THE FIRST NOEL - OE

And heo cende hire frum-cennedan sunu, and hine mid cild-claum bewand, and hine on binne
alegde for m e hie nfdon rum on cumena hus. And hierdas wron on m ilcan rice
waciende, and niht wcan healdende ofer heora heorda. a stod Dryhtnes angel wi hie and
Godes beorhtnes him ymb-scan: and hie him micelum ege adredon. And se engel him cw:
Nylle ge eow adrdan. Solice nu ic eow bodie micelne gefean, se bi eallum folce For m
todg eow is Hlend acenned, se is Dryhten Crist, on Dauides ceastre. And is tacen eow bi.
Ge gemeta an cild hrglum bewunden and on binne alegd. And a ws fringa geworden mid
m engle micelnes heofonlices werodes, God heriendra and us cweendra: Gode sie wuldor
on hahnesse on eoran sibb mannum godes willan.

Modern English
And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a
manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in
the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to
them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to
them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today
in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to
you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company
of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.

From the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Entry for AD 449

OE
cccc.xlix. Her martianus 7 ualentinus onfengon rice. 7 rixadon .vii. wintra. 7 on beora dagum
gelaode wyrtgeorn angel cin hider. 7 hi a coman on rim ceolum hider to brytene. on am
stede heopwines fleot. Se cyning wyrtgeorn gef heom land on suan eastan issum lande. wian
e hi sceoldon feohton wi pyhtas. Heo a fuhton wi pyhtas. 7 heofdon sige swa hwer swa heo
comon. Hy a sendon to angle heton seondon mara fultum. 7 heton heom secgan brytwalana
nahtscipe. 7 es landes cysta. Hy a sona sendon hider mare weored am orum to fultume. a
comon a men of rim megum germanie. Of ald seaxum. of anglum. of iotum. Of iotum comon
cantwara. 7 wihtwara. t is seo meg be nu earda on with. 7 t cyn on west sexum e man
nu git hart iutna cyn. Of eald seaxum coman east seaxa. 7 su sexa. 7 west sexa. Of angle comon
se a syan stod westig. betwix iutum 7 seaxum east angla. midel angla mearca. 7 ealla
norbhymbra. Heora heretogan wron twegen gebrora hengest 7 horsa.
Modern English
This year Martianus and Valentinian recieved the kingdom and reigned for seven years. In their
days the Angles were invited here by King Vortigern, and they came to Britain in three
longships, landing at Ebbesfleet. King Vortigern gave them territory in the south-east of this
land, on the condition that they fight the Picts. This they did, and had victory wherever they
went. They then sent to Angel, commanded more aid, and commanded that they should be told of
the Britons' worthlessness and the choice nature of their land. They soon sent hither a greater
host to help the others. Then came the men of three Germanic tribes: Old Saxons; Angles; and
Jutes. Of the Jutes come the people of Kent and the Isle of Wight; that is the tribe which now
lives on Wight, and that race among the West Saxons which men even now call Jutish. Of the
Old Saxons come the East Saxons, South Saxons, and West Saxons. Of the Angles - the country
they left has since stood empty between Jutes and Saxons - come the East Anglians, Middle
Anglians, Mercians, and all the Northumbrians. Their war-leaders were two brothers, Hengist
and Horsa.