diff options
Diffstat (limited to '15879.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 15879.txt | 3622 |
1 files changed, 3622 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/15879.txt b/15879.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e9d8b2a --- /dev/null +++ b/15879.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3622 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Elene; Judith; Athelstan, or the Fight at +Brunanburh; Byrhtnoth, or the Fight at Maldon; and the Dream of the Rood, by Anonymous + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Elene; Judith; Athelstan, or the Fight at Brunanburh; Byrhtnoth, or the Fight at Maldon; and the Dream of the Rood + Anglo-Saxon Poems + +Author: Anonymous + +Translator: James M. Garnett + +Release Date: May 23, 2005 [EBook #15879] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ELENE AND OTHERS *** + + + + +Produced by David Starner, Annika Feilbach and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. (www.pgdp.net) + + + + + + + + + +ELENE; + +JUDITH; + +ATHELSTAN, OR THE FIGHT AT BRUNANBURH; + +BYRHTNOTH, OR THE FIGHT AT MALDON; + +AND + +THE DREAM OF THE ROOD: + +Anglo-Saxon Poems. + + +TRANSLATED BY + +JAMES M. GARNETT, M.A., LL.D., + +FORMERLY PROFESSOR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE IN THE +UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA; TRANSLATOR OF "BEOWULF." + + +_THIRD EDITION._ + + +BOSTON, U.S.A.: +GINN & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS. +The Athenaeum Press. +1911. + + +Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1889, by +JAMES M. GARNETT, +In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. + +COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY +JAMES M. GARNETT. + +COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY +JAMES M. GARNETT. + +ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. + + + + +TO PROFESSOR FRANCIS A. MARCH + +CORYPHAEUS OF OLD ENGLISH STUDIES IN AMERICA + +WITH SENTIMENTS OF THE HIGHEST REGARD + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + PAGE + +PREFACE vii + +INTRODUCTION ix + + * * * * * + +ELENE. + + I. Constantine sees the vision of the rood 1 + + II. Constantine is victorious, the sign is explained, and he is + baptized 4 + + III. Helena sets out on her journey in search of the cross, and + arrives at Jerusalem 7 + + IV. Helena summons an assembly of the Jews learned in the law, + and addresses them 10 + + V. The Jews consult apart, and Judas states the object of the + Empress 13 + + VI. Judas gives the Jews the information derived from his + father and grandfather 16 + + VII. The Jews at first refuse to act, but finally deliver up + Judas to the Empress 19 + +VIII. Judas stubbornly denies all knowledge of the matter, but + after imprisonment without food consents to speak 21 + + IX. They proceed to Calvary, and Judas offers a prayer for + guidance 24 + + X. A smoke arises, Judas digs and finds three crosses. Test of + the true cross 27 + + XI. The fiend laments that he is overcome. Judas replies to him 30 + + XII. Helena announces the discovery to Constantine, who orders a + church to be built on the spot. Judas is baptized 32 + +XIII. Judas is ordained bishop of Jerusalem, and his name is + changed to Cyriacus. Helena longs to recover the nails. + Judas prays, digs, and finds them 35 + + XIV. The nails are made into a bit for Constantine's horse. + Helena admonishes all to obey Cyriacus and returns home 38 + + XV. The writer reflects on his work, records his name; and + refers to the future judgment 41 + + + * * * * * + +JUDITH. + + IX. * * * * * * * * * * + Holofernes prepares a banquet 44 + + X. Holofernes and his guests carouse. Judith is brought to his + tent. Holofernes enters and falls on his bed in a drunken + sleep. Judith prays for help, and cuts off the head of + Holofernes 45 + + XI. Judith returns with the head of Holofernes to Bethulia. The + people meet her in crowds. She exhorts the warriors to + sally forth at dawn. They fall upon the Assyrians 49 + + XII. The Assyrians discover the death of Holofernes and become + panic-stricken. The Hebrews pursue them in flight, plunder + the slain, and bestow upon Judith the arms and treasure of + Holofernes 53 + + * * * * * + +ATHELSTAN, OR THE FIGHT AT BRUNANBURH. + +Athelstan and Edmund, with their West-Saxons and Mercians, +slaughter the Scots and Northmen. Constantine and his Scots flee +to their homes in the North. Anlaf and his Northmen flee across +the sea to Dublin. Athelstan and Edmund return home in triumph, +and leave the corpses to the raven, the eagle, and the wolf 57 + + * * * * * + +BYRHTNOTH, OR THE FIGHT AT MALDON. + +* * * * * * * * * * * +Byrhtnoth and his East-Saxons are drawn up on the bank of the +Panta. The wikings' herald demands tribute. Byrhtnoth angrily +offers arms for tribute. Wulfstan defends the bridge. Byrhtnoth +proudly permits the wikings to cross. The fight rages. Byrhtnoth +is wounded. He slays the foe. He is wounded again. He prays to +God to receive his soul, and is hewn down by the heathen men. +Godric flees on Byrhtnoth's horse. His brothers follow him. +AElfwine encourages the men to avenge the death of their lord. So +does Offa, who curses Godric. Leofsunu will avenge his lord or +perish. Dunnere also. Others follow their example. Offa is slain +and many warriors. The fight still rages. The aged Byrhtwold +exhorts them to be the braver as they become the fewer. So does +another Godric, not he who fled. * * * * 60 + + * * * * * + +THE DREAM OF THE ROOD. + +In the middle of the night the writer beholds the vision of a +cross decked with gold and jewels, but soiled with blood. +Presently the cross speaks and tells how it was hewn and set up +on a mount. Almighty God ascended it to redeem mankind. It bent +not, but the nails made grievous wounds, and it was moistened +with blood. All creation wept. The corse was placed in a +sepulchre of brightest stone. The crosses were buried, but the +thanes of the Lord raised it begirt with gold and silver, and it +should receive honor from all mankind. The Lord of Glory honored +it, who arose for help to men, and shall come again with His +angels to judge each one of men. Then they will fear and know not +what to say, but no one need fear who bears in his heart the best +of beacons. The writer is ready for his journey, and directs his +prayer to the rood. His friends now dwell in glory, and the rood +of the Lord will bring him there where he may partake of joy with +the saints. The Lord redeemed us, His Son was victorious, and +with a band of spirits entered His heavenly home 71 + + + + +PREFACE. + + +This translation of the ELENE was made while reading the poem with a +post-graduate student in the session of 1887-88, Zupitza's second +edition being used for the text, which does not differ materially from +that in his third edition (1888). It was completed before I received a +copy of Dr. Weymouth's translation (1888), from Zupitza's text; but in +the revision for publication I have referred to it, although I cannot +always agree with the learned scholar in his interpretation of certain +passages. Grein's text was, however, used to fill _lacunae_, and in the +revision the recently published (1888) Grein-Wuelker text was compared in +some passages. The line-for-line form has been employed, as in my +translation of BEOWULF; for it has been approved by high authority, and +is unquestionably more serviceable to the student, even if I have not +been able to attain ideal correctness of rhythm. I plead guilty in +advance to any _lapsus_ in that respect, but I strongly suspect that I +have appreciated the difficulty more highly than my future critics. The +ELENE is more suitable than the BEOWULF for first reading in Old English +poetry on account of its style and its subject, which make the +interpretation considerably easier, and I concur with Koerting, in his +_Grundriss der Geschichte der Englischen Litteratur_ (p. 47, 1887): "Die +ELENE eignet sich sowohl wegen ihres anmutigen Inhaltes, als auch, weil +sie in der trefflichen Ausgabe von Zupitza leicht zugaenglich ist, als +erste poetische Lectuere fuer Anfaenger im Angelsaechsischen." This +statement is now the stronger for English readers because Zupitza's text +is in course of publication, edited with introduction, notes, and +glossary by Professor Charles W. Kent, of the University of Tennessee. +I have appended a few notes which explain themselves, and have +occasionally inserted words in brackets. + +The translations of the JUDITH and the BYRHTNOTH were made in regular +course of reading with undergraduate classes, the former in 1886, and +the latter in 1887, the texts in Sweet's "Anglo-Saxon Reader" being +used, and compared with those in Grein and in Koerner. The text of JUDITH +is now accessible in Professor Cook's edition (1888). + +The translation of the ATHELSTAN has been added from Koerner's text, +compared with Grein and Wuelker, and in certain passages with Thorpe and +Earle. For fuller literary information than the Introduction provides, +the reader is referred to ten Brink's "Early English Literature," +Kennedy's translation (1883), and to Morley's "English Writers," Vol. +II. (1888). + +JAMES M. GARNETT. + +UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, VA., +May, 1889. + + + + +PREFACE TO EDITION OF 1900. + + +I have added to this reprint of my "Elene and other Anglo Saxon Poems" a +translation of the DREAM OF THE ROOD, which has been on hand for several +years awaiting a suitable time to see the light. A brief Introduction to +the poem has been prefixed, which, doubtless, leaves much to be desired, +but it is all that the translator now has time for, and I must refer to +the works mentioned for fuller information and discussion. With thanks +for past consideration, and the hope that this addition has made the +book more acceptable, I entrust it again to indulgent readers. + +JAMES M. GARNETT. + +BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, +October, 1900. + + + + +PREFACE TO EDITION OF 1911. + + +I have read over carefully these translations with a view to another +reprint, which the publishers find necessary, but I have not compared +them again with the texts used. I have corrected a few typographical +errors of little importance. + +For the bibliography I would refer to Brandl's _Sonderausgabe aus der +zweiten Auflage von Paul's Grundriss der germanischen Philologie_ +(Strassburg, 1908), in which I find noted Holthausen's edition of the +ELENE (Heidelberg, 1905), but I have not seen it. + +I take advantage of this opportunity to say that my translation of +BEOWULF, of which the last reprint was issued in 1910, is not in +_prose_, as some have misconceived it, but it is in the same metrical +form as the translations in the present volume,--an accentual metre in +rough imitation of the original. I agree with Professor Gummere and +others that this is a better form for the translation of Old English +poetry than plain prose. It was approved by the late Professor Child +nearly _thirty_ years ago, as noted in the Preface to the second edition +of my translation of BEOWULF, January, 1885. + +JAMES M. GARNETT. + +BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, +February, 1911. + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + +In presenting to the public the following translations of the Old +English (Anglo-Saxon) poems, ELENE, JUDITH, ATHELSTAN, BYRHTNOTH, and +THE DREAM OF THE ROOD, it is desirable to prefix a brief account of them +for the information of the general reader. + +I. The ELENE, or Helena, is a poem on the expedition of the Empress +Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor, to +Palestine in search of the true cross, and its successful issue. The +mediaeval legend of the Finding of the Cross is given in the _Acta +Sanctorum_ under date of May 4, assigned by the Church to the +commemoration of St. Helena's marvellous discovery. The Latin work is +the Life of St. Quiriacus, or Cyriacus, Bishop of Jerusalem, that is, +the Judas of the poem. It has been usually thought that the Old English +poet used this Life as his source; but Gloede, in a recent volume of +_Anglia_ (IX. 271 ff.), has given reasons for thinking that the poet +used some other Latin text. He rejects ten Brink's conjecture that the +legend of Elene had come to England in a Greek form. As to the author of +the poem, we know his name, but very little else about him. He has left +us his name, imbedded in runic letters as an acrostic, in the last canto +of the poem, q.v. These letters spell the word CYNEWULF; but who was +Cynewulf? The question is hard to answer, and has given rise to much +discussion, which cannot be gone into here. A good summary of it will be +found in Wuelker's _Grundriss zur Geschichte der Angelsaechsischen +Litteratur_ (p. 147 ff., 1885), an indispensable work for students of +Old English literature. The old view, propounded in the infancy of +Anglo-Saxon studies, and held by Kemble, Thorpe, and, doubtfully, +Wright, that he was the Abbot of Peterborough and Bishop of Winchester +(992-1008), has been abandoned by all scholars, so far as I know, except +Professor Earle of Oxford (see his "Anglo-Saxon Literature," p. 228). +The later view of Leo, Dietrich, Grein and Rieger, our chief +authorities, that he was a Northumbrian, and of Dietrich and Grein, that +he was Bishop of Lindisfarne (737-780), has more to be said for it. +Sweet and ten Brink also hold that he was a Northumbrian of the eighth +century, but not the Bishop of Lindisfarne, while Wuelker regards him as +a West-Saxon. Professor Henry Morley, in the current edition of his +"English Writers," has devoted a chapter (Vol. II. Chap. IX., 1888) to +Cynewulf, and virtually concludes that we know nothing about him except +that he was a poet and probably lived in the eighth century. We shall +not go far wrong in regarding him as a Northumbrian poet of the eighth +century, possibly the Bishop of Lindisfarne, even though his works +remain to us only in the West-Saxon dialect. As in the ELENE, so in the +CHRIST and the JULIANA, Cynewulf has left us his name, hence all agree +in ascribing to him these poems at least. To these some of the RIDDLES, +if not all, are usually added, but this is now contested. Other poems, +as the GUTHLAC, PHOENIX, CHRIST'S DESCENT INTO HELL, ANDREAS, DREAM OF +THE ROOD, and several other shorter poems, have been ascribed to him +with more or less probability, and very recently Sarrazin (in _Anglia_, +IX. 515 ff.) would credit him with the authorship of even the +BEOWULF(!). We might as well assign to him, as has been suggested, all +the poems in the two great manuscripts, the Exeter Book and the Vercelli +Book, and be done with it. It is desirable that his authorship of the +DREAM OF THE ROOD, which ten Brink and Sweet assign to him, but Wuelker +rejects, should be proved or disproved; for with this is connected the +question of his Northumbrian origin, and some lines from this poem have +been inscribed in the Northumbrian dialect on the Ruthwell Cross in +Dumfriesshire. + +However it may be, a poet named Cynewulf wrote the ELENE, and thereby +left us one of the finest Old English poems that time has preserved, on +a subject that was of great interest to Christian Europe. A collection +of "Legends of the Holy Rood" has been issued by the Early English Text +Society (ed. Morris, 1871), from the Anglo-Saxon period to Caxton's +translation of the _Legenda Aurea_; but they are arranged without +system, and no study has been made of the date and relation of the +several forms of the story. If Cynewulf made use of the Latin Life of +Cyriacus in the _Acta Sanctorum_, he expanded his source considerably +and showed great skill and originality in his treatment of the subject, +as may be seen by comparing the translation with the Latin text in +Zupitza's third edition of the ELENE (1888), or in Professor Kent's +forthcoming American edition, after Zupitza. The Old English text was +discovered by a German scholar, Dr. F. Blume, at Vercelli, Italy, in +1822, and the manuscript has since become well known as the Vercelli +Book (cf. Wuelker's _Grundriss_, p. 237 ff.). A reasonable conjecture as +to how this MS. reached Vercelli may be found in Professor Cook's +pamphlet, "Cardinal Guala and the Vercelli Book." A Bibliography of the +ELENE will be found in Wuelker, Zupitza, and Kent. English translations +have been made by Kemble, in his edition of the Codex Vercellensis +(1856), and very recently by Dr. R.F. Weymouth, Acton, England, after +Zupitza's text (privately printed, 1888). A German translation will be +found in Grein's _Dichtungen der Angelsachsen_ (II. 104 ff., 1859), and +of lines 1-275 in Koerner's _Einleitung in das Studium des +Angelsaechsischen_ (p. 147 ff., 1880). A good summary of the poem is +given in Earle's "Anglo-Saxon Literature" (p. 234 ff., 1884), and a +briefer