She spoke to him unstintingly and enticed him all day
to that darksome deed that defied their Lord’s will.
The wrathful herald remained there, placing his desires into them
and seducing them with skill, pursuing him perilously.
The fiend was quite near who on that dangerous journey
had ventured across the distant way; he planned to cast down
humanity into that great death, to corrupt and deceive the race,
so that they gave up the lordly grant of God, the Almighty’s gift,
the power of heaven’s realm. (684-94a)
Lo! the hell-harmer readily knew that they should have God’s ire
and the torments of Hell, and by need take up its constraining evil
since they had broken the command of God when he deceived
with lying words that lovely woman to that foolish deed,
that lady most shining, so that she spoke his desires.
He was an aid to her in undoing Adam, the handiwork of God. (694b-703a)
She, the fairest of women, spoke then to Adam quite pressingly,
until the servant of God began to be turned in his mind,
so that he trusted the promises that the woman said to him wordfully.
Yet she did it through a gracious heart, not knowing that there
would be so many hurts, the harms of sin that must ensue
for mankind, after she took into her head and heeded
the teachings of that hateful herald, supposing that
she wrought the favor of the Heaven-King with her words
and she showed such signs to her husband and promised him such troth
until Adam within his breast changed his mind
and began to turn his heart towards her desires. (704-17a)
Sunday, May 15, 2011
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