Ælfric's Life of St Edmund

Part II: Miracles after Death (lines 223-331)

(223) Hwæt ða se flothere ferde eft to scipe, and behyddon° þæt heafod þæs halgan Eadmundes on þam þiccum° bremelum° þæt hit bebyrged° ne wurde.
concealed (pret 3p), dense (dpm), brambles (dp), buried (p ptc)

(225) Þa æfter fyrste°, syððan hi afarene° wæron, com þæt landfolc° to þe þær to lafe wæs þa, þær heora hlafordes lic læg butan heafde, and wurdon swiðe sarige° for his slege on mode, and huru° þæt hi næfdon þæt heafod to þam bodige°.
a while (ds), departed (p ptc npm), native population (ns), sorrowful (npm), especially, body (ds)

(228) Þa sæde se sceawere° þe hit ær geseah þæt þa flotmen hæfdon þæt heafod mid him, and wæs him geðuht swa swa hit wæs ful soð þæt hi behyddon þæt heafod on þam holte° forhwega°.
observer (ns), forest (ds), somewhere

(232) Hi eodon þa secende ealle endemes° to þam wuda, secende gehwær geond þyfelas° and bremelas gif hi ahwær° mihton gemeton° þæt heafod.
together, bushes (ap), anywhere, to find

(234) Wæs eac micel wundor þæt an wulf wearð asend°, þurh Godes wissunge° to bewerigenne° þæt heafod wið þa oþre deor°, ofer dæg and niht.
sent (p ptc), guidance (ds), protect (infl inf), wild animals (ap)

(236) Hi eodon þa secende, and symle clypigende°, swa swa hit gewunelic° is þam ðe on wuda gað oft, "Hwær eart þu nu gefera°?"
calling (pres ptc), customary (nsn), friend (ns)

(238) And him andwyrde þæt heafod, "Her, her, her"; and swa gelome° clypode andswarigende him eallum, swa oft swa heora ænig clypode, oþþæt hi ealle becomen° þurh ða clypunga him to.
frequently, came (pret 3p)

(240) Þa læg se græga° wulf þe bewiste° þæt heafod, and mid his twam fotum° hæfde þæt heafod beclypped°, grædig and hungrig, and for Gode ne dorste þæs heafdes abyrian°, and heold hit wið deor.
grey (nsm), guarded (pret 3s), feet (dp), clasped (p ptc), to eat

(243) Þa wurdon hi ofwundrode° þæs wulfes hyrdrædenne°, and þæt halige heafod ham feredon mid him, þancigende þam ælmihtigan ealra his wundra; ac se wulf folgode° forð mid þam heafde oþþæt hi to tune comon, swylce he tam° wære, and gewende eft siþþan to wuda ongean°.
astonished (p ptc npm), guardianship (ds), tame (nsm), back

(247) Þa landleoda þa siþþan ledon þæt heafod to þam halgan bodige, and bebyrigdon° hine swa swa hi selost mihton on swylcere hrædinge° and cyrcan° arærdan° sona him onuppon°.
buried (pret 3p), haste (ds), church (ds), established (pret 3p), above (+ dat)

(251) Eft þa on fyrste, æfter fela gearum, þa seo hergung° geswac° and sibb° wearð forgifen° þam geswenctan° folce, þa fengon° hi togædere and worhton° ane cyrcan wurðlice° þam halgan, forþanðe gelome° wundra wurdon æt his byrgene°, æt þam gebædhuse° þær he bebyrged wæs.
harrying (ns), ceased (pret 3s), peace (ns), given (p ptc), afflicted (dsn), gathered (pret 3p), built (pret 3p), splendidly, frequently, grave (ds), prayer-house (ds)

(255) Hi woldon þa ferian° mid folclicum° wurðmynte° þone halgan lichaman, and læcgan innan þære cyrcan.
to carry, public (dsn), dignity (ds)

(256) Þa wæs micel wundor þæt he wæs eall swa gehal° swylce he cucu wære mid clænum lichaman, and his swura° wæs gehalod° þe ær wæs forslagen°, and wæs swylce an seolcen° þræd° embe his swuran ræd°, mannum to sweotelunge° hu he ofslagen wæs.
intact nsm), neck (ns), healed (p ptc), cut through (p ptc), silken (nsm), thread (ns), red (nsm), evidence (ds)