one in Morley's "English Writers" (II. 196 ff.). + +The ELENE is conceded to be Cynewulf's best poem, and ten Brink remarks +of the ANDREAS and the ELENE: "In these Cynewulf appears, perhaps, at +the summit of his art" (p. 58, Kennedy's translation). The last canto is +a personal epilogue, of a sad and reflective character, evidently +appended after the poem proper was concluded. This may be the last work +of the poet, and there is good reason for ten Brink's view (p. 59) that +"not until the writing of the ELENE had Cynewulf entirely fulfilled the +task he had set himself in consequence of his vision of the cross. Hence +he recalls, at the close of the poem, the greatest moment of his life, +and praises the divine grace that gave him deeper knowledge, and +revealed to him the art of song." + +II. The JUDITH is a fragment, but a very torso of Hercules. The first +nine cantos, nearly three-fourths of the poem, are irretrievably lost, +so that we have left but the last three cantos with a few lines of the +ninth. The story is from the apocryphal book of Judith, and the part +remaining corresponds to chapters XII. 10 to XVI. 1, but the poet has +failed to translate the grand thanksgiving of Judith in the sixteenth +chapter. The story of Judith and Holofernes is too well known to need +narration. The poet, doubtless, followed the Latin Vulgate, as we have +no reason to think that a knowledge of Greek was a common possession +among Old English poets; but, as Professor Cook says, "the order of +events is not that of the original narrative. Many transpositions have +been made in the interest of condensation and for the purpose of +enhancing the dramatic liveliness of the story." + +The Old English text is found in the same manuscript with the BEOWULF +(Cotton, Vitellius, A, xv.), and, to my mind, this poem reminds the +reader more of the vigor and fire of BEOWULF than does any other Old +English poem; but its author is unknown. It has been assigned by some +scholars to the tenth century, which is rather late for it; but +Professor Cook has given reasons for thinking that it may have been +written in the second half of the ninth century in honor of Judith, the +step-mother of King Alfred. It was first printed as prose by Thwaites at +the close of his "Heptateuch, Book of Job, and Gospel of Nicodemus" +(1698), and has been often reprinted, its shortness and excellence +making it a popular piece for inclusion in Anglo-Saxon Readers. A most +complete edition has been recently (1888) issued by Professor Albert S. +Cook, with an excellent introduction, a translation, and a glossary. A +Bibliography is given by Professor Cook (pp. 71-73), and by Wuelker +(_Grundriss_, p. 140 ff.). To the translations therein enumerated may be +added the one in Morley's "English Writers" (II. 180 ff.). Professor +Cook has also given (pp. lxix-lxxii) the testimonies of scholars to the +worth of this poem. To these the attention of the reader is especially +called. The JUDITH has been treated by both ten Brink and Wuelker as +belonging to the Caedmon circle, but the former well says (p. 47): "This +fragment produces an impression more like that of the national epos than +is the case with any other religious poetry of that epoch;" and Sweet +(Reader, p. 157) regards it as belonging "to the culminating point of +the Old Northumbrian literature, combining as it does the highest +dramatic and constructive power with the utmost brilliance of language +and metre." + +III. The ATHELSTAN, or Fight at Brunanburh, is found in four manuscripts +of the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" and in Wheloc's edition (1643), printed +from a MS. that was burnt in the unfortunate fire among the Cottonian +manuscripts (1731). It is entered under the year 937 in all but one MS., +where it occurs under 938. The poem gives a brief, but graphic, +description of the fight between King Athelstan and his brother Edmund +on the one side, and Constantine and his Scots aided by Anlaf and his +Danes, or Northmen, on the other, in which fight the Saxons were +completely victorious. The poem will be found in all editions of the +"Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" from Wheloc to Earle (1865), and has been +repeatedly reprinted, its brevity causing it to be often included as a +specimen of Old English, but it is omitted in Sweet's Reader. A +Bibliography will be found in Wuelker's _Grundriss_ (p. 339 ff.). To the +English translations there mentioned,--which include a poetical one by +Lord Tennyson, after a prose translation by his son in the Contemporary +Review for November, 1876,--may be added the prose translation by +Kennedy in ten Brink (p. 91) and the rhythmical one by Professor Morley +in his "English Writers" (II. 316-17). ten Brink thinks that the poem +was not written by an eye-witness, and says (p. 92): "The poem lacks the +epic perception and direct power of the folk-song as well as invention. +The patriotic enthusiasm, however, upon which it is borne, the lyrical +strain which pervades it, yield their true effect. The rich resources +derived from the national epos are here happily utilised, and the pure +versification and brilliant style of the whole stir our admiration." It +well serves to diversify and enliven the usually dry annals of the +"Anglo-Saxon Chronicle," and cannot be spared in the great dearth of +poetry of this period. + +IV. The BYRHTNOTH, or Fight at Maldon, relates in vigorous verse the +contest between the Saxons, led by the Ealdorman Byrhtnoth, and the +Danes at the river Panta, near Maldon in Essex, in which the Danes were +victorious and Byrhtnoth was slain. The incident is mentioned in four +manuscripts of the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" under the year 991, but one +gives it under 993. The MS. in which the poem was contained was +unfortunately burnt in the great fire above-mentioned (1731); but Thomas +Hearne, the antiquary, had fortunately printed it, as prose, in his +edition, of the Chronicle of John of Glastonbury (1726); hence this is +now our sole authority for the text, which is defective at both the +beginning and the end. The poem has been highly esteemed by scholars, +and is a very valuable relic of late tenth century literature. It has +been often reprinted, and translated several times in whole or in part. +Grein does not translate either the ATHELSTAN or the BYRHTNOTH. Koerner +translates it in full, and so does Zernial in his Program "Das Lied von +Byrhtnoth's Fall" (1882). This monograph contains the fullest study of +the poem that has been made. It is translated into English, with some +omissions, by Kennedy in ten Brink (pp. 93-96); it is barely mentioned +by Earle (p. 147), and a summary of it is given by Morley in "English +Writers" (II. 319-320). A Bibliography will be found in Wuelker's +_Grundriss_ (pp. 344-5). An edition of both ATHELSTAN and BYRHTNOTH has +been long announced in the "Library of Anglo-Saxon Poetry," but it has +not yet appeared.[1] Sweet says of the BYRHTNOTH (Reader, p. 138): +"Although the poem does not show the high technical finish of the older +works, it is full of dramatic power and warm feeling"; and ten Brink, +with more enthusiasm, calls it (p. 96) "one of the pearls of Old English +poetry, full, as it is, of dramatic life, and fidelity of an +eye-witness. Its deep feeling throbs in the clear and powerful +portrayal." He recognizes, however, "the tokens of metrical decline, of +the dissolution of ancient art-forms." + + [1] Crow's "Maldon and Brunnanburh," 1897. + +V. The DREAM OF THE ROOD is found in the Vercelli manuscript. Wuelker's +_Grundriss_ gives the literature of the subject to the time of its +publication (1885). Soon afterwards Morley's "English Writers," Vol. +II., appeared (1888), in which an English translation is given (pp. +237-241); also Stopford Brooke, in his "History of Early English +Literature" (1892), has given an account of the poem, with partial +translation and epitome (pp. 436-443). (See also p. 337 and pp. 384-386 +for further notice.) The poem is very briefly mentioned by Trautmann in +his monograph on Cynewulf (1898, p. 40). There are some very interesting +questions connected with the poem which cannot be discussed here. Was it +by Cynewulf? On the affirmative side we find Dietrich, Rieger, Grein, +ten Brink, D'Ham, and Sweet. On the negative, Wuelker, Ebert, Trautmann, +Stephens, Morley, Brooke, and others. Pacius, who edited the text, with +a German translation, in 1873, thinks that we know nothing about the +poet. Brooke has propounded a theory, previously adumbrated by the +editors of the _Corpus Poeticum Boreale_, Vigfusson and Powell, that an +older poem, possibly of Caedmonian origin, as shown by the long +six-accent lines, has been worked over by Cynewulf, with additions, and +that it is "his last work" (p. 440). Certain lines of the poem, in the +Northumbrian dialect, are found on the Ruthwell Cross, which fact +complicates the question of origin. These are compared by Brooke (p. +337). The other upholders of the Cynewulfian authorship think that this +Dream, occurring in the early part of Cynewulf's religious life, led to +the longer and more highly finished poem, the ELENE, written near the +close of his life. The questions of the relationship of the poem to the +Ruthwell Cross and to the ELENE deserve further discussion. With these +is connected the question of date, and the poem has been placed all the +way from 700 to 800 A.D., even a little before and a little after, +possibly 675 to 825 A.D., so as yet there is no common agreement. The +similarity of thought in the personal epilogue (II. 122 ff.) to the +epilogue of the ELENE (II. 1237 ff.) is striking, and they may be +compared by the curious reader. The translation is made from the +Grein-Wuelker text (Vol. II., pp. 116-125), with emendations from others, +as seen in the notes. All can agree with Kemble (_Codex Vercellensis_, +Part II., p. ix) that "it is in some respects the most striking of all +the Anglo-Saxon remains, inasmuch as a departure from the mere +conventional style of such compositions is very perceptible in it. It +contains some passages of real poetical beauty, and a good deal of +fancy." Brooke says (op. cit., p. 443): "This is the last of the +important poems of the eighth century. It is good, but not very good. +The older part, if my conjecture be right, is the best, and its +reworking by Cynewulf has so broken it up that its dignity is much +damaged. The shaping is rude, but the imagination has indeed shaped +it." ten Brink says (p. 53): "Cynewulf himself has immortalized this +vision in a poem, giving utterance to an irrepressible emotion, but +still exhibiting the delicate lines of a beautifully designed +composition." The other Germans are usually so taken up with technical +and mechanical questions that they leave no room for aesthetic +considerations. Whether Cynewulf wrote the poem or not,--and the +probabilities favor his authorship, though we may not hesitate to say +with Morley, "I don't know,"--it is certainly the work of a gifted +Christian poet, who reverences the cross as the means of the redemption +of mankind. + +This brief Introduction will, it is hoped, be sufficient to interest the +reader in the accompanying translations of some of the finest pieces of +Old English poetry that remain to us from the eighth, ninth, and tenth +centuries. The earlier period was the golden age of Old English poetry +in the Northumbrian dialect, which poetry, there is good reason to +think, was copied into the West-Saxon dialect, and it now remains to us +only in that form; for, when the Northmen harried Northumbria, destroyed +its monasteries, massacred its inhabitants, and settled in its homes, +manuscripts perished, and the light of learning in Western Europe was +extinguished. It is sufficient to recall King Alfred's oft-quoted +lament, in the Preface to his translation of Pope Gregory's "Pastoral +Care," to realize the position held by Northumbria in respect to +culture, and when learning was restored in Wessex by the efforts of the +king himself, and poetry again revived, it shone but by a reflected +light. Still we should treasure all that remains, and the Old English +language should be at least as well known as Latin is now, and should +occupy as prominent a position in education and general culture. Until +that millennial period arrives, translations of Old English poems may +not be without service. + + +ABBREVIATIONS IN NOTES. + + +B. = Bouterwek; +C. = Cook; +Gm. = Grimm; +Gn. = Grein; +K. = Kemble; +Kl. = Kluge; +Kr. = Koerner; +S. = Sievers; +Sw. = Sweet; +Th. = Thorpe; +W. = Wuelker; +Z. = Zupitza; +Zl. = Zernial. + + + + +CYNEWULF'S ELENE. + + +I. + +When had elapsed in course of years +Two hundred and three, reckoned by number, +And thirty also, in measure of time, +Of winters for th' world, since mighty God +Became incarnate, of kings the Glory, 5 +Upon mid-earth in human form, +Light of the righteous; then sixth was the year +Of Constantine's imperial sway, +Since he o'er the realm of the Roman people, +The battle-prince, as ruler was raised. 10 +The ward of his folk, skilful with shield, +Was gracious to earls. Strong grew the aetheling's[1] +Might 'neath the heavens. He was true king, +War-keeper of men. God him strengthened +With honor and might, that to many became he 15 +Throughout this earth to men a joy, +To nations a vengeance, when weapon he raised +Against his foes. Him battle was offered, +Tumult of war. A host was assembled, +Folk of the Huns and fame-loving Goths; 20 +War-brave they went, the Franks and the Hugs.[2] +Bold were the men [in battle-byrnies, Gn.], +Ready for war. Bright shone the spears, +The ringed corselets. With shouts and shields +They hoisted the standards. The heroes were there 25 +Plainly assembled, and [host, Gn.] all together. +The multitude marched. A war-song howled +The wolf in the wood, war-secret concealed not; +The dew-feathered eagle uplifted his song +On the trail of his foes. Hastened quickly 30 +O'er cities of giants[3] the greatest of war-hosts +In bands to battle, such as king of the Huns +Of dwellers-around anywhere might, +Of city-warriors, assemble to war. +Went greatest of armies,--the footmen were strengthened 35 +With chosen bands,--till in foreign land +The fighters-with-darts upon the Danube's +Bank were encamping, the brave in heart, +'Round the welling of waters, with tumult of host. +The realm of the Romans they wished to oppress, 40 +With armies destroy. There was Huns' coming +Known to the people. Then bade the Caesar +Against the foes his comrades in war +'Neath arrow-flight in greatest haste +Gather for fight, form battle-array 45 +The heroes 'neath heavens. The Romans were, +Men famed for victory, quickly prepared +With weapons for war, though lesser army +Had they for the battle than king of the Huns.[4] +They rode 'round the valiant: then rattled the shield, 50 +The war-wood clanged: the king with host marched, +With army to battle. Aloft sang the raven, +Dark and corpse-greedy. The band was in motion. +The horn-bearers blew,[5] the heralds called, +Steed stamped the earth. The host assembled 55 +Quickly for contest. The king was affrighted, +With terror disturbed, after the strangers, +The Huns' and Hreths' host they[6] observed, +That it[7] on the Romans' kingdom's border +'Round the bank of the river a band assembled, 60 +A countless crowd. Heart-sorrow bore +The Romans' ruler, of realm he hoped not +For want of force; had warriors too few, +Trusty comrades, 'gainst th' overmight +Of the brave for battle. The army encamped, 65 +The earls 'round the aetheling nigh to the river +In neighboring plain a night-long time, +After force of their foes they first beheld. +Then in his sleep was shown to him, +To the Caesar himself where he slept 'mid his men, 70 +By the victory-famed seen, a vision of dream. +Effulgent it seemed him, in form of a man, +White and hue-bright, some one of heroes +More splendid appeared than ere or since +He saw 'neath the heavens. From sleep he awaked 75 +With boar-sign bedecked. The messenger quickly, +Bright herald of glory, to him made address +And called him by name (the night-veil vanished): +"To thee, Constantine, bade King of the angels, +Wielder of fates, his favor grant, 80 +The Lord of Hosts. Fear not for thyself, +Though thee the strangers threaten with terror, +With battle severe. Look thou to heaven, +To the Lord of glory: there help wilt thou find, +A token of victory." Soon was he ready 85 +At hest of the holy, his heart-lock unloosed, +Upwards he looked as the messenger bade him, +Trusty peace-weaver. He saw bright with gems +Fair rood of glory o'er roof of the clouds +Adorned with gold: the jewels shone, 90 +The glittering tree with letters was written +Of brightness and light: "With this beacon thou +On the dangerous journey[8] wilt the foe overcome, +The loathly host let." The light then departed, +Ascended on high, and the messenger too, 95 +To the realm of the pure. The king was the blither +And freer from sorrow, chieftain of men, +In thoughts of his soul, for that fair sight. + + [1] Prince's. + + [2] MS. '_Huns_,' but Z. reads '_Hugs_.' Cf. W. + + [3] 'O'er land of Burgundians,' Gn. + + [4] Z. has no point, W. puts (;), Gn. (.) + + [5] 'Hurried,' Z.