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IX
Then the Eternal Lord allowed them to travel upwards
in their glory. He had inflicted chains of torment
upon the fiends, and thrust them further
into the abjected darkness, bowed them down into constraint,
where now Satan harangues them darkly,
that wretched monster, and the terrible ones with him,
wearied with tortures. Not at all may they
hold the light of glory, but only the bottom of hell,
nor may they ever hope for their return
afterwards. The Lord God became angered
with them, and gave them the chains of torment,
pain as possession, and the despair of terror,
the shadows of death, dim and darkened,
the hot ground of hell and the fear of death. (441-54)
That, lo, was lovely when the foot soldiers returned
up to their homeland, with the Eternal amid them,
the Measurer of Mankind, into that renowned city!
They heaved them up among them upon holy hands,
the prophets up to their native land, the kindred of Abraham.
Then the Lord himself had subjugated death
and put the enemy to flight. That in days of old
the prophets had said that he would do so.
This was all accomplished in the early morning,
before the rush of dawn, that the crashing came down
loud from heaven, when the doors of hell
were broken open and bowed down. The killers were worn down
when they spied the beams of light so radiant. (455-67)
Then was the Eldest Child of God sitting among his army,
and he said in truth-words: “Wise spirits,
I have wrought you all through my might,
Adam first and his noble wife.
Then they begat by the pleasure of God
forty children so that forth from there
a multitude was born in middle-earth
and they were allowed to dwell for many winters,
noblemen in the native lands, until it soon happened
that the enemy in his crimes soon estranged them.
Fault is everywhere! (468-78)
“I set up in this new Paradise-plain
a tree with branches, so that the boughs bore
apples high up in them, and you two ate them,
the bright fruits as the harmer ordered you to,
the hand-thane of hell. Therefore you held the hot deeps
because you disobeyed the word of the Savior,
and ate this terrible thing. The monster was before you,
the one that gave you both baleful thoughts. (479-86)
“Then I rued that my own handiwork
should suffer the bonds of this prison.
There was no capacity of men, no power of angels,
no deed of prophets, no wisdom of humans,
that might assist you, except the Savior God,
he who established that torment before in revenge.
I ventured to earth, through the office of women,
down from my native home, and experienced on earth
many tortures and much injury.
Many men contrived about me,
by day and by night, how they might
do me the blow of death, the rulers of realms. (487-98)
Then did the appointed time pass by
that I was in this world, a count of winters,
three and thirty years, before I was to suffer.
I remembered this multitude and my home—
long might I lead them from captivity to home,
upwards to my homeland, so that they should possess
the glories of the Lord and the majesty of his magnificence.
They should dwell in delights, having the fruits of glory
by the thousands. I interceded for you
when men stuck me with spears upon the cross,
upon the gallows. The young man struck me there—
and I came soon upwards to the eternal joys
and to the Holy Lord.” (499-511)
X
So spoke the Warden of Glory wordfully,
the Measurer of Mankind, early in the morning
after the Lord God had arisen from death.
There was no stone so strongly fastened,
though it were entirely embraced by iron,
that could oppose his great power,
but he went out, the Lord of Angels,
into the fastness and ordered his angels
all-bright to bring near his cherished disciples
and ordered them to say especially to Simon Peter
that he could look lout for God in Galilee,
active and eternal, just as he did before. (512-23)
Then I have heard that the disciples went together,
all of them to Galilee—they had the fruit of the spirit,
perceiving the Son of Holy God
so they saw where the Son of the Measurer
as he stood on high, the Eternal Lord,
God in Galilee. The disciples all ran
to that one, to where the Eternal was.
They fell upon the ground, and bowed to his feet,
thanking their Prince that it had thus happened
that they had seen the Shaper of Angels.
Then at once spoke Simon Peter: (524-34)
“Are you, Lord, worthied with this glory?
We have seen you at one moment,
a heathen man laying hateful bonds upon you
with his hands. It will grieve them
when they are soon shown their final fate.” (535-39)
Some could not recognize him in their hearts
One, named Didimus, was dear to the Lord
before he handled the Savior with his own hands
about the side where he was losing blood.
It fell to the earth, baptism’s bath.
Lovely was that action that the Free Lord
endured, our Prince.
He mounted onto the cross and his blood poured out,
God upon the gallows, through the power of his spirit. (540-48)
Therefore men must at all times
say thanks to the Lord in their deeds and works,
because he led us home out of captivity,
upwards to the homeland, where he should own
the glory of the Lord,
and we in our delights are allowed to dwell.
For us is the light of glory
revealed brightly, to those who think well. (549-56)
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