The Dream of the Rood
- 1
- Hwæt , ic swefna cyst secgan wylle,
hwæt me gemætte to midre nihte,
syðþan reordberend reste wunedon .
Þuhte me þæt ic gesawe syllicre treow
- 5
- on lyft lædan , leohte bewunden ,
beama beorhtost . Eall þætbeacen wæs
begoten mid golde; gimmas stodon
fægere æt foldan sceatum , swylce þær fife wæron
uppe on þūm eaxlegespanne . Beheoldon þær engel Dryhtnes ealle
- 10
- fægere þurh forðgesceaft ; ne wæs ðær huru fracodes gealga,
ac hine þær beheoldon halige gastas,
men ofer moldan and eall þeos mære gesceaft.
Syllic wæs se sigebeam , ic synnum fah,
forwunded mid wommum . Geseah ic wuldres treow
- 15
- wædum geweorðod wynnum sc inan,
gegyred mid golde; gimmas hæfdon
bewrigen weorðl ice Wealdendes treow.
Hwæðre ic þurh þæt gold ongytan meahte
earmra ærgewin , þæt hit ærest ongan
- 20
- swætan on þa sw iðran healfe. Eall ic wæs mid sorgum gedrefed
forht ic wæs for þære fægran gesyhðe
geseah ic þæt fuse beacen
wendan wædum and bleom ; hwilumhit wæs mid wætan bestemed,
beswyled mid swates gange , hw ilum mid since gegyrwed.
Hwæðre ic þær licgende lange hw ile
- 25
- beheold hreowcearig Hælendes treow,
oð ðæt ic gehyrde þæt hit hleoðrode
ongan þa word sprecan wudu selesta:
‘þæt wæs geara iu - ic þæt gyta geman -
þæt ic wæs aheawen holtes on ende,
- 30
- astyred of stefne m inum. Genaman me ðær strange feondas,
geworhton him þær to wæfersyne , heton me heora wergas hebban ;
bæron me þær beornas on eaxlum , oð ðæt hie me on beorg asetton;
gefæstnodon me þær feondas genoge .
Geseah ic þa Frean mancynnes
efstan elne mycle, þæt
he me wolde on gestigan.
- 35
- Þær ic þa ne dorste ofer
Dryhtnes word
bugan oððe berstan, þa ic
bifian geseah
eorðan sceatas . Ealle ic mihte
feondas gefyllan, hwæðre ic fæste
stod.
Ongyrede hine þa geong hæleð
- þæt wæs God ælmihtig! -
- 40
- strang st iðmod ; gestah he on
gealgan heanne,
modig on manigra gesyhðe, þa
he wolde mancyn lysan.
Bifode ic þa me se beorn ymbclypte ; ne dorste ic hwæðre
bugan to eorðan,
feallan to foldan sceatum, ac ic sceolde fæste standan.
Rod wæs ic aræred; ahof ic r icne Cyning,
- 45
- heofona Hlaford; hyldan me ne dorste.
Þurhdrifan h i me mid deorcan næglum;
on me syndon þu dolg gesiene,
opene inwidhlemmas ; ne dorste ic hira ænigum
sceððan.
Bysmeredon hie unc butu ætgædere;
eall ic wæs mid blode bestemed,
begoten of þæs guman s idan
siððan he hæfde his gast onsended.
- 50
- 'Feala ic on þam beorge gebiden
hæbbe
wraðra wyrda : geseah ic weruda
God
þearle þenian . Þystro
hæfdon violently,
bewrigen mid wolcnum Wealdendes hræw ,
scirne sciman ; sceadu forð eode,
- 55
- wann under wolcnum. Weop eal gesceaft ,
cwiðdon Cyninges fyll : Crist wæs
on rode.
Hwæðere þær fuse feorran
cwoman
to þam Æðelinge; ic þæt eall beheold.
Sare ic wæs mid sorgum gedrefed ,
hnag ic hwæðre þam secgum to handa
- 60
- eaðmod , elne mycle. Genamon
hie þær ælmihtigne God,
ahofon hine of ðam hefian wite ;
forleton me þa hilderincas
standan steame bedrifenne ; eall ic
wæs mid strælum forwundod.
Aledon hie ðær limwerigne ;
gestodon him æt his lices heafdum;
beheoldon hie ðær heofenes Dryhten,
and he hine ðær hw ile reste,
- 65
- meðe æfter ðam miclan gewinne .
Ongunnon him þa moldern wyrcan
beornas on banan gesyhðe, curfon
hie ðæt of beorhtan stane;
gesetton h ie ðæron sigora Wealdend.
Ongunnon him þa sorhleoð galan
earme on þu æfentide ,
þa hie woldon eft siðian ,
meðe fram þam mæran þeodne ;
reste he ðær mæte weorode .