^3 + + [6] 'He,' W. + + [7] 'Which,' Z. + + [8] 'In the terrible danger,' Gn. + + +II. + +Bade then a likeness[1] defender of aethelings, +Ring-giver of heroes, to that beacon he saw, 100 +Leader of armies, that in heaven before +To him had appeared, with greatest haste +[Bade] Constantine [like] the rood of Christ, +The glorious king, a token make. +He bade then at dawn with break of day 105 +His warriors rouse and onset of battle, +The standard raise, and that holy tree +Before him carry, 'mid host of foes +God's beacon bear. The trumpets sang +Aloud 'fore the hosts. The raven rejoiced,[2] 110 +The dew-feathered eagle beheld the march, +Fight of the fierce cries, the wolf raised his howl, +The wood's frequenter. War-terror arose. +There was shattering of shields and mingling of men, +Heavy handstroke and felling of foes, 115 +After in arrow-flight first they had met. +On the fated folk showers of darts, +Spears over shields into hosts of foes, +Sword-fierce foemen battle-adders +With force of fingers forwards impelled. 120 +The strong-hearted stepped, pressed onwards at once, +Broke the shield-covers, thrust in their swords, +Battle-brave hastened. Then standard was raised, +Sign 'fore the host, song of victory sung. +The golden helmet, the spear-points glistened 125 +On field of battle. The heathen perished, +Peaceless they fell. Forthwith they fled, +The folk of the Huns, when that holy tree +The king of the Romans bade raise on high, +Fierce in the fight. The warriors became 130 +Widely dispersed. Some war took away; +Some with labor their lives preserved +Upon that march; some half-alive +Fled to the fastness and life protected +Behind the stone-cliffs, held their abode 135 +Around the Danube; some drowning took off +In the stream of the river at the end of their life. +Then was of the proud ones the force in joy; +They followed the foreigners forth until even +From break of day. The ash-darts flew, 140 +Battle-adders. The heap was destroyed,[3] +Shield-band of foes. Very few came +Of the host of the Huns home again thence. +Then it was plain that victory gave +To Constantine the King Almighty 145 +In the work of that day, glorious honor, +Might 'neath the heavens, through the tree of his rood. +Went helmet of hosts home again thence, +In booty rejoicing (the battle was ended), +Honored in war. Came warriors' defence 150 +With band of his thanes to deck the strong shield,[4] +War-renowned king, to visit his cities. +Bade warriors' ward the wisest men +Swiftly to synod, who wisdom's craft +Through writings of old had learnt to know, 155 +Held in their hearts counsels of heroes. +Then that gan inquire chief of the folk, +Victory-famed king, throughout the wide crowd, +If any there were, elder or younger, +Who him in truth was able to tell, 160 +Make known by speech, what the god were, +The giver of glory,[5] "whose beacon this was, +That seemed me so sheen, and saved my people, +Brightest of beacons, and gave to me glory, +War-speed against foes, through that beautiful tree." 165 +They him any answer at all were unable +To give in reply, nor could they full well +Clearly declare of that victory-sign. +Then did the wisest speak out in words +Before the armed host, that Heaven-king's 170 +Token it was, and of that was no doubt. +When they that heard who in baptism's lore +Instructed had been, light was their mind, +Rejoicing their soul, though of them there were few, +That they 'fore the Caesar might dare to proclaim 175 +The gift of the gospel, how the spirits' Defence, +In form of the Trinity worshipped in glory, +Incarnate became, Brightness of kings,-- +And how on the cross was God's own Son +Hanged 'fore the hosts with hardest pains; 180 +The Son men saved from the bonds of devils, +Sorrowful spirits, and a gift to them gave +Through that same sign that appeared to him +Before his own eyes the token of victory +'Gainst onset of nations; and how the third day 185 +From out of the tomb the Glory of heroes, +From death, arose, the Lord of all +The race of mankind, and to Heaven ascended. +So with cunning of mind in secrets of soul +They said to the victor as they by Sylvester[6] 190 +Instructed had been. From him the folk-chief +Baptism received, and continued to hold it +For the time of his days at the will of the Lord. + + [1] Lit. 'in like manner,' adv. + + [2] Add 'at the work.' + + [3] 'Diminished,' Gn. + + [4] i.e., with precious stones. Kr. reads '(rattled strong + shields).' + + [5] 'Gold,' Kr. 'Lord of the house,' Gn. Cf. W. + + [6] The Bishop of Rome. + + +III. + +Then was in bliss the giver of treasure, +The battle-brave king. To him was new joy 195 +Inspired in his soul; greatest of comforts +And highest of hopes was heaven's Defence. +Then gan he God's law by day and by night +Through gift of the Spirit with zeal proclaim, +And truly himself devoted he eagerly, 200 +Gold-friend of men, to the service of God, +Spear-famed, unfaltering. Then found the aetheling, +Defence of his folk, through learned men,[1] +War-brave, spear-bold, in books of God, +Where had been hanged with shouts of the host 205 +On tree of the rood the Ruler of heaven +Through envy and hate, just as the old fiend +Misled with his lies, the people deceived, +The race of the Jews, so that God himself +They hanged, Lord of hosts: hence in misery shall they 210 +For ever and ever punishment suffer. +Then praise of Christ by the Caesar was +In the thoughts of his mind[2] always remembered +For that great tree, and his mother he bade +Go on a journey with a band of men 215 +To [land of] the Jews, earnestly seek +With host of warriors where that tree of glory +Holy 'neath earth hidden might be, +The noble King's rood. Helena would not +On that expedition be slow to start, 220 +Nor that joy-giver's command neglect, +Her own [dear] son's, but soon she[3] was ready +For the wished-for journey, as the helmet of men, +Of mail-clad warriors, her had commanded. +Gan then with speed the crowd of earls 225 +Hasten to ship.[4] The steeds of the sea +'Round the shore of the ocean ready were standing, +Cabled sea-horses, at rest on the water. +Then plainly was known the voyage of the lady, +When the welling of waves she sought with her folk. 230 +There many a proud one at Wendel-sea +Stood on the shore. They severally hastened +Over the mark-paths, band after band, +And then they loaded with battle-sarks, +With shields and spears, with mail-clad warriors, 235 +With men and women, the steeds of the sea. +Then they let o'er the billows the foamy ones go, +The high wave-rushers. The hull oft received +O'er the mingling of waters the blows of the waves. +The sea resounded. Not since nor ere heard I 240 +On water-stream a lady lead, +On ocean-street, a fairer force. +There might he see, who that voyage beheld, +Burst o'er the bath-way the sea-wood, hasten +'Neath swelling sails, the sea-horse play, 245 +The wave-floater sail. The warriors were blithe, +Courageous in mind; queen joyed in her journey. +After to haven the ringed-prowed +O'er the sea-fastness had finished their course +To the land of the Greeks, they let the keels 250 +At the shore of the sea beat by the breakers, +The old sea-dwellings at anchor fast, +On the water await the fate of the heroes, +When the warlike queen with her band of men +Over the east-ways should seek them again. 255 +There was on [each] earl easily seen +The braided byrnie and tested sword, +Glittering war-weeds, many a helmet, +Beautiful boar-sign. The spear-warriors were, +Men 'round victor-queen, prepared for the march, 260 +Brave war-heroes. They marched with joy +Into land of the Greeks, the Caesar's heralds, +Battle-warriors with armor protected. +There was to be seen treasure-gem set +'Mid that army-host, gift of their lord. 265 +[Then] was the blessed Helena mindful, +Bold in her thought, of the prince's will, +Eager in mind, in that she of the Jews, +O'er the army-fields with tested band +Of warriors-with-shields, the land was seeking, 270 +With host of men; so it after befell +In little while that that force of men, +War-famed heroes, to Hierusalem[5] +Came to the city the greatest of crowds, +Spear-famed earls, with the noble queen. 275 + + [1] Lit., 'smiths of lore.' + + [2] Z. supposes _lacuna_ of one verse; W. thinks it + unnecessary. + + [3] Lit., 'the woman.' + + [4] Lit., 'to the sea,' or 'sea-journey.' + + [5] A.-S. form retained for the sake of the accent and + alliteration. + + +IV. + +Bade she then order the dwellers-in-city +Most skilled in lore, those far and wide +Among the Jews, each one of men, +For council-talk in meeting to come, +Who most deeply the secrets of God 280 +By righteous law were able to tell. +Then was assembled from distant ways +No little crowd who Moses' law +Were able to tell. In number there were +Of thousands three of those [learned] men 285 +Chosen for lore. The lovely woman +The men of the Hebrews with words gan address: +"I that most surely have learnt to know +Through secret words of prophets [of old] +In the books of God, that in days of yore 290 +Ye worthy were of the glorious King, +Dear to the Lord and daring in deed. +Lo! ye that wisdom [very, Gn.] unwisely, +Wrongly, rejected, when him ye condemned +Who you from the curse through might of his glory, 295 +From torment of fire, thought to redeem, +From fetters' force. Ye filthily spat +On his fair face who light of the eyes +From blindness [restored], a remedy brought +To you anew by that noble spittle, 300 +And often preserved you from the unclean +Spirits of devils. This one to death +Ye gan adjudge, who self from death +Many awakened 'mong host of men +Of your own race to the former life. 305 +So blinded in mind ye gan conjoin +Lying with truth, light with darkness, +Hatred with mercy, with evil thoughts +Ye wickedness wove; therefore the curse +You guilty oppresses. The purest Might 310 +Ye gan condemn, and have lived in error, +In thoughts benighted, until this day. +Go ye now quickly, with prudence select +Men firm in wisdom, crafty in word, +Who your own law, with excellence skilled, 315 +In thoughts of their minds most thoroughly have, +Who to me truly are able to say, +Answer to tell for you henceforth +Of each one of tokens that I from thee seek." +They went then away sorry-in-mind, 320 +The law-clever earls, oppressed with fear, +Sad in their grief, earnestly sought +The wisest men in secrets of words, +That they to the queen might answer well +Both of good and of ill, as she from them sought. 325 +Then they 'mong the host a thousand of men +Found clever in mind who the old story +Among the Jews most readily knew. +Then they pressed in a crowd where in pomp awaited +On kingly throne the Caesar's mother,[1] 330 +Stately war-queen with gold adorned. +Helena spake and said 'fore the earls: +"Hear, clever in mind, the holy secret, +Word and wisdom. Lo! ye the prophets' +Teaching received, how the Life-giver 335 +In form of a child incarnate became, +Ruler of might. Of him Moses sang +And spake this [word],[2] warden of Israel: +'To you shall be born a child in secret +Renowned in might, though his mother shall not 340 +Be filled with fruit through love of a man.' +Of him David the king a kingly psalm sang, +The wise old sage, father of Solomon, +And spake this word, prince of warriors: +'The God of creation before me I saw, 345 +Lord of victories. He was in my sight, +Ruler of hosts, upon my right hand, +Guardian of glory. Thence turn I not +Ever in life my countenance from him.'[3] +So it again of you Isaiah 350 +'Fore the people, the prophet, foretold in words, +Thinking profoundly by spirit of the Lord: +'I raised upon high sons young in years, +And children begat, to whom glory I gave, +Heart-comfort holy: but they me rejected, 355 +With enmity hated, forethought possessed not, +Wisdom of mind, and the wretched cattle, +That on each day one drives and strikes, +Their well-doer know, not at all with revenge +Bear hate to their friends who give them fodder. 360 +And the folk of Israel never were willing +Me to acknowledge, though many for them, +In worldly course, of wonders I wrought.'[4] + + [1] Lit., 'kinswoman.' The Elizabethan 'Kesar' would preserve + the alliteration in this line. + + [2] Gn. and Z. W. omits. + + [3] Psalms xvi. 8, 9. + + [4] Isaiah i. 2, 3. + + +V. + +"Lo! that we heard through holy books, +That the Lord to you gave blameless glory, 365 +The Maker, mights' Speed, to Moses said +How the King of heaven ye should obey, +His teaching perform. Of that ye soon wearied, +And counter to right ye had contended; +Ye shunned the bright Creator of all, 370 +The Lord [of Lords],[1] and followed error +'Gainst right of God. Now quickly go +And find ye still who writings of old +Through craft of wit the best may know, +Your books of law, that answer to me 375 +Through prudent mind they may return." +Went then with a crowd depressed in mind +The proud in heart, as them the queen bade. +Found they five hundred of cunning men, +Chosen comrades, who craft of lore 380 +Through memory of mind the most possessed, +Wisdom in spirit. They back to the hall +In little while again were summoned, +Wards of the city. The queen them gan +With words address (she glanced over all): 385 +"Often ye silly actions performed, +Accursed wretches, and writings despised, +Lore of your fathers, ne'er more than now, +When ye of your blindness the Healer rejected, +And ye contended 'gainst truth and right, 390 +That in Bethlehem the child of the Ruler, +The only-born King, incarnate was, +The Prince of princes. Though the law ye knew, +Words of the prophets, ye were not then willing, +Workers of sin, the truth to confess." 395 +With one mind then they answered her: +"Lo! we the Hebrew law have learned, +That in days of old our fathers knew, +At the ark of God, nor know we well +Why thou so fiercely, lady, with us 400 +Hast angry become. We know not the wrong +That we have done amid this nation, +Chiefest of crimes[2] against thee ever." +Helena said and 'fore the earls spake +Without concealment; the lady proclaimed 405 +Aloud 'fore the hosts: "Now go ye quickly, +Seek out apart who wisdom with you +Might and mindcraft the most may have, +That each of the things they boldly may tell me, +Without delay, that I from them seek." 410 +Went they then from the council as the mighty queen, +Bold in the palace, them had commanded, +Sorry-in-mind eagerly searched they, +With cunning sought, what were the sin +That they in the folk might have committed 415 +Against the Caesar, for which the queen blames them. +Then there 'fore the earls one them addressed, +Cunning in songs (his name was Judas), +Crafty in word: "I surely know, +That she will seek of the victor-tree 420 +On which once suffered the Ruler of nations +Free from all faults, own Son of God, +Whom though guiltless[3] of every sin +Through hatred hanged upon the high tree +In days of old our own fathers. 425 +That was terrible thought. There is now great need +That we with firmness strengthen our minds, +That we of this murder become not informers, +Where the holy tree was hidden away +After the war-storm, lest may be rejected 430 +The wise old writings and of our fathers +The lore be lost. Not long will it be[4] +That of Israelites the noble race +Over the mid-earth may reign any more, +The law-craft of earls, if this be revealed: 435 +That same long ago mine elder father +Victory-famed said (his name was Zacchaeus), +The wise old man, to mine own father, +[Who afterwards made it known to his, Gn.][5] son, +(He went from this world), and spake this word: 440 +'If to thee that happen in the days of thy life, +That thou may'st hear of that holy tree +Wise men inquire and questionings raise +Of that victor-wood on which the true King +Was hanged on high, Guardian of heaven, 445 +Child of all peace, then quickly declare it, +Mine own dear son, ere death thee remove. +Ne'er may after that the folk of the Hebrews, +The wise in counsel, their kingdom hold, +Rule over men, but _their_ fame shall live 450 +And their dominion [be glorified ever, Gn.],[5] +To world of worlds with joy be filled, +Who the King that was hanged honor and praise.' + + [1] Gn., Z., W. + + [2] So W. 