The Stars Are Set, and Fowl and Fish Are Made

walknes wurðinge, and erdes frame,
He knowned one ilc ſterre name,
[Fol. 3b.]

He ſettes in ðe firmament,
God set them in the firmament.

136

Al abuten ðis walkne went;
ðe ſeuene he bad on fligte faren,
He let them be

And toknes ben, and times garen.
for signs and for seasons.

Sunne and mone ðe moſte ben

140

Of alle ðe toknes ðat men her ſen;
Sun and moon are the greatest of all these tokens.

ðe mone iſ more bi mannes tale,
ðan al ðis erðe in werldes dale;
The moon is greater than the earth.

And egeſt ſwilc ðe ſunnes brigt,

144

Iſ more ðanne ðe mones ligt.
The sun's brightness is greater than the moon's light.

ðe mones ligt is moneð met,
ðor-after iſ ðe ſunne ſet;
The moon's light is the measure of a month.

In geuelengðhe worn it mad,

148

In Reke-fille, on ſunder ſhad;
In the equinox was it made.

Two geuelengðhes timen her,
And two ſolſtices in ðe ger.
Two equinoxes and two solstices are in the year.

On four doles delen he

152

ðe ger, ilc dole of moneð ðhre;
Euere ſchinen ðo toknes brigt,
And often giuen iſ on erðe ligt;
wel wurðe his migt lefful ay,

156

ðe wroutis on ðe ferðe day!
Forð glod ðis ferðe daiſ nigt,
ðo cam ðe fifte dais ligt;
In four parts the year is divided, each part being of three months.

ðe fifte day god made ywis

160

of water, ilc fuel and eruerilc fiſ,
And tagte fuel on walkene his fligt,
Ilc fiſ on water his flotes migt,
On the fifth day, God made of water each fowl and fish,
[Fol. 4.]

And bliſced hem, and bad hem ðen

164

And tuderande on werld[e] ben.
and bad them multiply.

Ðiſ fifte dai held forð his fligt,
And forð endede ðat fifte nigt;
This fifth day took its flight,

And [cam] ðe ſexte dais ligt,

168

So made god wid witter migt,
and on the sixth day God made all cattle, reptiles, and wild deer (beasts).

read knoweð

So in MS.

read wið