the place void of joy; he saw dark clouds, black under the firmament, throng in the eternal night, dun and 110 waste, until this world-creation came to pass through the word of the King of Glory. First the everlasting Lord, protector of all things, created heaven and earth; as the almighty King put forth the firmament and with 115 victorious might established this ample world. The earth was as yet unadorned by vegetation: the ocean covered it far and wide, turbid waves in the eternal night. Then was the glorious Spirit of heaven's guardian 120 borne over the sea with sovereign virtue. For the King of the angels commanded Light, dispenser of life, to come forth over the broad expanse: quickly was the Arch-King's mandate fulfilled, and Holy Light appeared 125 over the waste spaces, as the Creator had ordained it. The Wielder of Victory next sundered light from darkness, shadow from radiance, over the surge of the sea. Then he formed the two names of the dispensers of life: light was first called "Day" by the word of the Lord, a 130 beauteous creation. This period of creation greatly pleased God, in the beginning: the first day saw the dark shadows duskily flee away over the wide earth.

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Lawrence Mason's 1915 translation of the Old English Genesis A is a prose rendering that deliberately avoids biblical phraseology, a choice he defends in his preface. He argues that no modern metrical form adequately captures the effect of Old English alliterative verse, and that only a poet should attempt verse translation. This editorial decision shapes the entire work, producing a text that is direct and unadorned, yet retains the poem's narrative momentum.

The excerpt provided offers a glimpse into the poem's treatment of the Sodom and Gomorra episode, where moral contrasts are starkly drawn. Lot is described as keeping himself pure and patient despite living among sinful people, while Abraham dwells securely under divine protection. The battle scene that follows is rendered with concrete detail: javelins are loud, a dewy-feathered raven looks for the slain, and warriors draw ring-mailed swords. These details ground the biblical narrative in a vivid, physical world.

Prose as a Deliberate Choice

Mason's preface makes clear that his use of prose is not a concession but a considered method. He rejects the idea of approximating Old English meter in modern verse, stating that no metrical form has yet been found that adequately represents the effect of stave-rime. This is a practical argument, but it also reflects a broader theory: that translation should prioritize clarity and fidelity over poetic artifice. Mason further explains that he eschews biblical phraseology because, in a modern writer, it would seem affected, and because the Bible was the Old English poet's point of departure—to return to it would be circular. This approach results in a translation that feels contemporary to its 1915 audience, yet strives to convey the original's narrative force without archaic ornament.

Moral Contrasts in the Sodom Narrative

The excerpt from the poem's later sections presents a clear moral dichotomy. Lot is portrayed as a figure who 'would never adopt the customs of the country' and 'kept himself pure, virtuous, and patient' even while living among the sinful people of Sodom. In contrast, the inhabitants are described as 'bold in sin' and 'shameful in their deeds.' Abraham, meanwhile, is shown under divine protection, enjoying 'abundance of good things' and 'worldly treasures.' The poem explicitly states that those who thank God heedfully need never be terrified. This passage functions as a moral lesson, reinforcing the idea that piety leads to security, while sin brings ruin. The language is straightforward, with no ambiguity about the fates of the righteous and the wicked.

Battle Imagery and Physical Detail

The battle between the five kings and the four kings from the north is rendered with a focus on sensory and material details. The poet describes 'javelins were loud,' 'the dark fowl sang among the flying weapons,' and 'the dewy-feathered [raven] looked for the slain.' Warriors are 'protected by their helmets' and draw 'ring-mailed sword, keen of edge.' The aftermath includes the capture of maidens, wives, and widows, and the plundering of treasure-cities. These details are not merely decorative; they ground the epic conflict in a tangible reality. The poem also notes the 'pale-cheeked maiden' who must go 'trembling to the embrace of a stranger,' a poignant image that personalizes the cost of war. This blend of heroic action and human suffering is characteristic of Old English poetry, and Mason's prose preserves it effectively.

Readers approaching this translation should note that Mason's prose is intentionally plain, avoiding the cadences of the King James Bible. This makes the poem's narrative drive and its moments of vivid description stand out more clearly. The excerpt shows that Genesis A is not merely a paraphrase but a work with its own emphases: on moral clarity, on the physical realities of battle, and on the rewards of steadfast faith. Pay attention to how the translator handles the poem's shifts between direct speech, description, and moral commentary, as these reveal the underlying structure of the Old English original.

Flipping through Mason’s Genesis A again, I lingered on his careful sidestepping of Scripture’s cadence—how he trusted plain Anglo-Saxon restraint instead. It made me think of that quiet little volume, Something Else Again — Reading Companion, sitting on my shelf. Both whisper that meaning survives without grandeur. Just a softer way of seeing old words, I suppose.