(260) Eac swilce þa wunda° þe þa wælhreowan hæþenan mid gelomum° scotungum on his lice° macodon°, wæron gehælede° þurh þone heofonlican God, and he liþ swa ansund° oþ þisne andwerdan° dæg, andbidigende° æristes°, and þæs ecan° wuldres.
wounds (np), frequent (dpf), body (ds), made (pret 3p), healed (p ptc npf), uncorrupted (nsm), present (asm), waiting (pres ptc + gen), resurrection (gs), eternal (gsn)

(264) His lichaman us cyð°, þe lið unformolsnod°, þæt he butan forligre° her on worulde leofode, and mid clænum life to Criste siþode°.
reveals (pres 3s), undecayed (nsm), fornication (ds), travelled (pret 3s)

(267) Sum wudewe wunode Oswyn gehaten æt þæs halgan byrgene° on gebedum° and fæstenum° manega gear syððan.
burial place (ds), prayers (dp), fasts (dp)

(268) Seo wolde efsian° ælce geare þone Sanct, and his næglas° ceorfan° syferlice° mid lufe, and on scryne° healdan to haligdome on weofode°.
to cut [the hair], fingernails (ap), to cut, neatly, chest (ds), altar (ds)

(271) Þa wurðode þæt landfolc mid geleafan þone sanct, and þeodred bisceop þearle° mid gifum on golde and on seolfre, þam sancte to wurðmynte.
greatly

(273) Þa comon on sumne sæl° ungesælige° þeofas, eahta° on anre nihte to þam arwurðan° halgan, woldon stelan þa maðmas° þe men þyder brohton, and cunnodon mid cræfte hu hi in cumon mihton.
occasion (as), wretched (npm), eight (npm), honourable (dsm), treasures (ap)

(276) Sum sloh mid slecge° swiðe þa hæpsan°, sum heora mid feolan° feolode° abutan, sum eac underdealf° þa duru° mid spade°, sum heora mid hlæddre° wolde unlucan° þæt ægðyrl°; ac hi swuncon° on idel, and earmlice ferdon, swa þæt se halga wer hi wundorlice geband°, ælcne swa he stod strutigende° mid tole°, þæt heora nan ne mihte þæt morð° gefremman, ne hi þanon astyrian°, ac stodon swa oð mergen°.
sledge-hammer (ds), hasp (as), file (ds), filed (pret 3s), dug under (pret 3s), door (as), shovel (ds), ladder (ds), to unlock, window (as), toiled (pret 3p), held fast (pret 3s), struggling (pres ptc), tool (ds), crime (as), to move, morning (as)

(282) Men þa þæs wundrodon° hu þa weargas° hangodon°, sum on hlæddre, sum leat° to gedelfe°, and ælc on his weorce wæs fæste gebunden.
marvelled (pret 3p), criminals (np), hung (pret 3p), stooped (pret 3s), digging (ds)

(284) Hi wurdon þa gebrohte to þam bisceope ealle, and he het hi hon° on heagum gealgum° ealle; ac he næs na gemyndig hu se mildheorta God clypode þurh his witegan° þas word þe her standað, Eos qui ducuntur ad mortem eruere ne cesses; þa þe man læt° to deaðe alys° hi ut symble.
to be hanged, gallows (dp), prophet (ds), leads (pres 3s), release (imp s)

(288) And eac þa halgan canones° gehadodum° forbeodað° ge bisceopum ge preostum, to beonne embe þeofas, forþanþe hit ne gebyraþ° þam þe beoð gecorene Gode to þegnigenne° þæt hi geþwærlæcan° sceolon on æniges mannes deaðe, gif hi beoð Drihtnes þenas°.
church laws (np), ordained [ones] (dpm), forbid (pres 3p + dat of person), befits (pres 3s), serve (infl inf), to assent, retainers (np)

