Gabriel, fram heven-king sent to þe maide sweete, broute hir blisful tiding and fair he gan hir greete: ‘Heil be þu, ful of grace ari3t! For Godes son, þis heven-li3t, for mannes love wil man bicome and take fles of þee, maide bri3t, manken free for to make of sen and devles mi3t.’ Mildelich him gan andswere þe milde maide þanne: ‘Wichewise sold ich bere a child withute manne?’ Þangel hir seid, ‘Ne dred tee nout; þurw þoligast sal been iwrout þis ilche þing warof tiding ich bringe; al manken wurth ibout þurw þine sweet childinge and ut of pine ibrout.’ Wan þe maiden understood and þangels wordes herde, mildelich with milde mood to þangel hie andswerde: ‘Ure lords þewe maid iwis ich am, þat heer aboven is. Anentis me fulfurthed be þi sawe þat ich, sith his wil is, a maid, withute law, of moder have þe blis.’ Þangel went awei mid þan al ut of hire si3te; hire womb arise gan þurw þoligastes mi3te. in hir wes Crist bilok anon, sooth God, sooth man in fles and bon, and of hir fles ibore wes at time. Warþurw us kam good won; he bout us ut of pine and let him for us slon. Maiden-moder makeles, of milce ful ibunde, bid for us him þat tee ches, at wam þu grace funde, þat he forgive us sen and wrake and clene of evri gelt us make and heven-blis, wan ur time is to sterve, us give, for þine sake, him so heer for to serve þat he us to him take.
Translation
Gabriel, sent from the king of heaven to the sweet maiden, brought her happy news and greeted her courteously: “Hail be thou, full of grace indeed! For God’s son, this light of heaven, for love of man will become man and take flesh from thee, fair maiden, to free mankind from sin and the devil’s power.” The gentle maiden then gently answered him: “In what way should I bear a child without a husband?” The angel said to her, “Fear not; this very thing of which I bring news will be done by the means of the Holy Spirit; all mankind will be redeemed by means of thy sweet child-bearing and brought out of torment.” When the maiden understood and heard the angel’s words, she answered the angel gently, with gentle spirit: “I am indeed the bond-maid of our Lord, who is above. Concerning me may thy saying be fulfilled, that I, since it is his will, may as a maiden, contrary to natural law, have the bliss of a mother.” The angel went away with that, altogether out of her sight; her womb began to swell through the power of the Holy Spirit. In her Christ was straightaway enclosed, true God and true man in flesh and bone, and was born of her flesh in due time. Whereby good hope came to us; he redeemed us from torment and let himself be slain for us. Matchless maiden-mother, fully endowed with compassion, pray for us to him who chose thee, in whose sight thou didst find grace, that he forgive us sin and hostility and make us innocent of every offence, and, when it is our time to die, give us the bliss of heaven, and [grant us], for thy sake, so to serve him here that he may take us to himself.