'Wrongs have committed,' Gm., Gn. and Z. [?] + + [3] W. + + [4] Add 'after that.' + + [5] _Lacuna_ in MS., emended by Gn. + + +VI. + +"Then quickly I to mine own father, +The old law-sage, answer returned: 455 +'How might that happen on kingdom of earth +That they on the holy their hands should lay +For reaving of life, our own fathers, +Through hostile mind, if they ere knew +That he were Christ, the King in heaven, 460 +True son of Creator, Saviour of souls.' +Then to me mine elder answer returned, +Wise in his mind my father replied: +'Perceive, young man, the might of God, +The name of the Saviour. That is to each man 465 +Unutterable. Him may no one +Upon this earth [ever] find out. +Never that plan that this people framed +Was I willing to follow, but I always myself +Held aloof from their crimes, by no means wrought shame 470 +To mine own spirit. To them earnestly often +On account of their wrong I made opposition, +When the learned-in-lore counsel were taking, +Were seeking in soul how the Son of their Maker, +Men's Helm,[1] they might hang, the Lord of all, 475 +Both angels and men, noblest of children. +They might not so foolish death fasten on him, +Miserable men, as they ere weened, +Afflict with pains, though he for a time +Upon the cross his spirit gave up, 480 +Victor-child of God. Then afterwards was +Raised from the rood the Ruler of heavens, +Glory of all glories, three nights after +Within the tomb was he abiding +Under the darkness, and then on third day, 485 +Light of all light, he living arose, +Prince of angels, and he to his thanes, +True Lord of victories, himself revealed, +Bright in his fame. Then did thy brother +In time receive the bath of baptism, 490 +Enlightening belief. For love of the Lord +Was Stephen then with stones assailed, +Nor ill gave for ill, but for foes of old +Patient implored, prayed King of glory +That he the woe-deed would not lay to their charge, 495 +In that through hate the innocent One, +Guiltless of sins, by the teachings of Saul +They robbed of life, as he through enmity +To misery many of the folk of Christ +Condemned, to death. Yet later the Lord 500 +Mercy him showed, that to many became he +Of people for comfort, when the God of creation, +Saviour of men, had changed his name, +And afterwards he the holy Paul +Was called by name, and no one than he 505 +Of teachers of faith, [no] other, was better +'Neath roof of heaven afterwards ever +Of those man or woman brought into the world, +Although he Stephen with stones them bade +Slay on the mountain, thine own brother. 510 +Now may'st thou hear, mine own dear son, +How gracious is the Ruler of all, +Though we transgression 'gainst him oft commit, +The wound of sins, if we soon after +For those misdeeds repentance work 515 +And from unrighteousness afterwards cease. +Therefore I truly, and my dear father, +After believed [in the Giver of life, Gn.], +That he had suffered, God of all glories, +Leader of life, painful penalty 520 +For mighty need of the race of men. +Therefore I teach thee through secret of song, +My dearest child, that scornful words, +Hatred or blasphemy, never thou work, +Fierce contradiction 'gainst the Son of God. 525 +Then wilt thou merit that thee life eternal, +Best of rewards, shall be given in heaven.' +Thus mine own father in days of old +Me unwaxen with words did teach, +Instruct with true speech (his name was Simon), 530 +Man wise in words. Now well do ye know +What of that in your thought may seem to you best +Plainly to tell, if us this queen +Shall ask of that tree, now mine own mind +And thought of heart ye [well] do know." 535 +Him then in reply the cleverest of all +In the crowd of men with words addressed: +"Ne'er did we hear any of men +Among this folk save thee just now, +Another thane, declare in this manner 540 +Of so secret event. Do as [best] seems thee, +Thou wise in old lore, if thou be questioned +'Mong the host of men. Of wisdom has need, +Of wary words and sage's cunning, +Who shall to the noble one answer return 545 +Before such a host among the assembly." + + [1] i.e., 'defence, protector.' + + +VII. + +Words waxed in speech; men counsel took +On every side; some hither, some thither, +Considered and thought. Then came many thanes +To the people's assembly. The heralds called, 550 +The Caesar's criers: "This queen you invites, +Men, to the hall, that the council-decisions +Ye rightly may tell. Of rede have ye need +In the place of assembly, of wisdom of mind." +Ready they were, the sad-in-mind 555 +People's protectors, when they were summoned +Through stern command; to court they went +Craft's might to tell. Then gan the queen +The Hebrew men in words address, +Ask the life-weary of writings of old, 560 +How ere in the world the prophets sang, +Men holy in spirit, of the Son of God, +Where the Prince [of the people] his sufferings bore, +True son of Creator, for love of souls. +Stubborn they were, harder than stone, 565 +Would not that secret rightly make known +Nor answer to her any would tell, +Anger-provokers, of what she sought, +But they of each word made a denial, +Firm in their minds, of what she gan ask, 570 +Said that in life they any such thing +Nor ere nor since ever had heard of. +Helena spake and angrily said: +"I [now] in truth to you will say,-- +And of this in your life there shall be no deception,-- 575 +If ye in this falseness longer continue +With treacherous lying, who stand here before me, +That you on the mountain bale-fire shall take, +Hottest of war-waves, and your corpses consume, +The lambent flame, so for you shall that lie 580 +To leaving of life [surely] be turned. +Ye may not prove that word, which ye just now in wrong +Concealed 'neath heaps[1] of sins. Nor may ye hide that fate, +Obscure its deepest might." In thought of death they were +Of pyre and life's end, and delivered then one 585 +Well-skilled in songs (to him the name Judas +Was given 'fore kinsmen);--him they gave to the queen, +Said of him very wise: "He may truth to thee tell, +Fate's secrets reveal, as thou askest in words, +The law from beginning forth to the end. 590 +He is before earth of noble race, +Wise in word-craft and son of a prophet, +Bold in council. To him 'tis inborn +That he the answers clever may have, +Knowledge in heart. He to thee shall declare 595 +'Fore the crowd of men the gift of wisdom +Through mickle might, as thy mind desires." +In peace she permitted each one to seek +His own [dear] home, and him alone took, +Judas, as hostage, and earnestly prayed 600 +That he of the rood would rightly teach, +Which of old in its bed was long concealed, +And she himself apart to her called. +Helena spake to him alone, +Glory-rich queen: "For thee two are ready, 605 +Or life or death, as liefer shall be, +To thee to choose. Now quickly declare +To which of the two thou wilt agree." +Judas to her spake again (he might not the sorrow avoid, +Avert the ire of the empress.[2] In the power of the queen was he): 610 +"How may him befall who out on the waste, +Tired and foodless, treads the moorland, +Oppressed with hunger, and bread and stone +Both in his sight together[3] shall be, +The hard and the soft, that he take the stone 615 +For hunger's defence, care not for the bread, +Return to want and reject the food, +Renounce the better, if both he enjoys?" + + [1] Lit., 'under the lap (or bosom) of sins.' + + [2] MS. _rex_ (Latin?), Z.; 'oppression of care' (_cearces_), + Gn.; 'of hunger' (_ceaces_), Gm.; 'of smoke' (_reces_), + Schubert; _rex_ = _cyninges_, Sievers and W. + + [3] Z. + + +VIII. + +To him then the blessed answer returned, +Helena 'fore earls without concealment: 620 +"If thou in heaven willest to have +Dwelling with angels and life on earth, +Reward in the skies, tell me quickly +Where rests the rood of the King of heaven +Holy 'neath earth, which ye now long 625 +Through sin of murder from men have concealed." +Judas replied (his mind was sad, +Heat in his heart and woe for both, +Whether hope of heaven with [all] his soul +He should renounce, along with his present 630 +Kingdom 'neath skies, or show the rood): +"How may I that find that long ago happened +In course of winters? Now many are gone, +Two hundred or more, reckoned by number; +I may not recount, now the number I know not. 635 +Now many have since departed this life, +Of wise and good who were before us, +Of clever men. In youth was I +In later days afterwards born, +A child in years. I cannot what I know not 640 +Find in my heart that so long ago happened." +Helena spake to him in answer: +"How has it happened among this people, +That ye so much in mind retain, +Each one of all signs, just as the Trojans 645 +In fight effected? 'Twas greater terror,[1] +Well-known old war, than this noble event, +In course of years. Ye that can well +Quickly recount, how many there were +In number of men in that murderous fight 650 +Of throwers-with-darts fallen in death +Under the shield-hedge. Ye have the graves +Under the stone-slopes, and likewise the places +And the number of winters in writings set down." +Judas replied (great sorrow he bore): 655 +"That work of war, we, lady mine, +Through direful need remember well, +And that tumult of war in writing set down, +The bearing of nations, but this one never +By any man's mouth have we heard 660 +Made known to men except here now." +The noble queen gave answer to him: +"Thou resistest too much both truth and right +Of the tree of life, and now little before +Thou truly said'st of that victor-tree 665 +To thine own people, and now turn'st to a lie." +To her Judas said that he spake that in sorrow +And doubt extreme, worse evil expected. +Him quickly answered the Caesar's mother: +"Lo! that have we heard through holy books 670 +Made known to men that there was hanged +On Calvary the King's free child, +God's Spirit-son. Thou fully shalt +Wisdom reveal, as writings tell, +About the plain, where the place may be, 675 +That Calvary, ere misery take thee, +Death for thy sins, that I afterwards may +Purify it at the will of Christ, +For help to men, that holy God, +Almighty Lord, the thought of my heart 680 +My wish may fulfil, men's Giver of glory, +Helper of souls." Her Judas answered, +Stubborn in mind: "I know not the place +Nor aught of the plain, nor the thing do I know." +Helena spake with angry mind: 685 +"This do I swear through the Son of the Maker +The hanged God, that with hunger thou shalt +Before thy kinsmen be put to death, +Unless thou forsake these lying tales +And plainly to me the truth make known." 690 +Then bade she with band him lead alive, +The guilty one cast (the servants delayed not) +Into a dry pit, where robbed of joy, +He lingered in sorrows seven nights' time +Within the prison oppressed with hunger, 695 +Fastened with fetters, and then gan he call, +Weakened by pains, on the seventh day, +Tired and foodless (his strength was exhausted): +"I you beseech through heaven's God, +That me from these sufferings ye may release, 700 +Humbled by hunger. Of that holy tree +Shall I willingly tell, now longer I may not +For hunger conceal it. This bond is too strong, +Distress too severe, and this misery too hard +In number of days. I may not endure it, 705 +Nor longer conceal of the tree of life, +Though with folly before I was thoroughly filled, +And the truth too late I myself have perceived." + + [1] Or, 'war,' Gn.; 'further oft,' Gm. + + +IX. + +When she that heard, who men there ordered, +The man's behavior, she quickly commanded 710 +That him from confinement and out of his dungeon, +From the narrow abode, they should release. +They hastily that did soon perform +And him with honor then led they up +From out of the prison as them the queen bade. 715 +Stepped they then to the place, the firm-in-mind, +Upon the hill on which the Lord +Before was hanged, heaven-kingdom's Ward, +God's child, on the cross, and yet knew he not well, +Weakened by hunger, where the holy rood 720 +Through cunning of foe[1] enclosed in earth, 721-2 +Long firm in its bed concealed from men, +Remained in its grave. Now raised he his voice, +Unmindful[2] of might, and in Hebrew he spake: 725 +"Saviour Lord, thou hast power of rule, +And thou didst create through the might of thy glory +Heaven and earth and the boisterous sea, +The ocean's wide bosom, all creatures alike, +And thou didst measure with thine own hands 730 +All the globe of the earth and the heaven above, +And thou thyself sittest, Wielder of victories, +Above the noblest order of angels, +That fly through the air encircled with light, +Great might of glory. There mankind may not 735 +From the paths of earth ascend on high +In bodily form with that bright host, +Heralds of glory. These wroughtest thou, +And for thine own service them didst thou set, +Holy and heavenly. Of these in the choir 740 +In joy eternal six are named, +Who are surrounded with six wings apiece, +[With them are] adorned, [and] fair they shine. +Of these are four who ever in flight +The service of glory attend upon 745 +Before the face of the Judge eternal, +Continually sing in glory the praise, +With clearest voices, of the King of heaven, +Most beauteous of songs, and say these words +With voices pure (their name Cherubim): 750 +'Holy is the holy God of archangels, +Ruler of hosts. Full of his glory +Are heaven and earth and all the high powers +With glory distinguished,' There are two among these, +Victor-race in heaven, who Seraphim 755 +By name are called. They shall Paradise +And the tree of life with flaming sword +Holy maintain. The hard-edged trembles, +The etched brand wavers, and changes its form, +Firm in their grips. That,[3] O Lord God, 760 +Ever thou wieldest, and thou the sinful, +Guilt-working foes out of the heavens, +The foolish, didst cast. The accursed host then +Under dwellings of darkness was forced to fall +To perdition of hell. There now in the welling 765 +Endure they death-pain in the dragon's embrace, +Enclosed in darkness. [Thee] he resisted, +Thy princely rule; therefore in misery, +Full[4] of all foulness, he guilty shall suffer, +Slavery endure. There may he not 770 +Thy word reject: he is fast in torments, +The author of sin, in misery bound. +If thy will it be, Ruler of angels, +That he may reign who was on the rood, +And who through Mary upon the mid-earth 775 +Incarnate became in form of a child, +Prince of the angels (if he had not been +Thy Son free from sin, never so many +True wonders in world would he have wrought +In number of days. Thou wouldst not from death 780 +So gloriously him, Ruler of nations, +Have awaked 'fore the hosts, if he in glory +Through the bright [maid] were not thy Son),-- +Now, Father of angels, send forth thy sign. +As thou didst hear the holy man, 785 +Moses, in prayer, when thou, God of might, +Didst show to the earl at the noble time +Under the hill-slope the bones of Joseph, +So, Ruler of hosts, if it be thy will, +Through that bright form I'll pray to thee 790 +That to me the gold-hoard, Maker of spirits, +Thou wilt reveal, that has been from men +[So] long concealed. Let, Author of life, +Now from this plain a winsome smoke +'Neath heaven's expanse mount up on high 795 +Playing in the air. I'll the better believe, +And I'll the more firmly stablish my mind, +Undoubting trust, upon the hanged Christ, +That he be in truth the Saviour of souls, +Eternal, Almighty, Israel's King, 800 +Forever may have glory in heaven, +Rule without end the dwellings eternal." + + [1] No _lacuna_ in MS. Gn.^1 inserted one line, but Gn.^2 one + word (_feonda_), which W. prefers. Text as Z. (_feondes_), + which Sievers approves. + + [2] 'Mindful,' Gm. and Gn.; 'suffering,' Z. [?]. + + [3] Referring to the sword. + + [4] Gn., or 'foul,' Z. + + +X. + +Then out of that place a vapor arose +Like smoke 'neath the heavens. There was rejoiced +The mind of the man. With both his hands, 805 +Happy and law-clever, upward he clapped. +Judas exclaimed, clever in thought: +"Now I in truth myself have known +In my hardened heart that thou art the Saviour +Of [this] mid-earth. To thee, God of might, 810 +Sitting in glory, be thanks without end, +That to me so sad and so full of sin +Thou revealed'st in glory the secrets of fate. +Now, Son of God, to thee will I pray, +Will-giver of peoples, now I know that thou art 815 +Declared and born of all kings the Glory, +That thou no longer be of my sins, +Those which I committed by no means seldom, +O Maker, mindful. Let me, God of might, +Amid the number of thine own kingdom 820 +With the army of saints my dwelling have +In that bright city, where is my brother +Honored in glory, for that faith with thee +He, Stephen, kept, though with handfuls of stones +He was pelted to death. War's meed he has, 825 +Fame without end. There are in books +The wonders he wrought, in writings, made known." +Then gan he glad for the tree of glory, +Constant in zeal, delve in the earth +Beneath the turf, so that at twenty 830 +Feet by measure he found far concealed, +Down in the depths hidden in the earth +'Neath cover of darkness,--there found he three +Of roods together within the sad house +Buried in sand, as in days of old 835 +The host of the wicked covered with earth, +The folk of the Jews. 