(292) Eft þa Ðeodred bisceop sceawode° his bec syððan behreowsode° mid geomerunge° þæt he swa reðne dom sette þam ungesæligum þeofum, and hit besargode° æfre oð his lifes ende; and þa leode bæd georne°, þæt hi him mid fæstan° fullice° þry dagas, biddende þone ælmihtigan þæt he him arian° scolde.
looked at (pret 3s), repented (pret 3s), sadness (ds) regretted (pret 3s) zealously, fasted (pret subj 3p), fully, to pardon

(298) On þam lande wæs sum man, Leofstan gehaten, rice° for worulde and unwittig° for Gode, se rad to þam halgan mid riccetere° swiðe, and het him æteowian° orhlice° swiðe þone halgan sanct hwæþer he gesund wære, ac swa hraðe swa he geseah þæs sanctes lichaman, þa awedde° he sona and wælhreowlice° grymetede°, and earmlice geendode yfelum deaðe.
powerful (nsm), ignorant (nsm), arrogance (ds), to show, insolently, went mad (pret 3s), horribly, raged (pret 3s)

(303) Þis is ðam gelic° þe se geleaffulla° papa Gregorius sæde on his gesetnysse° be ðam halgan Laurentie ðe lið on Romebyrig, þæt menn woldon sceawian symle hu he lage, ge gode ge yfele, ac God hi gestilde°, swa þæt þær swulton° on þære sceawunge ane seofon menn ætgædere.
similar to (nsn + dat), faithful (nsm), narrative (ds), stopped (pret 3s), died (pret 3p)

(307) Þa geswicon° þa oþre to sceawigenne° þone martyr mid menniscum° gedwylde°.
ceased (pret 3p), look at (infl inf), human (dsn), error (ds)

(309) Fela wundra we gehyrdon on folclicre° spræce° be þam halgan Eadmunde þe we her nellaþ on gewrite° settan, ac hi wat gehwa.
vernacular (ds), speech (ds), writing (ds)

(310) On þyssum halgan is swutel°, and on swilcum oþrum, þæt God ælmihtig mæg þone man aræran° eft on domes dæg andsundne° of eorþan, se þe hylt° Eadmunde halne his lichaman, oð þone micclan dæg, þeah ðe he of moldan° come.
manifest (ns), to raise, uncorrupted (asm), keeps (pres 3s), earth (ds)

(314) WyrÝe° is seo stow° for ßam wurÝfullan halgan ß¾t hi man wurßige° and wel gelogige° mid cl¾num Godes ßeowum, to Cristes ßeowdome, forßanße se halga is m¾rra° ßonne men magon asmeagan°.
worthy (nsf), place (ns), might honour (pres subj 3s), might equip (pres subj 3s), more illustrious, to understand

(318) Nis Angelcynn bedæled° Drihtnes halgena, þonne on Englalanda licgaþ swilce halgan swylce þæs halga cyning is, and Cuþberht se eadiga°, and sancte Æþeldryð on Elig, and eac hire swustor, ansunde on lichaman, geleafan° to trymminge°.
deprived (p ptc), blessed (nsm), of belief, confirmation (ds)

(321) Synd eac fela oðre on Angelcynne halgan þe fela wundra wyrcað, swa swa hit wide is cuð þam ælmihtigan to lofe°, þe hi on gelyfdon°.
praise (ds), believed (pret 3p)

(323) Crist geswutelaþ° mannum þurh his mæran halgan þæt he is ælmihtig God þe macað° swilce wundra þeah þe þa earman Iudei hine eallunge° wiðsocen°, forþan þe hi synd awyrgede° swa swa hi wiscton° him sylfum.
reveals (pres 3s), makes (pres 3s), utterly, renounced (pret subj 3s), accursed (npm), wished (pret 3p)

(326) Ne beoð nane wundra geworhte æt heora byrgenum°, forðanþe hi ne gelyfað on þone lifigendan Crist, ac Crist geswutelað mannum hwær se soða geleafa is, þonne he swylce wundra wyrcð þurh his halgan wide geond þas eorðan.
tombs (dp)

(330) Þæs him sy wuldor a° mid his heofonlican fæder, and þam halgan gaste a buton ende; AMEN.
forever