古英語訳の聖書は,古英語読解のための初級者向け教材として有用である.近代英語の欽定訳聖書 (The Authorized Version) や現代英語版はもちろん,日本語を含むありとあらゆる言語への訳も出されており,比較・参照できるからだ.
以下,新約聖書より Matthew 7: 24--27 の「岩の上に家を建てる」寓話について,古英語版テキストを MS Corpus Christi College Cambridge 140 より示そう (Mitchell 60) .合わせて,対応する近代英語テキストを欽定訳聖書より引用する.
Ǣlċ þāra þe ðās mīne word ġehȳrþ and þā wyrcþ byþ ġelīċ þǣm wīsan were se hys hūs ofer stān ġetimbrode.
Þā cōm þǣr reġen and myċel flōd and þǣr blēowon windas and āhruron on þæt hūs and hyt nā ne fēoll・ sōþlīċe hit wæs ofer stān ġetimbrod.
And ǣlċ þāra þe ġehȳrþ ðās mīne word and þā ne wyrcþ・ sē byþ ġelīċ þǣm dysigan menn þe ġetimbrode hys hūs ofer sand-ċeosel.
Þā rīnde hit and þǣr cōmon flōd and blēowon windas and āhruron on þæt hūs and þæt hūs fēoll・ and hys hryre wæs miċel
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
聖書に関する古英語テキストについては,「#1803. Lord's Prayer」 ([2014-04-04-1]),「#1870. 「創世記」2:18--25 を7ヴァージョンで読み比べ」 ([2014-06-10-1]) も参照されたい.
(後記 2022/05/03(Tue):Voicy 「英語の語源が身につくラジオ (heldio)」にて,この1節を古英語の発音で読み上げていますのでご参照ください.「古英語をちょっとだけ音読 マタイ伝「岩の上に家を建てる」寓話より」です.)
・ Mitchell, Bruce. An Invitation to Old English and Anglo-Saxon England. Blackwell: Malden, MA, 1995.
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