- 70
- Hwæðere we ðær greotende
gode hwile
stodon on staðole ; stefn up gewat
hilderinca; hræw colode,
fæger feorgbold . Þa us
man fyllan ongan
ealle to eorðan; þæt wæs egeslic wyrd!
- 75
- Bedealf us man on deopan seaþe .
Hwæðre me þær Dryhtnes þegnas,
freondas gefrunon ,
gyredon me golde and seolfre.
'Nu ðu miht gehyran, hæleð min se
leofa , beloved (ns)
þæt ic bealuwara weorc gebiden
hæbbe,
- 80
- sarra sorga . Is nu sæl
cumen
þæt me weorðiað wide and
side
menn ofer moldan eall þeos mære
gesceaft,
gebiddaþ him to þyssum beacne.
On me Bearn Godes
þrowode hwile; forþan ic þrymfæst
nu
- 85
- hlifige under heofenum, ic hælan
mæg
æghwylcne anra, þara þe
him bið egesa to me.
Iu ic wæs geworden wita
heardost,
leodum laðost , ær þan
ic him lifes weg
rihtne gerymde , reordberendum.
- 90
- Hwæt, me þa geweorþode
wuldres Ealdor
ofer holtwudu , heofonrices Weard,
swylce swa he his modor eac, Marian sylfe,
ælmihtig God for ealle menn
geweorðode ofer eall wifa cynn.
- 95
- 'Nu ic þe hate , hæleð
m in se leofa,
þæt ðu þas gesyhðe
secge mannum;
onwreoh wordum þæt hit is wuldres
beam,
se ðe ælmihtig God on þrowode
for mancynnes manegum synnum
- 100
- and Adomes ealdgewyrhtum ;
deað he þær byrigde . Hwæðere
eft Dryhten aras
mid his miclan mihte mannum to helpe.
He ða on heofenas astag . Hider eft
fundaþ
on þysne middangeard mancynn secan
- 105
- on domdæge Dryhten sylfa,
ælmihtig God, his englas mid,
þæt he þonne wile deman ,
se ah domes geweald,
anra gehwylcum swa he him ærur her
previously
on þyssum lænan life geearnaþ .
- 110
- Ne mæg þær ænig unforht
wesan ,
for þam worde þe se Wealdend cwyð;
frineð he for þære mænige
hwær se man sie ,
se ðe for Dryhtnes naman deaðes wolde
biteres onbyrigan , swa he ær on ðam
beame dyde.
- 115
- Ac hie þonne forhtiað , and
fea þencaþ
hwæt hie to Criste cweðan onginnen .
Ne þearf ðær þonne ænig
anforht wesan
þe him ær in breostum bereð
beacna selest;
ac ðurh ða rode sceal rice gesecan
- 120
- of eorðwege æghwylc sawl,
seo þe mid Wealdende wunian þenceð .’
Gebæd ic me þa to þam beame
bliðe mode,
elne mycle, þær ic ana wæs
mæte werede. Wæs modsefa
- 125
- afysed on forðwege , feala ealra
gebad
langunghwila. Is me nu lifes hyht
þæt ic þone sigebeam secan
mote
ana oftor þonne ealle men,
well weorþian. Me is willa to ðam
- 130
- mycel on mode, and min mundbyrd is
geriht to þære rode. Nah ic
ricra feala
freonda on foldan, ac hie forð heonon
gewiton of worulde dreamum , sohton
him wuldres Cyning;
lifiaþ nu on heofenum mid Heahfædere,
- 135
- wuniaþ on wuldre; ic wene me
daga gehwylce hwænne me Dryhtnes rod,
þe ic her on eorðan ær sceawode,
on þysson lænan life gefetige,
and me þonne gebringe þær is
blis mycel,
- 140
- dream on heofonum, þær is Dryhtnes
folc
geseted to symle , þær
is singal blis;
and me þonne asette þær ic syþþan
mot
wunian on wuldre, well mid þam halgum
dreames brucan . Si me Dryhten freond,
- 145
- se ðe her on eorþan ær þrowode
on þam gealgtreowe for guman synnum;
he us onlysde us lif forgeaf,
heofonlicne ham. Hiht wæs geniwad
mid bledum mid blisse, þam þe
þær bryne þolodan .
- 150
- Se Sunu wæs sigorfæst on
þam siðfate ,
mihtig and spedig , þa he mid manigeo
com,
gasta weorode, on Godes rice,
Anwealda ælmihtig, englum to blisse
and eallum ðam halgum þam þe on
heofonum ær
- 155
- wunedon on wuldre, þa heora Wealdend
cwom,
ælmihtig God, þær his eðel
wæs.
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