'Gainst the child of God +Hatred they raised, although they should not, +If the lore they'd not heard of the father of lies. +Then was his mind greatly rejoiced, 840 +His heart was strengthened by that holy tree, +His spirit inspired, when the beacon he saw +Holy 'neath earth. With his hands he clasped +The cross[1] of glory, and it raised 'mid the crowd +From its grave in the earth. The guests on foot, 845 +The aethelings, went on into the city. +They set there in sight three victor-trees +The firm-minded earls 'fore Helena's feet,[2] +Courageous in heart. The queen rejoiced +In the depth of her soul, and then gan ask 850 +On which of those trees the Son of the Ruler, +Joy-giver of heroes, hanged had been. +"Lo! that we have heard through holy books +By tokens declared, that two with-him +[Also] suffered, and himself was the third 855 +On the tree of the rood. All heaven was dark +On that terrible day. Say, if thou canst, +On which of these three the Prince of the angels +Suffered [his doom], the Shepherd of glory." +Her Judas might not (he knew not full well) 860 +Plainly inform of the victor-wood, +On which one the Saviour uplifted had been, +Victor-son of God, ere he bade them set +Within the middle of that great city +The trees with clamor, and there await 865 +Till to him declared the Almighty King +The wonder 'fore the folk of that tree of glory. +The victor-famed sat, their song they raised, +The wise in rede, 'round the three roods +Until the ninth hour; new joy they had 870 +With wonder found. Then came there a crowd, +No little folk, and a man deceased +They brought on a bier with heap of men +In neighborhood [nigh] (ninth hour it was), +A lifeless youth. Then Judas was there 875 +In thought of his heart greatly rejoiced. +He bade then set the soul-less [youth], +Deprived of life the corpse on the earth, +The lifeless one, and up he raised, +Declarer of truth, two of the crosses, 880 +The wise, in his arms o'er that fated house, +Plunged deep in thought. It was dead as before, +Corpse fast on its bier: the limbs were cold, +Clad in distress. Then was the third +Holy upraised. The body awaited 885 +Until over it the AEtheling's [cross], +His rood, was upraised, Heaven-king's tree, +True token of victory. Soon he arose +Ready in spirit, both together +Body and soul. There praise was uplifted 890 +Fair 'mid the folk. The Father they honored, +And also the true Son of the Ruler +They praised in words. Be glory and thanks +To Him without end from all His creatures. + + [1] Lit., 'joy-wood.' + + [2] Lit., 'knee.' + + +XI. + +Then was to the people in the depth of their souls 895 +Impressed on their minds, as ever shall be, +The wonder that wrought the Lord of hosts +For saving of souls of the race of men, +The Teacher of life. There the sinner-through-lies +Then stied in the air, the flying fiend. 900 +Gan then exclaim the devil of hell, +The terrible monster, mindful of evils: +"Lo! what man is this, who now again +With ancient strife my service will ruin, +Increase the old hate, [and] plunder my goods? 905 +This contest's increasing. The souls cannot, +Workers of sin, longer within +My power remain, now a stranger is come, +Whom I ere reckoned fast in his sins, +Me has he robbed of every right, 910 +Of precious possessions. That's not a fair course. +To me many harms the Saviour has done, +Contests oppressive, he who in Nazareth +Was reared as a child. As soon as he grew +From childhood's years, he to him ever turned 915 +Mine own possessions. I may not now +In any right thrive. His kingdom is broad +Over the mid-earth. My might is lessened +Under the heavens. The rood I need not +Joyfully praise. Lo! me the Saviour 920 +In that narrow home again has confined +Sadly for sorrow. Through Judas before +Joyful I was, and now am I humbled, +Deprived of goods, through Judas again, +Despised and friendless. Still can I find 925 +Through evil deeds return hereafter[1] +From the homes of the damned. 'Gainst thee will I rouse +Another king[2] who will persecute thee, +And he will reject thine own instruction, +And sinful manners of mine will he follow, 930 +And thee will he send then into the blackest +And into the worst terrors of torments, +That with sorrow beset thou'lt firmly renounce +The hanged King whom ere thou obeyed'st." +To him then the cunning Judas replied, 935 +The battle-brave man (in him Holy Spirit +Was firmly implanted, fire-hot his love, +His wit was welling with warrior's craft), +And this word he spake with wisdom filled: +"Thou need not so strongly, mindful of sins, 940 +Sorrow renew, and strife uprear, +Sin-maker of murder, for thee mighty King +In the depths beneath will thrust thee down, +Worker of sin, to miseries' bottom +Deprived of glory, who many of the dead 945 +With his word awaked. Know thou the readier, +That thou with folly didst once renounce +Brightest of lights and love of the Lord, +The fairest joy, and in bath of fire, +Surrounded with torments, didst afterwards dwell, 950 +Consumed with flame, and there ever shalt, +Hostile in mind, punishment suffer, +Misery endless." Helena heard +How the fiend and the friend contests aroused, +The blest and the base, on both their sides, 955 +The sinner and the saint. Her mind was the gladder +For that she heard the hellish foe +[The fiend] overcome, the worker of sins, +And then she wondered at the wit of the man, +How he so truthful in so little time 960 +And so untaught ever became +With wisdom inspired. [Then] thanked she God, +The King of glory, that her wish was fulfilled +Through the Son of God of each of the two, +Both for the sight of the victor-tree, 965 +And of the faith that[3] so bright she perceived, +The glorious gift in the breast of the man. + + [1] So Z.; 'rebellion for this,' W. See W.'s note. + + [2] Julian the Apostate, suggests Gn. + + [3] 'That,' relative, though it may be taken as conjunction, + as Z. + + +XII. + +Then was made known among that folk, +Throughout that nation widely proclaimed, +The great morning-news for a grievance to many 970 +Of those who God's law wished to conceal, +Announced in the towns far as waters embrace, +In each of the cities, that the rood of Christ +Once buried in earth had been discovered, +Brightest of beacons, which since or before 975 +Holy 'neath heavens had been upheaved; +And it was to the Jews the greatest of sorrows, +Unhappy men, most hateful of fates, +That they 'fore the world were unable to change it, +The joy of the Christians. Then bade the queen 980 +'Mong the host of earls heralds to hasten, +Quickly to journey; they should of the Romans +O'er the high sea the lord seek out, +And to that warrior the best of tidings +Say, to himself, that the victor-sign 985 +Through Creator's favor had been recovered, +Found in the earth, which ages before +Had been concealed for sorrow to saints, +To Christian folk. Then was to the king +Through the glorious words his spirit gladdened, 990 +His heart rejoicing. Then was of inquirers +'Neath golden garments no lack in the cities +Come from afar. To him greatest of comforts +It became in the world at the wished-for tidings,-- +His heart delighted,--which army-leaders 995 +Over the east-ways, messengers, brought him, +How happy a journey over the swan-road +The men with the queen successfully made +To the land of the Greeks. The Caesar bade them +With greatest haste again prepare 1000 +Themselves for the way. The men delayed not +As soon as they had the answer heard, +The words of the aetheling. Bade he Helena hail, +The war-famed greet, if they the sea-voyage +And happy journey were able to make, 1005 +Brave-minded men, to the holy city. +Bade also to her the messengers say +Constantinus, that she a church +On the mountain-slope for gain of both +Should there erect, a temple of God, 1010 +On Calvary, for joy to Christ, +For help to men, where the holy rood +Had been discovered, greatest of trees, +Of those that earth-dwellers ever heard named +Upon the earth. So she effected, 1015 +After dear kinsmen brought from the west +Over the ocean many loved tidings. +Then bade the queen those skilled in crafts +To seek out apart, the best of all, +Those who most cunningly knew how to work 1020 +In joinings of stones, on the open plain +God's temple to build. As the Warden of spirits +Her counselled from heaven, she bade the rood +With gold adorn and gems of all kinds, +With the most splendid of precious stones 1025 +To set with skill, and in silver chest +To enclose with locks. There that tree of life, +Best of victor-trees, has since remained +In nature eternal.[1] There 'twill be ever ready +A help to the sick 'gainst every ill, 1030 +Distress and sorrow. There soon will they +Through that holy creation assistance obtain, +A gift divine. Also Judas received +After fixed time the bath of baptism, +And cleansed became, trustful in Christ, 1035 +Dear to the Life-warden. His faith became +Firm in his heart, when the Spirit of comfort +Made his abode in the breast of the man, +To repentance him urged. The better he chose, +The joy of glory, and the worse he refused, 1040 +The service of idols, and error rejected, +Unlawful belief. To him King[2] eternal, +The Creator, was mild, God, Ruler of might. + + [1] So Z.; 'The noble wood,' Gm. and Gn. + + [2] Latin, _rex_. + + +XIII. + +Then he was baptized who often before +The ready light [had long rejected, Gn.], 1045 +Inspired was his soul for that better life, +To glory turned. Fate surely ordained +That so full of faith and so dear to God +In realm of the world he should become, +[So] pleasing to Christ. That known became, 1050 +After that Helena bade them Eusebius, +Bishop of Rome, into council with her +To bring for help, the very wise [man] +By means of men,[1] to the holy city, +That he might ordain to the sacred office 1055 +Judas for the folk in Jerusalem, +To be their bishop within the city, +Through gift of the Spirit for the temple of God +Chosen with wisdom, and him Cyriacus +Through counsel of wit she afterwards named 1060 +A second time. The name was changed +Of the man in the city henceforth for the better, +For the law of the Saviour. Then still Helena's +Mind was disturbed at the wondrous fate, +Very much for the nails, those which the Saviour's 1065 +Feet had pierced through and likewise his hands, +With which on the rood the Ruler of Heaven, +Lord mighty, was fastened. Of these gan ask +The Christians' queen, Cyriacus prayed +That still for her, by the might of his spirit, 1070 +For the wondrous fate the will he'ld fulfil, +Reveal by his gifts, and she addressed +This word to the bishop, boldly she spake: +"Thou, earls' defence, the noble tree +Of heavens' King me rightly didst show, 1075 +On which was hanged by heathen hands +The Helper of spirits, own Son of God, +Saviour of men. Still of the nails +In thought of my mind curiosity troubles me. +I would thou should'st find those which yet in the earth 1080 +Deeply buried remain concealed, +Hidden in darkness. My heart ever sorrows, +Sad it complains and never will rest, +Ere for me He fulfil, Almighty Father, +Ruler of hosts, mine own desire, 1085 +Saviour of men, by sight[2] of the nails, +The Holy from height. Now quickly do thou +With all humility, most excellent man, +Direct thy prayer to the heavens bright, +To the Ruler of glory, pray Strength of warriors, 1090 +That to thee may reveal the Almighty King +The hord 'neath the earth, that hidden still, +Concealed from men, in secret abides." +Then gan the holy one strengthen his heart, +Inspired in his breast the bishop of the folk, 1095 +Glad-minded, went with a crowd of men +Those praising God, and earnestly then +Cyriacus on Calvary +Inclined his face, his secret concealed not, +With might of his spirit called upon God 1100 +With all humility, prayed Warden of angels +To open to him the unknown fate +In his new distress, where he the nails +Upon the plain Best need expect. +Then caused he the token, where they were looking, 1105 +The Father, hope's Spirit, in form of fire +Upwards to rise, where they most noble +By means of men[3] had once been hidden +With secret cunning, the nails in the earth. +Then suddenly came brighter than sun 1110 +The playing flame. The people saw +To the giver of their will[4] the wonder made known, +When there out of darkness, like stars of heaven +Or gems of gold, upon the bottom +The nails from the narrow bed shining beneath 1115 +Brilliantly glittered. The people rejoiced, +The glad-minded host, spake glory to God +With one accord all, though ere they were +By the devil's deceit long in error, +Estranged from Christ. Thus did they speak: 1120 +"Ourselves now we see the token of victory, +True wonder of God, that before we opposed +With lying words. Now is come into light, +Is revealed, fate's course. May glory for this +Have in the highest heaven-kingdom's God!" 1125 +Then he was rejoiced who turned to repentance +Through the Son of God, the people's bishop, +A second time. He took the nails, +Disturbed with fear, and to the venerable +Queen did he bring them. Cyriacus had 1130 +It all fulfilled as the noble one bade him, +The woman's will. There was sound of weeping, +Hot head-welling was poured o'er her cheeks, +By no means for sorrow. The tears were falling +O'er the plaiting of wires.[5] With glory fulfilled 1135 +Was the wish of the queen. She knelt on her knees +With bright belief; she honored the gift, +Rejoicing with joy, which was to her brought +For help in her sorrows. Then thanked she God, +The Lord of victories, that the truth she had learnt 1140 +At that present time, that oft was announced +So long before from creation of the world +For comfort to the people. She was inspired +With the gift of wisdom, and his dwelling held +Holy Spirit of heaven, guarded her breast, 1145 +Her noble heart. So her the Almighty +Victor-son of God after protected. + + [1] So Z.; 'With pomp of array,' Gn. + + [2] Lit., 'coming.' + + [3] Same expression as in 1054. + + [4] Lit., 'will-giver,' i.e., the queen. + + [5] i.e., her ornaments of gold. + + +XIV. + +Then eagerly gan she with secrets of soul +Seek in her spirit by soothfastness +The way to glory. Now God of hosts 1150 +His help bestowed, the Father in heaven, +Almighty King, that the queen obtained +Her will in the world. The prophecy was +By sages of old sung long before +All from beginning, as it afterwards happened 1155 +In respect to each thing. The folk-queen began +Through gift of the Spirit gladly to seek +With greatest care how best the nails, +And in manner most worthy, she might apply +For joy to the folk, what was will of the Lord. 1160 +Bade she then fetch a very wise man +Quickly to counsel, him who wisdom +Through clever might thoroughly knew, +Wise in his heart, and gan him ask +What in his soul seemed to him best 1165 +To do about that, and his teachings she chose +In respect to her conduct. Her boldly[1] he answered: +"That is becoming that word of the Lord +Thou hold in heart, holy counsel, +Most excellent queen, and the King's command 1170 +Gladly fulfil, now God has thee given +Success of soul and craft of wit, +The Saviour of men. Bid thou these nails +For that most excellent of earthly kings, +Of owners of cities, put on his bridle 1175 +For bit to his horse. To many that shall, +Throughout the mid-earth, become renowned, +When with that in contest he may overcome +Each one of his foes, when the brave-in-war +On either side the battle seek, 1180 +Sword-contenders, where they strive for victory, +Foe against foe. War-speed shall he have, +Victory in fight and everywhere peace, +In battle success, who carries in front +The bridle on horse, when the famed-in-fight 1185 +At clashing of spears, the choicest of men, +Bear shield and lance. To each one of men +Against war-terror shall be invincible +This weapon in war. The seer of it sang, +Cunning in thought. Deep moved his mind, 1190 +His wit of wisdom. This word he spake: +'That shall be known that the horse of the king +Shall 'neath the proud with bit be adorned, +With bridle-rings. That beacon to God +Shall holy be called, and that one valor-blessed, 1195 +Honored in war, who rides on that horse.'" +With haste then that did all perform +Helena 'fore earls, bade the aetheling's, +Heroes' ring-giver's, bridle adorn, +To her own son sent as a present 1200 +O'er ocean's stream the blameless gift. +She bade then together those whom as best +Of men she knew among the Jews, +Of the race of heroes, to the holy city, +To the town to come. Then gan the queen 1205 +The dear ones teach that love of the Lord +And peace likewise among themselves, +The bond of friendship, they fast should hold +Without reproach in time of their life, +And they to the teacher's lore should hearken, 1210 +The Christian virtues that Cyriacus taught them, +Clever in books. The office of bishop +Was fairly made fast. From afar oft to him +The lame, the sick, the crippled came, +The halt, the wounded, the leprous and blind, 1215 +The lowly, the sad; always there health +At the hands of the bishop, healing, they found +Ever for ever. Yet Helena gave him +Treasures as presents, when ready she was +For the journey home, and bade she then all 1220 +In that kingdom of men who worshipped God, +Men and women, that they should honor +With mind and might that famous day, +With thoughts of the heart, whereon holy rood +Had been discovered, greatest of trees, 1225 +Of those which from earth ever sprang up +Grown under leaves. Then spring was gone +Except six nights ere coming of summer +On the kalends of May. To each of those men +Be hell's door shut, heaven's unclosed, 1230 +Eternally opened the kingdom of angels, +Joy without end, and their portion appointed +Along with. Mary, who takes into mind +That one most dear of festal days +Of that rood under heaven, that which the mightiest 1235 +Ruler of all with arm protected. _Finit_.