Middle English

===Ormulum, 12th century===
{{further|Ormulum}}
This passage explains the background to the [[Nativity of Jesus|Nativity]] <small>(3494–501)</small>:<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Ormulum: with the notes and glossary of Dr R. M. White. ''Two vols''|url=https://archive.org/details/ormulum00holtgoog|publisher=Clarendon Press|year=1878|editor-last=Holt|editor-first=Robert|location=Oxford}} Internet Archive: [[iarchive:ormulum00holtgoog|Volume 1]]; [[iarchive:ormulum01holtgoog|Volume 2]].</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|{{lang|enm|Forrþrihht anan se time comm{{pb}}þatt ure Drihhtin wollde{{pb}}ben borenn i þiss middellærd{{pb}}forr all mannkinne nede{{pb}}he chæs himm sone kinnessmenn{{pb}}all swillke summ he wollde{{pb}}and whær he wollde borenn ben{{pb}}he chæs all att hiss wille.}}
|Forthwith when the time came{{pb}}that our Lord wanted{{pb}}be born in this earth{{pb}}for all mankind sake,{{pb}}He chose kinsmen for Himself,{{pb}}all just as he wanted,{{pb}}and where He would be born{{pb}}He chose all at His will.
|}