[2] + + [1] Gn.'s emendation. + + [2] Here properly ends the legend of the Finding of the Cross. + The last canto contains reflections of the poet. + + +XV. + +Thus old and death-ready in this frail house +Word-craft I wove and wondrously framed it, +Reflected at times and sifted my thought +Closely at night. I knew not well 1240 +The truth of the rood,[1] ere wider knowledge +Through glorious might into thought of my mind +Wisdom revealed to me. I was stained with crimes, +Fettered with sins, pained with sorrows, +Bitterly bound, banefully vexed, 1245 +Ere lore to me lent through light-bringing office +For help to the aged, his blameless gift +The mighty King meted, and poured in my mind, +Brightness disclosed, widened with time, +Bone-house unbound, breast-lock unwound, 1250 +Song-craft unlocked, which I joyfully used, +With will, in the world. Of that tree of glory +Often not once meditation I had, +Ere that wonder I had revealed +About that bright tree, as in books I found 1255 +In course of events, in writings declared +Of that beacon of victory. Ay till then was the man +With care-waves oppressed, a nickering _pine-torch_[C], +Though he in the mead-hall treasures received, +Apples of gold.[2] Mourned for his _bow_[Y] 1260 +The comrade of _sorrow_[N], suffered distress, +His secret constrained, where before him the _horse_[E] +Measured the mile-paths, with spirit ran +Proud of his ornaments. _Hope_[W] is decreased, +Joy, after years, youth is departed, 1265 +The ancient pride. The _bison_[U] was once +The gladness of youth. Now are the old days +In course of time gone forever, +Life-joy departed, as _ocean_[L] flows by, +Waves hurried along. To each one is _wealth_[3][F] 1270 +Fleeting 'neath heaven, treasures of earth +Pass 'neath the clouds likest to wind, +When before men it mounts up aloud, +Roams 'round the clouds, raging rushes, +And then all at once silent becomes, 1275 +In narrow prison closely confined, +Strongly repressed. So passes this world, +And likewise besides what things[4] have been +In it produced flame will consume, +When the Lord himself judgment will seek 1280 +With host of angels. Every one there +Of speech-bearing men the truth shall hear +Of every deed through mouth of the Judge, +And likewise of words the penalty pay +Of all that with folly were spoken before, 1285 +Of daring thoughts. Then parts into three +Into clutch of fire each one of folk, +Of those that have dwelt in course of time +Upon the broad earth. The righteous shall be +Upmost-in flame, host of the blessed, 1290 +Crowd eager for glory, as they may bear it, +And without torment easily suffer, +Band of the brave. For them shall be moderate +The brightness of flame,[5] as it shall be easiest, +Softest for them. The sinful shall be, 1295 +Those spotted with evil, compressed in the middle, +Men sad-in-mind, within the hot waves +Smothered with smoke. The third part shall be, +Accursed sinners, in the flood's abyss, +False folk-haters, fastened in flame 1300 +For deeds of old, gang of the godless +In grip of the gledes. To God never more +From that place of torment come they in mind, +To the King of glory, but they shall be cast +From that terrible fire to the bottom of hell, 1305 +The workers of woe. To the [other] two parts +It will be unlike. They may angels' Lord, +Victories' God, see. They shall be cleansed, +Sundered from sins, as smelted gold, +That is in the flame from every spot 1310 +Through fire of the oven thoroughly cleansed, +Freed and refined. So shall each of those men +Be freed and made pure from every sin, +From heavy crimes through fire of that doom. +Then afterwards they may peace enjoy, 1315 +Eternal bliss. To them angels' Warden +Shall be mild and gentle, for that they every evil +Despised, sins' work, and to Son of their Maker +They called with words. Hence in beauty they shine now +Like to the angels, the heritage have 1320 +Of the King of glory for ever and ever. Amen. + + [1] Gn.'s emendation. + + [2] Lit.,'appled gold.' + + [3] The words in italics are the names of the runes that make + up the name CYNEWULF. This artificial use of words makes + the interpretation obscure, and scholars differ about it. + + [4] Or, 'those who.' + + [5] Gn., Z. + + + + +JUDITH. + + +IX. + +* * * * * * * * +[The glorious Creator's][1] gifts doubted she [not] +Upon this wide earth; then found she there ready +Help from the mighty Prince, when she most need did have +Of grace from the highest Judge, that her 'gainst the greatest terror +The Lord of Creation should shield. That Father in heaven to her +The Glorious-in-mind did grant, for that firm faith she had +In the Almighty ever. Then heard I that Holofernes +Wine-summons eagerly wrought, and with all wonders a glorious +Banquet had he prepared; to that bade the prince of men +All his noblest thanes. That with mickle haste 10 +Did the warriors-with-shields perform; came to the mighty chief +The people's leaders going. On the fourth day was that +After that Judith, cunning in mind, +The elf-sheen virgin, him first had sought. + + [1] Gn.'s emendation to fill _lacuna_ of MS. + + +X. + +They then at the feast proceeded to sit, 15 +The proud to the wine-drinking, all his comrades-in-ill, +Bold mailed-warriors. There were lofty beakers +Oft borne along the benches, also were cups and flagons +Full to the hall-sitters borne. The fated partook of them, +Brave warriors-with-shields, though the mighty weened not of it, 20 +Awful lord of earls. Then was Holofernes, +Gold-friend of men, full of wine-joy: +He laughed and clamored, shouted and dinned, +That children of men from afar might hear +How the strong-minded both stormed and yelled, 25 +Moody and mead-drunken, often admonished +The sitters-on-benches to bear themselves[1] well. +Thus did the hateful one during all day +His liege-men [loyal] keep plying with wine, +Stout-hearted giver of treasure, until they lay in a swoon, 30 +He drenched all his nobles [with drink], as if they were slain in death, +Deprived[2] of each one of goods. Thus bade the prince of men +The sitters-in-hall to serve, until to children of men +The darkening night drew nigh. He bade then, filled with hate, +The blessed maiden with haste to fetch 35 +To his bed of rest, laden with jewels, +Adorned with rings. They quickly performed, +The attendant thanes, what their lord them bade, +Mailed-warriors' prince; like a flash they stepped +Into the guest-room, where they Judith 40 +Wise-minded found, and quickly then +The warriors-with-shields began to lead +The glorious maid to the lofty tent +Where the mighty himself always[3] rested +By night within, to the Saviour hateful, 45 +Holofernes. There was an all-golden +Beautiful fly-net around the folk-warrior's +Bed suspended, so that the hateful +Was able to look through, the chief of warriors, +Upon each one that therein came 50 +Of the sons of heroes, and on him no one +Of the race of men, unless the proud some one +Of the strong-in-war bade to him nearer +Of warriors for counsel to come. They then to him at rest brought +Quickly the cunning woman; went then the stout-in-heart 55 +The men their lord to tell that the holy woman was +Brought to his chamber-tent. The famous then in mind +Was glad, the ruler of cities; he thought the beautiful maiden +With spot and stain to defile: that Judge of glory would not +Allow, the Keeper of honor, but him from that deed restrained 60 +The Lord, the Ruler of hosts. Went then the devilish one, +The wanton [warrior-prince],[4] with [mickle] band of men, +The baleful his bed to seek, where he his life should lose +Quickly within one night; he had then his end attained[5] +On earth ungentle [end], such as before he wrought for, 65 +The mighty prince of men, while in this world he was, +While he dwelt under roof of the clouds. Then fell so drunk with wine +The mighty [chief] on his bed, as if he knew no rede +Within his place of wit; the warriors stepped +Out from the chamber with mickle haste, 70 +The wine-filled men, who the oath-breaker, +Hateful folk-hater, had led to his bed +For the very last time. Then was the Saviour's +Glorious maiden earnestly mindful +How she the terrible most easily might 75 +Of life deprive before the lustful, +The wanton, awoke. The wreathed-locked took then, +The Creator's handmaid, a sharp-edged sword +Hardened by war-strokes [?],[6] and drew from its sheath +With her right hand; then Keeper of heaven 80 +By name she gan name, Saviour of all +Dwellers-in-th' world, and this word she spake: +"Thee, God of Creation, and Spirit of Comfort, +Son of the Almighty, will I [now] pray +For thine own mercy to me in my need, 85 +Trinity's Glory. To me greatly now then +My heart is inflamed, and my mind is sad, +Sorely with sorrows oppressed; grant, Lord of Heaven, to me +Victory and faith without fear, that I with this sword may be able +To hew down this dealer of murder; grant [too] my safety to me, 90 +Strong-hearted Leader of men; ne'er in this world had I +Of thy mercy more urgent need: avenge now, mighty Lord, +Glorious Giver of honor, that I am so angry in mind, +So heated within my breast." Her then the highest Judge +Quickly with courage inspired, as doth he [ever] each one 95 +Of dwellers here [upon earth], who him for help to them seek +With rede and righteous belief. Then roomy in mind she became, +The holy one's hope was renewed; then took she the heathen man +Fast by his own [long] hair, with hands him towards her she drew +With marks of contempt, and the baleful one 100 +With cunning laid down, the loathsome man, +As she the accursed most easily might +Wield at her will. Struck then the curly-locked +The hostile foe with shining[7] sword, +The hateful-minded, that half-way she cut 105 +The [evil one's] neck, that he lay in a swoon, +Drunken and wounded. Not yet was he dead, +Thoroughly lifeless; struck she then earnestly, +The maiden brave-minded, a second time +The heathen hound, that his head rolled off 110 +Forth on the floor: the foul corpse lay +Lifeless behind, went the spirit elsewhere +Beneath the deep earth, and there was disgraced, +In torment bound ever thereafter, +Surrounded with serpents, with tortures encompassed, 115 +Strongly enchained in the fire of hell +After his death. He need never hope, +Enveloped with darkness, that thence he may go +Out of that worm-hall, but there shall he dwell +Ever for ever without end henceforth 120 +In that dark home, of hope-joys deprived. + + [1] 'Loudly carouse,' Kr. and C. + + [2] 'Gorged with,' Kr. and C. + + [3] Or, 'after feast.' + + [4] 'King,' Gn. and Kr., but _guethfreca_ suits the verse better + than _cyning_, and even that is not metrically sufficient + to fill the _lacuna_. + + [5] Lit., 'awaited.' + + [6] So Gn.? 'Scouring,' Sw.?, Kr.?, C. + + [7] 'Hostile,' Sw.? + + +XI. + +Then had she gained glorious honor, +Judith in war, as God to her granted, +The Ruler of Heaven, who gave to her victory. +The cunning maid then quickly brought 125 +The army-leader's head so bloody +In that [very] vessel in which her attendant, +The fair-faced woman, food for them both, +In virtues renowned, thither had brought, +And it then so gory to her gave in hand, 130 +To the thoughtful-in-mind to bear to their home, +Judith to her maid. Went they forth thence, +The women both in courage bold, +Until they had come, proud in their minds, +The women triumphant, out from the army, 135 +So that they plainly were able to see +Of that beautiful city the walls [fair] shine, +Bethulia. Then jewel-decked they +Upon the foot-path hastened to go, +Until glad-minded they had arrived 140 +At the gate of the wall. The warriors sat, +The watching men were keeping ward +Within that fortress, as before to the folk, +Sad in their minds, Judith had bidden, +The cunning maiden, when she went on her journey, 145 +The stout-hearted woman. Then again was she come, +Dear to her people, and then quickly ordered +The wise-minded woman some one of the men +To come to meet her from out the wide city, +And her in haste to admit within 150 +Through the gate of the wall, and this word she spake +To the victor-folk: "To you can I say +A thought-worthy[1] thing, that no longer ye need +Mourn in your minds: your Creator is kind, +Glory of kings: that is become known 155 +Wide through the world, that to you is success +Glorious at hand, and honor is granted +For [all] those sorrows which long ye suffered." +Glad then were they, the dwellers-in-borough, +After they heard how the holy one spake 160 +O'er the high wall. The host was in joy. +To the fortress-gate the people hastened, +Men, women together, in troops and heaps, +In crowds and throngs, hurried and ran +To meet the Lord's maid by thousands and thousands, 165 +Both old and young: to each one became +Of men in the mead-city his mind rejoiced, +After they knew that Judith was come +Again to her home, and then in haste +With reverence they allowed her to enter. 170 +Then bade the clever, with gold adorned, +Her servant-maid, thoughtful-in-mind, +The army-leader's head to uncover, +And it as a proof bloody to show +To the city-folk how she speeded in war. 175 +Then spake the noble one to all the folk: +"Here ye may clearly, victory-blessed warriors, +Chiefs of the people, upon the most hateful +Heathen hero's head fix your gaze, +On Holofernes deprived of life, 180 +Who chiefest of men wrought murders for us, +Sorest sorrows, and that yet more +Would he increase: but God him granted not +A longer life, that he with woes +Might still afflict us. Of life I deprived him 185 +By help of God. Now I every man +Of these city-dwellers will [earnestly] pray, +Of shield-bearing warriors, that ye yourselves quickly +Hasten to fight; when the God of creation, +The glorious King, shall send from the east 190 +Bright beams of light, bear forth your shields, +Boards before breasts and coats-of-mail, +Bright helmets [too] among the foes, +To fell the folk-leaders with shining swords, +The fated chiefs. Your foes are now 195 +Condemned to death, and ye glory shall gain, +Honor in battle, as to you hath betokened +The mighty Lord through mine own hand." +Then the band of the brave was quickly prepared, +Of the bold for battle; stepped out the valiant 200 +Men and comrades, bore their banners, +Went forth to fight straight on their way +The heroes 'neath helmets from the holy city +At the dawn itself; shields made a din, +Loudly resounded. Thereat laughed the lank 205 +Wolf in the wood, and the raven wan, +Fowl greedy for slaughter: both of them knew +That for them the warriors thought to provide +Their fill on the fated; and flew on their track +The dewy-winged eagle eager for prey, 210 +The dusky-coated sang his war-song, +The crooked-beaked. Stepped forth the warriors, +The heroes for battle with boards protected, +With hollow shields, who awhile before +The foreign-folk's reproach endured, 215 +The heathens' scorn; fiercely was that +At the ash-spear's play to them all repaid, +[All] the Assyrians, after the Hebrews +Under their banners had [boldly] advanced +To the army-camps. They bravely then 220 +Forthright let fly showers of arrows, +Of battle-adders, out from the horn-bows, +Of strongly-made shafts; stormed they aloud, +The cruel warriors, sent forth their spears +Among the brave; the heroes were angry, 225 +The dwellers-in-land, with the loathed race; +The stern-minded stepped, the stout-in-heart, +Rudely awakened their ancient foes +Weary from mead; with hands drew forth +The men from the sheaths the brightly-marked swords 230 +Most choice in their edges, eagerly struck +Of the [host of] Assyrians the battle-warriors, +The hostile-minded; not one they spared +Of the army-folk, nor low nor high +Of living men, whom they might subdue. 235 + + [1] 'Thank-worthy,' Kr. + + +XII. + +Thus then the thanes in the morning-hours +Pressed on the strangers unceasingly, +Until they perceived, those who were hostile, +The army-folk's chiefest leaders, +That upon them sword-strokes mighty bestowed 240 +The Hebrew men. They that in words +To their most noted chiefs of the people +Went to announce, waked helmeted warriors +And to them with fear the dread news told, +To the weary-from-mead the morning-terror, 245 +The hateful sword-play. Then learnt I that quickly +The slaughter-fated men aroused from sleep +And to the baleful's sleeping-bower +The saddened[1] men pressed on in crowds, +To Holofernes: they only were thinking 250 +To their own lord to make known the fight, +Ere terror on him should take its seat, +The might of the Hebrews. They all imagined +That the prince of men and the handsome maid +In the beautiful tent were [still] together, 255 +Judith the noble and the lustful one, +Dreadful and fierce; though no earl there was +Who the warrior durst [then] awake, +Or durst discover how the helmeted warrior +With the holy maid had passed his time, 260 +The Creator's handmaid. The force approached, +The folk of the Hebrews, courageously fought +With hard battle-arms, fiercely repaid +Their former fights with shining[2] swords, +The old-time grudge; was of the Assyrians 265 +By that day's work the glory diminished, +The pride brought low. The warriors stood +'Round their prince's tent strongly excited, +Gloomy in mind. They then all together +Began to groan,[3] to cry aloud 270 +And gnash with their teeth,--afar from God,-- +Showing their anger; 'twas the end of their glory, +Of joy and valor. The earls were thinking +To awaken their lord; they did not succeed. +Then at last and too late was one so bold 275 +Of the battle-warriors that to the bower-tent +He daringly ventured, since need him compelled: +Found he then on the bed lying deadly-pale +His [own] gold-giver of breath bereft, +Of life deprived. Then quickly he fell 280 +Astounded to earth, gan tear his hair, +Excited in mind, and his garments too, +And this word he spake to the warriors [brave], +Who saddened there were standing without: +"Here is displayed our own destruction, 285 +The future betokened, that it is to the time +Now amongst men[4] almost arrived, +When we our lives shall lose together, +In battle perish: here lies with sword hewn +Our lord beheaded." They then sad-in-mind 290 +Threw down their weapons and sorrowful went +To hasten in flight. They fought on their tracks, +The mighty folk, till the greatest part +Of the army lay, in battle struck down, +On the victor-plain, hewn down with swords, 295 +To wolves for pleasure, and to slaughter-greedy +Fowls for a joy. Those who lived fled +The shields of their foes.[5] Went on their tracks +The Hebrews' host, honored with victory, +With glory ennobled; them took the Lord God 300 +Fairly to help, the Lord Almighty. +They bravely then with shining swords, +Stout-hearted heroes, a war-path wrought +Through heaps of their foes, hewed down their shields, +Cut through their phalanx: the warriors were 305 +Enraged in battle, the Hebrew men; +The thanes at that time were much delighted +At the combat with spears. Here fell in the dust +The highest part of the chiefest number +Of the Assyrians' princely nobility, 310 +Of the hateful race; very few came +Alive to their homes. The nobly-bold turned, +Warriors retiring, among the slaughtered, +The smoking corpses; it was time to take +For the dwellers-in-land from the loathsome ones, 315 +Their ancient foes deprived of life, +The gory booty, the shining trappings, +Shields and broad swords, brown-colored helmets, +Precious treasures. Gloriously had they +On that folk-place their foes overcome, 320 +The defenders of home their ancient foes +With swords put-to-sleep: behind them rested +Those who in life were most hateful to them +Of living races. Then all the people, +Of tribes most renowned, for one month's space, 325 +The proud twisted-locked, bore and carried +To that bright city, Bethulia [named], +Helmets and hip-swords, hoary byrnies, +War-trappings of men adorned with gold, +More precious treasures than any man 330 +Of the cunning-in-mind may be able to tell, +All that the warriors with might had won, +The bold under banners on the battle-place +By means of Judith's [most] clever lore, +The moody[6] maid's. As meed for her 335 +From that expedition, they brought for herself, +The spear-strong earls, of Holofernes +The sword and gory helm, likewise the byrnie broad, +Adorned with reddish gold, all that the warrior-chief, +The brave, of treasure had, or individual wealth, 340 +Of rings and jewels bright; that to the lady fair, +The wise-in-mind, gave they. For all that Judith said +Glory to the Lord of hosts, who honor to her gave, +Fame in realm of earth, and meed in heaven too, +Reward in the glory of heaven, because true faith she had 345 +In the Almighty ever; now at last she doubted not +Of the meed which long she yearned for. For that to the dear Lord be +Glory for ever and ever, who made both wind and air, +The heavens and roomy lands, likewise the rushing streams, +And joys of firmament too by means of his mercy mild. 350 + + [1] So Sw.; 'weary in mind,' Gn., Kr., C. + + [2] 'Hostile,' C., though 'flashing,' 194, and 'gleaming,' + 302. + + [3] Lit., 'cough.' + + [4] So Gn. and Kr.; 'with violence,' Sw.; 'with afflictions,' + C. + + [5] So Sw. and Kr.; 'Of the hostile shield-warriors,' Gn. and + C. + + [6] i.e., 'spirited.' + + + + +ATHELSTAN, + +OR + +THE FIGHT AT BRUNANBURH. + + +AEthelstan King, of earls the lord, +Of heroes ring-giver, and his brother too, +Edmund AEtheling, enduring fame +Earned in the fight with edges of swords +By Brunanburh. The board-wall they cleaved, 5 +The war-shields hewed with leavings of hammers +The sons of Edward. 'Twas natural to them +By right of descent that in battle they oft +'Gainst every foe their land defended, +Their hoards and homes. The foes were fallen, 10 +Folk of the Scots and men of the ships, +Fated they fell. The field ran thick[1] +With heroes' blood, when the risen sun +At morning-time, the mighty orb, +Shone o'er the earth, bright candle of God, 15 +Eternal Lord, till the noble creature +Sank to his rest. There many men lay +Struck down[2] with spears, men from the North, +Shot o'er the shield, and Scotsmen too, +Weary [and] war-filled. The West-Saxons forth 20 +The live-long day with legions of warriors +Pressed on the heels of the hostile foes; +They felled the fleers with force from behind +With sharp-ground swords. Shrank not the Mercians +From hard hand-play with any of heroes, 25 +Of those who with Anlaf o'er welling of waves +On the deck of the ship had sought the land, +Fated for fight. Five of them lay +On the battle-field, young kings [they were], +Slaughtered[3] with swords, and also seven 30 +Earls of Anlaf, and unnumbered host +Of seamen and Scots. There was forced to flee +The Northmen's chief, by need compelled +To the prow of his ship with few attendants. +Keel crowded[4] the sea, the king went forth 35 +On the fallow flood; he saved his life. +There too the aged escaped by flight +To his home in the North, Constantinus. +The hoar war-hero was unable to boast +Of attendance of men; he was robbed of his kinsmen, 40 +Bereaved of his friends on the battle-field, +Conquered in fight, and he left his son +On the place of slaughter wasted with wounds, +The boy in the battle. He durst not boast, +The gray-haired warrior, of the clash of swords, 45 +The aged enemy, nor Anlaf the more. +With their army-remnant they durst not rejoice +That in deeds of war they proved to be better +On the place of battle, the striking of standards, +The mingling of spears, the meeting of men, 50 +The clashing of weapons, when on slaughter-field +In contest with Edward's sons they contended. +Departed the Northmen in nailed ships, +Drear remnant of darts, on the sea of Dyng[5][?], +O'er the water deep Dublin to seek, 55 +Back to land of the Erse, depressed in mind. +Likewise the brothers both together, +King and aetheling, were seeking their home, +West-Saxons' land, exulting in war. +Behind them they let the corpses share 60 +The dark-feathered fowl, the raven black, +The crooked-beaked, and the ashy-feathered, +White-tailed eagle enjoy the prey, +The greedy war-hawk, and the gray-clad beast, +The wolf in the wood. More corpses there were not 65 +Upon this island ever as yet +Of folk down-felled before this time +With edges of sword, as books to us tell, +Sages of old, since hither from East +Angles and Saxons came to this land, 70 +O'er the broad ocean Britain [once] sought, +Haughty war-smiths the Welsh overcame, +Earls eager for honor this earth acquired. + + [1] Lit., 'became slippery,' Gn.; 'babbled' (as a brook), or + 'became dark,' Kr.; 'streamed,' Th. + + [2] 'Scattered,' Th. + + [3] Lit., 'put to sleep.' + + [4] Or, 'He pressed ship on the sea', 'drove,' Th. + + [5] Gn. and W. take _Dyng_ as a proper name, but no one knows + who Dyng was. Kr. leaves _on dynges mere_ untranslated, + with the remark: "_ist unaufgeklaert._" He thinks it refers + to some bay in Ireland, from which the invaders set out, but + why may it not be a name for the Irish Sea itself? Th. + translates 'on the roaring sea,' but adds 'quite + conjectural.' + + + + +BYRHTNOTH, + +OR + +THE FIGHT AT MALDON. + + +* * * * * * was broken. +Then bade he each youth his horse to forsake, +To hasten afar and forwards to go, +Be mindful of might, of mood courageous. +This Offa's kinsman at once perceived 5 +That the earl was unwilling faint heart to endure. +Then he let from his hands his lief[1] hawk fly, +His hawk to the holt, and to battle he stepped; +By that might one know that the knight was unwilling +To be weak in the war when to weapons he took. 10 +By him too would Eadric, by his overlord, stand, +His chief in the fight; then forth gan he bear +His spear to the battle: brave spirit had he +The while that with hands he was able to hold +Shield and broad sword; his boast he fulfilled,[2] 15 +When he 'fore his lord was bound to fight. +There Byrhtnoth gan then his warriors embolden, +Rode and gave rede, instructed his men +How they should stand, and the stead sustain, +And bade that rimmed shields they rightly should hold 20 +Fast with their fists, and frightened be never. +When he had the folk fairly emboldened, +With his men he alighted where was liefest to him, +Where his hearth-followers most faithful he knew. +Then stood on the stathe,[3] stoutly did call 25 +The wikings' herald, with words he spake, +Who boastfully bore from the brine-farers +An errand to th' earl, where he stood on the shore: +"To thee me did send the seamen snell,[4] +Bade to thee say, thou must send to them quickly 30 +Bracelets for safety; and 'tis better for you +That _ye_ this spear-rush with tribute buy off +Than _we_ in so fierce a fight engage. +We need not each spill,[5] if ye speed to this: +We will for the pay a peace confirm. 35 +If thou that redest who art highest in rank, +If thou thy lieges art willing to loose, +To pay to the seamen at their own pleasure +Money for peace, and take peace from us, +We will with the treasure betake us to ship, 40 +Fare on the flood, and peace with you confirm." +Byrhtnoth replied, his buckler uplifted, +Waved his slim spear, with words he spake, +Angry and firm gave answer to him: +"Hear'st thou, seafarer, what saith this folk? 45 +They will for tribute spear-shafts you pay, +Poisonous points and trusty[6] swords, +Those weapons that you in battle avail not. +Herald of seamen, hark[7] back again, +Say to thy people much sadder words, 50 +Here stands not unknown an earl with his band, +Who will defend this father-land, +AEthelred's home, mine own liege lord's, +His folk and field: ye're fated to fall, +Ye heathen, in battle. Too base it me seems 55 +That ye with our scats[8] to ship may go +Unfought against, so far ye now hither +Into our country have come within; +Ye shall not so gently treasure obtain; +Shall spear and sword sooner beseem us, 60 +Grim battle-play, ere tribute we give." +Then bade he shield bear, warriors advance, +So that on the burn-stathe[9] they all were standing. +Might not there for the water one war-band to th' other, +When flowing flood came after the ebb, 65 +Sea-streams interlocked; too long seemed it them +Till they together their spears should bear. +Then Panta's stream with pomp[10] [?] they beset, +East-Saxons' chief and the host from the ships: +No one of them might do harm to the other, 70 +But he who by dart's flight his death should receive. +The flood ebbed forth; the fleetmen stood ready, +Many of wikings, eager for war. +Bade heroes' buckler[11] then hold the bridge +A war-hardened warrior, who Wulfstan was named, 75 +Bold 'mid his kin (he was Ceola's son), +Who the first man with his dart shot down +That there most boldly stepped on the bridge. +There stood with Wulfstan warriors fearless, +AElfhere and Maccus, courageous the twain; 80 +At the ford they would not seek safety in flight, +But firm 'gainst the foes themselves they defended, +The while that they weapons were able to wield. +When they that perceived and earnestly saw +That there bridge-fenders [so] fierce they found, 85 +Began to lie these loathly guests: +Begged that out-going they might obtain, +Fare o'er the ford, their footmen lead. +Then gan the earl on account of his pride +Leave too much land to the loathly people. 90 +Began then to call o'er the water cold +The son[12] of Byrhthelm (the warriors listened): +"Now room is allowed you, come quickly to us, +Warriors to war; wot God alone +Who this battle-field may be able to keep." 95 +Waded the war-wolves, for water they recked not, +The wikings' band, west over Panta, +O'er the clear water carried their shields, +Boatmen to bank their bucklers bore. +There facing their foes ready were standing 100 +Byrhtnoth with warriors: with shields he bade +The war-hedge[13] work, and the war-band hold +Fast 'gainst the foes. Then fight was nigh, +Glory in battle; the time was come +That fated men should there [now] fall. 105 +Then out-cry was raised, the ravens circled, +Eagle eager for prey; on earth was uproar. +Then they let from their fists the file-hardened spears, +The darts well-ground, [fiercely][14] fly forth: +The bows were busy, board point received, 110 +Bitter the battle-rush, warriors fell down, +On either hands the youths lay dead. +Wounded was Wulfmaer, death-rest he chose, +Byrhtnoth's kinsman, with bills[15] was he, +His sister's son, mightily hewn. 115 +There was to the wikings recompense given; +Heard I that Edward one of them slew +Strongly with sword, stroke he withheld not, +That fell at his feet the fated warrior; +For that did his prince give thanks to him, 120 +To his bower-thane,[16] when he had opportunity. +So firmly stood the fierce-in-mind, +The youths in fight, eagerly thought +Who there with his spear might soonest be able +From a fated man the life to win, 125 +A warrior with weapons: the dead to earth fell. +Steadfast they stood; strengthened them Byrhtnoth, +Bade that each youth of battle should think +He who on the Danes glory would gain. +Went then a war-brave, his weapon uplifted, 130 +His shield for defence, and strode towards the chief; +So earnest he went, the earl to the churl: +Each for the other of evil was thinking. +Sent then the seaman his spear from the south +That wounded was the warrior's lord; 135 +Then he shoved with his shield that the shaft in two broke, +And the spear was shivered; so sprang it back. +Enraged was the warrior: with his spear he thrust +The wiking proud, who the wound him gave. +Wise was the warrior; he let his spear pierce 140 +Through the neck of the youth; his hand it guided +So that he his foe of life deprived. +Then he another speedily shot, +That the byrnie burst; in breast was he wounded +Through the ringed mail; there stood in his heart 145 +The poisonous point. The earl was the gladder; +Laughed the proud man, to his Maker gave thanks +For the work of that day that the Lord him gave. +Then let one of warriors a dart from his hands, +Fly from his fist, that forth it went 150 +Through that noble thane of AEthelred. +There stood by his side a youth not grown, +A boy in the fight, who very boldly +Drew from the warrior the bloody spear, +The son of Wulfstan, Wulfmaer the young; 155 +He let the hard weapon fly back again; +The point in-pierced, that on earth he lay +Who erst his lord strongly had struck. +Went then an armored man to the earl, +He would the warrior's jewels fetch back, 160 +Armor and rings and sword well-adorned. +Then Byrhtnoth drew his sword from its sheath, +Broad and brown-edged, and on byrnie he struck: +Too quickly him hindered one of the seamen, +When he of the earl the arm had wounded; 165 +Fell then to earth the fallow-hilt sword: +He might not hold the hardened brand, +His weapon wield. Yet the word he spake, +The hoary hero the youths encouraged, +Bade forwards go his good companions: 170 +He might not on foot longer stand firm; +He looked up to heaven, [the earl exclaimed:[17]] +"I thanks to thee give, Ruler of nations, +For all those joys that on earth I experienced: +Now, Maker mild, most need have I 175 +That thou to my spirit the blessing grant, +That my soul to thee may take its course, +Into thy power, Prince of angels, +With peace may go: I pray to thee, +That fiends of hell may not it harm." 180 +Then hewed him down the heathen hinds, +And both the warriors, who by him stood, +AElfnoth and Wulfmaer both lay down dead, +Beside their lord gave up their lives. +Then bowed they from battle who there would not be; 185 +There Odda's sons were erst in flight: +From battle went Godric, and the good one forsook, +Who had on him many a steed oft bestowed: +He leaped on the horse that his lord had owned, +Upon those trappings that right it was not, 190 +And his brothers with him both ran away, +Godrinc and Godwig, recked not of war, +But went from the fight, and sought the wood, +Fled to the fastness, and saved their lives, +And more of the men than was at all meet, 195 +If they those services all had remembered, +That he for their welfare to them had done; +So Offa to him one day had erst said +At the meeting-place, when he held a moot, +That there [very] proudly they many things spake 200 +Which after in need they would not perform.[18] +Then was down-fallen the prince of the folk, +AEthelred's earl: all of them saw, +The hearth-companions, that their lord lay dead. +Then hurried there forth the haughty thanes, 205 +The valiant men eagerly hastened: +They would then all the one of the two, +Their lives forsake or their loved one avenge. +So urged them on the son of AElfric, +A winter-young warrior, with words them addressed. 210 +Then AElfwine quoth (boldly he spake): +"Remember the times that we oft at mead spake, +When we on the bench our boast upraised, +Heroes in hall, the hard fight anent: +Now may be tested who is the true.[19] 215 +I will my lineage to all make known, +That I 'mong the Mercians of mickle race was, +My grandfather was Ealhhelm by name, +An alderman wise, with wealth endowed. +Ne'er shall 'mong this folk me thanes reproach 220 +That I from this host will hasten to wend, +My home to seek, now lies my lord +Down-hewn in fight; to me 'tis great harm: +By blood he was kin and by rank he was lord."[20] +Then went he forth, was mindful of feud, 225 +That he with his spear one of them pierced, +A sailor o' the folk, that he lay on the ground +Killed with his weapon. Gan he comrades exhort, +Friends and companions, that forth they should go. +Offa addressed them, his ash-spear shook: 230 +"Lo! AElfwine, thou hast all admonished, +Thanes, of the need. Now lieth our lord, +Earl on the earth, to us all there is need +That each one of us should strengthen the other +Warrior to war, while weapon he may 235 +[Still] have and hold, the hardened brand, +Spear and good sword. Us hath Godric, +Cowed son of Offa, all [basely] deceived: +So many men thought when on mare he rode, +On that proud steed, that it was our lord: 240 +Therefore in field here the folk was divided, +The phalanx broken: may perish his deed, +That he here so many men caused to flee!" +Leofsunu spake, and uplifted his shield, +His buckler for guard; to the warrior he quoth: 245 +"I promise thee this, that hence I will not +A foot's breadth flee, but further will go, +Avenge in battle mine own dear lord. +Me need not 'round Stourmere the steadfast heroes +With words reproach, now my friend has fallen, 250 +That, lacking my lord, home I depart, +Wend from the war, but weapons shall take me, +Spear and iron."[21] Full angry he strode, +Firmly he fought, flight he despised. +Then Dunnere spake, his spear he shook, 255 +The aged churl, called over all, +Bade that each warrior should Byrhtnoth avenge: +"He may not delay who thinks to avenge +His lord on the folk, nor care for his life." +Then forwards they went, they recked not of life; 260 +Gan then his followers valiantly fight, +Spear-bearers grim, and to God they prayed, +That they might avenge their own dear lord, +And upon their foes slaughter fulfil. +Then gan the hostage eagerly help: 265 +He was 'mong Northumbrians of valiant race, +The son of Ecglaf, his name was AEscferth: +Ne'er wavered he in that play of war, +But he hastened forth many a dart; +At times shot on shield, at times killed a chief, 270 +Ever and anon inflicted some wound, +The while that he weapon was able to wield. +Then still in front stood Edward the long, +Ready and eager; boastingly said +That he would not flee a foot-breadth of land, 275 +Backwards withdraw, when his better lay dead: +Broke he the shield-wall and fought 'gainst the warriors, +Till he his ring-giver upon the seamen +Worthily avenged, ere he lay on the field. +So [too] did AEtheric, noble companion, 280 +Ready and eager, earnestly fought he; +Sigebryht's brother and many another +Cleft the curved[22] board, them bravely defended; +Shield's border burst, and the byrnie sang +A terrible song. In battle then slew 285 +Offa the seaman that on earth he fell, +And the kinsman of Gadd there sought the ground; +Quickly in battle was Offa hewn down: +He had though fulfilled what he promised his lord, +As he before vowed in face of his ring-giver, 290 +That both of them should ride to the borough, +Hale to their homes, or in battle should fall, +Upon the slaughter-place die of their wounds; +He lay like a thane his lord beside. +Then was breaking of boards; the seamen stormed, 295 +Enraged by the fight; the spear oft pierced +The fated one's life-house. Forth then went Wigstan, +Son of Thurstan, fought 'gainst the foes: +He was in the throng the slayer of three, +Ere Wigelin's bairn lay dead on the field. 300 +There fierce was the fight: firmly they stood, +Warriors in war, the fighters fell, +Weary with wounds; fell corpses to earth. +Oswald and Ealdwald during all the while, +Both of the brothers, emboldened the warriors, 305 +Their kinsman-friends bade they in words, +That they in need should there endure, +Unwaveringly their weapons use. +Byrhtwold [then] spake, uplifted his shield,-- +Old comrade was he,--his spear he shook, 310 +He very boldly exhorted the warriors: +"The braver shall thought be, the bolder the heart, +The more the mood,[23] as lessens our might. +Here lieth our lord, all hewn to pieces, +The good on the ground: ever may grieve 315 +Who now from this war-play thinketh to wend. +I am old in years: hence will I not, +But here beside mine own dear lord, +So loved a man, I purpose to lie." +So AEthelgar's bairn them all emboldened, 320 +Godric, to battle: oft let he his spear, +His war-spear wind amongst the wikings; +So 'midst the folk foremost he went, +Hewed he and felled, till in battle he lay; +This was not that Godric who fled from the fight. 325 +* * * * * * * * + + [1] Dear. + + [2] Or, 'maintained.' + + [3] Bank. + + [4] Bold. + + [5] Destroy. + + [6] Lit., 'old.' + + [7] Lit., 'announce.' + + [8] Money. + + [9] Bank of the stream. + + [10] i.e., 'battle-array,' Sw., but the word is uncertain; Kr. + suggests 'fascines'; Zl. merely gives '_Prunk_.' + + [11] i.e., Byrhtnoth. + + [12] i.e., Byrhtnoth. + + [13] i.e., the phalanx with interlocked shields. + + [14] Some such word as _grame_, or _grimme_, seems needed for + the alliteration. + + [15] i.e., battle-axes. + + [16] Chamberlain. + + [17] Inserted by Kr. to fill the _lacuna_, whom W. follows; + Sw. and Zl. omit. + + [18] Lit., 'suffer,' 'endure.' + + [19] Lit., 'bold.' + + [20] Lit., 'He was both my kinsman and my lord.' + + [21] i.e., 'sword.' + + [22] i.e., 'hollow shields.' _Cellod_ is found only here and + in Finnsburg, 29. + + [23] i.e., 'courage.' + + + + +THE DREAM OF THE ROOD. + + +Lo! choicest of dreams I will relate, +What dream I dreamt in middle of night +When mortal men reposed in rest. +Methought I saw a wondrous wood +Tower aloft with light bewound, 5 +Brightest of trees; that beacon was all +Begirt with gold; jewels were standing +Four[1] at surface of earth, likewise were there five +Above on the shoulder-brace. All angels of God beheld it, +Fair through future ages; 'twas no criminal's cross indeed, 10 +But holy spirits beheld it there, +Men upon earth, all this glorious creation. +Strange was that victor-tree, and stained with sins was I, +With foulness defiled. I saw the glorious tree +With vesture[2] adorned winsomely shine, 15 +Begirt with gold; bright gems had there +Worthily decked the tree of the Lord.[3] +Yet through that gold I might perceive +Old strife of the wretched, that first it gave +Blood on the stronger [right] side. With sorrows was I oppressed, 20 +Afraid for that fair sight; I saw the ready beacon +Change in vesture and hue; at times with moisture covered, +Soiled with course of blood; at times with treasure adorned. +Yet lying there a longer while, +Beheld I sad the Saviour's tree 25 +Until I heard that words it uttered; +The best of woods gan speak these words: +"'Twas long ago (I remember it still) +That I was hewn at end of a grove, +Stripped from off my stem; strong foes laid hold of me there, 30 +Wrought for themselves a show, bade felons raise me up; +Men bore me on their shoulders, till on a mount they set me; +Fiends many fixed me there. Then saw I mankind's Lord +Hasten with mickle might, for He would sty[4] upon me. +There durst I not 'gainst word of the Lord 35 +Bow down or break, when saw I tremble +The surface of earth; I might then all +My foes have felled, yet fast I stood. +The Hero young begirt[5] Himself, Almighty God was He, +Strong and stern of mind; He stied on the gallows high, 40 +Bold in sight of many, for man He would redeem. +I shook when the Hero clasped me, yet durst not bow to earth, +Fall to surface of earth, but firm I must there stand. +A rood was I upreared; I raised the mighty King, +The Lord of Heaven; I durst not bend me. 45 +They drove their dark nails through me; the wounds are seen upon me, +The open gashes of guile; I durst harm none[6] of them. +They mocked us both together; all moistened with blood was I, +Shed from side of the man, when forth He sent His spirit. +Many have I on that mount endured 50 +Of cruel fates; I saw the Lord of Hosts +Strongly outstretched; darkness had then +Covered with clouds the corse of the Lord, +The brilliant brightness; the shadow continued,[7] +Wan 'neath the welkin. There wept all creation, 55 +Bewailed the King's death; Christ was on the cross. +Yet hastening thither they came from afar +To the Son of the King[8]: that all I beheld. +Sorely with sorrows was I oppressed; yet I bowed 'neath the hands of men, +Lowly with mickle might. Took they there Almighty God, 60 +Him raised from the heavy torture; the battle-warriors left me +To stand bedrenched with blood; all wounded with darts was I. +There laid they the weary of limb, at head of His corse they stood, +Beheld the Lord of Heaven, and He rested Him there awhile, +Worn from the mickle war. Began they an earth-house to work, 65 +Men in the murderers'[9] sight, carved it of brightest stone, +Placed therein victories' Lord. Began sad songs to sing +The wretched at eventide; then would they back return +Mourning from the mighty prince; all lonely[10] rested He there. +Yet weeping[11] we then a longer while 70 +Stood at our station: the [voice[12]] arose +Of battle-warriors; the corse grew cold, +Fair house of life. Then one gan fell +Us[13] all to earth; 'twas a fearful fate! +One buried us in deep pit, yet of me the thanes of the Lord, 75 +His friends, heard tell; [from earth they raised me],[14] +And me begirt with gold and silver. +Now thou mayst hear, my dearest man, +That bale of woes[15] have I endured, +Of sorrows sore. Now the time is come, 80 +That me shall honor both far and wide +Men upon earth, and all this mighty creation +Will pray to this beacon. On me God's Son +Suffered awhile; so glorious now +I tower to Heaven, and I may heal 85 +Each one of those who reverence me; +Of old I became the hardest of pains, +Most loathsome to ledes[16] [nations], the way of life, +Right way, I prepared for mortal men.[17] +Lo! the Lord of Glory honored me then 90 +Above the grove,[18] the guardian of Heaven, +As He His mother, even Mary herself, +Almighty God before all men +Worthily honored above all women. +Now thee I bid, my dearest man, 95 +That thou this sight shalt say to men, +Reveal in words, 'tis the tree of glory, +On which once suffered Almighty God +For the many sins of all mankind, +And also for Adam's misdeeds of old. 100 +Death tasted He there; yet the Lord arose +With His mickle might for help to men. +Then stied He to Heaven; again shall come +Upon this mid-earth to seek mankind +At the day of doom the Lord Himself, 105 +Almighty God, and His angels with Him; +Then He will judge, who hath right of doom, +Each one of men as here before +In this vain life he hath deserved. +No one may there be free from fear 110 +In view of the word that the Judge will speak. +He will ask 'fore the crowd, where is the man +Who for name of the Lord would bitter death +Be willing to taste, as He did on the tree. +But then they will fear, and few will bethink them 115 +What they to Christ may venture to say. +Then need there no one be filled with fear[19] +Who bears in his breast the best of beacons; +But through the rood a kingdom shall seek +From earthly way each single soul 120 +That with the Lord thinketh to dwell." +Then I prayed to the tree with joyous heart, +With mickle might, when I was alone +With small attendance[20]; the thought of my mind +For the journey was ready; I've lived through many 125 +Hours of longing. Now 'tis hope of my life +That the victory-tree I am able to seek, +Oftener than all men I alone may +Honor it well; my will to that +Is mickle in mind, and my plea for protection 130 +To the rood is directed. I've not many mighty +Of friends on earth; but hence went they forth +From joys of the world, sought glory's King; +Now live they in Heaven with the Father on high, +In glory dwell, and I hope for myself 135 +On every day when the rood of the Lord, +Which here on earth before I viewed, +In this vain life may fetch me away +And bring me then, where bliss is mickle, +Joy in the Heavens, where the folk of the Lord 140 +Is set at the feast, where bliss is eternal; +And may He then set me where I may hereafter +In glory dwell, and well with the saints +Of joy partake. May the Lord be my friend, +Who here on earth suffered before 145 +On the gallows-tree for the sins of man! +He us redeemed, and gave to us life, +A heavenly home. Hope was renewed, +With blessing and bliss, for the sufferers of burning. +The Son was victorious on that fateful journey, 150 +Mighty and happy,[21] when He came with a many,[22] +With a band of spirits to the kingdom of God, +The Ruler Almighty, for joy to the angels +And to all the saints, who in Heaven before +In glory dwelt, when their Ruler came, 155 +Almighty God, where was His home. + + [1] _Feowere_, B.'s emendation for MS. _faegere_, 'fair.' + + [2] Silken cords, or tassels, W.; sailyards, ropes, in Hall + and Sweet. + + [3] _Wealdendes_, S.'s emendation for MS. _wealdes_, 'wood'; + so Kl. + + [4] Sty, 'mount,' common in Middle English. + + [5] Here and below W. gives the corresponding verses from the + Ruthwell Cross. They will also be found in Stopford + Brooke's "Early English Literature," p. 337, q.v. + + [6] Gr. changes MS. _naenigum_ to _aenigum_ and others follow; + W. as MS. + + [7] _Foreth-eode_, not _for-etheode_, 'overcame,' as Sw. W.'s note + is an oversight. + + [8] MS. _to žam aeethelinge_. Sw. follows Ruthwell Cross, _aeethele + to anum_. + + [9] _Banan_ must be taken as gen. pl.; B. reads _banana_; Sw. + thinks it "a mistake for some other [word], possibly + _beorg_," and takes _banan_ as gen. sing. referring to the + cross, though he adds, "this is very improbable." Truly so, + as the cross is speaking. + + [10] _Maete werode_, lit., 'with a small band,' but it means + 'by himself.' + + [11] _Greotende_ is Gr.'s emendation for MS. _reotende_; B. + _hreotende_; K. _geotende_; Sw. as Gr. + + [12] _Stefn_ is Kl.'s emendation to fill _lacuna_. W. prefers + it, but does not think it convincing. + + [13] _Us_ here must refer to the _three_ crosses, that of + Christ and those of the two thieves. + + [14] This half-line is Gr.'s emendation to fill _lacuna_ in + MS. Sw. and W. leave it blank. + + [15] Or, 'of the wicked,' 'of criminals.' + + [16] I have used this Middle English word for sake of the + alliteration. + + [17] Sw.'s text ends here. It was translated a few years ago + in _Poet-Lore_ as if it were the whole poem. + + [18] MS. _holmwudu_; K. _holtwudu_, and so Gr. with (?). + + [19] MS. _unforht_, but Gr.'s _anforht_ suits the sense + better. + + [20] i.e., 'by myself.' See on 69. + + [21] Lit., 'speedy,' 'successful.' + + [22] A company, a crowd; common in Middle English. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Elene; Judith; Athelstan, or the Fight +at Brunanburh; Byrhtnoth, or the Fight at Maldon; and the Dream of the Rood, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ELENE AND OTHERS *** + +***** This file should be named 15879.txt or 15879.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/8/7/15879/ + +Produced by David Starner, Annika Feilbach and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. (www.pgdp.net) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |