The Anglo-Saxon Narrative Poetry Project

Phoenix VIII and complete

2012-01-25T18:47:00.000-08:00

Here is the conclusion to The Phoenix. Most challenging is this final stanza, which presents macaronic alliterative verse in both Latin and Anglo-Saxon. Still chewing on what to do there, but my interim lines are presented below.

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Then holy Christ, high over its roofs, will shine
upon the sooth-fast souls. Brilliant birds follow him,
brightly renewed, exultant in bliss in the gladsome home,
selected spirits, eternal forever. There evil cannot
do him injury, the stained fiend with malicious crimes,
yet there an illuminated host lives forever,
just as that bird the Phoenix, in the peace of the Lord,
lovely in glory. The deeds of each one sparkles
brightly in that blissful home ever in concord,
before the face of the Eternal Lord, just like the sun.
There the brightest bracelet, set with wondrous
precious stones, each one blessed, towering overhead.
Their heads glisten, covered by majesty.
The wonderful crown of the Prince graces each one
of the sooth-fast, light in their life, where that lengthy joy,
eternal and forever young, will never diminish,
but they will abide in beauty, arrayed in glory,
with lovely ornaments, by the Father of Angels. (589-610)

Nor will there be anything in that place to sorrow them
evil nor poverty nor days of struggle, burning hunger
nor severe thirst, misery nor old age. The Noble King
shall grant them every good thing. There the flock of souls
shall exalt the Savior and shall celebrate the power
of the Heaven-King, mounting praises to the Measurer.
The heavenly host shall sing the greatest of songs,
clear about the holy throne of God, blessing the best
and joyous Lord, abounding amid the angels,
speaking thus in harmonious voices:
“Peace be to you, true God, and your wisdom-craft,
and thanks be to you sitting in majesty for these fresh gifts,
each one good! Great strength and unmatched in power,
high and holy! The heavens are filled with your fairness,
Father Almighty, majesty of all majesties, with your glory
up among the angels and upon the earth at the same time.
Protect us, Shaper of Beginnings! You are our Father
Almighty in your heights, the Warden of Heaven!” (611-31)

Thus regale the right-doing, cleansed of their evils,
in the famous city. They proclaim the kingly majesty,
singing the praises of the Emperor in the skies,
the multitude of the truth-fast, for whom alone
is their honor perpetual forwards without end.
There was never a start, a beginning of his blessing.
Though he was conceived in childhood here on earth,
in the middle-land, yet the bounty of his power,
holy and high over heaven, remains, a glory unending.
Though he must suffer the blow of death on the rood tree,
that terrible torment, by the third day after his body’s fall
he assumed life again through the help of the Father.
So the Phoenix signifies, fresh in the fold, the might
of the God-child, when he rises once more from the ashes
into the life of lives, equipped with his limbs.
So the Savior effected us aid, through the parting
of his life, life without end, so the bird lades
his two wings with sweet and pleasant herbs,
with fair earth-fruits, when he becomes incited. (632-54)

Those are the words, just as the books say to us,
the speech of the sainted, whose heart will be kindled
to heaven, to the merciful God, into the joy of joys,
where they bring to their Lord, to their Measurer,
the wholesome scent of their words and deeds
as a gift into that famous creation, into that light life.
May their praises to him be enduring through this world of worlds,
and the fruit of glory, power and honor,
in the lofty kingdom of heaven. He is by rights
the King of middle-earth and the power majestic,
wound about with glory in that beautiful city. (655-66)

The Author of Light has granted us
that we may here obtain
attain with good deeds joy in heaven
that we may in the greatest kingdom
seek out and occupy in that high seat,
live in the delight of light and peace
possess a home of pleasant gladness
enjoy fruiting days gracious and mild
see the Lord of Victories with everlasting praise
blessed amid the angels. Hallelujah! (667-77)

Phoenix VII comes limping

2012-01-24T05:02:00.000-08:00

There it is, part 7 of The Phoenix, presented for your reading pleasure, although I am not happy with it. There were parts that seemed to need lots of extra license in order to function and I'm still figuring out whether that was okay to do. It probably is, but I need to reconcile myself to it. Other parts need some poetic recasting once I've digested the mostly literal translation. We'll see how it goes...

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There those life-homes, clean of their sins shall go
glad-minded, turning their spirits in their bone-vessels,
when the burning ascends high to the heavens.
Many will be hot, terrifyingly kindled when every one
the truthfast and the sinning, soul with the body,
from the mouldy grave shall seek the glory of the Lord,
terrified. The flames will be in motion, ignited by sin.
There those blessed men shall be, after their season of exile,
clothed by their works, their own deeds.
That is what those noble and winsome herbs betoken,
that wild fowl among them, his own nest surrounding him without,
which is suddenly burned by the fire, scorched under the sun,
and himself therein, and then after the flames
life is again taken up renewed. So will be any one
of the kindred of men clothed in flesh, unique
and revived, who works his own will here on earth
so that the mighty Glory-King at the judgment
shall become merciful unto him. Then the holy souls
shall sing, the spirits truthfast, heaving up their song,
the pure and the elect, praising the majesty of the King,
voice after voice, ascending to glory—
lovely scented amid their good deeds.
Then the ghosts of men shall be cleansed,
brightly purified by the burning flames. (518-45)

Let none of the sons of men reckon that I render
with false words this song, or write only in verse-craft.
Hear the prophecy of the story of Job.
By the fruit of the soul he was inspired in his breast,
speaking boldly, worthying in glory, and he spoke these words:
“I do not reject it with the thoughts of my heart,
so that in my nest I choose my death-bed, a life-weary man,
and depart thence abjected upon a lengthy journey,
covered by loam, miserable of my former deeds,
in the embrace of earth—and then after death
through the Lord’s gift, just as the Phoenix bird
is allowed to possess life again renewed
after its resurrection, joys with the Lord,
where that beloved throng praised the loved.
I cannot wait for the end of this life forever,
of light and bliss. Though my body must decay
in its mouldy hall, the pleasure of worms,
yet the God of Hosts after the season of death
will release my soul and wake it in glory.
My hope will never be found wanting in my breast,
for which I have everlasting delight fixed in the Lord of Angels.” (546-69)

Thus the aged man in his elder-days sang wise-minded,
God’s messenger, about his resurrection into eternal life,
so that we could understand the more eagerly
the glory-fixed sign that the bright bird betokens
by its burning. The remains of its bones, ashes, and cinders,
he gathers together after the fire-lighting, afterwards
the bird bears them in his claws to the home of his Lord,
towards the sun. There they dwell after for many winters,
renewed with blossoms, everything rejuvenated,
where nothing can menace them with harm in that land.
So now after death through the power of the Lord
soul fares together with body, fairly ornamented,
much like the bird in blessedness with noble scents,
where the lovely and truth-fast sun shines
over the multitude in the city of glory. (570-88)

Phoenix VI

2012-01-22T10:19:00.004-08:00

The Phoenix part six has emerged much like a worm, glorious from its shell. We are now in the explanatory part of the poem, where the miracle of the Phoenix is given its religious explication, and so the translation should sound quite a bit different from its earlier, descriptive portions.

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This is most like, as learned men say to us wordfully
and reveal by writing, the journey of this bird,
when the aged Phoenix forsakes his home and native seat,
and is grown old. He departs weary-hearted,
weighed down by winters, to where he discovers
a high shelter in the woods, and in that he builds
with the most noble twigs and herbs a new abode,
a nest in the grove. There is a great desire in him
to be allowed, soul-young once again, to take up
through the blast of fire life after death and be renewed,
and then seek out his olden home, his sun-bright land
after the flaming bath. Just so when our forefathers,
Adam and Eve our ancestors, forsook that beautiful plain,
the seat of glory, lovely in their tracks, and undertook
the long journey in the harmer’s hand, where the hater,
the miserable wretch, often did them injury. (424-42)

Nevertheless there were many, who obeyed the Measurer
under the heavens with holy customs, glorious deeds,
so that the Lord, Heaven’s High-King, became kindly in his heart
towards them. That is the high tree in which the blessed
now make their abode, where the olden-foe cannot scathe
them a bit with venom, the sign of sin, in this terrible time. (443-50)

There a nest is wrought for them against every malice
by their glorious deeds and the champion of the Lord
when he gives out alms to the wretched, deprived of glory,
and invokes the Lord, the Father as a fulcrum,
and is well employed on forth, and wipes out the iniquities
of this loaned life, the dark deeds of evil,
and he holds the law of the Measurer bold in his breast,
and seeks out his prayers with clean thoughts,
and bends his knee, noble to the earth, and flies
from every evil, the grim guilts, for terror of God,
and yearns glad-minded to perform deeds of the most good.
The shield of God shall be theirs in every journey,
the Warden of Victories, the Will-Giver of Hosts. (451-65a)

These are the herbs, the fruits of the blossom,
which the wild fowl gather under the sky from far and wide
to his dwelling-place, where the Phoenix, fixed in wonder,
against every malice, constructs his nest.
So now in that place the champions of the Measurer
perform his pleasures with mind and might,
and strive for renown, for which the Eternal Almighty
wishes to repay them with blessed reward.
A home shall be established from these herbs for them
in a city of glory as recompense for their works,
because they have kept holy precept, hot at their heart,
welling in their mind, all day and all night,
and they love the Lord, choosing the light
and beloved belief over the worldly wealth.
They have no joyful hope that they will
live long in this loaned life. (465b-81)

Thus the blessed man earns in courage eternal joy
and a heavenly home with the High-King,
until the end of the count of days will come,
when death, a slaughter-greedy warrior, will seize
armed with many weapons, the lives of everyone,
and into the bosom of the earth swiftly send
the captured souls and loaned life-houses,
where they will be covered by loam for a long time
until the coming of the fire. (482-90)

Then many will be led to the moot, the kindred of men—
the Father of Angels, the Truth-King of Victories,
the Lord of Armies will hold council and judge them
with righteousness. Then all men of earth shall all
experience resurrection, just as the Mighty King
commanded, the Lord of Angels, with a trumpet’s voice
across the broad ground, the Savior of Souls.
Through the Lord’s power dark death will be ended
for the blessed. Nobly they shall turn, thronging in crowds,
when this sin-working world shall burns in shame,
kindled in the pyre. Everyone shall become fearful
in their souls when the fire destroys this loaned land-wealth,
the flames consuming all the treasures of earth,
appled gold gripped greedily, speedily swallowed
the adornments of this world. Then in that revelatory hour
the fair and joyous symbol of that bird shall come
into the light for all these men, when all that power shall be raised
from the tombs, gathering up the bones and the body’s limbs
alike, and the spirit of life before the knee of Christ.
Majestically the King from his high throne will shine
upon the holy, the beautiful Gem of Glory.
It would be well for him to be allowed to be
pleasing to God on that sorrowful day. (491-517)

Phoenix V

2012-01-21T17:41:00.000-08:00

An unexpectedly productive day for translation. Here's part V, only three parts (about 250 lines) to go.

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And so the blessed bird after the hour of his death
soon revisits his olden home, fairest on earth.
The birds return from that warfarer sad-minded again
to their homes. Then that noble one is young in his yard.
God alone knows, the King Almighty, what sex he is:
whether female or male. None of the kindred of men
knows that, except the Measurer alone, how those facts
are wonderful, the lovely and ancient decree of the bird’s gender.
There the blessed one may enjoy his homeland,
the welling waters within the wooded glade,
dwelling upon the plain until a thousand winters have run.
Then is the end of his life; the pyre will engulf him
through kindled flame. Yet will it be awakened again
miraculously and wonderfully back to life. (350-67)

Therefore he never fears drooping death,
the sore killing blow, because he knows that life
is always renewed after the flame’s wrack,
the soul after its fall, when it is swiftly restored
from the ashes through the bird’s nature,
rejuvenated under the sheltering sky.
He is both his own son and his dear father,
and always again heir to the remains of his life.
The Mighty Origin of Mankind grants him
that he so wonderfully must become again
the same that he was before, clothed
in feathers, though the fire took him. (368-80)

So every blessed man himself chooses eternal life
after the painful wrack through dark death,
so that he may enjoy the gifts of the Lord
in perpetual bliss after his past days,
and abide ever after in deeds of glory as reward.
The nature of this bird, much like the chosen
thanes of Christ in the cities, betokens how
they held bright joy through the father’s help
in this dangerous time under the heavens,
and how they secured the highest profit
for themselves in that heavenly homeland. (381-92)

We have learned that the Almighty made man and woman
through the fullness of his wonder, and they were
then established in that best corner of the earth,
that the children of men call Paradise-plain,
where there was no want of prosperity while
the word of the Eternal, his holy commandment
would be kept in the newness of their joy.
There hatred harmed them, the malice of their olden-foe,
who offered them eat the fruit of the tree, which they
both ate, with ill counsel over the mercy of God,
and they tasted the forbidden apple. There misery
became bitter for them after the eating and for their heirs,
a grievous feast for their sons and daughters. (393-406)

Their busy teeth were terribly punished after their guilt.
They held the wrath of God, a bitter and baleful sorrow.
Afterwards their child paid for their sorrow, they who
accepted that morsel over the word of the Eternal.
Therefore they must forsake sad-minded the joys of home
through the spite of the serpent, when it deceived
closely our forefather in days of old by its guileful heart,
so that they sought a dwelling far thence
in the valley of death, a sorrowful home.
A better life was hidden from them in shadow,
and that holy plain was closed up fast by the enemy’s wiles
for many winters, until the Glory-King, the Joy of Mankind,
Comforter of the Weary, and our Only Hope opened it
up again for the holy by his coming hither. (407-23)

Phoenix III & IV

2012-01-21T08:04:00.001-08:00

When the wind lies still, the weather will be fair and
the holy gem of the heavens will shine so clear,
the clouds shall disperse, the raging waters will stand still,
every storm will be calmed under the skies,
the warm weather-candle sparkles from the south,
giving light to the hosts of men on earth,
then that bird begins to build in the boughs, to prepare a nest.
There will be a great need that he be allowed to turn hastily then
towards life, to assume a younger spirit through the surge of mind.
Then the sweetest herbs are gathered from far and near,
winsome and wooded fruits too, all brought to that bird’s abode,
every one with a noble scent, the most delightful herbs,
which the Glory-King, the Father of Every Beginning,
created across the earth as a blessing for the kindred of men,
sweet under the skies. (182-99a)

There that bird bears bright ornaments within the tree.
There the wild fowl builds his house in the wilderness
over that high tree, lovely and fair, and dwells there
himself in that sun-filled room, and surrounds himself without,
body and feather in that leafy shade, on every side
with blessed scents and the earth’s most noble blossoms.
He sits there eager for a journey. When the gem of the skies
in a summer season, hottest with the sun, shines across the shadows
and performs its destiny, surveying the world,
then the bird’s house becomes heated by the glowing sky.
The herbs are warmed, the house of desire steams
with sweet fragrance, then in flames that bird burns
through the grip of the fire amid its nest. (199b-215)

The pyre will be kindled. Then the torch engulfs
the life-dreary house, the fierce one hurries,
the fallow flame feeds upon it and the Phoenix burns,
wise with passing years. Then the fire consumes
the loaned life-house—it shall go traveling,
the fated soul-hoard, when flesh and bone
are lighted by the corpse-fire. (216-222a)

Nevertheless the spirit soon comes for him,
renewed after the appointed time, after those ashes
begin to lock together after the flame’s wrack,
contracting into a ball. Then the brightest nest
will be purified, the brave house burned out
by the pyre—the body will grow cool,
the bone-vessel broken, and the flames die down.
Then in the fire something like an apple
soon is found in the ashes, and from that grows
a worm, wonderfully fair, as if led forth
out of an egg, glorious from the shell.
Then it grows in the shadows, so that it first
appears like an eagle’s chick, a fair bird in the making.
Then further still, it flourishes in delight
so that it bears something like the form of an old eagle,
and after that, adorned with feathers such as he was
at the start, blossoming brightly. (222b-240a)

Then his flesh becomes whole, soon made afresh,
sundered from his sins—somewhat similarly,
just as a man brings home the fruits of the earth
at harvest-time for his sustenance, a joyful meal,
before the winter comes, in the ripe season,
lest the rain’s shower spoil them under the sky.
There they find a support, the joy of food-taking
when the frost and snow covers the earth
with its overwhelming power and winter-weeds.
From those fruits shall the fortunate weal of men
soon be led forth through the nature of grain,
whose pure seeds were sown before.
Then the sun’s gleam in the springtime, the sign of life,
awakens the world’s treasures, so that those fruits
are again born by their own nature, the adornments of the earth. (240b-57a)

So the fowl, aged after its years, renewed in youth,
becomes clothed in flesh. He eats no food at all,
meat on this earth, except the bit of nectar he tastes,
which often falls in the midst of the night.
By this means the proud bird feeds his flesh,
until he soon seek his own lands, his ancient home. (257b-64)

IV.

Then the bird, proud in feathers, will grow amidst the herbs.
His spirit will be new and young, full of grace,
when he gathers his limb-crafty body from the earth,
that which the flame had destroyed before,
the remains of the fire, cunningly collected
the moldering bones after the pyre’s cruel grasp
and then he soon brings together bone and cinder,
the remains of the pyre, and then that dead corpse
is adorned with herbs, fairly ornamented.
Then he soon becomes eager to seek his own home.
Then he grasps the fire’s leavings with his feet,
seizing them with his talons, and soon his homeland,
his sun-bright abode, he seeks delightfully,
that blessed native country. All is renewed,
the soul and the feather-home, just as he was at the start,
when first God made him in that noble plain, triumph-fast. (265-82a)

The Phoenix brings his own bones to that place,
those that the torch’s surging enwrapped before
by the pyre in that sheltering stead, and the ashes besides.
Then battle-brave he buries all together, bone and cinder,
on that island. He is renewed by the sign of the sun,
when the light of the skies, the gladdest of gems,
joy of noble stars, up over the spear-waves, gleams from the east. (282b-90)

That fowl is fair of hue from the front
flecked with various colors about his breast before.
His head is green behind, wondrously varied
and blended with purple. Then is his tail fairly
colored, some brown, some red, some with black spots,
cunningly covered. Those wings are white at the back,
and the neck green below and above, and the beak
shines like glass or gemstone, his jaws sparkles
within and without. The nature of his eye is piercing
and much like the hue of a stone, a merry gem
when it is set into a golden vessel by the skill of smiths. (290-304)

About its neck, just like a ring of sunlight,
is set the brightest bracelet of feathers.
Wonderful is the belly beneath, wondrously fair,
bright and brilliant. His crest overhead
is fitted with ornaments over the bird’s back.
His legs are covered with scales, the fallow feet.
The fowl is absolutely unique in its hue,
much like the peacock, grown up in joys,
of which the book tells us. He is not slothful
nor wanton, heavy nor sluggish like some birds,
which slowly flap their wings through the breeze,
but he is nimble and quick and so light,
lovely and delightful, marked out with glory.
Eternal is that noble who gives his that blessing! (305-19)

Then he seeks to go to the plains, his old home,
from this native ground. As the fowl flies, it appears
to the people, to many men throughout middle-earth,
then they assemble from the south and the north,
from east and west, in a band on horseback,
they travel far and near in a host of people
where they behold the gift of the Shaper
fair in that fowl, just as he established him at the start,
the Truth-King of Victories, the best of his species,
more lovely in adornments than the kindred of birds. (320-30)

Then men marvel across the earth at its beauty and form,
reveal it in writing, marking it by hand in marble stone,
the day and the season when it was revealed to the multitude,
swift-flighted in adornments. Then the kindred of birds
thronged in crowds on every side, flying in from the far-ways,
praising him in song, glorifying the proud one
with mighty voices, and so that holy bird is surrounded
by a ring, flying on the breeze. The Phoenix is in the middle,
encircled by a throng. The people gaze upon him,
looking at him in wonder, how that joyous band
worthies the wild one, one throng after the other,
proclaiming craftily and adoring him for their king,
the most loved of chiefs, led among delights,
the noble to his home, until that solitary bird flies away,
swift of feathers, so that he cannot be followed by them,
the exultant multitude, when the joy of the many
seeks his homeland from the ground of this earth. (331-49)

Corrigienda completed

2012-01-18T06:20:00.001-08:00

I have just finished updating and correcting the completed poems, so the mistakes which distressed me and any weird formatting should be rectified now.

I am also re-evaluating the need for the translation notes. Many of them do not add to the poem's readability and are there just to re-assure another (imagined) Anglo-Saxonist critic that I know what I'm doing. They don't provide much space for poetic license, so I am thinking that they will be combed out over the next few weeks. None of the other translations I use or admire see the need for these kind of notes, and so I am leaning towards their removal.

In other news, the class has begun and we will soon be up to our elbows in the Word Exchange. Stay tuned for updates on what I see there and find useful. "Caedmon's Hymn" is first, then selections from the riddles.

Phoenix II finished

2012-01-14T08:47:00.001-08:00

These lands are adorned, the world beautified,
after the gem of glory illumines the ground
over the ocean’s course throughout middle-earth,
the most famous of the stars. At once, as the high sun
overtops the salty streams, so the pale grey bird
turns from his tree, bright from the bowers,
venturing by wing a swift flight on the breeze,
keening and trilling towards the heavens. (116b-24)

Then the voice of the bird will be so fair, the breast-hold
so inspired, exultant in many joys—
wonderfully weaving his bright song with song-craft,
when the Child of Man, heard under heaven,
afterwards the High-King, the Craftsman of Glory,
ever founded the world, the heaven and the earth.
The sound of that music will be more sweet
and more fair than all other powers of singing
and more winsome than every other melody.
Nor can trumpets or horns exceed its beauty—
not the strain of harps nor the voice of men
in any way on earth, not organs, not the strains of melody
nor the feathers of the swan nor any joyful thing
that the Lord made to cheer men in this miserable world. (125-39)

So he sings and entunes, blissful and joyous
until the sun is rested in the southern sky.
Then he falls quiet and pays heed, lifting
his brave head, wise of thoughts, shaking
his flight-swift feathers thrice—the bird is silent.
Always he measures the hours twelve times
by day and night. So they are ordained
by this denizen of the grove, so that he
might brook them there, the field at his favor,
and enjoy their wealth, their life and their bliss,
the ornaments of the land until he,
warden of the wooded copse knows
one thousand winters of this life. (140-52)

Then the old bird, grey of feathers will be
burdened, aged with years, departing
the green earth, the joy of fowl, the flowering land,
and then it seeks out a broad realm of middle-earth,
where no humans dwell, no yard or homeland.
There he assumes the rulership foremighty
over the kindred of the birds, exalted among their kind,
and for a space abides with them in the wastelands.
Then, strong in flight, he seeks the west, weighed
down by winters, to fly there swiftly by wings.
The birds throng about around their lord.
Each one wishes to be the thane and servant
of their famous lord, until they must visit
the Syrians’ land in the greatest band. (153-67a)

There the pure bird hurries away from them
abruptly, so that he may take hold of a secret refuge
in a woody bower, a deserted place, hidden
and concealed from many men. There he dwells
and inhabits a tall tree in the forest, fixed by the roots
under the roof of heaven. Men call that one the Phoenix
on the earth, from the name of those birds.
He has granted that tree, the Glory-Mighty King,
the Measurer of Mankind, as I have heard,
which is alone of all lofty trees on the earth-way,
blossoming with the brightest. Nor can anything bitter
injure it with evils, but it is shielded always,
dwelling unscathed, so long as the world stands. (167b-81)

Some Phoenix II

2012-01-13T19:11:00.000-08:00

Here is some more of The Phoenix translation which I finished before I left for vacation, but neglected to post before I went.

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That wood is watched over by a wondrously fair
fowl, strong of feathers, which is called the Phoenix.
There that lone-dweller observes that land,
brave-minded of bearing. Death shall never harm him
in that desired land, so long as the world remains.
He must behold the course of the sun
and come toward God’s candle,
the gem of gladness, eagerly attending it,
when up comes the most noble of stars
over the waved sea, gleaming from the east,
the Father’s olden work dazzling with jewels,
the bright token of God. The stars are hidden,
departed beneath the waves towards the west,
obscured in the daybreak and the dark night
descends dusky. Then the strong-winged bird
proud in its wandering, in the mountain stream
under the sky, eagerly makes witness over the water
when the light of the heavens comes up from the east
gliding over the broad expanse of the sea. (85-103)

So the noble and beauty-fast bird dwells
by the welling streams at the fountain-head,
where he, glory-blessed, bathes himself in that brook
twelve times before the coming of that beacon
the sky’s candle, and always as often
from that delightful surging spring
the sea-cold water preserves him with every bath.
Afterwards the high-minded bird heaves himself
onto a lofty tree after his swim-play,
and from there he can most easily behold
the journey on the east-ways, when the taper of the skies
sparkles clearly over the churning waves, the light’s beam. (104-16a)

More Phoenix keeps emerging

2011-12-23T10:07:00.001-08:00

Here is the end of section I and the start of section II, which emerged as I was preparing for my trip tomorrow. Maybe some more will join these before the day is through, I don't know yet.

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There are groves hanging with blossoms,
fair fruits which never fade there —
holy beneath the heavens, treasures of the forest.
The flowers never fall fallow to the ground there
from the lovely wood-beams, but there wondrously
the boughs in the trees are always bearing fruit again—
at every season the brightest bowers stand
on the green grassy plain, joyously adorned
with power of the Holy One. The form of the forest
is never broken. There a sacred odor abides
throughout that delightful land. It will never be changed
ever forever, not before the Wise One who shaped it
at its origin finishes his ancient work. (71-84)

II.

That wood is watched over by a wondrously fair
fowl, strong of feathers, which is called the Phoenix.
There that lone-dweller observes that land,
brave-minded of bearing. Death shall never harm him
in that desired land, so long as the world remains.
He must behold the course of the sun
and come toward God’s candle,
the gem of gladness, eagerly attending it,
when up comes the most noble of stars
over the waved sea, gleaming from the east,
the Father’s olden work dazzling with jewels,
the bright token of God. The stars are hidden,
departed beneath the waves towards the west,
obscured in the daybreak and the dark night
descends dusky. Then the strong-winged bird
proud in its wandering, in the mountain stream
under the sky, eagerly makes witness over the water
when the light of the heavens comes up from the east
gliding over the broad expanse of the sea. (85-103)

More Phoenix I

2011-12-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

A little bit more before I go home for the holidays--

--------------------------

There are no hated foes there in that land,
neither weeping nor pain, no grief-signs at all,
old age nor misery nor the goading of death,
neither the life’s losing nor the hateful coming,
no sin nor strife nor sore-wrack’s knife,
not the struggle of poverty nor the want of prosperity,
not sorrow nor sleep nor the sad grave—
neither storming snow nor change of weather,
harsh under the heavens, nor the stern frosts,
with icicles cold and chilly crashes down upon any. (50-59)

There neither hail nor frost falls to the earth,
nor windy cloud; no waters tumble down there,
troubled by the breeze, but there streams of water,
wondrously intricate, springs forth in wells,
in fair surgings of flood. The ground is slaked
with winsome waters from the midst of the woods.
Then every month from the turves of the earth
they break forth sea-cold, cross every grove,
gloriously at times. That is the order of the Lord:
that twelve times a year that majestic land
overflows with the delights of watery floods. (60-70)

Baby steps with the Phoenix

2011-12-21T15:35:00.000-08:00

The Phoenix is one of the more lovely pieces of Anglo-Saxon verse, filled with internal rhymes and careful repetition. So I'm going slowly on this one. Just taking tiny steps until I really get the feel for it. I would love to have it done in time for my poetry class to read in March, but I have a feeling that that can't happen. Not at the rate this must go.

Anyways, I'll be gone and without computer for a few weeks starting Saturday. So have a happy holiday season and catch up on the Genesis while I'm gone. :)

--------------

Prosperous is that victory-plain, shining the sunny groves,
joyful the wooded forests. The flowers never fail,
the bright blossoms, but the trees ever stand green,
just as God commanded. The woods in winter and summer
are alike, hanging with fruit. The leaves under the breeze
are never corrupted, nor does the flame ever harm them—
as it was before the change of the world occurred.
When the majesty of the water, the sea-flood covered
all of middle-earth of old, the circle of the world
so that noble plain, altogether perfect, stood steadfast
against the heaving way of the rough waves
blessed, unspoiled, through the mercy of God.
It endures blossoming until the coming of the blaze,
of the judgment of the Lord, when the death-halls,
the shadowy coffers of men, become unclosed. (33-49)

Retry: the start of the Phoenix part I

2011-12-18T17:42:00.000-08:00

I have learned that there is the best of lands far from here,
in eastern places, according to the report of men.
This corner of the world cannot be reached by folk-rulers,
many across middle-earth, for it is withdrawn beyond them
the sin-makers, by the might of the Measurer. Lovely is this whole land,
blessed with joys and with the fairest odors of the earth.
Unique is that well-watered realm, noble that wright, proud
and abounding in might, he who established that ground.
Often there is open the door of heaven’s empire and revealed
to the blessed the bliss of singing. That is a joyful place,
the groves green and roomy beneath the heavens.
Neither the rain or the snow can spoil it a bit—
not the frost’s blowing nor the fire’s throwing,
not the hail’s tumbling nor the rime’s fumbling,
not the heat of the sun nor the everlocking cold,
not the warm weather nor winter’s shower—
but that realm endures, prosperous and absolute. (1-20a)

The noble province is blown with blossoms.
Neither peaks nor steep hills stand there, nor stony cliffs
hang over the heights, as they do here among us,
not caves nor clefts nor carvings in the hill-sides,
rills neither ridges, nor any kind of rough scarps
but that worthy plain ever burgeons under the skies,
increases its pleasures. That bright land is higher
than the surrounding earth by twelve fathoms—
as is revealed to us by the report of the wise,
the prophets through the wisdom of the Scriptures—
than any of these bright mountains that here among us
hang over the heights under the stars of heaven. (20b-32)

The Phoenix has begun!

2011-12-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

Hello,

I have tried to be assiduous about working on other projects, teaching, and editing the finished translations (lots of commas to get rid of!), and so have let the forward progress of the website founder a bit. But last night I got bit again by the translation bug, and started work on The Phoenix. I just got through the first twenty lines or so and am still trying to figure out the right poetic voice for the poem, since it stands out among the other ASNPP translations in that it is hardly a narrative poem, more just a description of a wonder and then an explication of that wonder set into verse. The results of this new jag will appear here sporadically and the complete translation so far will be collected on its own page (the link can be found to the right).

In other news, I am teaching a course in the spring semester called "Woven Word-hoards: A Survey of the Earliest English Poetry" where we will go through at least a sample of everything in Anglo-Saxon verse (except the Metres of Boethius and the Paris Psalter), but including the full Genesis A & B (now that there's a low-cost verse translation available :P). It already has 31 students enrolled, so I'm happy that it seems interesting to so many.

I'm wondering about the textbook I ordered for the class: the brand-new collection called The Word Exchange (Norton, 2011). It's too late to change it now, but I am interested about your thoughts on the translations there. Do you like the book? Would you use it to teach from? What do you think are its strengths and weaknesses? I think the Riddles are spotty, but am generally happy with the rest of the volume, and especially love that it includes an Anglo-Saxon text on the facing page. Should be useful in imparting that these poems are important and urgent enough to justify such an audacious new effort to translate them by so many renowned poets.

I'll keep you all posted about how the class is going and how the various poems strike me as I prep for class as well as how the class reacts to them. It'll sort of be an ongoing blog book review...

Anyways, here's what I have of The Phoenix:

--------------

So I have learned that there is the best of lands far from here,
in eastern places, according to the report of men.
This corner of the world cannot be reached by many folk-rulers
across middle-earth for it is withdrawn beyond the sin-doers
by the might of the Measurer. Lovely is this whole land,
blessed with joys and with the fairest odors of the earth.
Unique is that well-watered land, noble that wright, proud
and abounding in might, he who established the world.
There often open is the door of heaven’s realm and revealed
to the blessed, the bliss of singing. That is a joyful place,
the groves green and roomy beneath the heavens.
Neither the rain or the snow can spoil it a bit—
not the frost’s blowing nor the fire’s throwing,
not the hail’s tumbling nor the rime’s fumbling,
not the heat of the sun nor the everlocking cold,
not the warm weather nor winter’s shower—

It's done! Genesis is done!

2011-09-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

Finally these long months of work have found their conclusion, and the first draft of Genesis A & B is complete. I probably will take a few months off from doing any new work, but stay tuned for updates and revisions to the Genesis as well as the other poems that are part of ASNPP.

-------------------

Afterwards the blessed son of Terah was settled among the Philistines,
the Hebrew people for a long time were destitute amid an alien nation.
The Lord of Angels showed him a camp that city-dwelling men called
the land of Beersheba. There the holy one built a lofty high-hall
and city and established a grove, creating an altar and making
sacrifice to his Sovereign in that fiery place, a sufficient gift,
to him who gave them life, blessedly under the heavens. (2834-45)

Then the Almighty began to test that warrior, inquiring eagerly
which of those noblemen were courageous, with harsh words
he spoke him in a dream: “Go forth quickly, Abraham, travel
and make tracks—and lead with you your own son. You shall
sacrifice Isaac your own son, as an offering to me. After you
have climbed the steep mountains, the ring around the high lands,
which I shall show you hence, upon your own feet, where you
shall prepare a pyre, an offering-fire for your child and you shall
kill your son yourself with the edge of a sword and you shall
burn up the body of your dear one and offer me a sacrifice.” (2846-59)

Nor did Abraham delay that journey, but he began to hurry
at once upon the trip. For him was the word of the Lord of Angels
dreadful and his Sovereign dear. Then the blessed Abraham
gave over his night-rest. Not at all would he oppose the behest
of the Savior, but the holy man girded himself with a grey sword,
knowing that the terror of the Warden of Souls dwelt within his breast.
He began to harness his donkey, the ancient dispenser of gold,
ordering his two young servants to travel with them.
His own son was the third of that company and he was the fourth. (2860-70a)

Hurrying he then departed, leading Isaac from his home, a child ungrown,
just as the Measurer had ordered him. Then he swiftly approached
and hastened forth over the earth-paths as the Lord had showed him
the ways through the wasteland, until the third day, glory-bright,
rose up over the deep water. Then the blessed man saw towering
the high hill just as the Lord of the Skies had said to him before. (2870b-79)

Then Abraham spoke to his servants: “My men, rest here in this place.
We will come again after we two have given the Soul-King our message.” (2880-84)

Then the nobleman left with his own son to the place that the Lord
had shown him, walking through the woods. The son bore wood,
the father fore and sword. Then the winter-young man wordfully
began to inquire of Abraham: “Here we have fire and sword,
my lord. But where is the offering which you mean to bring
to the sacrificial flame for bright God?” (2885-92)

Abraham spoke—he had set his mind that he would do what his Lord
had ordered him: “The Truth-King will find it for himself,
the Warden of Mankind, just as it seems fitting to him.” (2893-96)
Then stiff-minded he climbed up the steep hill with his son,
just as the Perpetual One had commanded him, so that he stood
on the roof of the high lands in that place which the Mighty One,
the Troth-Fast Measurer had shown to him wordfully. (2897-2901)

Then he began to pile up a pyre, building a fire and he bound
his own son foot and hand and then heaved young Isaac
onto the flame, and then he grabbed his sword at once
by its hilt and would have killed his son with his own hands,
sunk him into the fire and the blood of his own kin.
Then a thane of the Measurer, a certain angel from above,
called Abraham with a loud voice. He waited for
that messenger’s speech and answered that angel.
Then the glory-spirit of God spoke in words to him
in haste from the heavens above: (2902-13)

“Dear Abraham, do not kill your own son but draw the boy
living from the flame, your own heir! To him God gives glory!
Kin of the Hebrews, you shall take up the reward of the Heaven-King
through this holy hands, the true requitals of victory itself, a vast gift.
The Warden of Souls will reward you with delights because
his peace and favor was dearer to you than your own son.” (2914-22)

The pyre stood fired. The Measurer of Mankind had made blissful
the breast of Abraham, the kinsman of Lot, when he gave back
to him his child Isaac alive. Then the blessed warrior, the brother
of Haran looked over his shoulder and he saw there a ram nearby
standing alone, caught fast in the brambles. Then Abraham seized it
and heaved it onto the flames with the greatest hurry for his own son.
Then he drew his sword and reddened the offering, the smoking altar
with the blood of the ram, and consecrated that sacrifice to God,
saying thanks for all the rewards that the Lord of Graces
had, early and late, had given to him. (2923-36)

[End]

Genesis XL

2011-09-28T15:56:00.001-07:00

The boy grew and prospered, as was natural to his pre-eminence
from his elders. Abraham had one hundred winters when his wife
thankfully bore him a son. For some time he waited since first
the Lord announced to him the joyful day through his own word.
Then it happened that that woman saw Ishmael playing
before Abraham, where the two of them sat at a feast, holy in his heart,
with their entire household, drinking and making merry. (2772-82a)

Then the noble woman spoke, wife to her husband: “Forgive me,
warden of rings, my own dear lord: order Hagar to journey
elsewhere and lead Ishmael with her! By my desire, we will not
dwell long together, if I be allowed to rule matters. Never will Ishmael
share your heritage with Isaac my own child after your tracks,
when you send life out from your body.” (2782b-91a)

Then was Abraham pained in his mind that he should drive
his own son into exile, when the true Measurer came to him,
strong in his assistance, he knew the spirit of the man was gripped by cares.
The King of Angels spoke to Abraham, the Eternal Lord:
“Let sorrow slip away from your breast, the turbulence of your mind,
and listen to that woman your wife! Order them both to depart away,
Hagar and Ishmael, the child of your home! I will make his kin
broad and powerful, the children of his stock, powerful of offspring,
as I have promised you in words.” (2791b-2803)

Then the man obeyed his Wielder: dreary-minded he drove
those two from his camps, the woman and his own son. (2804-6)

[A leaf is missing here, cutting out material from Genesis 21:15-21. We return to the words of Abimelech to Abraham.]

“It is patent and obvious that the true Lord is your companion,
the King of the Skies, who has given you victory by force
of his wisdom and strengthened your heart with godly grace.
Therefore you have succeeded up to now, with friend or foe,
you have accomplished both your words and deeds.
The Sovereign has advanced your desires with his own hands,
the Lord on the forth-ways. That is widely known
among the city-dwellers. I ask you now, kinsman of the Hebrews,
with my words, that you good-minded give your troth,
your pledge that you will be faithful to me, a friend of my benefit,
as recompense of that which I have made you from my plenty,
since you came here from afar, destitute into this people,
on the track of the exile. (2807-23)

“Yield to me with grace, that I have not been stingy to you
neither in land nor in delightful things. Be merciful now
to my people and my family, if the All-Ruler ordains it,
our Lord, who holds our destiny, so that you may abundantly
distribute ornaments to my shield-warriors, the treasure to the proud,
and extend the borders of this folk-land.” Then Abraham
gave his pledge to Abimelech that he wished to do so. (2824-33)

----------

1 section to go!

Genesis XXXIX

2011-09-27T16:28:00.000-07:00

The Abraham answered: “I did nothing for crime or unfriendship,
nor did I give you any sort of sorrow. But I shielded myself, lord of men,
far from my kinsfolk, from the striking of war-boards with a ruse,
after the Holy One led me out long ago from the household of my lord,
my father. Afterwards I sought many peoples, unknown to my friends,
and this woman with me, destitute of other companions. Always
I expected a danger that some wrathful stranger would cut off my life
wishing to possess again this woman for himself. (2691-2703)

“Therefore I said unto the war-smiths wordfully that Sarah
was my sister everywhere on the earth that we must suffer
homeless among hostile lands. I did the same thing in this country
after I sought your hand’s protection, famous prince. Now was it known
in my mind, whether the terror of the Almighty Lord was among
these people when I first came here. Therefore I hid from your thanes—
and from yourself most of all—the true statement that Sarah,
in the path of the bride, mounted up onto my bed.” (2704-16)

Then Abimelech enlarged Abraham with worldly treasures
and gave him his wife back. He gave to him compensation,
after he had seized his bride, living cattle and bright silver
and slaves. The helm of noblemen then spoke wordfully as well
to Abraham: “Abide with us and choose your camp in this land
where you most desire to be, your home-place, and I shall give it
to you. Be a faithful friend and we shall give you cattle!” (2717-26)

Then the dispenser of treasures spoke another word at once
to Sarah: “There is no need for Abraham, your lord, to set
any reproach upon you, that you walked upon the floors of my house,
elf-bright woman, but I deeply compensate his heart’s injury
with shining silver. Do not trouble yourselves to go seeking prosperity
elsewhere from this land’s soil, or friends unknown, but dwell here.” (2727-35)

Abraham did as his lord ordered, accepting his friendship
by the king’s command, his love and his delight. He was dear to God.
Therefore blessed he enjoyed his peace and he proceeded under the shade
of his Shaper, covered with sheltering wings, while he lived here. (2736-41)

Once again was God wrathful at Abimelech for the sin
which he earlier performed against Sarah and against Abraham,
when he parted them in two, the dear woman and weaponed man.
He got terrible punishment for that deed. None of his women,
neither free nor servile, could bear a man-count of sons
for their royal guardian, yet the Measurer stood against them,
until the blessed one Abraham began to ask the Eternal Lord
for mercy for his lord. The Helmet of Angels granted his bidding,
unlocking his progeny’s abundance to man and woman, slave or free,
for the folk-king. The Sovereign of the Skies allowed their number
to increase again, by riches and goods. The Almighty became
merciful in his mind, the Warden of Mankind to Abimelech,
just as Abraham begged him. (2742-59)

Then the Lord Almighty came faring to Sarah, as he himself
had said, our Sovereign, he kept his promise, fulfilled to his dear ones,
the Prince of Life, the man and the woman. A son was begotten
to Abraham from his wife, and before his mother was pregnant
with her child by that earl, the King of Angels named him Isaac.
Abraham set that glory-bright sign upon him with his own hand,
just as the Measurer had commanded him within the week,
after his mother had brought him into the world of mankind. (2760-71)

Genesis XXXVIII

2011-09-25T06:10:00.001-07:00

Then the brother of Haran departed with his wife, leading
his chattels with his household under the rule of Abimelech.
Abraham wordfully said to those men that Sarah was his sister,
thus saving his life, since he readily knew he had few kinsmen
or friends among these people. Then their lord send his thanes,
ordering them to bring her to him. Then was the alien wife
of Abraham led another time from her husband into a stranger’s embrace.
Then the Eternal Lord aided him there, as he often did, our Savior.
He came himself by night, where the ruler lay drunk with wine. (2621-35)

Then the Truth-King began to speak through a dream
to that nobleman and threatened him angrily: “ You have seized
the woman of Abraham, a wife at the side of her husband—
I shall draw forth death and your soul from your breast for this deed!” (2636-41a)

The feast-weary dispenser of sins spoke through his sleep:
“What? Will you ever allow him to be cut off from life, King of Angels,
through your wrath, one who lives in righteous custom,
whose mind-thoughts are fixed in his counsel, and who seeks
mercy for himself in you? She herself earlier said to me
unquestioning that she was Abraham’s sister wordfully. I have
not sinned against her, nor yet worked any crime.” (2641b-52)

Then at once the Eternal Lord, the Truth-Fast Measurer spoke to him
again through that dream: “Give to Abraham his own woman,
his wife into his power, if you care for life longer in this world,
helm of noblemen. He is good and wise; he can speak to God himself,
and see the Sky-King. You shall die with your money and goods,
if you hold his wife from this first-spear. He is able to pray to me,
if he, virtuous and patient, quickly chooses to announce this message
so that I shall allow you, still living, to brook the pleasure and plenty
of your treasures unharmed in the days to come.” (2653-66a)

Then fear forced the warden of people from sleep. He ordered
his own counselors be fetched and with speed Abimelech said
to those earls, stricken with terror, the Wielder’s words.
Those men were filled with fear for the deeds of the Lord’s hand,
the stroke after the sleeping. Then the king himself ordered
Abraham to come to him with the greatest hurry. (2666b-73)

Then pronounced the prince of the realm: “Kin of the Hebrews,
I wish to wordfully speak to you of something. How have I treated you,
since you led your aught under us, Abraham, in this country’s land,
so that you thus practice such cunning towards me? You a stranger
wished to deceive us criminally within these borders, to smite us
with sins, when you spoke the words that Sarah was your sister,
the kin of your body, hatefully you wished to lay blame on me
for a crime through your wife, an immeasurable evil.
We fed you honorably and granted you a camp among our people
in friendship, land as a delight to you. Now you requite
us this way—unfriendly you show us thanks for our gifts!” (2674-90)

Genesis XXXVII (Lot & his daughters)

2011-09-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

Then Abraham, the wise first-spear, departed alone at dawn
standing again where he had spoken before with his Sovereign.
He saw rising up from the earth a slaughter-grim smoke far away.
Pride and wine-drunkenness had wormed their way into them
so that they became voracious for vile deeds, brash in their sins,
overstepping the truth, the decrees of the Lord, who had given
them their wealth, the fruits in their cities.
Therefore the King of Angels sent them a swollen-hot flame
as vengeance. Our Sovereign pledge-fast remembered then
honorable Abraham, his beloved man, as he often did—
He warded Lot his kinsman from the others, when the many perished. (2576-90)

The deed-bold man did not dare then for dread of his Lord
to dwell for long in that fastness, but Lot soon departed,
going from that city together with his children and looking
for a camp farther from that fatal place, until they found
an earth-cave in the side of a tall hill. There the blessed Lot
dwelled firm in his troth, dear to his Wielder, a great number
of counts of day with his two daughters. (2591-99)

[Leaf missing, probably corresponding to Genesis 19:31-32]

And so they did—the older woman went first into the bed
of the drunken man, father to them both. Nor did grey-haired man
know when both the women were as brides to him, he was fast
constrained in his spirit-cage, mind and memory, so that he could not,
drunk with wine, understand the deeds of those maids. (2600-06)

The ladies were both quickened and those loving sisters begat
sons in this world, the heirs of their aged father. The mother
of that noble son, Lot’s daughter who was older in life’s winters
named the one child Moab. Scripture tells us, god-kindly books,
that the younger woman called her own child Ammon.
From these first-spears was begotten an uncountable race,
two powerful peoples. The one of these tribes of earth-dwellers
was called the Moabites, a kith widely-famous. The other
men, the children of nobles, were called the Ammonites. (2607-20)

---------------

Countdown: 4 sections, 316 lines. Wish me luck!

Genesis XXXVI (The destruction of Sodom)

2011-09-20T18:14:00.001-07:00

Then at once Lot answered them: “I cannot go seeking a journey,
a life’s refuge so far from here, going by foot with my women.
Yet you graciously have revealed to me your peace-loving
and friendship, granting me your truth and favor. I know of a high city
near to here, a little town. Permit me mercy and rest there, so that we may seek
our life’s safety above Zoar. If you wish to ward that high fastness from
the flame, in that place we could wait unharmed for a time and save our lives.” (2513-26a)

The honor-fast angels answered him then in a friendly way:
“You shall receive the granting of your prayer, now that you
speak of this city. Hurry at once to that stronghold: we will hold
our peace and hand’s protection for you. We will not allow the anger of God
to be avenged upon the troth-breakers, to destroy the sinning kind,
before you have led your children and wife together into Zaor.” (2526b-34)

Then the kinsman of Abraham moved quickly to that strong place.
He spared not his pace, the earl with his women, but he hastily
laid his tracks forth, until he conducted his bride with their children
under the city-locks in Zaor. When the sun, the people’s peace-candle,
rose up, then I heard that the Lord of the Skies sent down sulphur
and black flame from the heavens, as a punishment for men,
a welling fire after they had provoked the Lord in former days
for a long time. The Sovereign of Souls paid them their reward! (2535-47a)

The height of torment grappled the heathen-kind.
A clamor fell upon the city, a shout of killing
at its start, for the hated kin of the dishonored.
The flaming tongues destroyed everything
green found within the golden city —
so too there around it no small deal of
broad earth over-covered by burning and terror.
Forests were charred to cinders and ashes,
the earth’s blossoms as far as that ferocious
play of punishment reached the roomy land of men.
The ravaging fire went howling, swallowed
everything high and broad together
that men owned in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Everything the Lord God devastated, and those people with it. (2547b-62a)

When that fiery crash was heard in the city, the people’s life-parting,
Lot’s wife looked back at the slaughter-fall. It says to us in books
that she was immediately made into an image in salt-stone.
Ever afterward that statue—this is a well-known fact—
abides there still where she took her stern punishment because she
did not wish to obey the words of the servants of glory.
Now she must, hard and tall, endure the world’s way in that place,
the doom of the Lord, when the count of days of the world have passed.
That is some miracle, which was made by the Lord of Glory. (2562b-75)

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Count to go: sections: 5; lines: 361

Genesis XXXV (a busy day!)

2011-09-18T19:39:00.001-07:00

A busy day of translating. Only six sections to go!

-------------------

The humans awaited the punishing flames, woe under their walls.
and their women with them. The proud in riches repaid the Lord
wickedness for their many goods, until the Helm of Souls,
the First-Light of Life would no longer endure this scorn,
but the Stern-minded King sent to them two of his own strong messengers.
Then in the evening-time they sought a journey to the city of Sodom. (2409-27)

Then they encountered the warrior, the son of Haran himself
sitting at the city-gates, and they seemed as young to the wise man
before his eyes. Then the Lord’s servant came greeting the messengers
those spirits, coming in a friendly way, mindful of what is proper,
right and suitable, and he offered those men a night’s shelter.
Then the noble emissaries of the Savior answered him:
“You have the thanks for your favors, which you offer us!
We intend to abide still by this street for a spell, until
the Measurer allows the sun to rise again in the morning.” (2428-40)

[an erasure here obscures a line of text in the MS]

Then Lot bowed at the feet of those strangers, and eagerly offered
them rest and food and the shelter of his home and service.
They accepted the mercy of the nobleman, going with him at once,
as the Hebrew man guided them in under the roof of his house.
There the noble one, the wise-souled warrior gave to them
his gracious hospitality in his hall, until the even-shine had gone forth.
Then in the tracks of the day the night came afterwards.
It covered the water-streams, the majesty of this life in shadow,
the seas and the broad lands. Then the dwellers of Sodom came,
young and old, undear to God, they came in a great inquiring band,
and surrounded with the strength of an army Lot with his guests.
They demanded that the holy messengers be lead out of that high house,
those men into their power. They spoke wordfully that they wished
shamelessly to have sex with those men. Of honor they gave no heed. (2441-61)

Then quickly Lot arose, he who often perceived good counsel
and went outside at once, and the son of Haran, mindful
of wisdom, spoke to all that company of noble men: “Here are within
my two daughters unblemished. Do as I ask you—neither of these women
has ever known the company of men through sexual congress—
and give up this sin. I will give them to you all, before you perform shame
against your natures, a most voracious evil against the sons of humanity.
Take these women, and let peace be owned by my guests,
for I will protect them before God, if I must, from you all.” (2462-75)

The multitude, a dishonorable rout, answered him then by one word:
“It seem fitting and very right that you should remove yourself
from our people’s borders. You sought this nation from afar
in the exile’s track, destitute of friends, lacking companions.
Will you, if you may, be our lordly judge here, a teacher of our people?” (2476-84a)

Then, as I have heard, the heathen folk’s band grabbed Lot
with their hands, their cursed hands. Well his guests came to his aid,
coming honor-fast, and they dragged him from the clutches of the hostile
into his house, and then immediately the head-senses of every one
of the Sodomites standing about was obscured. At once the band
of city-dwellers all went blind. They could not storm fierce-minded
Lot's hall after his guests as they had intended to do, but there
God’s bearers of tidings were bold. The guests’ power had firm strength
and it quite restrained that band with bitterness. (2484b-98a)

Then they spoke wordfully, the faithful peace-envoys, fair to Lot:
“If you have any son or dear kinsman, or any other friend
among these folk besides these women who we here look upon,
who be dear to you, then lead them out from these people’s city
in the greatest haste and save your life, lest you perish
with these pledge-breakers. The Wielder ordered for these men’s sins
that Sodom and Gomorrah be given over to the flame, to the black fire
and these people destroyed, these folk in the cities with killing attack
and his scorn avenged. The time has come nigh. Depart now,
saving your life on the earth-way. To you the Lord is merciful.” (2498b-2512)

[Another leaf is missing, containing material from Genesis 19:14-17]

Genesis XXXIV

2011-09-18T14:10:00.001-07:00

Then, ready to depart, they left at once, traveling according
to the swiftness of God’s speech from that oracle’s delivery.
The holy souls trod their steps—the kinsman of the light himself
was their companion—until they could look upon Sodom,
the steep-walled city. They saw the halls tower over treasure,
the houses above red gold. Then the Sovereign of the Skies
began to speak with law-abiding Abraham; saying to him no little news: (2399-2407)

I hear in this bright city, a clamor so loud of the sinning, the boast
of the ale-flushed and the hosts under their walls keep an evil speech.
Therefore they are pledge-breakers, a folk heavy with faults.
Now I wish to test out, son of the Hebrews, what these men will do
if they perform sins so greatly in their habits and thoughts
as they speak of crimes and wickedness so perversely—
Fire shall wreak that sin: sulfur and black flame sorely
and grimly, hot and ferocious shall fall on these heathen folk.” (2408-18)

[Another leaf is missing here, probably omitting Genesis 18:22-33]

A note on progress and the future (oh and Genesis XXXIII too!)

2011-09-18T10:24:00.001-07:00

Fast and thick--that's how I would describe the way the translation is proceeding these days. I so want to get to the end of the Genesis and move on to a new poem. I was thinking Christ and Satan might be where to go next, since Elaine Treharne has done excellent translations of the Exodus and Judith already available in her Old and Middle English Literature collection from Blackwell, and since I have no problems with Bradley's rendering of the Phoenix (indeed, I rather like it). The Genesis has been with me for more than a year, and it's tough to see past it to the next project. Well, maybe it will be the Phoenix, since I already have a Blogspot page put together for it.

I was even thinking it would be a laudable deed to do a new translation of King Alfred's Consolation of Philosophy, since there hasn't been a new one published since Browne's in 1920. But that's further down the road, I think, and might even require a newly-edited text (I have to do more research on the bibliography here), which would be a whole mess of work. I gotta get my own book underway first. No one's going to be giving me tenure for these translations, no matter what I end up doing with them...

Here is Genesis XXXIII as well. Section XXXIV is just twenty lines long, so it will probably appear here in a few hours. Stay tuned.

------------------

Then Abraham quickly put his face to the ground, and laughter
encircled those prophecies in his own mind and thoughts.
He never himself had looked toward that day, when Sarah, his grey-haired
bride, could bring a son into the world. He readily knew that
that woman had exactly one hundred winters indeed,
told by number. Then he, old of years, spoke to the Measurer:
“May Ishmael live so by your teaching, Lord, and bear thanks
to you with a resolute mind, a strong heart, to accomplish
your wishes by day and by night, by words and by deeds.” (2338-52)

And then fairly the Almighty Lord, the Eternal Ruler, answered him:
“And yet Sarah, old of winters, shall bring a son into this world,
and the world’s way shall proceed truly according to this promise.
I wish now to bless Ishmael with my grace, as you have requested
for your first-born, so that he may experience a host of life-days
in this worldly realm, with many children branching off his stock.
Your request shall be granted! Nevertheless I wish to exalt Isaac,
your son, your young child who is not yet come into this world,
with every glory and success of my will during his days,
and I will truly fulfill my pledge of my heart to him
and my holy spirit-troth, and be gracious unto him.” (2353-69)

Abraham did as the Eternal had commanded him, he set
the peace-mark by his Lord’s order upon his own son,
and the high one ordered that the sign be borne by every man,
who was his servant of the weaponed-kind,* mindful of the pledge,
wise of heart, when God gave to him the true pact, and himself
took on its bright token. Always the Measurer showed his glory,
the Doom-fast King, with his prosperities in this world’s realm.
He carried out that circumcision upon them since he
even as could perform his Wielder’s will in fear. (2370-81)

[A folio is missing here, which as Doane notes, probably contained material corresponding to Genesis 18:1-11.]

Then the woman laughed at the Lord of Armies, not at all
gladly, but she, old in years, regarded that prophecy with scorn
in her heart. She did not believe in the truth that that outcome
would ensue by God's speech. When the Sovereign of Heaven
overheard Abraham’s bride heave up her joyless laughter
in her bower, then spoke Holy God: “Sarah does not wish
to believe the truth of my words. These events nevertheless
must yet occur just as I have ordered you at the start.
I spoke to you of the truth, in its own time that a son shall be
begotten from that woman. When I visit your camp another time
my repeated promises will be fulfilled for you. You will look
upon your son, your own child, my dear Abraham!” (2382-98)

Genesis XXXII

2011-09-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

Then Abraham’s wife became angered, wrathful in her heart
at her work-slave, stern and fierce, speaking a willful injury
severely upon the woman. She then departed fleeing both
punishment and servitude. She wished no longer to endure
wicked reprisals for what she had done to Sarah, but she
left on her way seeking the desert. There a thane of glory,
an angel of the Lord met her alone misery-minded, and he
eagerly asked her: “Whither do you strive, destitute lady,
to accomplish your journey? You are owned by Sarah.” (2261-72)

She answered him at once: “I have flown from unhappiness,
wanting any sort of pleasure, the hate of my lady, exalted
in the towns, grief and injury. Teary-cheeked now I must
await my destiny in the desert, when hunger or wolves
shall drag out soul and sorrow as one from my heart.” (2273-79)

Then the angel answered her: “Do not trouble yourself to separate
your own mutual meal with flight far from here,* but seek instead
your home. Labor for your honor, and humble begin to strive
for what is seemly, be loyal to your lord. You shall, Hagar,
bring the son of Abraham into this world. Wordfully I say to you
now that that warrior son shall be called Ishmael by people.
He shall be fierce, battle-greedy, and an enemy to the men
of his generation, his own kin. Many will struggle with weapon-wrack
against him wrathfully. From that first-spear a people shall be born,
an enormous race. Go again and seek your lord.
Dwell with those that own you!” (2280-95)

Then she at once left by the angel’s teaching back to her lords,
as the holy one had commanded, God’s messaging-spirit,
wise of speech. Then Ishmael was born to Abraham,
when he had exactly six and eighty winters in this world.
His son grew and prospered, as the angel had said before
to the woman by own words, a dear emissary of peace. (2296-2303)

Then about thirteen years later, the Prince, the Eternal Lord
spoke with Abraham: “Dear man, as I will instruct you,
fulfill faithfully our troth-pledge! I will exalt you
in every season with glory. Be strong in your deeds
by my will! I will fulfill our compact truly from now,
which I gave you once before as a pledge of comfort,
of which your spirit was troubled. (2304-11)

“You must hallow your household. Set the true token of victory
upon every male member,* if you would have me for a Lord
or a faithful friend unto your family. I will be Warden and Holder
of that people, if you obey me in your breast-thoughts and wish
to carry out my commandments. Every man of that generation of males
shall be as a child, of those who come into this world,
about seven nights old shall be dedicated to me with the sign
of victory, or else they shall be separated far from the earth
through my hostility, driven away from all glory. (2312-25a)

Do what I tell you! I will be true to you, if you observe that sign
with true belief. You shall have a son, a child of your own bride,
who all the city-dwellers must call Isaac. There is no need to be
ashamed of that boy, yet I will give my godly gift to your son
with the power of my spirit, with the benefits of my friendly abundance.
He shall take up my bliss and my blessing, my love and my delight.
From that start of peoples a broad folk will arise,
guardians of realms, kings of this world known widely.” (2325b-37)

* That is, of Abraham’s household, but since God is talking about circumcision perhaps the pun can stand, if isn’t too distasteful.

Genesis XXXI

2011-09-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

[Ten sections to go...]

-----------------------

Then deed-bold Abraham answered his own Lord:
“What have you given me, Sovereign of Souls, of free-men
as a comfort, so that I am now thus miserable? I have no need
to build a heritage-seat for any sons of mine, yet after me
my kinsmen must distribute my wealth. You have not given
me a son, therefore sorrow troubles me greatly in my mind.
I myself cannot devise counsel. My reeve goes rejoicing
in his free children; he safely supposes in his inward thoughts
that after me his own sons shall be my inheritors.
They recognize that from my bride no child has been conceived.” (2173-86)

Immediately then God answered him: “Never will the sons
of your reeve possess your heritage, yet your proper children
will keep your treasures when your flesh lays down in death.
Look at the heavens and the count of its ornaments, the stars
of the sky, these now share out their glory-fast splendor
both wide and far, shining brightly across the broad waters.
Such will be the numbers of your family, your bold descendants.
You should not allow your spirit to be impaired with grief.
For yet your son shall honor you, bairn of your bride
come through birth, who will be the warden of your heritage
after you, well-known to God. Lament no longer! (2187-2200)

“I am the Sovereign who led you out of the city of the Chaldeans
many winters ago, a certain four of you*—I promised you a wide country
to rule. Now I give to you, son of the Hebrews, another promise
that the earth, many broad lands, shall be established by your progeny,
the corners of the world until the River Euphrates and from
the boundaries of Egypt just as the Nile separates
the broad realm between peoples and the sea will turn your lands
back again.* Your sons shall possess all that, each human land,
as those three waters, foamy floods, encircle the high cities of stone
in their streams, the dwelling-places of your people’s kin.” (2201-15)

Then was Sarah sore at heart, so that with Abraham there was not
any noble children between them by conjugality to comfort them.
Soul-anxious, she then began to speak to her husband by her own words:
“The Wielder of Heaven has denied me this, that I may increase
the count of your lineage under the sky with your sons.
Now I am hopeless that the root of this nation will ever be
granted to us together. I am sadly old! My lord, do as I ask you!
Here is a maiden, a beautiful woman, an Egyptian lady,
alone in your power. I bid you to climb into her bed right away,
and find out whether the Lord will allow any heirs in this world
to come to you through that woman.” (2216-33)

Then the blessed man followed his wife’s advice, commanding
that handmaiden to go to his bed by Sarah’s instruction.
Her heart gladdened when Hagar was made pregnant with child
by Abraham. But the neck-bound woman was soon scornful
to her mistress with spite, and she carried herself proudly,
she was hostile and would not willingly endure her enslavement,
but she began to struggle strong and bold against Sarah. (2234-43)

Then, as I have heard, that woman made known wordfully
to her husband the sorrow of her mind, saying pained at heart
and speaking strongly: “You don’t do what is fitting and right by me.
Since you consented to me that Hagar, my handmaiden, would
mount your bed, just as I requested, in my tracks, she has afflicted
me daily and dishonorably with her deeds and words. I must own that one
if I am allowed to rule my servants on your behalf
my dear Abraham.* May the Almighty, the Lord of Lords,
be judge between us two.” (2244-55)

The wise-minded man quickly answered her then
with his words: “I will not allow you to be deprived
of honor so long as we both shall live, but you may
manage your own servant as your heart sees fit.” (2256-60)

Genesis XXX

2011-09-11T07:21:00.001-07:00

(Countdown: 11 sections and 764 lines to translate)

-----------------------

At that time were the folk of Sodom heading south from there,
carrying the battle-news, what sort of departure their fierce enemies
had made. The lord of men departed, deprived of his earls,
seeking Abraham, poor in friends. The king brought with him
the treasures’ warden from Salem, the famous Melchizedek,
priest of his people. He came with gifts to fairly greet the first
of army-soldiers, the honorable Abraham, setting upon him
God’s blessing and so spoke: (2096-2106)

“You were rewarded in his eyes among the count of men
so that the glory of spears was given to you in warfare!
That was God himself who shattered for you in your power
the majesty of those hated armies, who allowed you to work
forth a broad warrior’s way with weapons, to recover our pillage,
and kill their men. They were cast down in your track—
an army at a run can not succeed in battle, yet God put them
to flight, who shielded you with his own hands in the scuffle
with their captains, against the terror of greater odds.
It is a holy troth that you keep rightfully with the warden of the sky.” (2107-19)

Then the man gave Abraham the reward of his blessing by hand,
and he granted God’s bishop the tithes of the battle booty.
Then spoke the war-king, the lord of Sodom, weak of warriors,
to Abraham (there was need of his favor): “Give to me
the women of my people which you rescued with your army
from the deadly grip of men! Have for yourself the wound gold
that once belonged to our people, the cattle and the ornaments!
Allow me to lead away the freemen again, the children of nobles,
into their native land, into their deserted towns, the women and the boys
and the wretched widows! Their sons are all dead, the peers of the people,
except some very few, who must hold with me the marches.” (2120-35)

Then Abraham answered him swiftly before the earls, lauded
with courage, glory, and victory, speaking nobly: “I promise you
with my words, wielder of men, before the Holy One, who is
in heaven and who is the Owning Lord of the earth,
there is no worldly wealth which I wish to possess for myself,
either chattel or coin which I, famous prince, redeemed of yours
from among the archers, helmet of noblemen, lest you soon say that
I grew prosperous on this earth by the pleasant comrades
and ancient treasures of the realm of Sodom, but you yourself
may lead away the spoils from here, which I reaped at battle for you—
all except one portion for these lordly men, Aner and Mamre and Eschol.
I do not wish for these warriors to be deprived of their right,
but they served me at the spear-thrash and fought for your relief.
Depart now carrying home your bedecked gold and your beloved girls,
the ladies of your people. There is no need to be afraid for a moment
the warrior’s battle-bluster, the warfare of the north-men.
Birds sit gorged on blood under the sheltering hills,
filled with the thick slaughter of the enormous army.” (2136-61)

Then the king departed, the holder heading home with the war-spoils
that the holy man had given him, mindful of the Hebrew people’s honor.
Then right away the High-King of Heaven himself revealed to Abraham
his holy speech, encouraging the good-hearted man and speaking to him:
Great will be your reward! Do not let your heart grow slack,
pledge-fast is my will! There is no need for you to fear any man,
so long as you fulfill my instruction, but I will cover and shield you
while you live here against any sort of misfortune with my own hands.
There is no reason for you to be afraid.” (2162-72)

Some maintenance work

2011-09-09T06:01:00.000-07:00

Just to let you all know--I just performed some much-needed maintenance on the Guthlac poems. I relineated the entire B section and finally got around to updating the online version. It should be much easier to read and have a more dynamic flow. Enjoy!

Genesis XXIX (12 more to go)

2011-09-08T19:22:00.001-07:00

Then a man, one survivor of the spear, escaped from the battle
departed journeying hastily and seeking Abraham. He announced
that war-work to the Hebrew earl, that the folk of Sodom
were struck down, the multitudes of people and the flight of Lot.
Then Abraham spoke that grim news to his own friends.
The pledge-fast man asked for support from his dear comrades,
Aner and Mamre and Eshcol the third, saying that it was a blow to his heart,
a sorrow most sore, that his nephew suffered slavery.
He asked them then, those wrack-bold warriors, to devise
a plan so that his near-kin would be rescued, the man and his wife.
Then the three brothers quickly spoke to him, soothing
his heart-sorrow with firm words, courage-bold, and gave
their pledge to Abraham that they would avenge his anguish
wrathfully, or they would fall into slaughter themselves. (2018-38)

Then the holy man ordered his hearth-band to take up
their weapons. He found there eighteen and three hundred more
ash-bearing warriors, loyal to a lord, those who he knew
could each well bear the yellow shield in an army.
Then Abraham departed and those three earls who had pledged
their promise earlier with their army. He wished very much
to set his kinsman Lot free from his hateful condition.
The warriors were bold, bearing forth their shields with courage
onto the earth-way. The battle-wolves had reached
near the army-camp, when he spoke wordfully, a wise-minded man,
to his first-spear, the son of Terah, that his was a great need
that they on both halves should show these strangers a grim battle-moot
and a hard hand-playing. He said that the Holy One, the Eternal Lord,
could easily grant success to them in the spears’ malice. (2039-59)

Then I heard that the warriors dared to fight under the shades of night.
Clamor grew in the camps of shields and shafts, the archers fell,
a clashing of war-darts. Unfairly sharpened spears gripped
the men under their clothes and the lives of foemen fell thick,
where laughing they carried away treasures, the men and their mates.
Victory soon was turned aside from the north-men in the hateful melee,
the spear-glory of men. Abraham gave war for his word,
not wound gold at all for his nephew, he slew and felled
his foes in fits. The warden of heaven’s realm grabbed them
in aid. The four armies were put to flight and the folk-kings,
the people’s leaders as well. A happy hearth-band stood in their track,
and warriors lay set on the path, those who carried away the gold
of Sodom and Gomorrah, separated from their sergeants.
How grimly the uncle of Lot repaid them for it!
The army-lord of the Elamites were set to flight, deprived
of glory until they drew near to Damascus. (2060-83a)

Then Abraham departed upon the war-road, seeing the retreat
of the hateful men. Lot was delivered, the earl with his aught,
his lady returned to him, the wife of his desire. They saw widely
the corpses of those life-killers of free men torn by birds.
Abraham carried away again the wealth and women of the south-men,
the children of nobles, nearer to his home, the maidens to their kin.
Never did any living man in this world succeed with such a little band
more worthily, than those who rushed against so great a power. (2083b-95)

Genesis XXVIII

2011-09-07T17:27:00.001-07:00

The sections are flowing out -- must have things I'm trying to avoid doing... Only 13 sections left until I'm finished with the Genesis!

-----------------

Then, as I have heard, the lord of the Elamites, a wise leader
of men, Chodorlaomer, ordered his army and with him
marched in aid, Amraphel of Shinar, broadly across the world.*
Then they departed, four kings with great power, seeking
thence from the south Sodom and Gomorrah. Then was
the land by the Jordan widely covered over with the war-host,
the earth with enemies. Many a white-cheeked lady
must go trembling and terrified into a foreign embrace.
The defenders of bride and bracelet fell, sick with wounds.
Then against them with war-wrack went five folk-kings
in armies to the south—they wished to defend the city of Sodom
from wrath. Then for twelve winters after they must by need
render tribute to the north-men and give them payment,
until those people no longer wished to prop up the King of Elam
with their tribal treasures, but instead they rebelled against the bold. (1960-81)

They traveled together then, their javelins were loud,
the slaughter-army angry. The black bird sang
under the spear shafts, dewy-feathered, intent upon corpses.
The warriors went quickly into strong bands, mighty in courage,
until the broad armies had come together from the south and north,
covered by helmets. There was a hard play, an exchange of deadly darts,
a great clash of warriors. The warriors drew their ring-studded swords,
handily from their scabbards, doughty with blades. There was easily
found earl’s bargain in battle, if he were not already sated with its malice.*
The north-men were an obstacle to the southern folk.*
The men of Sodom and Gomorrah, gold-givers, were deprived
of their dear war-comrades in the crush of shields. (1982-99a)

They departed from their home, saving their lives in flight,
the slayers with swords, the children of nobles fallen in their track,
destroyed with blades, their dear companions. The chief
of the Elamite army had the war-victory, wielding the slaughter-field.
The survivors of weapons left, seeking safety. Their enemies
plundered their gold, spoiling then that rich city of men
with their army, Sodom and Gomorrah, when the hall was given up,
the famous city. The womenfolk were stolen, the wives and widows,
taken away by their foes, from their sheltered seats. The haters
led out the kinsman of Abraham with his aught from the city of Sodom.
We can further speak the truth of the fate of the army-wolves
who, after that battle, led away Lot and his people’s goods,
the southrons' treasures, boasting of his victory. (1999b-2017)

Genesis XXVIIb

2011-09-05T10:33:00.001-07:00

So it was a short one and fell out quickly...

-------------------------------------

They dwelled in their camps, having plenty of good things,
Abraham and Lot. They passed around prosperity,
until they in that land could not enjoy its fruits
for long together nor keep both their possessions there,
but their men must, honor-fast, seek then for a more roomy realm
elsewhere. Often there were injuries of pledge-fast men
in bands, on both sides in stern harm-play. (1890-98a)

Then the sainted man began, mindful of his honor, Abraham
spoke fairly to Lot: “I am blood relation to your father,
and you are my nephew. There must not be strife growing
betwixt us, an increase of enmity—God does not will it!
Yet we are kin. There must not be anything common to us
otherwise, except a long-lasting love so perfect. Now Lot
consider that mindful men are seated about our borders,
a people glory-fast with their servants and kinsmen
the folk of the Canaanites and the Perizzites, and their bold warriors.
They do not desire for us a wider claim to their lands.
Therefore we must take this hostility from this place, and seek
for ourselves a more roomy establishing-ground. I speak counsel,
son of Harran, for us both, and say the truth. I myself offer you
a choice, dear man. Consider your self and examine your heart
in any direction you wish to take course, take yourself
with your cows, now as I command you choose.” (1898b-1919)

Then Lot departed, looking at the land by the Jordan,
the green earth. It was cooled by waters and covered by blossoms,*
watered by river-streams, and like the Paradise of God,
until the Savior God gave dark flames in surges to Sodom
and Gomorrah for the sins of men. Then he chose his country
and native-seat, the son of Harran in the city of Sodom.
All his possession he led there, bracelets from Bethel
and a wealth of household goods and wound gold.
He lived afterwards by the Jordan for many years.
There were favorless men in that fair folk-stead,
hateful to the Measurer. (1920-34)

They were the kin of the Sodomites, crazed by their sins,
led astray by their deeds. They busied themselves in perpetual harm.
Lot never wished to take up the people’s customs
but he flew from the man-habits of that tribe, their evil and sin,
and held himself to the fair, virtuous and patient in that nation,
just as if, mindful of his teachings, he knew not what these people did. (1935-44)

Abraham dwelled thenceforth in the homeland of the Canaanites.
The King of Angels, the Measurer of Mankind held forth
his protecting hand for him, for the fruiting of good things
and world glory, for his love and his mildness. Therefore
he said his praise wide under the skies, for his generation of men,
the children of the covenant.* He obeyed the Lord for his grace
on the ground so long as he enjoyed the earth, holy and heart-wise.
— Never will anyone bearing his spirit, lacking protection,
become fearful and terrified at anything before his Measurer,
who wishes to serve him always through the strength of his memory
in mind and deed, word and wit, wisely by thought, until his life-parting. (1945-59)

Genesis XXVIIa

2011-09-03T18:17:00.000-07:00

Here is the first section in the Junius MS marked "XXVII." Only fifteen more sections to go after this! School has started and with it the tenure clock, so it will be a minor miracle if I keep up the pace of a section per week. This one felt pretty good, and if they all feel so good then maybe it will easy to continue at this rate.

I've ordered this collection of Anglo-Saxon poems translated/interpreted by contemporary poets called the Word Exchange. There are even some chunks of the Genesis in there. I hope that the book will prove to be useful in the classroom and inspirational for the word-plega.

I'm designing a graduate course now as well about medieval translations and translation theories to use for next academic year. If there are any articles or books on translation you can think of that would be useful in my planning, please let me know. I'm coming into the theory part of the task as a greenhorn, so nothing's too basic. Also what is your favorite medieval translation? Mine I think is the Book of the Duchess by Geoffrey Chaucer, translating and adapting three love-dits by Guillaume de Machaut. I really like that he takes the lion from Dit dou Lyon and makes it a puppy. Clever guy, that Chaucer.

Any way, on to the translation:

-------------------------

Then Abraham created a second altar on his journey.
He invoked God with glorious words there, he made
a worthy sacrifice to his Life-Lord, to him who had given
him rewards not at all sparingly through his measuring hand,
in that flaming-place with manly virtue. There the counsel-bearer
dwelt after a time in his camps, enjoying pleasurable things,
a warrior with his wife, until terrible calamity came pressing
upon the kind of the Canaanites, to those seated at home,
a ferocious famine, slaughter-grim to men. Then thought-wise
Abraham departed for Egypt, chosen by his Lord, seeking
their way of living, fleeing that sure woe—that torment was much too strong. (1805-19)

Abraham spoke, seeing the white horn-halls of Egypt
and the high city sparkling brightly. The thought-wise man
and husband then began to instruct his wife wordfully:
“Because many proud Egyptian men may look upon your looks*
with their eyes, and then these noble earls will suppose you,
my elf-shining woman, to be the bright companion of my bed,
that some warrior will wish to acquire you for himself.
I can fear for myself, that some man, angry with desire,
will deprive me of my life with the weapon’s edge.
Say therefore Sarah that you are my sister, kin of my body,
when these strange country-men inquire what friend-love lies
between us two strangers and foreign-comers. Fast conceal
the spoken truth from them, as you must shield my life,
if the Lord grants me his peace and a longer life
in the world’s realm, our Wielder Almighty, just as he did before.
He made this path for us, so that we must seek the honor
of the bold and look for our own benefit.”* (1820-43)

The came the courage-bold earl journeying into Egypt,
Abraham with his aught, where men of strange folk were,
unknown to their friends. They spoke wordfully about the beauty
of that woman, many proud men, arrogant in their glory.
The noble lady seemed to them splendid in her luster,
the many servants of the king. They made it known to their folk-lord
that they had noticed few fairer women before that prince,
yet they praised her joyous beauty in many words even more,
until he ordered that beautiful woman to be led to his own hall. (1844-57a)

The bestower of riches, the helm of nobles ordered them
to exalt Abraham with favors. However the Lord and Master
grew angered and adverse to Pharaoh for his woman-lust.
He was bitterly punished for it: sorely did the best of the youths
of his household pay for it.* And yet did the lord of men understand
why the Sovereign scathed him with punishing strokes.
He ordered Abraham terrified into his dread presence,
the prince of Egypt, and gave back his bride, his wife into his wielding.
Pharaoh bade him to choose noble friends elsewhere, from other people.
Then the nation-king commanded his own thanes, his serving-men,
to bring Abraham, honorably and wholly unharmed,
to their people’s borders again, so that he may be at peace. (1857b-72)

Then Abraham led his retinue from the margins of Egypt;
they carried his courage-bold lady, bride and bracelets both,
so that they drove his cattle to Bethel again into a known camp,
his rich prosperity, the wife of his will and their worldly goods.
Then they began to build and rear their city, setting their hall
and renewing their home. The men raised an altar in the fields
near to the one that Abraham had established prior
to his Lord God when he came from the west.
There the blessed man again worthied the name of the Eternal Lord
with a new voice. The good-hearted earl made sacrifice
to the Prince of Angels, strongly thanked the Light-Start
of Life for his mercy and favor. (1873-89)

Genesis XXVI

2011-08-28T17:54:00.001-07:00

Then was the mark of appointed time passed by so that Abraham
brought a woman to him, a wife to the homestead, where he
possessed a camp, fair and beautiful. The lady was called Sarah,
of whom the books speak to us. Then they enjoyed many winters
this world. They held peace and treasure together for many years.
An heir was not yet granted unto Abraham, nor to this point
had the beauty-bright woman brought into the world
sons or daughters, Sarah for Abraham.
He departed then with his family through the Chaldeans’ land,
faring with their food, the father of Abraham. The wise man
wished to seek with his relations the land of Canaan.
The kinsmen journeyed with him, chosen by the Measurer,
from that native ground, Abraham and Lot. The excellent sons of noblemen
seized land in Harran, men with their wives. In this place
the father of Abraham gave up his spirit, the faithful warrior.
He had two hundred winters, told by count, and five more,
when he fared forth to see his destiny, wise of years. (1719-43)

Then the Holy One spoke, the Warden of Heaven’s Realm,
to Abraham, the Eternal Lord: “Turn towards a departure now
and lead away your chattels, your breeding cows. Leave Harran,
the native seat of your father. Travel, as I have ordered you,
dearest of men, and heed my instruction well, and seek that
all-greening land which I wish to show you, the broad earth.
You shall be blessed to dwell in my protection.
If any earth-dweller greet you with malice, I will set my curse
upon him and my heart’s hatred, my enduring abhorrence.
I give them joy, the fruits of delight to those who worthy you. (1744-58)

“Through you all the earth-dwellers shall accept the favor
of the Child of Men and my friendship, my bliss and my blessing
in the realm of this world. Your tribe, the count of your men,
shall be increasing, strongly under the sky, to your sons and daughters,
until the earth shall be filled by your progeny, many inhabited lands.” (1759-66)

Then Abraham departed, leading his possessions from the borders
of Egypt, excellent in manly virtues, well-endowed and blessed
with gold and silver, as the Guard of Victories had commanded him
by his word, our Sovereign, leading his cattle from Harran and seeking
the land and country of Canaan. Then came the man dear to God
onto that desired native-soil, leading his woman, his own bed-spouse
and the wife of his nephew. He had seventy-five winters when
he must travel leaving Harran and his near-kinsmen. (1767-78)

Father Abraham departed traveling then, mindful of the Almighty’s
teachings showing him the wide land beyond that people
by the command of the Lord, until the courage-bold came to Sychem
of the kin of the Canaanites, successful in his journey.
Then the King of the Angels revealed to Abraham himself,
and the Righteous Lord of Hosts spoke: “This is that all-greening
and splendid land which I wish to bestow upon your stock to rule,
a roomy realm, rich with blossoms.” (1779-90a)

Then the warrior built an altar unto God and offered a sacrifice
to the Wielder, the Light-Start of Life, the Helm of Souls.
Once again Abraham departed for the east, with bright eyes
upon the choicest of land—mindful of delight, the promise
of Heaven’s Warden, when through his holy word
the King of Victories himself revealed the truth to him—
until the chieftains of the multitude traveled to where
the village which is called Bethel. The blithe-minded man
and his brother’s son traveled forth across the nation-famous land
east with their possessions, law-fast men to the wall-steep slopes,
and then they chose a camp for themselves where the fields
seemed to be most beauty-bright. (1790b-1804)

Genesis XXV (The Tower of Babel)

2011-08-09T17:00:00.001-07:00

Likewise from the descent of Ham was born many human tribes.
From that wide-folk, a great generation was begotten.
Then a great many sons and daughters were born of Shem
in the world’s realm, of free-born children, for many winters
before the Lord of Hosts chose the old man for slaughter-rest.
In that tribe were good men, of those one was named Eber,
the son of Shem. From that earl was born an uncountable people,
who all noblemen now earth-dwelling call the Hebrews.
They departed then for the east, leading their possessions,
their cattle and food. The people were resolute—
brave warriors seeking a roomy land, until they,
in a great host, arrived where they, a folk traveling,
the children of nobles firmly seized a homeland. (1637-54)

They settled then in Shinar, wide and broad, the people’s chieftains
with their men, dear in their year-days, the green fields, the fair earth.
Forward from them, there was a multitude of all good in the time
of their days and a growing abundance. Then many man,
a proud noble with his kinsman, bade one another that they,
for their own glory, should construct a city before their numbers
must soon be scattered across the bosom of the earth, the tribe of people
on a land-search, and raise up a tower as a beacon unto the heaven-stars. (1655-67)

After that they sought the field of Shinar, just as those exceedingly powerful
counselors of the people were accustomed to do for their pleasure.
The men sought their advice for their labor and their sin,
until for their pride and their folly, they revealed their skill,
creating a city and rearing a ladder up to the heavens,
erecting with strength a stone wall over what is proper to men,
eager for honor, the heroes with their hands. Then came Holy God
observing the work of the generation of men, the sheltering fastness
of warriors and that beacon of the heirs of Adam together,
which was built up to the stars, and for that unreadiness,*
the stern-minded King made them a hindrance when he wrathfully created
an unlikeness in the tongue of earth-dwellers so that they possessed
no power in their speech when the leaders of the labor encountered
other bands, in great numbers, at the tower rising in its might.
None of the human tribes there knew what the others were saying. (1668-90)

Nor could they agree to further build up that stone wall,
yet they miserably misbuilt in heaps, alienated by tongue.
Each sheltering kin was made strange to the other
after the Measurer disrupted through the power of his might
the speech of men. Then they went forth in four ways,
the sons of noblemen, a people disunited in a land-search.
In their traces both the strong stone tower and the high city
stood together on Shinar unfinished. (1691-1701)

Then the kin-shelter of Shem grew under the sky and increased
until a man was born among his generation, the count of noble children,
a gracious-minded man, thoughtful in his customs.
And to that noble man were born two beautiful sons in Babylon,
his children were produced, and these first-spears,
these brave men were called Abraham and Haran.
To these earls the Lord of Angels was both peace and life.*
Then was a son born to Haran, dear as life, Lot was his name.
These warriors prospered in the Measurer, Abraham and Lot,
not-ignoble, just as these men were excellent from their elders
in the world’s realm—therefore widely now they judge
among glorious multitudes the sons of the many.* (1702-18)

---------- Notes -----

1682) þæs unrædes: translated as “unreadiness” is the older sense of read as bad counsel or idea.

1711) freod and aldor: Thorpe and other editions read “freond” here.

1717-18) forðon hie wide nu / dugeðum demað drihta bearnum: This line has a history of heavy emendment and is restored to the Junius MS reading by Doane. Holthausen gives the reading “dugeðum demað driht-folca bearn” to prop up the meter, and Krapp follows him. I translate “dugeðum” here as “glorious multitudes” since the word means both “glory” and “host,” and since the heavenly hosts are being described here.

The rest of Genesis XXIV

2011-07-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

Then afterwards Noah with his own sons enjoyed his broad realm
for three hundred winters of this life, and fifty more, freemen
after the flood, when he died. Afterwards his sons distributed
his riches, begetting children. Bright prosperity was theirs.
Then children were produced by Japheth, a happy hearth-band
of near kin, sons and daughters. He was good himself,
ever holding the realm, the joys of one’s country, its fruits
with his children until the hoard of his breast, his hastening spirit
must be gone to the judgment of God. Gomer afterwards as father
doled out the household goods to his friends, his own
and those near to him, the son of Japheth. No small deal
of the created earth was fulfilled by the stock of that lineage. (1598-1614)

Likewise Ham’s son were brought forth, heirs to the homeland.
The eldest were named Cush and Canaan, very noble souls,
the first-born of Ham. Cush was chief to the noblemen,
dispenser of desires and worldly goods to his brothers,
the home-treasures, father behind him, after Ham departed forth
from his body, when death divided him. The people’s chief
pronounced judgments for his tribe, until the count of his days
were run out. Then the warrior gave up his earth-bound possessions,
seeking another life, the father of Nimrod. His first-born after him,
the son of Cush wielded the heritage-seat, a widely famous man,
as the Scriptures tell us, that he had the most power and strength
of mankind in those ancient days. He was the origin
of the kingly realm of Babylon, its first nobleman.
He exalted its nation-strength, extending and building it.
Its one speech was still common to the earth-dwellers. (1615-36)

Genesis XXIII (& part of XXIV)

2011-07-17T08:01:00.001-07:00

Then with a holy voice our Savior spoke to Noah,
the Ward of Heaven’s Realm: “For you is a country-seat
again provided, delight on land, a rest from your ocean-paths,
fair upon the earth. Depart in my peace and go out of the Ark,
and lead your family from this high house into the bosom of the earth
and all your progeny which I saved in a ship from the water-throes
while the ocean held that third homeland and majestically covered it.” (1483-92)

Noah did so and obeyed the Lord, going up over the stream-wall
as the voice commanded him, very joyfully, and lead out then
from that wave-plank the survivors of that wicked race.
Then Noah firm in counsel began to prepare a gift for his savior,
and the wise man quickly took a part of all his possessions,
which the Lord had given to him for his prosperity, as a sacrifice,
and to God himself, the King of Angels, the bright-minded hero
made his offering. Indeed our Savior made it known,
when he blessed Noah and his children together,
that he had given that sacrifice thankfully and that he had
merited it by his good deeds in his youth. Then the Almighty God
was gracious to him of all his favors, powerful of his prosperity.
Once again the Lord, the Prince of Glory said a word unto Noah: (1493-1511)

“Now multiply and be fruitful, enjoy the glory
amid the peace of joy. Fill the earth. Increase all things.
Into your power is given the country-seat and the seas’s burden
and the heaven-fowl and the wild beasts, the all-greening earth
and the abundant cattle. Never eat the food of your table
with blood, shamefully polluted with sin’s soul-blood.
Each one deprives himself of the glories of the soul who first
destroys the life of another with the point of a spear. Nor needs he
by that repayment to rejoice in his mind-counsel, but I will declare
that man’s soul as a slayer and a brother-killer very loudly
after that bloodshed, a slaying of man with weapons is effected,
a deadly sin with his hands. Man was first shaped to God’s likeness. (1512-29)

“Everyone has the form of the Maker and the angels who would
keep these blessed customs. Prosper and grow, enjoy your
desires, honor upon the earth. Nobly fill the corners of the earth
with your descendants, line and stock. I shall give to you my pledge,
that I will never bring the watery armies back to middle-earth,
waters over the wide-lands. You can be shown a readable sign
very often in the sky, when I reveal my shower-bow, that I will fulfill
my promise to men, so long as the world stands.” (1530-42)

Then the wise son of Lamech came forth from the vessel
from the tracks of the flood with his three sons, the keepers
of his heritage (and their four wives: they were named Percoba,
Olla, Olliva, and Ollivani),* pledge-fast to the Maker,
survivor of the waters. The mind-brave heroes were called,
the sons of Noah: Shem and Ham and Japheth the third.
From these warriors grew the people and all middle-earth
became filled with the sons of men. (1543-54)

XXIV

Then with a renewed voice Noah began with his near-kin
to establish a home and till the earth for his food, dark
and done over, setting up a vineyard and sowing many seeds,
eagerly seeking the beautiful blossoms they brought to him,
the year-bright gift, the green earth. (1555-61)

Then it came to pass that the blessed man in his home,
drunk upon wine, sleeping feast-weary, and his clothing
was moved from his body. It was not so appropriate,
lying there limb-naked. He hardly noticed what had
so miserably happened to him in his house, when in his heart
a head-swimming had seized his thought in that holy house.
Strongly in his sleep his mind narrowed so that he could not,
dazed in his mind, cover himself with his garment by his own hands
and hide his shame, as the genitals were for men and women,
since the servant of glory, our father and mother were locked out
of our homeland, with a fiery sword behind them. (1562-76)

Then came Ham first, moving inside, the son of Noah,
where his lord lay, deprived of his wits. There he did not wish
to observe so familiarly the honor of his own father,
nor truly to conceal the shame of his close kin, but he laughing
said to his brothers, how the man rested himself in his hall.
Then they stepped to him at once, their faces skillfully covered
in their cloaks, so that they, dear men, could provide help.
They were both good men, Shem and Japheth. When he started
from sleep, the son of Lamech, and then immediately understood
that Ham did not wish to show him, the noble man,
any favor or troth for him in his need. For that, the holy man
was sore in his heart, he began to curse wordfully his own child,
saying that Ham must be miserable under the sky,
the servant of his own near-kin on earth. And this curse
has harmed him and his descendants terribly. (1577-97)

Genesis XXII

2011-07-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

Almost done with the Flood, and almost done with the guidance of Bradley's translation. Though I have always had problems with his work, he has proven a sure guide through the Genesis so far. Now after the next section (XXIII), his translation ends and I will be forced to look solely to Kennedy's for advice. I sure liked his translation of the Cynewulf poems, but I have discovered that his Genesis is not very reliable at all. Too many spots where he skips over an uncertain passage, too many places he follows the Latin more closely than the Old English. I'll just have to rely more on myself from here on out.

There is just so much more of the Genesis to go. I'm at line 1482 and there are roughly 1,450 more to go. Exciting stuff: the Tower of Babel, the Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the story of Abraham and Isaac, but still no end in sight. At this rate it will be October before I get through it. Now I can see why Bradley quit (if he did quit), but I can't quit. The Genesis was the reason I started this whole thing in the first place, so that there would be a complete, new translation of the poem to use in the classroom. That's the goal that must fire my engines through the next long haul.

Thanks to those that have contacted me about the translations. Your encouragement helps me greatly, and let's me know that I'm on the right track. Actually, when I add it all together, eighteen sections is not really all that much. I have been able to do one every week or five days. I could be done pretty soon if I didn't have so many other things to focus on.

Thanks Internets for your help -- talking it out was very helpful!

-------------------------------------------

Then was God, the Sovereign of Victories, mindful
of the sea-sailor, the son of Lamech and all that progeny
that he had closed up against the water, Light-First of Life,
in the bosom of the ship. Then the Lord of Hosts led the warrior
by word over the wide-lands. The welling flood soon began to wane.
The seas ebbed, swart under the sky. The true Maker had
soon turned back the water-streams for his child,
the bright course of water, and stilled the rain. (1407-16)

The foamy ship journeyed for a hundred and fifty nights
beneath the heavens, since the flood heaved up the nailed deck,
the best of boats until a certain count of terrible days had passed by.
Then the greatest of wave-halls, the Ark of Noah was set
with its burden high upon the mountains which are called
Armenia. The blessed one waited for a long while,
the son of Lamech, for the true promise, when the Warden of Life,
the Lord Almighty gave him rest from the perilous journey,
from those he had widely undergone when the dark waves
had borne him on the sea beyond the broad earth. (1417-30)

The sea was receding; it caused the heroes, the wave-sailors
and wives too to long when they from the narrowness
over the nailed deck were allowed to step across the ocean’s shore
and lead out their cattle from that confined space.
Then helmsman of the ship searched out whether the sea-flood
was sinking once again according to the pledge under the skies.
Then after a number of days, after that high hillside had taken his hoard
and also the descent of the stock of the earth, the son of Lamech
let fly a dark raven out of the house across the high-flood.
Noah supposed that the bird, if he did not find land
on his journey, would, by necessity seek the wave-plank
across the wide waters. Soon his hope deceived him—
the fiend perched upon floating corpses,
and dark-feathered did not seek to return. (1431-48)

Then, seven nights after the black raven flew out
from the Ark, he let a dusky dove fly out over the high waters
on a test whether the deep and foamy sea had once again
given up any part of the green earth. She sought her desire
widely and flew broadly. She did not yet find rest,
so that she could perch her feet upon the land or
step upon the leaf of the tree for the streaming waters,
but the steep slopes were covered with water.
In the evening, the wild fowl turned to seek out the Ark
across the dark waves, descending weary,
hungry to the hand of the holy warrior. (1449-63)

Then soon was the wild dove sent from the coffer, after a week.
She flew widely until she, free-happy, found a fair resting spot
and the gentle bird stepped with her feet on a tree.
She rejoiced blithe-minded after she was allowed to sit
so weary in the bright twigs of a tree. She shook her feathers,
and soon departed flying with her gift, the flier brought
a single twig of an olive tree to Noah’s hand, a green blossom.
Then the lord of the float-men knew quickly that comfort
was coming, help for his troublesome journey.
About a week later, once again the blessed man sent out
alone a third wild dove. She never came again flying to the ship,
but she found land, the green trees. The joyful bird did not wish
to appear ever afterwards beneath the pitched boards
in the planked fortress, when there was no need for her to. (1464-82)

Genesis A XXI

2011-07-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

This section contains a most vexing passage, which if any of you could help me shed some light upon I would be grateful. The passage is lines 1400-1 and it goes like this:

Þam æt niehstan wæs nan to gedale,
nymþe heof wæs ahafen on þa hean lyft,

I have had to add a few things to make it make sense to me (see the translation below). Like I said, if you have a suggestion for how to translate it more effectively, let me know!

--------------------------------------------

Then our Savior spoke to Noah: “I will give you,
dearest of men, my pledge, that you will take up a way
and this vessel of life shall carry you across the deep water
many a day-count in the bosom of this ship.
Bring forth, so I order you, under the decks of the Ark your sons,
first-spears three, and your four wives. And take seven
into that sea-house told by count of every creature which
exists as meat for men, and two of all the rest.
Likewise bring all the fruits of the earth as food
under the wave-boards for your people, who
must survive with you upon the sea-flood.
Feed them freely, the progeny of living things
until I wish to make abundant under the heavens
food for the survivors of the water-journeys again. (1327-44)

“Go forth now with your family, go into that house
with the host of living things. I know you are good, fast-minded;
you are worthy of my protection, of favor with your sons.
I will let fall in my face now over seven nights
a slaughtering rain down upon the broad earth.
For forty days I will avenge my feud upon men
and with an army of waves I will destroy possession
and possessor alike which are outside the boards of the Ark
when the dark stormclouds begin to gather.” (1345-55)

And then Noah went, just as his Savior commanded,
leading his sons under the deck of the Ark, men
on the wave-plank and their wives as well and all
that the Lord Almighty wished to have as offspring
to their food-giver under the roof of the journey-ship*
just as the Almighty Lord of Hosts ordered by his word.
At his heels, the Warden of Heaven’s Realm locked up
the mouth of the sea-house with his own hands,
the Wielder of Victories, and blessed those within the Ark
with his own power, our Savior. (1356-67a)

Noah, the son of Lamech, was six hundred winters old
when he with his sons went down under the deck,
wise with his children, by the order of God, precious to the multitude.
The Lord sent rain from the heavens and allowed likewise
a welling gush to press upon the roomy world from every spring,
dark water-streams rushed. The seas rose up over the sea-cliffs.
Strong and fierce was he who controlled the waters.
The children of the wicked feud, of middle-earth were covered
and concealed by the black waves, the homelands of men.
The house of earth was harried, the Maker avenged
the willful crimes upon mankind. The strong sea grabbed
onto the fated folk for forty days, and forty nights as well.
The hate was ferocious, slaughter-cruel towards men.
The waves of the Glory-King drove out the spirits
of the dishonored from their flesh-homes.
The Flood covered them all, the high mountains stormy
under the heavens throughout the wide earth and heaved up
onto the seas the Ark from the ground and with it the nobles.
Then the Lord himself signified, our Shaper,
when he had closed up that ship. (1367b-91)

Afterwards the best of houses floated widely under the sky
over the ring of the waves, faring with its cargo.
The terrors were allowed to touch the wave-sailors
of the water in their ship violently, but the Holy God
carried them and preserved them. The drench-flood stood
fifteen man-cubits deep over the mountains. That is a well-known event!
Finally there was nothing of that death for them
except lamentation lifted up on the high breeze*
when the watery host wasted all the stock of the earth,
except what the decks of the Ark held up by the Lord of Heaven,
when God, holy and eternal, allowed the obedient flood
to mount up in streams, the stiff-minded King. (1392-1406)

The Flood begins! Genesis XX!

2011-06-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

Until the sons of God began to seek out wives
among the kindred of Cain, an accursed folk,
and they chose women there over the favor of the Maker,
the sons of man, women more wicked yet beautiful and fair.
Then spoke the Sovereign of the Skies, angry at mankind
and speaking these words: “They are not free from my punishment
in spirit, the progeny of Cain, but that kindred has sorely
enraged me. Now the children of Seth has renewed my anger
and take to themselves the women of my foes as mates.
The lovely women penetrate there troublesomely,
the beautiful faces of the ladies, and my eternal enemy
into the multitude of my people, when they were before
in my protection.” (1248-62)

After a count of a hundred and twenty winters
in this world was told vengeance troubled the doomed people,
when the Lord wished to set his punishment on the pledge-breakers
and strike the sinful of deeds into death, the kindred of giants,
unbeloved of God, the great evil-scathers, hateful to the Maker. (1263-69)

Then the Wielder of Victories saw for himself
what was coming of men’s evils upon the earth
and that they were reckless of their sins and evil.
He thought to be avenged upon that unlovely generation
of men, to seize mankind grimly and sorely
with stern powers. He awakened a corpse when he first
shaped Adam, the first of the tribes of men, the point of nobles.
God said that he wished to lay waste to all that were
upon the earth for the sins of men, to destroy every body
in whom the spirit of life covered in its embrace.
All that the Lord would kill in days to come
that were drawing near to the children of men. (1270-84)

Noah was good, dear to the Savior, quite blessed,
the son of Lamech, glory-fast and righteous.
The Lord knew that the courage of that nobleman
was strong within the thoughts of his breast.
Therefore the Lord said to him, holy in speech,
the Helm of All Beings, what he wished to do
to the guilty men. He saw that the earth was filled
with the unright, the broad plains of time,
burdened with their sins, stained with their corruption.
Then the Sovereign spoke, our Savior, and said to Noah: (1285-95)

“I wish to kill the people with a flood and every sort
of living creature brought forth and nourished upon the sea and air,
the cattle and the birds. You shall keep my compact
with your sons, when the dark waters, the black slaughter-streams
swallow the multitudes of the sinful harmers.
Begin to work upon a ship, a great sea-house.
Upon this ship you shall provide a refuge for many things,
and a proper place for all things according to their own stock.
Make decks in the bosom of this ship. You must make
this vessel fifty ell-measures wide, thirty high
and three hundred long and work the joints fast
against the waves. There this vessel shall be loaded
with the progeny of every sort of living thing,
into that wood-fastness the stock of the earth.
The Ark must be the greater.” (1296-1313)

Noah performed such as his Savior commanded.
he obeyed and hurriedly began to create that house,
that great sea-chest. He said to his kinsmen that
terrible things were coming to the people, a horrible punishment.
They believed little in these things!
Then the Pledge-fast Maker saw that after many winters
the greatest ocean-house towered ready, within and without
it was made fast with the best earthen pitch against the waters,
the vessel of Noah. It is special among its kind: it always
is the harder the more strongly that the stormy waters
beat upon it, the darkened sea-streams. (1314-26)

Genesis XIX (the last of the genealogy so far)

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In his tracks Mahalaleel kept land and possessions after
a great many half-years. The first-spear was five and sixty
winters old when he by his wife began to produce children.
His bride brought a son, the woman unto the menfolk.
The kinsman in his tribe was, as I have learned, called Jared,
a young man among the youth. Mahalaleel lived afterwards
and enjoyed prosperity for a long time, the joys of men here,
the treasures of this world. He had five and ninety plus eight hundred
winters when he departed forth. He left to his son land and rule. (1167-80)

For a long time afterwards Jared gave out gold unto his men.
The earl was noble, a law-fast man and this first-spear was dear
to his free-born kin. Five and ninety winters passed he lived
in this life in this worldly realm and sixty more when
the time was come that his wife brought into the world a son.
His heir was named Enoch, the beautiful first-born.
His father here to this point had increased the generation
of his kind from then on sons for eight hundred years.
In all, he was five and sixty years old plus nine hundred more
when he departed forth, the wise friend of many winters
and counts of night, when he relinquished this world
and Jared then left land and leadership to his wise children,
to those dear to warriors. (1181-96)

Afterwards Enoch heaved up his princely authority, the peaceful
power, the wise leader of the people—he did not at all allow
glory and dignity to fall as long as he was warden of his closest kin.
He enjoyed days of increase, begat children for three hundred winters.
The Lord was gracious to him, the Sovereign of the Skies.
The man henceforth sought his serenity while in his body-house,
the glory of the Lord, not at all killed by the death of middle-earth,
just as men are here, young and old, when their God takes
them away from their possessions and provisions,
their treasures on earth, and their lives at the same time,
but Enoch left here alive with the King of Angels,
traveling from this loaned life in his clothing which
his spirit seized before him and brought to the mother of his people. (1197-1213)

He left behind his people for his eldest son, the first-child.
Five and sixty winters Enoch had when he gave up the world
and three hundred more. After a time Methuselah held the heritage
of his kinsmen, who enjoyed these world-joys for the longest time
in his body-home. He had begotten a great many sons and daughters
before his death-day, this old warrior, when he had to turn from men—
at nine hundred and seventy winters. (1214-24a)

His son Lamech after him kept the people’s land, a long time
afterwards distributed his worldly goods.* He was a hundred
and two winters old when the time came that the earl
began to conceive noble children, sons and daughters.
Afterwards he lived five and ninety more, the lord enjoying many
winters beneath the sky, the lord of hosts, and five hundred more.
He kept the people well and begat children, and more
were born to him, both sons and daughters. The eldest of them
was named Noah, who distributed the land to men since
after Lamech departed. (1224b-36)

The noble lord-counsellor had five hundred winters when
first began to beget children, as the book tells us.
The son of Noah was called Shem, the eldest.
The second was Ham, and the third Japheth.
The people multiplied, spacious beneath the sky,
increasing the number of men of the tribe
throughout middle-earth sons and daughters.
Up to now was the kindred of Seth, dear to the People’s Start
in such love, precious to the Lord and glory-blessed. (1237-47)

Genesis XVIII (whew! more genealogy!)

2011-06-21T15:46:00.001-07:00

Likewise in that family of kinsmen Tubal Cain was called
at that same time, he who through the strength of his wisdom
was skilled at smithwork and was the first of men, the son
of Lamech, and through the thought of his mind, the inventor
of plow-forging across the earth, afterwards the children of men
knew how to use brass and iron widely, the city-dwellers. (1082-89)

Then unto his two wives Lamech himself spoke his shameful story
wordfully, to his dear bed-companions, Adah and Zillah:
“I have slain in murder a certain one of my near relations;
I have defiled my hand in the killing of Cain, felling with my hands
the father of Enoch, the first-killer of Abel, and gave unto the ground
the slaughtered blood of men. I readily know that with body-crumbling
comes as a result the sevenfold vengeance of the Truth-King,
great after such an evil. A greater fall and soul-killing of mine
must be paid with a grim terror, when I quickly pass forth.” (1090-1103)

Then was born another to Adam in Abel’s replacement, an heir
in the homeland, a truth-fast son—his name was Seth.
He was blessed and prospered with his elders, noble as a comfort
to his father and mother, Adam and Eve. He was Abel’s replacement
in this worldly realm. Then the start of mankind spoke a word:
“The eternal Wielder of Victories himself has given me a son,
the Lord of Life, in the place of one I loved, who Cain killed,
and by this child our Prince has driven care-sorrowing
away from my mind. Thanks be to him!” (1104-16)

Adam had, when he soon began to acquire others to his family,
children by his bride, warriors courage-bold, one hundred
and thirty winters in the world of this life. The Scriptures say
to us here that for eight hundred years afterwards he increased
his own lineage with daughters and sons, Adam upon the earth.
In all, he was nine hundred and thirty winters likewise
when he had to depart this world through his soul-parting. (1117-27)

After him, Seth guarded the people, the heir according his elders.
He kept the seat of his native land and obtained a wife.
He was a five and a hundred winters old when he first
began to increase the people of his family with sons and daughters.
Of the sons of Seth, the eldest was called Enos, who God named
first of all the children of men, since Adam walked on green grass
and honored him with his soul. Seth was blessed, afterwards
he beget son and daughters for seven and eight hundred winters.
In all he was twelve and nine hundred years old when
the time came that he must make his peace-parting. (1128-42)

After, when he had departed from the world, Enos kept his inheritance,
after the earth had swallowed the body of seed-bearing Seth.
He was dear to God and lived here for ninety winters
before he begat children by his wife here through lawful conjugation.
Then to him was first brought forth Cainan, an heir in his homeland.
Afterwards for eight hundred and fifteen years in the peace of the Lord
he begat young men, wise-spirited warriors, sons and daughters.
He died when he was five and nine hundred years old, a wise elder. (1143-54)

Of that tribe was Cainan afterwards the life-judge after Enos,
guardian and counselor. He was an even seventy winters old
before a son was born to him. Then was brought forth
in that country a son, the kin of Cainan, Mahalaleel was he called.
After the count of eight hundred and forty years also the nobleman
increased in souls, the son of Enos. In all, nine hundred winters
and ten also had he when he gave up the world, when the count
of his time of days under the roomy heavens was fulfilled. (1155-66)

Genesis A XVII

2011-06-17T17:35:00.001-07:00

Then by word the Lord of Glory asked Cain
where on earth Abel was. Then that worthless wright
of killing at once answered him after that:
“I do not know Abel’s start nor his path, my kinsman’s journey,
nor am I my brother’s warden.” (1002-08a)

Then the Virtuous Spirit, the King of Angels, spoke against him:
“Lo! You have struck down your brother with your own
wrathful hands, the pledge-worthy warrior into his slaughter-bed,
and his blood cries out and calls out to me!
You shall suffer for this murder and turn towards exile,
accursed unto the breadth of life. The earth shall not give you
its lovely fruits for your worldly-use, but she will swallow
the blessed blood of the slain from your own hands.
Therefore she shall deny you her favor, the glow of the green earth!
You shall go forth sorrowful, without honor from your home,
just as you did to Abel as a soul-slaying. Therefore you
shall travel the far-path of the exile, hateful to your dear kinsmen.” (1008b-21)

Then quickly Cain answered him: “I need not hope for any mercy
in this worldly realm, but I have given up, Heaven’s High-King,
your grace, your peace and your love; therefore I shall travel
widely the paths of woe in expectation of when he should meet me,
the sin-guilty, who will be reminded of the feud of brother-killing,
whether far or near. I have poured out his blood, gore upon the earth.
Today you have deprived me of prosperity and driven me
from my own country. A certain more wrathful man will become
my life-killer. I must be accursed, turned from your sight.” (1022-35)

Then to him the Lord of Victories himself answered:
“You need not yet dread the terror of death, a soul-killing,
though you may be obliged to wander guilty, far from your free kin.
If any man deprives you of life with his hands,
upon him will come after that sin vengeance sevenfold,
punishment after the deed.” (1036-43a)

The Wielder, the Glory-Fast Maker, set a sign upon Cain,
a warding-mark of the Lord, lest any enemies dared
attack him with warlike violence, far or near.
Then he ordered that he, sin-guilty, turn from mother and kin,
his own family. Cain then departed, going sad-minded
from the sight of God, a friendless wretch, and choose for himself
then a dwelling in the east-lands, a home-land far from his father-yards,
where a beautiful woman, a lady after her kind begat him children. (1043b-54)

The eldest was called Enoch, the first-born of Cain.
Afterwards he began to build a stronghold, a city
with his brothers;* that was the first of all the walled-fortresses
under the heavens that the sword-bearers ordered to be built.
From then his first son was born, a child from woman,
in that city-stead. The eldest was named Irad, the son of Enoch.
Afterwards were born those who increased the progeny
of the family, the kindred of Cain. Mehujael was the guardian
of their inheritance after Irad, the patriarch after him,
until he fared forth. After Mathushael doled out the treasures
of the nobles to his kinsmen, to his own brothers,
child after child, until the life-parting, old with the passing days,
must do, must give up his life. In his day Lamech received
the household property, the family treasures after his father.
His two wives gave birth to his sons, women in his homeland,
Adah and Zillah. The name of one of these was Jubal,
who, first of those living here on earth, the son of Lamech,
with his own hands awakened the voice of the harp,
making music, through his wise thought. (1055-81)

Genesis A 16

2011-06-14T07:51:00.001-07:00

Then to Eve God spoke angrily: “Turn yourself from joy!
You shall be in the power of weaponed-men,* and you shall
be sorely constrained by the terror of them,
and miserable suffer the error of your deeds, awaiting death,
and through cries and lamentation and great pain
you shall bring forth your sons and daughters into the world.” (918-24)

To Adam also the Eternal Lord announced a bitter message,
the Light-Creator of Life: “You shall seek another home,
a joyless stead, and turn towards exile, a naked need-wretch
deprived of the glory of Paradise. For you is appointed
the separation of body and soul. So—you brought forth
a hateful deed, therefore you shall struggle
and from the earth you shall obtain your own food,
bear a sweaty face that you may eat your bread
so long as you live here, until a severe sickness grip you
harshly by the heart which you swallowed yourself before
in the apple. Therefore you shall die.” (925-38)

Listen—we have now heard where sorrow-songs
and wicked world-misery were awakened for us.
The Warden of Glory then geared Adam and Eve with clothes,
our Shaper. The Lord ordered that their shame be covered
by the first of garments. Then he commanded they turn
from Paradise-plain into a more constrained living.
Behind them a blessed angel locked away their pleasant home
of delight and joys, with a flaming sword, by the Lord’s order.
Nor can any wicked or stain-guilty man enter there,
but that guardian bears power and strength,
the one who defends that famous [tree of] life*
from the multitudes for the much-loved Lord. (939-51)

Not yet did the Almighty wish to withdraw all honor
from Adam, our father at the beginning, and Eve,
even though they had rebelled against him,
but he allowed the heavenly roof to be decorated nonetheless
with blessed stars as a comfort to them
and he gave unto them the ample riches of the earth.
He ordered the seas and the earth to produce fruits
of every fruitful species for the mortal need of that conjugal pair.
Then they occupied after their sin a sorrowful place,
unprofitable land and country, devoid of every advantage*
when they were driven out of their first home after their deed. (952-64)

They began then to beget children by the order of God,
just as the Maker commanded them. The two sons of Adam and Eve,
the noble first born were conceived as Cain and Abel.
Books declare it to us, how then the first-doer acquired glory,
wealth and sustenance, brothers of one desire.*
The first of them struggled with strength in the earth,
that one was the first-born. The second held property,
an aid to his father, until a great many days had passed forth. (965-75a)

Then they both brought gifts to the Lord.
The Lord of Angels looked favorably upon Abel’s sacrifice
with his own eyes, the King of Created Beings;
Cain’s offering he did not wish to look upon.
That was an anguish to that man, heavy upon his heart.
A mind-welling mounted* within the man inside his breast,
a paling hate, angered with envy. Then he did a terrible deed
with his hands—the kinsman killed his own brother,
and Cain poured out Abel’s blood.
Middle-earth swallowed the slain blood afterwards,
the life-sweat of men,* after the slaughtering blow. (975b-87a)

Woe was raised, the progeny of grief. From that sprig
has grown evil-minded and terrible fruit ever since
for such a long time. They have extended broadly
throughout the tribes of men, the branches of crime,
the sorrowing stems touching harsh and sore the sons
of the multitudes— and they still do—
from the broad leaves began to sprout every sort of wickedness.
We are able to tell that sobbing, that story, that slaughter-grim event,
not without reason—but that noble woman has scathed us severely
through the very first guilt which against the Maker
men have ever performed, the earth-dwellers,
after Adam was increased in spirit by the mouth of God. (987b-1001)

Genesis A XV

2011-05-31T18:27:00.000-07:00

Then at once God answered him: “Say to me, my son,
why do you say that you are shaming in the shadows?
You never received shame from me, but joy instead in all things.
For what reason do you know misery and cover yourself in shame,
you sigh in sorrow,* and you conceal your own body
with leaves? You say that life-care, that misery sad at mind,
tells you that you need clothing,* unless you ate the one apple
from that tree that I wordfully forbade you.” (872-81)

And then Adam answered him again:
“The woman gave to me that fruit in my hand,
the beautiful woman, my Lordly God,
which I accepted in insult to you. Now I bear the token
plainly upon my self. I know the more sorrow for it.” (882-86)

Then unto Eve asked the Almighty God: “What have you done,
my daughter, endowed with sufficient glory, of the new creation
of Paradise-plain and its growing gifts, when you coveting grasped
that wood, seized the fruit upon the branch of that tree,
and to my injury ate that harmful thing, gave it to Adam,
that fruit when it was firmly forbidden to you both by my words?” (887-95a)

Him the beautiful woman answered then,
the lady ashamed: “The serpent beguiled me and eagerly
he urged me to a malformed deed and to a sinful greed,
the stained worm through his fair words, until I wickedly
did the enemy’s work, worked a hostile act, and then reft it—
it was not right—the tree in the forest and then ate its fruit.” (895b-902)

Then the serpent was condemned by our Savior,
the Almighty Lord to the banded worm* to the far-flung ways
and he spoke then a word: “You shall forever tread the broad earth
upon your belly, accursed upon your breast,* faring footless,
so long as your life endures, your soul within you.
You shall eat the dust your life-days.
So you have accomplished a hateful work, so that the woman will despise you,
hate you under the heavens and tread upon your guilty head
with her foot. You shall await her heel for a battle renewed.
The enmity of war will ever be mutual for your progeny
while this world stands under the skies. Now you know,
hated harmer of folk, how you shall exist.” (903-17)

Genesis A continues

2011-05-26T05:44:00.000-07:00

Then the Almighty Lord came after mid-day, the famous Prince,
into Parasdise-plain at his wont. He wished to discover,
our Savior, the merciful Father, what his children had done;
He knew them sinful whom he had given beauty before.
Adam and Eve moved to depart then, misery-minded
under the wood-shadows, bereft of good; they hid
themselves in the dark when they heard the Lord’s holy word,
and they feared him. Then at once the Prince of the Skies,
began to inquire of the guardian of the created world.
He ordered his son to come quickly to the Powerful Lord.
Adam replied then, lowly speaking, in need of clothes himself: (852-66)

“I cover myself here, lacking clothes, my Life-Start,
hiding in leaves. A sinful, scathed mind is painful to me,
dreadful to my spirit. I dare not go forth now to answer you.
I am entirely naked.” (867-71)

The End of Genesis B!

2011-05-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

Then spoke Eve in reply, the brightest of women,
the most splendid lady; she was the craft of God,
although she was bereaved by the devil’s wiles:
“You could blame me for it, my dear friend Adam,
with your words. It could not distress you worse
in your mind than it is does in my heart.” (820-26)

Then Adam answered her: “If I knew the will of the Wielder,
what I should have as punishment—even though
the God of Heaven were to command me to wade into the sea
from here right now, to go into the flood, were it never so deep,
the sea-stream so great, you would never see my mind doubt it so readily,
but I would venture to the very bottom if I could work God’s will.
There is need for me in this world for any vassalage,
now that I have forfeited the favor of my Lord, and I can no longer have it.
But the two of us cannot exist thus bare together at all.
Let us go into the forest, into the shelter of this wood.” (827-40a)

The two of them turned, going separately sorrowing
into the green wood, sitting apart, to await the decree
of the Heaven-King himself, because they then
were no longer permitted to possess what Almighty God
had once given them. Then they covered their body-homes
with leaves, concealed themselves with foliage,
for they had no clothes. Yet they fell into prayer, the two of them
together, every morning, asking the Mighty One,
God Almighty that he not forget them, and instruct them,
the Sovereign, how they must live thenceforth in the light. (840b-51)

More Genesis B XIII -- almost done with B!

2011-05-22T06:07:00.001-07:00

Adam took up Hell and the journey hence from his wife,
although it was not so named, but it must possess the name of fruit.
It was the sleep of death yet and the chain of the devil,
Hell and the journey from this world, and the destruction of men,
the sin of humanity so that they took that evil fruit as food.
So it came within him, touched him at heart—
and then the bitter-minded messenger laughed and sported,
saying thanks to his master for the both of them: (717b-26a)
“Now I have brought your certain grace about me,
and fulfilled your will unto a great many days.
Humanity is deceived, Adam and Eve!
The Sovereign’s disgrace is appointed to them
now they have forsaken his teaching, the sayings of his mouth.
Therefore no longer can they keep heaven’s realm,
but must fare forth on a dark course for Hell.
So you need not bear this pain in your breast,
where you will lie bound, mourning in your mind,
that here men may dwell in that high heaven yet we suffer griefs,
the wrack of torture and the land of darkness,
and through your great thought many have relinquished
the high-timbers of heaven-kingdom and its goodly homes! (726b-40a)

“The wrath of God is ours because we did not wish
to bow our heads in service to him in the heavenly realm,
to the Holy Lord; but it was not our fate that we should desire
to serve him in thane-ship. Therefore the Sovereign was angered in his mind,
stern in his heart, and forced us into Hell, into that fire filled
by our greatest people and with his hands set the heavenly thrones to right
in the heaven-kingdom and gave that realm to mankind.
Your mind can be blithe in your breast, because two things are done here:
first that the sons of men, mankind must lose heaven’s realm
and next that they must be turned to you into that heated flame—
what’s more, an injury, mind-sorrow is made to God. (740b-55a)

“Whatever deaths we have endured here, it is now all forgiven
in Adam, with the hate of his Master and with the destruction of men,
the pain of death for humankind. Therefore is my mind made whole,
my thought spacious about the heart, all of our harms are revenged
the hateful things that we have long suffered.
Now I wish to go nearer to the flame again; I wish to seek Satan there.
He is in that dark Hell, fettered with the clasping of rings.” (755b-62a)

He hastened himself downwards again, the bitterest envoy.
He must then seek out the cliffs of Hell, the broad flames,
where his master lay, bound by chains. (762b-65a)

Both of the two, Adam and Eve made their sorrows,
and often between them passed a miserable word;
they dreaded the displeasure of their Master, God,
the hate of the Heaven-King they feared greatly.
They understood themselves that his word was worsted.
That woman grieved, sad-minded she lamented—
she had given up the grace of God and his precepts—
when she saw that light hurry away elsewhere
that he who counseled this injury had shown her
by an untrue token, so that they must have the hatred of Hell,
a myriad of miseries. Therefore heart-sorrow burned in their breasts.
Sometimes they fell to prayers, the conjugal pair together,
and addressed the goodness of the Victory-Lord and named him God,
the Wielder of Heaven, and begged him to allow them to have
their share of harm, to eagerly satisfy it, when they had broken
the commandment of God. They saw that their bodies were naked.
They did not have yet in that land any established home,
nor did they know any sorrow of labor at all, but they could easily
live in that land, if they would perform the teaching of God
from then on. Then they spoke many saddened-words at once,
those married two. (765b-89)

Adam addressed Eve and spoke to her: “So, you, Eve
have appointed evil upon our course. You see now
shadowy Hell greedy and ravenous. Now you can hear
them raging in the distance. Heaven’s realm is not like
that flame, yet this is the best of lands, which we may
have been allowed to keep by the grace of our Master,
if you had not harkened to him that counseled you this injury
and we had not violated the Sovereign’s word, the Heaven-King.
Now we must be miserable, sorrowing for this fate,
because he commanded us himself that we must beware
of punishment, the most of harms. Now hungers cuts at me and thirst
is bitter in my breast, both of which before we were free for all time. (790-804)

“How should we live now or exist in this land if the wind comes,
from the west or east, from the south or north? If darkness arise,
and showers of hail come up against the heavens,
frost comes at the same time, which is very cold.
At one time the bright sun shone, blazing hot from the heaven,
and here we stand bare, uncovered by clothing.
There is nothing at all before us as a covering shadow,
nothing appointed to us as food, but Mighty God is angered
at us, the Wielder. To what shall we become now?
Now I can regret that I asked the Sovereign God of Heaven
for his good will, so that he created you for me here,
from my ribs, now you have deceived me into the hate of my Master.
So now I can regret forever that I saw you with my eyes.” (805-20)

Genesis B XIII, part 1

2011-05-15T17:58:00.001-07:00

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)

Genesis B XII.2

2011-05-13T16:31:00.001-07:00

Then Eve ate of that fruit, breaking the word and will of the All-Wielder.
Then she could see far and wide through the loathsome’s gift,
which came to Eve for his purposes, and he deceived her with lying words,
secretly beguiling her, so that it seemed to her that heaven and earth
was brighter and all this world more beautiful, and the work of God
great and masterful, although she apprehended it not through human senses
but the scather eagerly seduced her soul so that sight was bestowed her
and she could gaze so broadly across the heaven-realm.
Then the forsworn one spoke through his fiend-ship—
he exhorted her not at all to her advantage: (599-610)

“Now you can see yourself so I need not tell it to you,
Eve the good, that beauty and blossoms are unlike,
since you have trusted my words and fulfilled my teaching.
Now splendid light shines before you that I have brought from God,
bright from heaven. Now you can touch it—
Tell Adam what power of sight and craft you possess by my arrival.
If he obeys my precept through modest bearing yet
then I shall give him light enough as good as I have prepared for you.
Nor should I blame him for his blasphemous words,
though he is not worthy to be pardoned for it:
many wicked things he has said about me.” (611-22)

And so must her children live afterwards:
when they do evil, they must secure his love,
amend their harm-words to their Master, and keep his grace from then on.
Then Eve went to Adam, the brightest woman,
the most beautiful lady that had come into the world,
because she was the handiwork of the Heaven-King,
though she was secretly corrupted then, seduced by deceptions,
She must have been hateful to God to forgo his glory
through the schemes of the Wrathful, through the Devil’s craft,
the favor of her Master and to go without the heavenly realm
for many lifetimes. It will be very evil to the man
who does not care for himself when he has the power! (623-35)

Eve bore some fruit in her hands, some lay upon her breast,
the unholy apples, which the Lord of Lords had forbidden them,
the fruit of the Tree of Death and that word the Prince of Glory had spoken,
saying that great death men his servants need not suffer,
but he gave heaven’s kingdom to each of his people, the Holy Lord,
a surpassing wide realm, if they would leave that fruit alone
which the hateful tree bore on its boughs, filled with bitterness:
that was the Tree of Death which the Lord had forbidden them. (636-46)

Terrible to God and hateful to the Heaven-King, the devil
had seduced the mind of Eve with lies, the weak thought of the woman,
so that she trusted his words, fulfilled his precept, and took the belief
that he had brought it to her then from God’s command,
what had been so carefully and wordfully told to her.
He showed her a token and promised her his good faith,
his gracious thought. Then she spoke unto her husband: (647-54)

“Adam my lord, this fruit is so sweet, mild in the breast,
and this messenger lovely, the good angel of God,
I see by his raiment that he is the errand-man of our Master,
the Heaven-King. His favor is better for us than to achieve
his displeasure. If you spoke any harm to him today,
he will forgive it yet, if we wish to obey our servitude.
Why shall you be so hatefully be at strife with your Master’s
messenger? We need his grace; he could intercede for us
to that All-Wielding, the King of Heaven. From here I can see
where he sits himself—that is to south and east—wound up in his weal,
he that shaped this world. I see his angels revolving about him
with their wings, the most of all peoples, the most joyous race. (655-71a)

“How could it give me such understanding
if God had not sent it plainly? I can hear broadly
and see so widely into this whole world across the fullness of creation.
I can hear the pleasures of the music in heaven.
I have become light in my mind within and without,
since I bit into that fruit. Now I hold here in my hands,
my good master, and I give it to you eagerly.
I believe that it comes from God, brought forth at his bidding,
of which this messenger has said to me with true words.
It is not at all like anything on earth, except as this herald says,
that it comes straight from God.” (671b-83)

Genesis B XII.1

2011-05-08T11:07:00.001-07:00

Wrath-minded he turned himself to where he saw the woman
standing upon the earth-realm, shaped splendidly,
and he spoke, that one, it would become the greatest of harms
unto all of her descendents in this world forever after:*
“I know the Sovereign God will become angered at you both,
if I should speak to him this very message, when I come before him
from this journey across the distant way, that you will not
attend to the messages that he sends eastwards to here
at this time. Now he should venture himself for your answer;
nor can his messenger deliver his reply; for that I know that
he will be enraged at you both, mighty in his mind.
Though if you wish to heed my words, lusty woman,
then you can consider his capacious counsel. (547-61)

“Consider in your breast what you can do to ward
yourselves from punishment, as I direct you.
Eat these fruits! Then your eyes will become so bright
that you can afterwards see so widely across the whole world,
and the throne of your Master itself, and ever have his grace.
You could lead Adam after—
if you had his will and he trusted your word.
If you spoke to him the truth of what command you have
in your breast, that you keep God’s bidding and teaching.
Adam will forgo in his breast-coffer this hateful strife
and evil reply, as both of us may speak to his advantage.
Entice him eagerly so that he carries out your precept,
lest you two should merit the hatred of your Sovereign God. (562-77)
“If you would perform this deed, best of all women,
I will cover up the many harms Adam spoke to me
from your Master, his many evil words.
He accuses me of bad faith, he says that I am eager for injury,
a servant of the Hostile and not at all an angel of God.
Yet I know so readily the origin of all the angels,
the high vault of heaven. The time was long after
that I eagerly served God by a loyal spirit, my Master,
the Lord Himself. I am no devil.” (578-87)

He led her with such lying words and with skillful enticings,
the woman into that unright, until the serpent’s thought
began to be moved within her—the Maker had marked her with the weaker mind—
so that she allowed her heart to be stirred by that instruction.
Because of this she took the disastrous fruit from the Tree of Death
from that hateful one over the Lord’s word. There could be no worse deed
appointed of humans! It is a great wonder that Eternal God the Prince
would ever endure it, that so many thanes became beguiled
by those deceptions which came from his precepts. (588-98)

Dog-Headed Days

2011-05-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I decided to branch out a bit from the original plan of the ASNPP and create a page for the translation I've been working on, the Nowell Codex's version of the Passion of St. Christopher, which I put together a few years ago in order to use the text in planned undergraduate classes. As far as I have been able to determine, there are no extant, modern translations of the prose life available, since it is not included in Andy Orchard's Pride and Prodigies (1995) and its translations of the Nowell Codex's prose monster texts. Therefore I felt that my work really needed to be made public sooner rather than later.

The translation is not quite done: the final paragraphs are very rough yet. I will get those into shape shortly.

As usual, if you would like to use the translation as a teaching tool, please contact me via the comments forum, so I can send you the most updated version of the text.

Genesis B [XI] tumbles forth!

2011-04-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

I counted out the limited number of days until I have to return all my Genesis books to Princeton's library. There are not many left and I realize that I will have to work very efficiently to get a good chunk of Genesis done before I move away for Camden. There's no way I can get the whole thing done in a month of course, but at least I can make a dent in it, as well as getting all of Genesis B completed.

In recognition of this exigency, here is a whole afternoon's work, the entire 11th section, from Genesis B, which includes the first temptation of Adam and Eve by Satan's emissary.

-----------------

[Two leaves are missing, cutting out all of sections IX and X, as well as the start to XI.]

Then the enemy of God began to gird himself, eager into his gear—
he had a lying spirit—he set upon his head his deceitful helm
and fastened it there very tightly, fixed it by its clasp.
He knew many cozening speeches, many crooked words.
He flew up from there, hastening through the Doors of Hell—
he had a strong mind—bouncing on the breeze, bane-minded,
parting that fire in two by the fiend’s craft.
He wished to secretly ensnare the servants of the Lord—
to seduce and corrupt humans with evil deeds,
so that they would become hateful to God. (442-2)

Then he traveled through the power of the enemy
until he found Adam completed upon the earth-realm,
God’s own handiwork, skillfully wrought, and his wife together,
his fairest lady, and they knew how to prepare many good things,
when he appointed them to be his own servants, the Maker of Mankind. (452-59)

And between them stood two trees; they were laden without
with fruits at that time, covered with blossoms, just as the Sovereign God,
the High Heaven’s King had set them there with his hands, so that
the children of men were allowed to choose either good and evil,
each man, either prosperity and trouble. The fruit was not alike! (460-66)

The one was so beautiful, splendid and shining, mild and praiseworthy—
that was the Tree of Life. One who tasted its fruit
was allowed to be in the world for eternity after living,
so old age would not harm one after eating it, nor stern sickness,
but one was allowed to always exist deeply in his desires
and keep his life, the favor of the Heaven-King here in the world.
One truly would have the appointed protection in the high heaven,
when one finally traveled thence. (467-76)

Then the other was entirely black, dark and shadowy—
that was the Tree of Death, it bore many bitter things.
Everybody must know the result of both evil and good in this world.
In knowing, one must live with sweat and with sorrow
ever afterwards, whoever ate of that which grew on that tree.
He must be deprived in his old age of deeds of courage,
joys and lordship, and death has been ordained for him.
A little time he must enjoy his life, seeking then
the darkest land of fire. He must serve devils,
where there is the most danger of all for the people for all time. (477-89a)

The hateful one knows this eagerly, the hidden messenger
of the Devil who struggles against the Lord.
Then he cast himself into the likeness of a snake, and wound
himself all around the Tree of Death through devil’s craft.
There he took up one of the fruits and turned himself again
to where he knew the hand-labor of the Heaven-King to be. (489b-94)

Then he began to ask the first man, the loathsome with lying words:
“Do you ever long at all, Adam, upwards to God?
I am on his errand here and have traveled from afar—
it has not been long since I sat with him.
Then he ordered me to fare on this journey, he ordered
that you should eat of this fruit, he said that your spirit and strength
and your intellect would become the greater,
and your body-case would become much more beautiful,
your shape the more splendid. He said that you should have no need of covering
in this world. Now you have gained the good will,
the grace of the Heaven-King, served to the pleasure of your Master,
you have wrought yourself dear with your Lord. I heard him
to praise your deeds in his light and to speak about your life.
Just as you must fulfill that his messenger brings here to this land. (495-510a)

“These green yards are broad in this world, and God sits
in the highest realm of the heavens, the All-Wielder above.
He will not hold these troubles himself, the Lord of Men,
to go upon this journey, yet he sent his servitor to speak with you.
Now he ordered me to teach you wisdom with these tidings.
Learn eagerly from his servant! Take this fruit into your hand!
Bite it and taste! It will become roomy in your breast,
your form flower more lovely. The Sovereign God sends you,
your Master, the help of the heavens’ realm.” (510b-21)

Adam spoke where he stood upon the earth, the free-willed man:
“When I heard the Victory-Lord, Mighty God speak
with a strong voice, and he ordered me to abide here,
to hold his commandments, and he gave me this woman,
my beauty-shining wife, and he ordered me to be watchful
so that I should not be cast down by the Tree of Death,
seduced too strongly. He said that dark Hell must be kept
for him who by his heart has produced something hateful.
I don’t know whether you come with falsehoods through secrecy
or you are the Lord’s messenger from heaven. (522-33a)

“Listen! I am not able to understand one whit of your commands,
your words nor your intentions, your errand nor your stories.
I know what he bade me himself, our Savior when I last saw him.
He ordered me to worthy his word and keep it well,
to carry out his teaching. You are not like any of his angels
that I have ever seen before, nor do you show me any token
that he dispatched you to me by the tree, my Master through his grace.
Therefore I can not heed you, but you can fare forth.
I have kept myself fixed to my faith up unto Almighty God
who wrought me by his arms, here with his on hands.
He is able to bestow upon me with every sort of good
from his high kingdom, though he sends no servitor.” (533b-46)

Genesis B VIII is done

2011-04-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

“If ever I parted out prince-treasures to any of my thanes,
while we dwelt blessedly in that blissful kingdom and kept
the power of our thrones, then he could never repay my rewards
at a better time with gifts in return. If any of my servants still
would agree to it, if he could come up and out through that distant gate,
and if he had the strength within him so that he with his feathered wings
could still fly, still skate across the sky, to where new-made they dwell,
Adam and Eve upon the earthly realm, surrounded by every happiness—
and here we are, tossed down into this deep decline—
Now they are held in greater honor by the Lord,
and are allowed to possess the prosperity from him
which we should have in the heavenly kingdom, a realm in right.
That is the advantage allotted to mankind. (410-25a)

That is to me such a pain in my heart, it is a distress in my mind,
that they shall hold heaven’s realm forever.
If any of you could in some way rise up again so that they should
forsake his teaching, the word of God, soon they would be
the more hateful to him. If they break his commandment,
then he would become infuriated with them.
After that their abundance would be altered, and torment
would be prepared for them, and some harsh harm-shearing.
Consider it, all of you — consider how you might deceive them!
I could rest me more easily in these chains afterwards,
if that realm were lost to them…
He that fulfills this task, for him will be a ready reward
forever after, such as we can win to our advantage
right here inside this fire. I shall let him sit with me myself,
whosoever comes to this hot hell to say that Adam and Eve
unworthily have forsaken the teaching of the Heavens’ King
by their words and deeds…” (425b-41a)

Genesis B 8!

2011-04-22T19:19:00.001-07:00

"Yet we endure now affliction in Hell (that is, darkness and heat),
grim and bottomless. God himself has swept us away
into the black mists. Although he cannot impart to us any sin,
or any injury we have done him in that realm—
still he has deprived us of the light and cast us down
into the most of all torments. Nor can we make revenge,
or repay him with any injury since he has deprived us of the light. (389-94)

“He has now set apart this middle-earth, where he has wrought man
according to his likeness. With them he wishes to soon settle
the realm of heaven with pure souls. This we must eagerly consider—
that we, if ever, could further our vengeance upon Adam
and upon his heirs too, and degrade his own desire with them,
if we could concoct something at all. (395-400)

“Nor do I further hope for that light for myself, which he intends
for Adam to long enjoy, nor for happiness among the host of angels.
Nor can we ever make it that we may soften the mind of Mighty God.
Let us now take it away from the children of men—
that heaven-realm, now we are not allowed to have it!
Bring it about so that they should relinquish his favor
so that they will give up what he has commanded by word!
Then he will become wrathful in mind, driving them from his grace.
Then they must turn towards Hell and its grim depths.
Then we will be allowed to draw them to us as disciples,
the sons of men in these fast fetters. Now begin to think on this foray! (401-9)

Genesis B VII (in part) NOW in full

2011-04-14T16:59:00.001-07:00

Hello all,

Here is part VII of Genesis B. Work is proceeding much more slowly than I anticipated, as the poem presents a different sort of challenge than the others. Most notably, it is more repetitive than the rest of the Anglo-Saxon poems I've translated, which leads to long self-discussions about whether to preserve the repeating language or seek the variety that a modern ear finds more appealing. Sometimes I do, and sometime I don't, based solely on the feel from instance to instance.

But, while you're waiting for the Genesis to be updated, please go visit Juliana. Seriously, she is getting lonely.

--------------------------

At that moment the other fiends lay upon the fire, who before
had kept so many struggles against their Sovereign.
Torments they endure, heated war-surges in the middle of hell,
torches and broad tongues of flame, likewise the bitter fumes,
darkness and shadow, because they heeded not their servitude to God.
Their lust deceived them, the over-mind of the angels,
they would not worship the word of the All-Wielder.
They now had great torment, plunged to the fiery bottom
in that hot hell through their want of thought and arrogance.
They sought another land—devoid of light, filled with licking flames,
the great fearful fire. The fiends understood that they had exchanged
torments innumerable by their overweening thought and the might of God,
and through the greatest of all arrogances. (322-37)

Then spoke the arrogant king, who was the brightest of angels before,
most brilliant in heaven and dear to his Master,
beloved to the Lord, until they turned to foolishness,
so that God himself, mighty in his mind, became enraged
at his depravity and threw him within that murderous stead,
down into that corpse-bed, and wrought him a name ever since,
saying that he must thenceforth be called Satan.
He bade him rule over that black abyss of Hell,
instead of struggling against God. (338-46)

Satan said, speaking and sorrowing,
he who should thenceforth keep Hell,
and have charge of the deeps. He was God’s angel before,
bright in the heavens, until his pride seduced him
and his greatest of all arrogances,
so that he wished to obey the word of the Lord of Armies no longer.
His thought welled within him about his heart,
hot was the bitter torment from without.
He spoke then in word: (347-55)

“This narrow place is much unlike that other home*
that we knew previously, high in heaven’s kingdom,
which my Master had granted to me, though we were not permitted
to keep it from the All-Wielder, or strive for our realm—
nevertheless he had no right to do what he has done, to strike us
down in the very bottom of the fire, in this hot Hell, and deprive us of heaven’s-realm.
He has been determined that it shall be settled by mankind. (356-64a)

That is of most sorrow to me, that Adam, who was shaped from earth,
shall possess my strong-set throne, and dwell there in joy,
while we must suffer this torment and injury in this Hell.
Wellaway! Had I the power of my hands
and were allowed to come out for one moment, be it a winter’s hour,
then I with this force—
But iron bonds lie about me, I swing in looped chains.
I am without power—
These harsh fetters of hell have been clapped fast about me.
Here is a great fire from above and below.
I have never seen a more loathsome region;
the flame does not move away. It is hot throughout hell. (364b-377a)

A tormenting chain of rings has prevented me from moving,
depriving me of my power to fare forth—my feet are fettered,
my hands are bound. The ways to these Hell-doors are barred,
so I can not escape at all from these limb-chains.
Huge bolts lie about me, heated and hammered of harsh iron
and with them God has chained me by the neck,
thus I know that he knows my mind and the Lord of Armies
also knows that it must ill become us, Adam and me,
regarding that heaven-realm — if only had I the power of my hands. (377b-88)

The end of Genesis (B) VI

2011-03-28T16:05:00.001-07:00

“Why must I toil,” he asked. “There is no need at all for me to have a master.
I can mold many wondrous things with my own hands.
I have great enough power to make ready a godly throne, to be a master in heaven.
Why must I serve after his favor, bowing to him in such vassalage?
I can be a god just like him—
Strong warriors stand beside me, who will not withdraw from battle,
heroes hard-hearted. They have chosen me as their lord,
these brave warriors. With such allies one could devise a plan
to seize with such comrades-in-arms. These eager friends are mine,
loyal to their hewn hearts. I can be their master,
to rule this realm. And so it does not seem to me right
that I should need to flatter him at all, a god after any god.*
Nor will I for long his be one of his subordinates.” (278-91)

When the All-Ruling heard this, that his angel in great pride
heaved up against his Master and spoke presumptuous words,
foolishly against his Lord. “He must be punished for his deeds,
severed from his works of strife, and must have his punishment,
for the greatest of all deadly sins.” So must every man who strives
against his Sovereign, with evil against the Magnificent Lord.
Then the Mighty grew anger-swollen, the Highest Wielder of Heaven,
and threw that one from the high throne. (292-300)

He had earned hatred from his Master, his grace he had forlorn,
and God grew angry in his heart. For that reason he must seek the abyss
of terrible hell-torments, just as he struggled against the Holder of Heaven.
He exiled him then from his favor and cast him into hell,
into the deep chasm where he changed into a devil,
the enemy with all his allies. They fell down from heaven
a very long time: three nights and days,
those angels from heaven into hell—the Lord debased them all into demons.
Because they did not wish to worthy his deeds and words,
therefore Almighty God routed them into the worse light under the earth,
deprived of victory in dark hell. There each of the fiends possess,
for an immeasurably long night, fire everpresent. Then there comes in the dawn
an eastern wind and frost wickedly cold. Always there was fire and piercing—
each one must have a hard torment, wrought as punishment for them.
Their world was changed and for the first time, hell was filled
with those adversaries. From then on, those angels possessed
the heights of the heaven-realm, who served before in the grace of God. (301-21)

More of Genesis B VI

2011-03-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here is where the lines get crazy, swelling to enormous lengths, though appearing to be perfectly metrical. I paused over whether to render the long lines into long lines of my own, and have decided against necessitating it, preferring to allow the free verse rhythm to continue to dictate the line breaks. Some are just longer where the sense and sound require it, but it has not been a rule that they must be.

-------------------------

He had established these angels so blessedly—
but one among them he had made so strong, so mighty in his mind-thoughts.
God allowed him to wield such power, highest after himself in heavens’ realm.
He had shaped this one so splendidly—so beautiful was his flowering form
in the heavens granted him by the Lord of Armies. He was like the gleaming stars.
Praises of the Lord he should have wrought—
He should have loved his happiness in the heavens,
and he should have thanked the Lord for the rewards allotted him
in the shine, which he allowed his servant to steward for a long time. (252-58)

But this one turned himself away unto a worse thing.
He thought to heave up a struggle against the highest
Sovereign of Heaven who sits upon the holy throne.
Dear was he to our Lord—this could not be hidden from him
that his angel began to become overly proud,
heaving himself up against his Master, seeking hateful words
and boasting speech against him. He would serve God no longer.
He said that that his body was light and brilliant, beautiful and hue-bright.
Nor could he find it in his heart to serve the Lord as a vassal. (259-68a)

It seemed to this one that he possessed greater power and craft
than Holy God could have at muster. He spoke many words,
that angel over-proud. He pondered through his own skill
how he might create a stronger throne for himself,
higher in the heavens. He said that his mind had urged him
to construct a strengthened stronghold in the west and the north.
He said that it seemed doubtful to him to remain subordinate to God. (268b-77)

[a short] Genesis V & a bit of VI -- Genesis B starts

2011-03-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

[The opening of Genesis B and how Genesis A transitions into the interpolated poem is missing due to several lost pages.]

V.

“… but you both [may] enjoy all of the others, leaving alone
that one tree. Guard yourselves against that fruit.
Nor will there be any lack of desirable things for you.”

Then Adam and Eve bowed down their heads devoutly
to the Heaven-King in reply and spoke all thanks,
for his wisdom and their lessons. God allowed them to dwell in that land.
Then the Holy Lord departed for the heavens, the Strong-minded King.
His handiwork stood together on the sand, knowing nothing of sorrow
to give them lament, if only they should perform the pleasure of God
forever. They were beloved of God so long as they kept his holy word. (235-45)

VI.

The All-Wielder, the Holy Lord, through his hand-power
had created ten kindred of angels, in them he trusted well.
so that they wished to pursue his service, working his desires,
therefore he granted them intelligence and shaped them
with his hands, the Holy Lord. (246-51)

A very hacked and mauled Genesis IV

2011-03-06T16:25:00.001-08:00

Part four of Genesis A is not even marked as such, since its beginning has been lost. The rest of the section is incomplete due to missing pages as well, though it is not certain how many leaves have been lost. At any rate, what survives I deliver to you.

---------------------------------------

…Nor did it seem suitable to the Guardian of the Skies
that Adam should be alone for long in Paradise-plain,
that recent creation, as its shepherd and keeper.
Therefore the High-King, the Lord Almighty,
produced a help for him; a woman wrought and a support given,
the Light’s-Origin of Life, to that beloved man. (169-75)

God pulled out some material from Adam’s body,
and artfully extracted a rib from his side. Adam was fast at rest,
and sleeping softly, he knew neither pain, no deal of trouble,
nor did there come any blood from the wound,
but the Lord of Angels drew forth that burgeoning bone
from his body, the man unwounded, and from that God
created a beautiful woman. A spirit was formed inside her,
a perpetual soul. She was like an angel, and that Eve,
Adam’s wife,* was imbued with spirit. They were both
brightly beautiful in their youth, brought forth into the world
by the might of the Maker. They knew how to do nothing evil
nor how to accomplish it, but the love of the Lord
was burning in both their breasts. (176-91)

Then the Blithe-Hearted King blessed them, the Maker of All Creation,
those first two, the mother and father, the woman and weaponed man.*
God spoke to them by word: “Thrive and multiply,
fill the ever-greening earth with your offspring,
your family, your sons and daughters.
The salt waters must remain in both your power
as well as all this world’s creation. Brook these blessed days
and the ocean’s bounty and the birds of heaven.
You are given dominion over the wild beasts
and the clean cattle and all things living,
those that tread upon the land, imbued with life,
and those that the flood rouses throughout the whale-road—
all shall heed you.”(192-205)

[at least one page is missing here]

Then our Shaper observed his lovely work
and the fruit of his blossoms of this recent creation.
Paradise-plain stood good and ghostly,
filled with the enduring goods of grace.
Flowing waters from gushing springs
beautifully irrigated that pleasant land,
The heavens did not yet carry the rains
across the spacious earth, black upon the wind,
however the earth stood adorned with blooms. (206-15a)

Four noble rivers held their outward course
from that youthful Paradise. These were parted
by the power of the Lord, all from one source,
waters beauty-bright, when he wrought the earth,
and sent them into the world. Men of nations
dwelling on the earth called one of these Phison.
It enfolds broadly that portion of the earth about,
Havilah with bright streams. In that homely ground,
men, the children of human nations, discover near and far
gold and the best kinds of gemstones, just as books say to us.
Then the second river flows around the rim of Ethiopian land
and possessions, that enormous kingdom, that one is named the Gihon.
The third is the Tigris, that one along the nation, a river overflowing,
surrounding Assyria. Likewise is that fourth, which now among
many peoples and men widely name it the Euphrates. (215b-34)

[at least one page is missing here]

[a very curtailed] Genesis III is done!

2011-03-05T06:55:00.000-08:00

I'm making good time with Genesis, it seems.

------------

Then time passed, hurrying across the structure
of middle-earth, the Maker pushed on the brilliant light,
our Shaper, and that first evening afterward.
Shadowy darkness pressed on after it, hastening along its trail—
that Prince himself created the name “night” for it.
Our Savior sundered them apart; they have ever since
accomplished and performed the desire of the Lord,
eternally over the earth. Then came the second day,
a light after darkness. Then the Warden of Life ordered that
a winsome sky-structure be made in the midst of the watery flood.
Our Sovereign divided the waters and then created
the fastness of the skies; so that the All-powerful heaved
up from the earth through his own word, the Lord Almighty.
The ocean was parted under the high-heavens with holy might,
water from those waters that abide under the firmament of the mortal-roof.
(135-53)

Then the third lovely morning came over the earth
in swift journey. Neither the broad lands nor the waves
were useful yet to the Maker, but the ground stood covered
fast by the waters. The Lord of Angels commanded by word
that the waters that kept their course under the skies
be held in common, their place now fixed. Then quickly there stood
the broad sea beneath the heavens, just as the Holy One ordained
at once, and then was separated the water from the land.
The Ward of Life then saw this dry place, the Herdsman of Hosts,
was revealed wide, then that Glory-King named it the earth.
The proper course of their waves was established
and fettered there… (154-68)

[one or more leaves are missing here, containing the rest of the account of the days of Creation]

more Genesis II

2011-02-28T18:40:00.000-08:00

Nor was there any creation here yet except for shadowy darkness,
but this wide ground stood, deep and lightless,
remote from the Lord, idle and useless.
In his eyes he gazed, the Strong-Souled King,
and beheld that place, deprived of joys,
seeing the dark blackness hovering in perpetual night
dismal under the skies, gloomy and wasted,
until this earthly creation became by the word
of the Glory-King. First he shaped here, the Eternal Lord,
the Helm of all Creation, the heaven and the earth,
he reared up the sky, and this roomy land he established
by his strong powers, the Lord Almighty. (103-116a)

The earth was not yet green with grass; the spear-waves
were covered by the black endless night, broad and wide,
the dark tides. Then was the Spirit Guarding Heaven,
gloriously bright, borne over the waters with mighty speed
The Maker of Angels, the Dispenser of Life ordered
the light to come forth across the spacious ground.
Quickly the command of the High-King was fulfilled;
His holy light blazed over the wasteland,
just as the Workman required. (116b-125)

Then the Victorious Sovereign sundered light from darkness
across the water-flood, shadow against splendor.
Life’s Dispenser fashioned for both a name—
light was first called “Day” through the Lord’s word,
a creation beauty-bright. It pleased the Lord well
at the start of that forth-bringing moment. The very first day
saw the dark and dismal shadow decreasing
throughout the spacious earth. (126-34)

Genesis part II, part one

2011-02-27T15:15:00.000-08:00

Then they were united, the heaven-dwellers,
in the homeland of glory. Spite was diminished
between angels, the persecution and the flaming hostility of battle,
after the war-besotted* had been abandoned by heaven,
and deprived of its light. In their track their former thrones
stood widely, most magnificently rich—growing in graces
in God’s realm, bright and fixed in fruits, yet deprived of dwellers,*
ever since those miserable spirits had gone wretchedly
to the place of exile within their prison of torments. (82-91)

Then our Prince pondered with the thoughts of his mind,
how he might re-establish his illustrious creation,
the homeland’s foundations and the heaven-bright homes
for the better host, those that abandoned the boast-workers,
high in the heavens. Therefore the Holy God willed for them,
with powerful might, that an enclosure under the skies
be established—an earth and over-heaven and broad waters—
and worldly creatures sent as a replacement of the wrathful,
those fallen from sheltering heaven. (92-102)

Genesis A, section I completed...

2011-02-26T04:41:00.000-08:00

...only 41 more to go! The first iteration of the fall of the Rebel Angels is now complete -- we'll see this again in different form when we get to Genesis B four sections from here.

The wrath-minded said that they wished to possess
that realm, and they easily could do so. Their hope
deceived them when the Wielder, the High-King of Heaven,
raised his lofty hands against their forces.
The foolish and wicked angels could not flex their strength
against the Maker, but the famous one took the pride
from them, and humbled their arrogance.
Then he grew furious, smiting the sinful rebels
with his victorious might, his magnificence and power—
depriving his enemy of their joy, peace and all happiness,
their bright glory—and mightily avenged his anger
upon his enemies with his own majesty, a violent throwing down.
He had a stern heart, enraged fiercely, seizing in his wrath
the hostile in his hands—and in his grappling hold shattered them,
angry in his mind. His adversaries were deprived of their homeland
from the glorious dwellings of God. (47-64)

Then our Creator condemned them and cut them off,
the over-proud tribe of angels from heaven,
the pledge-less army. The Wielder sent the evil-minded
forces onto a long journey, the miserable spirits—
their boasts were broken, their stubbornness destroyed,
and majesty humiliated, and their beauty defiled.
After that they hovered in dark tribulation—
they need not laugh loudly on their trek, but in hell’s torments
they dwelt wearied, knowing woe, pain and sorrow,
suffering torments, covered up in darkness, severe retribution
after they began to struggle against God.
Then was there true peace in the heavens just as before
and the fair practice of concord. The Lord was beloved by all,
a Prince among his thanes. They grew in majesty,
the joy-having multitudes with their Master.
(65-81)

PS: On the Genesis page, I've added a subject gloss in the tags line so readers can quickly find the sections that they wish to consult. This should help make the immensity of the poem easier to navigate.

More beginning

2011-02-22T05:45:00.001-08:00

Glorious servants exalting their prince, speaking
willingly his praises, celebrating the Lord of their Life—
they were the most blessed of the Master’s multitudes.
They knew not of sins, the doing of misdeeds:
instead they lived in eternal peace of their Prince.
They raised naught else in the heavens but righteousness and truth,
before that Warden of Angels, out of over-mind, parted them into error.*
They wished to labor no longer to their own profit,
but instead turned themselves from God’s love.
They had a great boast that they could share, by the strength of their soldiers,
with the Lord his glory-bound home, spacious and heaven-bright.
There pain touched them, envy and pride, and the heart of those angels
that first performed that evil advice, to weave and arouse,
then Lucifer spoke a word, thirsting for trouble, that he wished
to possess a home and high-throne in the northern part
of the realm of heaven. (15-34a)

Then was God furious and wrathful against that army
which previously he had honored with beauty and glory.
For the pledge-breakers he shaped an agonizing home,
in recompense for their efforts, out of hell-cries and harsh hatreds.
Our Lord commanded that house of suffering stand ready for its exiles—
deep, joy-lacking—the wardens of souls, then he readily knew it was
surrounded by endless night, filled with torment,
thoroughly filled with fire and a fearful cold—
with fume and crimson flame. Then he ordered terrifying torments
be increased across that damned house. They had grimly amassed myriad wrongs
against God: theirs was a cruel reward achieved afterwards! (34b-46)

Genesis onginn

2011-02-18T16:22:00.000-08:00

Good evening, friends and neighbors! For your reading pleasure tonight I present you the first fourteen lines of Genesis A. A long journey stretches out ahead of me and I am happy to share with you the first steps.

-----------------

A great duty is ours that we wordfully praise
the Heavens’ Ward, the Glory-King of Armies,
and love him in our hearts! He is the Strength’s Success,
the Head of all High-Creation, the Almighty Lord.
There was never an origin for him, a start to his becoming,
nor will there come an end of the Perpetual Lord—
yet he will forever have dominion over the seats of heaven.
In high majesty, he holds the truth-fast and the treasure-strong
in heaven’s embrace, those who were established far and wide
through the children of glory the might of god,
the watchers of souls. They possess radiance and joy,
the bands of angels, and the bright bliss of their creator.
Great was their prosperity! (ll. 1-14)

Elene factus est!

2011-02-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

In what has turned out to be a dynamite week, I finally managed to finish the final part of Elene. This was a difficult one: the first stanza of the epilogue is a masterpiece of rhyme and alliteration, something rare in even one line of Anglo-Saxon verse, much less across 16 lines. I of course could not even begin to approximate the kind of sound relations at play here -- maybe over time the way will become clearer.

Here is the passage in Old English:

Þus ic frod ond fus þurh þæt fæcne hus
word-cræftum wæf ond wundrum læs,
þragum þreodude ond geþanc reodode
nihtes nearwe. Nysse ic gearwe
be ðære rode riht ær me rumran geþeaht
þurh ða mæran miht on modes þeaht
wisdom onwreah. Ic wæs weorcum fah,
synnum asæled, sorgum gewæled,
bitrum gebunden, bisgum beþrungen,
ær me lare onlag þurh leohtne had
gamelum to geoce, gife unscynde
mægen-cyning amæt ond on gemynd begeat,
torht ontynde, tidum gerymde,
ban-cofan onband, breost-locan onwand,
leoðu-cræft onleac. Þæs ic lustum breac,
willum in worlde.

Here you can see the leonine rhymes, assonance and alliteration at play throughout the stanza. The best I could do was to accommodate one line's rhyme. For the others, I feel I need to discover a way to express the rhymes without relying on strange syntax or overly-archaic diction. As much as Anglo-Saxon poetry can sound natural, Cynewulf makes this passage sound unstrained and effortless.

Here is the entire epilogue for your reading pleasure:

--------------------

Epilogue

Thus I have woven with word-craft — aged and hurrying
to depart this uncertain house — and at times
I have miraculously gleaned, deliberating
and sifting my thoughts in the closeness of night.
I did not know the truth of that rood exactly
before the capacious counsel disclosed its wisdom to me
into the thoughts of my mind, by that glorious power.
I was stained by my deeds, wrapped up with my sins,
plagued by my sorrows, bitterly fettered, surrounded by affliction—
before he bestowed his teaching to me by the light’s form
as a comfort to the old ones, a noble gift the Might-King measures out
and begets in the memory, the brightness disclosed, and at times extended,
the bone-coffer unbound, the breast-lock unwound,
verse-skill unlocked, which I have enjoyed joyfully
and willingly in this world. (1236-51a)*

Not once but often have I remembered that Tree of Glory
before I uncovered the miracle of the bright cross,
as I found it in books, in the course of events, known in writings
about that Beacon of Victory. Until then man was always
tossed about by the surge of grief, a sinking torch (C)
even though he received treasures in the mead-hall, appled gold.*
The drinking-horn (Y) grieved for his needful (N) companion,
enduring its close affliction, a narrow secret,
where before him his horse (E) measured the mile-paths—
the proud ran adorned with wires.
Joy (W) is diminished, delight after the years—youth is transformed,
the olden pomp. The radiance of youth was formerly ours (U).
Now are the year-days departed forth, after the appointed time,
life-joys departed, just as the waters (L) have fled,
floods driven onwards. Wealth (F) is but loaned for all
under the breeze, the ornaments of this land are
departed under the heavens very much like the wind,
when it rises loudly before men, when it stalks along the clouds,
raging as it goes and suddenly—silence, closely constrained
in its prison again, by threats trodden under foot. (1251b-76)*

So this whole world will disappear
and the hungry flame will also seize those that were born here
when the Lord himself seeks out judgment with an army of angels.
Every one of the voice-bearers must hear correctly there
about all of their deeds through the mouth of the Deemer,
and they must be held to account for all of their unwise words
spoken of old, their shameless thoughts. (1277-86a)

Then he will divide into thirds all of the people,
those that have ever lived across the broad earth,
into the embrace of fire. The truth-fast will be
uppermost in that fire, the host of the blessed,
that multitude eager for judgment, as they can bear it
and easily endure without torments, the strength of the proud.
The Lord will moderate the burning radiance for them all
just as pleases him best and will be easiest to bear for them.
The sinful, humans sad-minded, mingled with wickedness,
will be thrown into that hot surging, tormented in the middle,
overwhelmed by the fumes. The third part, the accursed sinners,
and the false man-haters, will be fastened in flame, in the abyss of welling heat,
through their former deeds, a school of the impious, in the grip of gledes.
Never again will they come from that murder-house into the memory of God
the Glory-King, yet his bitter foes shall be thrown
from that fearsome fire into hell’s pit. (1286b-1306a)

It will be unlike that for the other two parts—
the Lord of Angels they will be allowed to see.
They will be purified, sundered from their sins,
just as smelted gold which through the furnace
has been entirely cleansed, refined and melted.
So all of mankind will be severed and separated
from their every fault, their deepest crimes,
through the flames of judgment.
Than they will be allowed to brook peace and the perpetual weal of the blessed.
For them the Warden of Angels will be mild and blithe,
for they have renounced every wickedness, their sinful deeds,
and called out wordfully to the Son of the Maker.
Therefore they now shine in the face just like angels,
and enjoy the inheritance of the Glory-King
to the fullest extent of spirit. Amen. (1306b-21)

--------------

Thank you for your patience and comments as I took a leisurely time in translating Elene. Stay tuned for the Genesis.

Elene XIV, just in time for the new year!

2010-12-31T17:35:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, my friends. Here is the penultimate part of Elene ready for your savor and delectation. We are almost finished with this one, folks, and getting excited about starting a new project. I'm pretty sure it's going to be Genesis A&B: I've been looking forward to the challenge of such a long poem for a while, and the voice of the new poet will be fun to explore and assume. Enough of the Cynewulfian verse--bring on the Caedmonian!

Next week, I'll be at the MLA conference in LA, interviewing for some jobs -- if you see me, say hello!

----------------------------

Then Elene sought sooth-fastness eagerly with the spiritual mysteries
within her heart, a way to glory. Indeed, God of Armies,
Father in Heaven, you helped her, Almighty King, so that the queen
achieved her desire in this world. That prophecy had seen sung before
by wise men of old, all after the beginning, just as it had happened
in each instance. Keenly and through grace of spirit the folk-queen
sought, closely and often, to what purpose might she apply those nails,
best and worthily, to be a comfort to the multitudes
and what might be the desire of the Lord. She ordered then
that fore-wise man be fetched quickly to converse, he who
knew full well his counsel through wise power, sage in his spirit,
and Elene asked him what seemed best to him in his heart
to perform, and approved his advice through precept.
Cyriacus boldly spoke unto her: (1147-66)

“It is appropriate that you keep the word of the Lord,
O best of queens, in your heart by holy secret,
and diligently observe the commandment of the King,
now that God has given you the victorious success of the soul
and the skill of wisdom, the Savior of Men.
Order those nails to be made into a bridle for the noblest
of earthen-kings and city-owners, for his horse as a bit.
It shall be famous throughout middle-earth among many peoples,
when at conflict he may overcome every enemy with it,
when host-strong, his sword-foes seek combat on both sides,
where they struggle for victory, wrathful versus wrathful.
He will have success at war, victory at strife, and peace everywhere,
protection in battle, he who leads before him the bridle on his steed,
when war-renowned at the spear-struggle, tested among warriors,
bearing shield-board and spear-point. This will be to any man
an indomitable weapon of war against wretchedness.
About this the prophet sang, wise in crafty thought—
his heart ran deep, the understanding of his wisdom—and he spoke a word:
‘It shall be known that the emperor’s horse
will be worthied among the battle-proud
for its bit and ringed-bridle.
It will be a sign, named “Holy unto God,”
and that fortunate one, he who that horse
bears shall be esteemed in war.’” (1167-95)

Then Elene swiftly achieved all this before her earls.
She ordered the bridle of the prince to be so adorned,
the ring-giving warrior, and sent it to her own son as a gift,
a noble offering across the ocean’s stream.
She then ordered together those she knew to be the best men among the Jews,
the kinsmen of heroes, to come unto that holy city, into the stronghold.
Then the queen taught the throng of the beloved so that they
should perform fixedly the love of the Lord and peace
amongst themselves likewise, friendship, sinless in their lifetime,
and they heed the precepts of their teacher and Christian customs,
such that Cyriacus bade them, wise of books. (1196-1211a)

So was the bishopric established fairly. Often from far away
came to him the lame, the limb-sick, the ill, the halt, the wound-sorry,
the leprous and the blind, the wretched, the heart-sad, and always there
they found cure and health at the hands of the bishop for ever afterwards. (1211b-17a)

Then Elene gave him yet again precious gifts, when she was ready
to journey again to her homeland, and she bid all the god-praising
in that man-realm, men and women, to honor with their mind and might
that renowned day, with heart and thought, in which the holy rood
was discovered, that most famous of trees which has grown up
from the earth, thriving under its leaves. Then was springtime
departed except for six nights before the arrival of summer,
on the kalends of May. (1217b-28a)

Let the doors of hell be shut up for all men,
and those of heaven be opened wide, and revealed
the eternal realm of angels, the timeless joy, and let their portion
be assigned with Mary, those who keep in their mind
the dearest of feast-day celebrations, of the cross under the heavens,
when he the most powerful, Over-Sovereign of All, covers them with his arms.
Finit. (1228b-35)

Elene XIII at long last!

2010-12-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

Hello, after a long, unavoidable delay here is Elene part XIII. In this chapter Judas is baptized, renamed, and given a new task, to locate the nails that bound Jesus to the cross. This extra miracle is accomplished without a problem.

There are only two sections left after this, so I'll take suggestions as to what should be translated next (I have pages ready for The Phoenix and Genesis A&B so they seem likely candidates).

Happy Holidays!

--------------------------

Then Judas was baptized who was at many times before
prepared for the light—*
His heart was inspired into that better life, changed to glory.
Indeed, fate had found that he was so full of faith
and he must become so dear to God in the world-realm,
so pleasing to Christ. It became well known when Elene
ordered Eusebius, Rome’s bishop, to be brought to the holy city,
a fore-wise man, as an aid in the counsel debate with a troop of warriors,
so that Judas could be established in the priest-hood
in Jerusalem for his people, as the bishop within the city
through the gift of spirit to the temple of God,
chosen for his skills—and she renamed him “Cyriacus”
through wise thought. This man’s name was changed afresh
afterwards in the cities to that better one: “the Law of the Savior.” (1043-62a)

Then the mind of Elene was frequently mindful about the famous fate
of those nails that pierced the Savior’s feet and hands likewise,
by which upon the cross was the Sovereign of the Sky, the Mighty Prince
fastened. The Queen of Christians asked about them
and bade Cyriacus that, yet again, by the powers of his soul
he would fulfill her desire about that wonderful event,
revealing those glorious graces, and that word she spoke
to the bishop, boldly addressing him: (1062b-72)

“Thou rightly showed me, shelter of earls, the noble tree,
the cross of the King of the Heavens, upon which he was hanged
by heathen hands, the Aid of Spirits, God’s own Son,
the Savior of Men. Yet an anxiety for those nails reproaches me
in my spirit’s heart. I wish that you would find them
that are still buried deeply in the earth and hidden,
concealed by darkness. Ever my woeful heart sorrows
and laments, and never ceases before the Father Almighty
the Wielder of Armies fulfills my desire, the Savior of Men,
by the arrival of those nails holy from the heights.
Now you swiftly, with all humility, best of messengers,
send your prayers into that bright creation, in joy of glory.
ask the Majesty of Warriors that you be revealed, the Almighty King,
the treasure under the earth that still is buried,
it abides secretly, hidden to the multitudes.” (1073-92)

Then the holy one began to establish his mind, inspired
within his breast, the bishop of the people. Glad-minded
he went forth with a crowd of god-praising men,
and then Cyriacus upon Calvary eagerly bowed his face,
concealing not his heart-secrets, with the might of his soul he called out
to God with all humility, begged the Ward of Angels to reveal to him
that unknown event in his new constraint, where upon that plain
he most likely needed to turn his mind to find those nails. (1093-1103)

Then he caused a sign [to spring] forth, where they were gazing
the Father, the Spirit of Ease, through the hue of flame
exhaled upwards where those most noble nails
were hidden in the earth through the counsels of men and evil cunning.
Then came at once, brighter than the sun, a bouncing flame.
The people saw this miracle made known by their desire-giver,
then there from the darkness, just like a heavenly star
or golden gems, near to the ground, the nails from the closeness shining,
light from below. The people rejoiced, a force wish-exultant:
they said the glory was good, all one-minded, although they were
turned away from Christ before through the devil’s devastation—
for a long time in error. They spoke thus:
“Now we see the token of victory for ourselves, the true miracle
of God, even though we earlier renounced it amid these lyings.
Now is the coming of light revealed, the course of events.
Glory be to the God of Heaven-realm on the highness!” (1104-24)

Then was gladdened he who was turned unto the cure through the Child of God,
the bishop of that people, with a renewed voice. He took up those nails,
frightened by their terror, and reverently brought them to his queen.
Ciriacus had fulfilled all that woman’s desires, just as that noble woman
had commanded. Then there was a ring of cries, poured out the
hot head-welling over her face, (not at all for grief the tears fell over the
wire filigree. The queen's wishes were fulfilled gloriously.
She with illuminated faith set them upon her knee, honored the gift,
exultant in blissfulness, that was brought to her, as help to her grief.
She thanked God, the Lord of Victories, of whom she knew the truth
now present that was often foretold far since from before the world’s start,
as a comfort to mankind. Elene was fulfilled* with wisdom’s gift,
and the holy and heavenly spirit kept a dwelling in her noble heart,
guarded her breast just as the Almighty,
the Victory-child of God, protected her ever since. (1125-46)

My enforced translating hiatus has been de-enforced

2010-12-21T10:04:00.000-08:00

So the great push to navigate the job market, complete the Diss, and get it defended has come to successful conclusion. I will be Dr. Secretguinea very soon, and go to LA in January with a few interviews.

The good news for you is that now I have time to finish up Elene. We're so close to the end too, only 200 lines or so. After that, I have a few ideas for a new project, either Genesis A&B (long overdue), or to move to a different language altogether.

I've been pondering the inception of the Anglo-Norman Narrative Poetry Project or to get going on a long-needed modern English translation of the 13th-century roman d'aventures Robert le Diable, but I think the new languages can wait for a bit. I've got lots of time to enter into these new tasks.

Stay tuned for more Elene!

Elene XII

2010-10-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

Then was famous in that folk's borders through that human nation
widely brought, the renowned morning-news—it was a vexation
to many who wished to conceal the law of the Lord—
proclaimed through the cities, embraced by the seas, in every town,
that the Cross of Christ, long since buried in the earth, had been discovered,
the greatest sign of triumph was heaved up before or since
holy under the heavens—and it was the most wretched of sorrows
to the Jews, men accursed, most despised of fates, for they could not
turn it away for the world—a joy to all Christians. (967-79)

Then throughout her noble forces the queen commanded messengers
to hasten quickly to the journey. They must seek the lord of the Rome-dwellers
themselves across the low-bottomed seas and speak to that warrior
of the greatest of joyous news, that that victory’s token was found
through the grace of the Maker, discovered in the earth,
that had been hidden many seasons, to teen blessed Christian folk. (980-88a)

Then the mind of that king was elated by that famous word,
rejoicing in spirit. There was no lack in the cities
of questioning men in gold-shirts carried from afar.
For Constantine the greatest of comforts in the world was his
at that joyous news, which the war-counselors, the messengers
had brought across the east-ways—how they had made safe journey
over the swan-road, the warriors with their triumphant queen into Grecian lands.
The Caesar ordered them to ready themselves for the journey again
with great haste. The men delayed not after hearing his prompt answer,
the word of the noble man. (988b-1002a)

He ordered that greeting be offered to war-renowned Elene,
if they survived the ocean and were allowed to make safe passage,
those heroes active-minded, to that holy city.
Constantine also commanded the messengers to order her
to build a church there on that hilly slope on the advice of them both,
the temple of the Lord on Calvary for Christ’s sake,
as an assistance to men where the holy cross was discovered,
the most famous of trees which ground-dwellers had asked about upon the earth-way.
Elene performed such, after her kinsmen brought these glad tidings
from the west across the fastness of the waves. (1002b-16)

Then the queen ordered them separately to seek out those best
schooled in their craft, those that knew how to work most wondrously
in the stone-cutter’s art, to build the temple of God in that place,
just as the Ward of Souls had spoken to her from the heavens.
She then commanded the cross to be adorned with gold
and the kindred of gems, with the most noble of precious jewels
surrounded with crafty skill and locked up with a clasp
inside a silver vessel. That Tree of Life, best of the Victory-beams,
afterwards it abode there inviolable* in its excellence.
There it will be always a ready support for the weak of health,
for all torments, conflict and sorrow. Immediately they there
through that holy creation will find help and the divine grace. (1017-32a)

Likewise Judas took on after an appointed period of time
the bath of baptism, and was cleansed, faithful to Christ,
the beloved Life-Guardian. His belief grew fast in his heart,
after the Spirit of Comfort inhabited the house within that man’s breast,
encouraging him to repentance. He chose the better, the joy of glory,
and forsook the worse, the worship of idols, and gave over heresy,
the unrighteous law. For him was the eternal Rex,*
the mild Creator, God, the Wielder of Might. (1032b-42)

Elene XI

2010-08-16T12:22:00.001-07:00

Then were those miracles, which the Lord of Armies, the Teacher of Life,
had wrought as a soul-saving for the kindred of humans, for the folk
remembering in their spirit, as they ever must do.* Then there the deceitful
fiend rose hovering on the wind. Then this hell-devil began to cry out,
a terrible demon, mindful of evil things: (894-901)

“What man is this, huh—who again destroys my retinue
through this ancient conflict, increasing the old enmity,
robbing me of my possessions? This is a perpetual strife—
evil-doing souls are not allowed to dwell in my keeping for long.
Now comes this stranger, who I had accounted before fixed in his sins—
now he has deprived me of all of my rights and my rents. This is no fair journey. (902-10)

“The Savior has done me many harms, many grievous grudges,
him who was reared in Nazareth. As soon as he grew from childhood,
he always turned my possessions over to them. Nor may any now
succeed by right. His realm is broad across middle-earth.
Mine is reduced, my authority under the heavens.
I don’t need that cross to be praised in exultation. (911-19a)

“Harumph! The Savior has often closed me in a narrow house,
as miserable pain! I had been hopeful through a Judas before, and
now I am humbled, lacking my goods also through this Judas,
flecked and friendless. Immediately I know how to find
redress afterwards through slanderous words—
from the houses of the accursed I will awake against you
another king, who will persecute your people,
and he will abandon your teachings and follow my wicked practices
and then he will send you into the darkest and worst of terrible torments,
so that you, afflicted with pains, renounce firmly
the Hanged King, whom you once obeyed.” (919b-33)

Wise-minded Judas answered him then, a warrior bold for battle
—the Holy Ghost was firmly commended to him, his fire-hot love
wisdom welling through the wisdom of prophets—
and spoke with a word, filled with wisdom:
“You need not so strongly renew your wounds and raise a conflict,
evil lord of murders, mindful of your sins, so that the Mighty King
he who wakens many of the dead with one word, hurls you,
sin-working and reft of glory, down into the abyss, into the ground of torment.
Know more readily that you have relinquished unwisely
the brightest light and the love of the Lord, that joy more fair
and afterwards dwelled in a flaming bath encircled with torments
and burnt with fire and there you must always, contrary-thinking,
endure damnation, a misery without an end.” (934-52a)

Elene heard how the fiend and her friend raised battle,
on two sides, the glory-blessed and the wicked,
the sinning and the innocent. Her heart was gladder
because she heard that hell-harmer overcome, the dispenser of crimes,
and then she marveled at the wisdom of Judas,
how he was so full of faith in such a short time,
and formerly so ignorant, now endowed with such wisdom.
She thanked God the Glory-King, because her desire
had come to pass through the Child of God in each of two ways
both in the sight of that victory-tree and of the faith that she knew
so clearly, a glory-fast gift in the breast of that man. (952b-66)

Elene X (completed)

2010-08-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

Here is the full translation of part ten. I have reorganized the posts on the full translation of Elene in order to accommodate the full number of text divisions in the poem. I'm really happy with how the translation is coming now that work upon it is proceeding steadily.

-------------------------------------

Then from that very spot a vapor arose,
such a smoke beneath the heavens.
There was lifted the man’s breast-heart.
With both hands raised high, he clapped, blessed and law-wise.
Judas spoke, astute in thought: “Now I have perceived
in my obstinate mind that you are truly the Healer of Middle-earth.
Let there be, God of Powers sitting in majesty, praises without end
that you have revealed to me through your glory,
so miserable and sin-wrought, the mysteries of fate. (802-12)

“Now I wish to ask you, Child of God, Joy-Giver to Armies,
now that I know that you were revealed and conceived
the Majesty of all Kings, to be mindful of my faults no more,
O Creator, which I have done no few times against you.
Allow me, God of Might, to abide amid some portion of the blessed
among the reckoned number of your kingdom,
in their bright city where my brother is honored in glory,
Stephen, who held a pledge with you, and though he was killed by stoning,
he has the reward of warriors, the profit without cease.
There is revealed in books of scripture the wonders that he wrought.” (813-26)

Then joyful Judas dug into the earth, resolute in his courage,
after that Tree of Glory under the covering of turf,
so that at a depth of twenty feet he found the hidden treasure
deep below the abyss, hidden beneath its dark coffer.
He discovered there three crosses together in that sorrowful home,
buried in the dirt just as they had been covered over with earth
in days gone by, by a impious band, the kin of Judea.
They heaved up their malice against God's child—they never would have
unless they had heeded the lessons of Author of Crimes. (827-38)

Then was Judas’s heart-thoughts greatly elated,
his mind strengthened, his inner heart inspired by that holy tree,
after seeing that symbol holy beneath the earth.
He grasped with his hands the joy-beam of glory,
and heaved it up among the army from its earthen grave.
The strangers went forth on foot, nobles into the city. (839-45)

Then they set down the three victory-beams, apparent to see,
before the knee of Elene, warriors resolute and courageous.
The queen rejoiced in her heart’s mind and inquired of them
upon which of those crosses it was that the Wielder’s Son,
the holy Giver of Hope was hanged.
“So,we have heard it through blessed books, revealed by signs,
that two others suffered with him, and he was the third himself
upon the rood tree. All the heavens darkened at that cruel moment.
Say, if you know, upon which of these three the Prince of Angels,
suffered, the Guardian of Majesty.” (846-58)

Nor could Judas clearly reveal to her, for he knew not readily,
upon which of those Triumph-trees the Savior had been hanged,
the Victorious Child of God—not before he ordered them
to be set up in the middle of that famous city, trees amid the tumult,
and there waited until the King Almighty should unveil
a miracle before the multitude, about the Tree of Glory. (859-66)

They sat down, the counsel-deliberators triumph-famous,
and lifted up a song about the three crosses until the ninth hour,
when they felt a fresh joy, an encounter with glory.
Then there came no small crowd of people, a throng of men,
bringing a young man upon a bier recently without spirit,
having had traveled onwards. It was the ninth hour. (867-74a)

Then was Judas greatly elated in his mind. He ordered that they
set down the soulless man, the body deprived of life and unstirring,
upon the ground and, deep-thinking, heaved up two of those crosses,
the revealer of right spirit-wise, in his embrace over that fated house.
The body was still dead, just as before, a corpse fast upon its couch.
His limbs cooled, covered over by that cruel necessity. (874b-83a)

Then the third cross was raised, blessed. The corpse was waiting
until the beam of that Noble was areared over him, the Heaven-King’s,
the true Symbol of Victory. The man immediately arose,
equipped with his soul—together both together—body and soul.
There were praises sent high fair amid the folk.
The Father was worthied and the True Son of the Sovereign
was praised wordfully. Let glory and thanks be his
eternally without end from all of creation! (883b-93)

Elene IX

2010-07-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

When Elene, wielding power over her warriors,
heard of Judas’s bearing, she quickly ordered that he
be allowed up from the nearness and from the constraining chasm,
up from that cruel house. This her men immediately carried out,
and they mercifully let him up from his imprisonment,
just as the queen had commanded. Then they stepped
stiff-hearted to that place upon the hill that the Lord
had before been hanged, Heaven-realm’s Warden,
the God-Child, on the gallows. However, he knew not
readily, humbled through hunger, where that Holy Rood,
through the fiend’s wiles was covered by the earth,
it remained in its bed, its death-rest, for a long time,
secreted fast from the people. Judas lofted up a word,
revealing his courage, and he spoke in Hebrew: (709-24)

“Redeeming Lord, you that owns power over all judgment,
and you that worked through the might of your glory
heaven and earth and the tempestuous waves,
the embrace of the broad sea, together with all creation.
And you measure out with your hands the entire firmament
and the high-heavens, and you yourself sit, Wielder of Victories,
over the most noble of angel-kin, who fare throughout
the skies wound in light—great is their power and majesty.
Nor can the kindred of men climb up there from the earth-ways
in their body-house amid the illuminated host, the heralds of glory.
You have created them and set them into your service,
holy and heavenly. (725-42)

“Among them there are six orders named in perpetual joy,
those who are surrounded by and adorned with six wings,
shining in fairness. Among them there are four who in flight
eternally observe the majestic service before the face of the Eternal Deemer,
singing forevermore in glory with a clear voice the praises
of the Heaven-king, the lovely spirit of songs, and they speak
these words with voices unstained—their name is the Cherubim:
‘Blessed is the holy
God of the High-angels,
the Wielder of Armies!
Filled with glory
is the heaven and earth
and the high-majesty
is revealed in glory!’
There are two more among them, victory-kin in the sky,
that men call Seraphim by name. One must hold Paradise-plain
and the holy Tree of Life with a fiery sword. The hardened edge
quakes, the patterned blade shivers, and it alters its shade
in his terrifying grip. (743-59a)

“These things you, Lord God, will wield forever—and you cast out
the foolish, the guilt-working, the sinful wretches from the heavens.
Then that accursed shoal beneath the shadow-house must be
felled to the earth, in a damnation of torments, where they now endure
within the welling flame, the killing pain in the embrace of dragons,
encased in the darkness. He withsook your judging sovereignty—
therefore he must suffer in miseries, foulest of all foulness,
and stained endure a slave’s bondage. There he cannot, cast away
your word, the author of all sin, fastened in tortures, bound in pain. (759b-71)

“Should it be your will, Ruler of Angels, that he shall govern
who was hung upon the cross, who through Mary was conceived
in middle-earth in the form of a child, the Prince of Angels—
and if he were not your sinless son, he never would have performed
so many true miracles in this world’s realm during the count of his days;
nor would you have awakened him from death so gloriously,
Wielder of Peoples, before the masses, if he were not the child of your glory
through that illuminated woman—do it now, Father of Angels,
show forth your sign. Just as you obeyed that blessed man,
Moses at prayer, so that you, God of Might, revealed unto that noble man
at that seasonable time under the mountainous slope the bones of Joseph,
so I wish to entreat you, Joy of Hosts, should it be your will,
through that bright creation, so that gold-hoard be revealed,
that was hidden long ago. (772-92a)

“Let there rise up now, First of Life, a breeze-bouncing smoke
from this blessed spot of land beneath the orbit of the heavens.
I will believe in you the better the more firmly I establish my spirit,
my hope unwavering upon the crucified Christ, so that he might
truly be the Savior of my soul, Eternal Almighty, the King of Israel,
who will rule perpetual mansions of Glory in the heavens
for ever and ever without end.” (792b-801)

Elene VIII (after a long delay)

2010-07-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

Then blessed Elene plainly gave him answer before her earls:
“If you wish to have a home in heaven-realm with the angels
as well as a life here on earth, victory’s recompense in the sky,
say to me quickly where that cross of the Heaven-King abides,
holy under the soil, that you all have concealed for some time,
through men of murder with evil deeds. (?) (619-26)

Judas’s soul was sadder, hot about his heart, and woe at both ends,
whether he relinquished both hope for heaven’s realm in his mind
and this present rule under the skies, or whether he did not
then reveal the Cross, as he spoke: “How can I find what has been so long
since missing in the course of winters? It is now a great number;
two hundred years or more reckoned by count have hastened away.
I can not relate it nor do I know that exact number.
There is now many wise and good counselors that have come before us,
keen-witted men. I was born in my youth in a later time afterwards,
a boy-young man. I know not what I know not, nor may I find
in my spirit what occurred so long ago.” (627-41)

Elene spoke to him in reply: “How does it happen that among
this human nation that you know so fully in your memory
all the individual deeds of the Trojans done through battle?
That was much further ago, the open ancient struggle,
than was this noble occurrence, by the course of years.
You readily know how to relate it quickly, what slaughters
there were in body count, what spear-playing warriors
were fallen in death, under the shelter of shields.
You have set it in writing the tombs beneath the stone cliffs
and their location as well, and the count of winters.” (642-54)

Judas spoke, bearing his sorrow-sadness: “We remember,
my lady, those army-works clearly out of necessity,
and we have committed that warrior-strife to writing, the bearing of nations,
but we have never heard of this cross through the mouth of any man,
to be revealed to men except here and now.” (655-61)

The noble queen gave him answer: “You deny too strongly
the truth and the right concerning that Tree of Life,
and you said just a little while ago truly about the victory-tree
among your people, and now you turn to a lie.” (662-66)

Judas replied to her, saying that he spoke about it in sorrow
and in the greatest doubt, believing that humiliating affliction
awaited him. Quickly Caesar’s kinswoman spoke to him:
“So, we have heard it, through the holy books revealed to men
of the Prince-Child of the King who was hanged on Calvary,
God’s own Spirit-son. You must wholly inform this wisdom,
just as the writings tell, concerning that place where the location
of Calvary may be found, before a killing seize you,
a death for your sins, so that I can cleanse that place afterwards,
by the desire of Christ and as a service to men, so that Holy God
may fulfill, the Mighty Prince, the purpose of my heart
and my only desire, the Glory-Giver of Armies, the Comforter of Souls.” (667-82a)

To her Judas spoke, stiff-hearted: “I don’t know anything
about that place, and of neither the field
nor the matter know I one whit.” (682b-84)

Elene responded with an angry heart:
“I swear by the Son of the Maker, the Hanged God,
that you must be killed by hunger before your kinsmen,
unless you abandon these lyings
and patently reveal to me the truth!” (685-90)

Then she ordered her companions to lead him still living
and shove him in his guilt—her servants made no delay—
into a dry well, where he, lacking support, dwelt
for the space of seven nights in his sorrow under the harm-closure,
tortured by hunger, clung to with chains. Upon the seventh day,
he began to call out, exhausted with hurts, miserable and meat-lacking;
his strength was sapped: “I beseech you by the God of the Heavens,
that you allow me up from these torments, humbled from the pains of hunger.
I will eagerly reveal that Holy Tree, now I can conceal it no longer
out of hunger. This imprisoning is too much, this cruel compulsion
so severe and this pain too harsh in my count of days.
I can no longer withstand it, nor hide that Tree of Life,
although I was before driven through with foolishness—
now I realize the truth myself too late.” (691-708)

Elene, part VII

2010-06-12T13:41:00.001-07:00

Here is the seventh part of Elene for your Old E delectation. This section features Judas's great metaphor of the man confronted by a loaf and a stone in the desert. This stanza felt very complicated and difficult: I had to render its idioms into more modern ones, perhaps choosing the stone of my own. I'll only know until I have chewed on it for a bit. Please let me know how you like it...

-------------------------

VII.

The words of speeches multiplied, and men counseled
about either half, some hither, some thither, deliberating
and pondering. Then came a company of thanes
to that warlike assembly. The heralds called out,
the messengers of Caesar: “The queen invites you
warriors to the hall, so that you may rightly relate
your assembly’s judgment. There is need of your advice
at the moot-hall, your heart’s wisdom.”
They were ready, sad-souled princes of the people,
when they were invited by hard commandment;
to go to the house, to prove the power of their craft. (547-58a)

Then the queen began to address the Hebrew men with words,
asking the soul-weary about their ancient writings, how in the world
their prophets sang before, ghost-holy men, about the Child of God,
where the Prince suffered, the True Son of the Maker, for the souls’ love.
They were stiff, harder than stone—they did not wish to make known
that mystery nor speak any answer to her, her bitter enemies,
of anything she asked them, yet they gave exception to every word,
fixed in their purpose, which she asked them. They said that they
had never heard, early or late, any whit of such things in their lives. (558b-72)

Elene spoke and said to them in wrath: “I wish to speak a truth
unto you all, and this will never become a lie upon my life:
if you who stand before me persist longer in these lies,
with shameful untruths, a blazing pyre will grasp you on the hilltop,
the hottest of battle-flames, and the bouncing fires will destroy
your raw flesh. Your lies must lead you unto a world’s-parting.
Nor can you prove these words that you have for a while now
unrightly covered beneath an unclean corner, nor can you
conceal these deeds, nor obscure their deep power.” (573-84a)

Then they were anticipating their deaths, their pyre and their life’s-end,
and there they handed over one of them ready-witted of lore—
he was named Judas by his kinsmen— him they gave unto the queen,
saying that he was exceptionally wise: “He can make known the truth
to you, draw back the mystery of events, just as you wordfully ask him,
the law from its beginning forth unto the end.
He is on earth of noble kindred, wise of word-craft
and a prophet’s son, bold in assembly. It is innate to him
that he has keen answers and skill in his breast.
He will reveal to you before this mingling of men,
the gift of wisdom, through great power, just as your mind desires.” (584b-97)

Elene allowed everyone to seek their own homes in peace,
and held Judas alone as a hostage, and then eagerly commanded
him to rightfully teach her about that cross that had been long secreted
in its grave, and she called him apart on his own. Elene spoke
to that lone man, the glory-blessed queen: “There are two ways ready for you,
either life or death, just as whichever you prefer to choose.*
Now quickly reveal to which condition do you wish to consent.” (598-608)

Judas spoke with her—he could not avoid that sorrow
nor avert the lady’s malice, for he was in the queen’s power—
“How can it be for one treading the wilderness,
miserable and meat-lacking in the wasteland,
pressed by hunger, and then he happens upon a loaf
and a stone both together in his sight, hard and soft,
so that he grabs the stone to be a comfort against his hunger,
heeding not the bread, turning toward starvation,
and renouncing the meal, scorning the better of the two,
when he has both at hand?” (609-18)

Elene VI online

2010-06-10T10:51:00.001-07:00

“Then I gave answer boldly unto my father, the old law-counselor:
‘How could it happen in this worldly realm that our fathers
would wish to send by their hands upon that Holy One
unto the soul-fire through wrathful understanding
if they knew beforehand that he was the Christ, the King in the heavens,
the true Son of the Maker, the Savior of Souls?” (454-61)

“Then my elder replied to me, wise of spirit, my father speaking:
‘Think, young man, about the high-power of God, the name of the Redeemer.
That word is unspeakable by any mortal man, nor can man
discover it by oneself upon the mould-way. Never did I seek those counsels
that those people wished to seek, but always did I hold myself
aloof from those sins, working no shame at all in my spirit.
I, often and eagerly, made contest against the unrighteous,
when the wise elders held debate, seeking in their souls
how they might hang up the Son of the Maker, the Helm of Men,
The Lord of All, of angel and man, the Child Most Noble.
Nor could they so foolish afflict him with death,
men accursed, as they had intended before, to beset
him with wounds, although he after awhile on the gallows
sent forth his soul, the Victorious Son of God. (462-81a)

“‘Then from the cross the Wielder of the Heavens was lifted,
the Majesty of All Majesties, and three nights later
he was waiting in his tomb under the close of darkness,
and upon the third day, the Light of All Lights arose,
Princes of Angels, and before his thanes, the True Lord of Victories,
revealed himself, bright of joy. (481b-89a)

“‘Then your brother took on after a time the bath of baptism,
the radiant belief. Then for the love of the Lord,
Stephen was stoned to death; he yielded not evil for evil,
but trouble-strong spoke for his olden enemies,
begging the Triumph-King that he not set those woe-deeds
upon the Jews as their punishment—that they out of envy
deprived a unguilted man of his life, free from sin, by Saul’s lesson,
just as he through fiend-ship judged many of Christ’s folk
to death. Yet again the Lord showed mercy to him, so that he became
a comfort to many people, afterward the God of Creation
The Savior of Men, changed his name and he after that was called
Saint Paul by name, and there was never another better law-learned man
than him under the shelter of the skies ever since,
born of woman or man in this world, although he bade
Stephen to be killed with stones upon the hill, your own brother. (489b-510)

“‘Now you can hear, my dear man, how honor-fast is the Sovereign of All,
though we often make crime against him by the wound of sins,
if we soon make remedy for our harmful deeds and desist
from transgressions again. Therefore I truly and my dear father
since believe that the God of All Majesties suffered,
the Teacher of Life, with hateful torments for the over-need of men.
Therefore I will teach you through mystery-songs, my dearest boy,
so that you will never do blasphemy, envy nor wicked accusations,
grim responses against God’s Child. Then you will merit the eternal life
that will be given to you in heaven, the best victory-prize.’ (511-27)

“Thus my father in former-days taught me wordfully, ungrown,
instructing me with true sayings—his name was Simon,
a man wise through anxiety. Now you all know readily
what seems best to you to reveal, if this queen of ours
inquires about that tree, now you know my
soul’s understanding and my heart-thoughts.” (528-35)

Then the wisest among that group of men spoke in reply
to Judas, wordfully: “Never have we heard of any warrior
among this nation, no other thane except you who now
makes it known about such a secret event.
Do what seems best, you wise in ancient-songs,
if you are asked in that company of men. That man needs wisdom,
sly words, and the perspicuity of a prophet, who must give answer
to that noble woman before such an army at council.” (536-46)

That's it for Elene V!

2010-06-06T08:13:00.001-07:00

Then they went away from the council, just as the mighty queen,
bold among the cities, had commanded them do. Sorrow-minded,
eagerly considering, they sought with the crafty thinkers what sin
it might be that, in that people, they might have done against the Caesar,
of which that queen accused them. Then there before the nobles,
one spoke up, ready-wise in his songs, crafty of words—
his name was Judas: “I know readily that she wishes to ask
about that victory-tree upon which the Wielder of Nations suffered,
lacking of all sins, God’s own son, who guiltless of any crime,
through hate our fathers was hanged on a high beam in former-days.
That was a terrible thought! (411-26a)

“Now there is much need that we firmly establish our spirits,
that we do not become an informer to that murder, nor
to where that holy tree was buried after the battle-strife,
unless we should destroy the wise and ancient writings
and forsake the teaching of our fathers. It will not be long
after that that the lineage of Israel or the belief of our earls
will be possible to reign any longer across middle-earth
if this become known. So said my grandfather,
victory-strong, he was called Sachius, a wise and aged prophet,
to my own father and my father unto his son,*
when he departed from this world, he spoke to me this word: (426b-440)

‘If it happens to you in the days of your life that you hear
wise men asking about the holy tree, rearing up strife
about that victory-tree upon which the True King was hanged,
the Warden of Heaven’s realm, Warrior of All Peace,
then you must reveal it quickly, my dear son, before killing
seizes you. Never after that can the Hebrew people,
deliberating counsel, hold reign or rule over the multitude,
except that they shall live forever and ever filled with joy
of the majesty and the lordship—*
they will praise and love the hanging king.’” (441-53)

"þurh hwæt," l. 400

2010-06-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

I am having trouble getting a good translation out of the following lines:

“Hwæt, we Ebreisce æ leornedon,
þa on fyrn-dagum fæderas cuðon
æt godes earce, ne we geare cunnon
þurh hwæt ðu ðus hearde, hlæfdige, us
eorre wurde.

The line itself is not too difficult, and I think I've toggled everything into place except the prepositional phrase "þurh hwæt" --assuming that it is a prepositional phrase-- Where do these words go? The problem seems to be that the final part of this sentence is already modified within an inch of its syntax, bearing the weight of both "geare" (readily) and "hearde" (sternly, severely).

Checking in with older translations was not very helpful either. Kennedy, my preferred translator (love love his edition of the Cynewulf poems), provides this as a translation:

Lo, we have learned the Hebraic law, which in the days of old our fathers knew, at the ark of the convenant of God, nor know we well (geare) wherefore thus heavily (hearde), O Lady, thou art become wrathful against us (p. 99)

And Bradley gives it like this:

But we have learned the Hebrew law which in days long since our fathers knew at the ark of God, and we do not readily (geare) understand why you, lady, have been so sternly (hearde) angry with us.

In neither case does "þurh hwæt" seem to appear (unless Kennedy's "wherefore" translates it, which I guess could be a possibility). What's more aggravating is that the adjective "hwæt" (meaning "Quick, active, vigorous, stout, bold, brave") does not seem to be declined. If it is prepositional phrase, it means something like "through, or by means of active, quick, or bold men," or could be translated roughly as "quickly, boldly."

I really don't know. Perhaps you have a solution you'd like to share with me?

* Update: Thanks to Paul for pointing me in the right direction *

* And silly me for not remembering that hwæt is a declined form of hwa! *

Elene V has tumbled out

2010-06-04T08:36:00.001-07:00

Below please find the lion's share of Elene's fifth part. Today I just kept going and going with the translation and ended up with a whole pile of lines. Some I am allowing to cool before posting them, others I have posted prematurely and have had to make some corrections or changes. Read below and see what you think...

V.

“So—we have heard this through the holy books that the Lord
gave you renown not-ignoble,* the Maker gave you plenty of power.
He said unto Moses how you must heed the Heaven-King,
and perform his teachings. Soon this vexed you,
and you had opposed the Righteous One, rejecting the Radiant
shaper of us all, the Lord of Lords, and persisting in error
over the rightness of God. Now you go swiftly and find again
those men that best know the ancient books by craft of wisdom,
your law-rights, that know how to say answers to me
through their broad spirits.” (364-76)

Then the proud-hearted went back in a band, mind-sorrowing,
just as the queen ordered them to. They found five hundred
prescient men, selected from among their companions,
who held the most learning-craft through heart’s memory,
in the wisdom of their spirits. They were invited to the hall again
in very little time, the wardens of the city. The queen began
to address them wordfully, looking over them all. (377-85)

“Often you have performed foolish deeds, cursed wrack-kin,
and despised the writing, the teaching of your fathers,
but never more than now when you rejected the cure
for your blindness, and you withsake the truth and the right,
that the son of the Wielder was born in Bethlehem,
the only Son and King, the Greatest of Nobles.
Although you know the law, the words of the prophets,
you do not wish to recognize, sin-working, the truth.” (386-95)

The wise Jews then answered her with one heart:
“Listen, we have learned the Hebrew law, which in days past
our fathers have known at the Ark of God. We do not readily know
so far why you are severely wrathful with us, lady.
We know not what sin that we have performed in this folk-share,
nor any great evil we have made against you.”
(396-403)

Elene spoke and before those earl said, the woman addressed
them plainly, loud before the multitude:
“Go away quickly now, and apart seek out the wise among you,
who has the most power and mind-craft, bold enough to reveal
honestly every thing that I ask them. (404-10)

Elene IV finished

2010-06-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

Elene spoke and before those nobles said: “Listen, wise-minded men,
to holy secrets, both words and wisdom. So, you all have assumed
the teaching of your prophets, how he, the Life-First,
would be born in the shape of a child, the Wielder of Might.
Concerning that Moses sang, and spoke that word, Israel’s guard:
‘Born among you shall be a boy in secret, famous of might,
so his mother with fruiting will not be conceived through men’s love.’ (332-41)

“Of him David king, of that noble lineage, sang forth,
wise prophet of old and the father of Solomon, and spoke
that word, the prince of warriors: ‘I have looked upon
the God of Beginnings before, the Lord of Victories.
He was in my sight, Sovereign of Powers, upon my right hand,
the Herdsman of Majesty. I will never turn my face thence forever.’ (342-49)

“So also Isaiah the prophet spoke wordfully concerning you all,
before the multitude, deep-thinking through the spirit of the Lord:
‘I raised up my young children and gave birth to sons,
to whom I gave prosperity, holy comfort of mind, but they despised me,
hating me by fiend-ship, having no forethought, no wit of wisdom;
and the wretched cattle, that one drives and goads every day,
understand their benefactor, not at all by the grief-wrack
do they hate their friend that gives them their fodder,
and never have the folk of Israel wished to acknowledge me
though I have done many wonders for them in this world.’” (350-63)

More Elene IV

2010-06-01T17:43:00.001-07:00

“You doomed him to death who himself wakened from death
the world in bands of men in the olden life of your own kin.
So you began, heart-blind, to mix up lies for truth,
light with darkness, envy with honor, with guileful thoughts
wove yourselves a wrong. For that damnation harms you guiltfully.
You judged that radiant power and lived that error in dark thoughts,
until this day. Now go forth quickly, consider your counselors,
skillful and wise-fast men, crafty in their words, those that have
your law first in their noble hearts, they know how to say to me truly,
to reveal an answer on your behalf for every token that I will seek of them.” (302b-19)

Then they went away sorrow-minded, earls skilled in the law,
tormented with terror, with anxiety of sorrow, eager to seek out
those wisest in wordy mysteries, so that they could answer the queen
whether good or evil, just as she sought from them.
Then they found one thousand men in a band, wise-souled,
those among the Jews that knew most completely
the olden memories. Then they gathered in a group where
the Caesar’s kinswoman awaited in majesty upon her throne,
the magnificent war-queen adorned in gold. (320-31)

Elene IV

2010-05-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

More Elene for your discerning pleasure. We begin the occupation of Jerusalem by Helena's Roman army and the queen's challenge to the Jewish wise men.

-------------------------

There was clearly visible upon an earl the linked mail
and the tested sword, the magnificent battle equipment,
many visored helmets, the peerless boar-crest.
The ash-warriors were soldiers about their victory-queen,
eager for the journey. Bold warband warriors, the heralds
of the emperor had desired to fare into the Greek lands,
the men of battle, adorned in ornaments.
There was seen many a worthy gem set upon that army-throng
the gift of their lord. Triumph-blessed Elene was mindful,
bold in her thought, of the desire of the prince eager in her heart
so that she, across the army-fields should seek the Jewish land
with her band of proven shield-warriors, her group of men.
Just as it since happened in a little time that the people’s force
the war-bold heroes came unto Jerusalem into that city
in the greatest of armies, earls spear-brave,
amid those nobles their queen (256-75)

IV.

Elene ordered then the city-sitters to be commanded,
the wisest among them, broad and wide throughout Israel,
every one among the men, council-talking, to come unto a moot,
those that knew the deepest mysteries of the Lord
through expounding correctly the Law.
Then was gathered from the far-ways no small force,
those that knew how to expound the law of Moses.
There by number were selected three thousand of those nation
to teach. Then the dear woman wordfully spoke to Hebrew men: (276-87)

“I have understood fully through the cryptic words of the prophets
in the books of God that you all in years past were precious
to the Glory-King, dear to the Lord and deed-bold.
Listen! Unwisely you spurned all wisdom in wrath,
then you cursed him so that he through his glorious power
thought to free you all from damnation, from a flaming death,
and a close custody. You all with spittle spewed into the face
of him that made the light of your eyes and made
a cure for blindness with his own noble sputum,
and who often saved you all from the unclean spirits of devils. (288-302a)

A word-flood continues

2010-05-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's because I have other things to do, but Elene is simply overflowing its banks. Included below is the really lovely sea-preparation stanza (225-42):

-------------------

III.

Then was the dispender of treasure joyful, the battle-bold king.
A new elation was granted his spirit; the Warden of Heaven’s Realm
was become his greatest of comforts and nearest of hopes.
He began then make the Lord’s law known by day and by night
eagerly by ghostly grace, and the gold-friend of men applied himself
truly in the service of God, quick and famed with the spear.
Then the nobleman found, the protector of the people, war-stern,
spear-bold, in God’s books by lore-smiths where the Wielder
of the Heavens through guile in envy was hanged upon the rood tree,
amid the tumult of the crowd, just as the old fiend had seduced them
with his lying wiles, led astray the Jewish kind, so that they crucified
God himself, the First of Armies. Afterwards, in shame
they must endure damnation to the width of their lives. (194-211)

Then was the praise of Christ in the heart of the emperor, henceforth
mindful of that famous tree, and he ordered his mother then to fare
the earth-ways with a throng of his people unto Judea,
to eagerly seek out with a force of warriors where that tree of glory,
holy under the earth, was hidden, the noble king's cross.
Elene did not wish to be reluctant to this journey,
nor did she despise the word of the will-giver,
her own son, but was ready immediately, a woman on the good journey,
just as the helm of armies, of armored warriors, had bidden her. (212-24)

Then speedily began the multitude of nobles to hurry to the sea.
The billow-horses stood ready about the bank of the ocean,
the sea-steeds moored, near to the water. Then was the woman’s journey
well evident, since the army’s defender sought out the waves.
There many proud men stood on the shores of the Mare Nostrum.*
At times, they pressed on across the marked path, one force
after another, and then they loaded the wave-stallions
with battle-serks,* shields and spears, byrnied warriors,
both men and women. Then they caused the brim-ship to glide
across the giant’s foamy wave. The deck often took on
the blows of the waves across the blending of oars; the sea thundered.
Never have I heard before or since that a woman led a fairer force
upon the water’s current, over the sea’s street. (225-42)

There one could have seen, that looked upon that journey,
the breaking over the bath-way, the hurrying salt-wood
under the swelling sail,* the playing of the sea-horses,
the wading wave-floaters. The warriors were blithe,
courage-hearted—the queen rejoiced of her journey.
Afterwards to harbor the whorled prows had sailed
across the water’s fastness into the Greek lands.
They stepped off their keeled ships at the sea-shore,
beaten by the sand, old wave-houses fastened by their anchors
to wait upon the ocean the fate of warriors, when she,
that queen of warfare with her throng of men,
might seek to journey again over the east-ways.* (243-55)

Elene continues

2010-04-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

Here is more from the Elene translation, which is literally pouring out onto the page.

-----------------------

Likewise the shelter of noblemen ordered then, the ring-giver
of warriors, just as he saw that sign, the battle-first of his armies,
that had been revealed to him, Constantine, the glory-blessed king,
that token, the cross of Christ, to be wrought with the greatest haste.
He commanded then in the dawning at the first of day
the warriors to be roused and the weapon-clash,
to heave up the sword-banners, and that holy tree
to be carried before them into the crowd of their enemies,
to bear the symbol of God. The trumpets sang loud
before the army. The raven rejoiced these works,
dewy-feathered, the eagle observed this journeying,
the slaughter-cruel warriors. The wolf hove his song up,
the companion of the woods. The terror of battle stood tall. (99-113)

There was the crack of shields and the pack of warriors,
the harsh hand-swing and the armies’ slaughtering,
after they met first the spraying of missiles.
Onto that fated folk the showers of arrows,
spears over yellow shields onto the throng of the fearsome,
the haters sword-grim, the venomous battle-darts
through the power of fingers sent forth.
The resolute warriors advanced, sometimes pressing forward,
sometimes breaking the shield cover, piercing it with blades
thronging battle-bold. Then was that plumed banner raised,
the standard before the squadron, singing the cry of victory.
(114-24)

Elene continues

2010-04-20T17:15:00.001-07:00

Yes, I know I said I would be doing Genesis next, but I got to thinking that if I resumed Elene then I would have an actual manuscript. Call it "Five Anglo-Saxon Hagiographic Poems" (taking Guthlac A & B as two separate poems).

---------------------------------

Then the Caesar ordered with great haste, under the arrows’ flurry,
his warriors be summoned unto battle beneath the heavens
against the fearsome war-players, be led out for an attack.
Immediately the Romans were made ready, men victory-valiant,
with weapons to warfare, although they had fewer to go to battle
than the Hunnish king. They rode about their renowned leader—
their shields dinned, the camp-wood resounded—
The king marched forth in a horde, an army to battle.
The winging raven sang, sable and slaughter-fell.
The army was on the march.
The horn-bearers leapt, the heralds cried out,
the horses trod the earth. The host drew together,
quick to the quarrel. (42b-56a)

The emperor was afraid, affrighted by terror, after
he surveyed the strangers, the army of Huns and Hrethgoths
that gathered their army at the river’s shore, a force uncountable
on the border of the Rome-dwellers’ realm. Heart-sorrow weighed
upon the Roman ruler—for the kingdom he hoped not
for army-lacking—he had too few troops,
shoulder-companions to stand against the overwhelming force,
bold in battle. The army camped, nobles about the prince,
near the water course, about the length of a night
after they had first seen their enemies’ movements. (56b-68)

Then it was revealed unto Caesar himself in his sleep,
where he slumbered in company, victor-strong, seeing
a dreamy portent. It seemed to him beautiful in the shape of man,
a white and hue-bright warrior, a someone was shown to him—
more fair than he had seen early or late under the heaven.
He started up from sleep, covering himself with his boar-crest.
The messenger quickly, the brilliant herald of glory,
spoke and named him by his name—the helm of night was thrown back:
"Constantine, the King of Angels has ordered that, Wielder of Fates,
you be offered a pledge, the Lord of Multitudes.
Do not be afraid though the terror of strangers threatens you,
the cruelty of battle. Look to the heavens, to the Ward of Glory,
there you will find a bolster, the symbol of victory.” (69-85a)

Constantine was instantly ready —
through that holy command, his heart-box was opened
and he looked up, just as that messenger declared,
the faithful peace-weaver. He saw there bright with ornaments,
the beautiful tree of glory across the roof of the heavens,
adorned with gold, gems were shining;
The pale wood was inscribed with book-staves,
bright and light: “WITH THIS SIGN YOU
WILL OVERCOME THIS TERRIBLE PERIL,
AND WITHSTAND THE HATEFUL HORDE.”
Then the light departed, ventured up, the angel with it,
into the crowd of the clean. The Emperor was happier
for this vision and more sorrowless, the prince of warriors,
in his mind for that fair sight. (85b-98)

Juliana completed

2010-03-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

It only took eleven months, but Juliana is now complete in first draft. The final section, what I'm calling the epilogue is posted below. For the rest of section six, please go to the full Juliana translation from the sidebar.

Following Kennedy and Bradley, Cynewulf's runic signature is translated into likely words and are given in italics. The lines are purposely different from those of the rest of the narrative, broken up into short bursts of thought. I like how this pattern of lineation feels so far, so I think I'll keep it.

-------------------------

Epilogue

There is a great need for me
for that holy woman to effect me help,
when the dearest of all shall be parted
from me, the two brothers united shall
be torn apart, their great heart-love.
My soul shall part from my body
upon a journey—I myself do not know where—
in ignorance of its destination.
From this place I shall seek another,
journeying according to my former works
and my olden deeds. (695b-703a)

Mournful will mankind depart.
The king will be stern, the Giver of Victories,
when, flecked by sins, the sheep,
terrified, await what, according to their deeds
He will adjudge them, as a reward of life.
The watery floods will tremble,
lowering themselves sorrowfully.* (703b-09a)

I remember all that pain,
wounded by the sins that I late and early
have wrought in this world,
what I must lament with mournful tears.
There was one time too late,
so that I was ashamed afore of my evil deeds,
while ghost and body together fared
uninjured upon the earth.
I will have need of mercies then,
that the holy woman intercede
with that highest of kings.
(709b-717a)

A great heart’s sorrow reminds me
of this need. I pray that every man
of human kindred who recites this song,
earnest and mindful,
will remember me by my own name,
and pray to the Lord, the Helm of the Heavens,
Wielder of Powers, will provide me help,
on that greatest of days, the Father,
the Spirit of Comfort, on that awful day,
the Deemer of Deeds, and his dear Son,
when their Threeness sitting in majesty
as a singularity, the kindred of mankind
through that glorious creation decrees by his works
the reward of every man. Forgive us, Great God
so that we find your aspect, Joy of Nobles,
merciful on that famous day—
Amen.
(717b-31)

Juliana VI underway

2010-03-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

I'm about a hundred lines from the end of Juliana, and I can't express how happy that makes me. Although I am generally happy with the results, this poem has been with me for far too long. The summer was a pretty wretched stretch of bad translating, which I do not care to revisit.

I'm looking ahead with mild excitement to the next target, and I'm beginning to think it should be Genesis A&B. It's long, it's difficult, it really needs to be done.

--------------------------

[MS folio missing]

“… eagerly before
they praised [him] on high and his holy word,*
they said truly that he alone wielded all victories
over all of creation, and eternal blessed gifts.” (559b-63a)

Then came an angel of God, blazing with bangles
and thrust the fire to the side, freeing and fortifying
her clean of guilts, free of vices, and scattering
the ferociously hungry tongues of flame where the holy woman stood,
the maiden more bold, in their midst, unhurt. (563b-68)

That for the rich man was a distress to endure—
he would change it, if he could, for the whole world.*
Heliseus, flecked with many sins, sought how he could
most painfully, through the worst of torments,
devise her soul’s death. Nor was the enemy too slow—
he instructed the nobleman to make an earthen vessel,
by wonder-craft and the terrifying howls of warriors,
ordering it to be set it around with wooden beams
and forest timber. Then the obstinate creature commanded
that men fill that earth-bowl with lead, and then ordered
the pyre, the greatest of fires, be kindled,
surrounded by brands on all sides.
The bath welled with heat. (569-81)

Swiftly then, Heliseus, swollen with rage, ordered the woman
sinless and devoid of fault, to be shoved into the surging lead.
Then the fire became separated and scattered.
Lead burst wide, hot and hungry—
Warriors were terrified, seized by the rush.
There were five and seventy of the heathen host
forburned through the searing sneeze.
Then yet Juliana the holy woman stood
uninjured in her beauty. Nothing of her hem or garment,
her hair or skin, was damaged by the fire,
neither body or limb. She stood in the flames
totally unharmed, saying thanks for all to the Lord of Lords.
Then the deemer became stormy and mind-savage;
he began to tear his clothes and bared and gnashed his teeth.
He raged in his wits as if he were a wild beast,
roaring sad-minded and cursing his gods,
because their power could not withstand a woman’s will. (582-600a)

Juliana, the maid of glory, was resolute and unafraid,
mindful of her strength and the desire of the Lord.
Then the wretched judge ordered her put to death by sword-bite,
holy at heart, deprived of her head, chosen by Christ.
Her death would be no profit to him,
after he further knew its consequences. (600b-06)

Then was the hope of the holy woman renewed
and the mind of the maiden greatly gladdened,
after she heard the hero deliberate his evil counsel,
that the conclusion of her struggle-days must come—
her life released. Then Heliseus, full of sins, ordered
Juliana, chaste and chosen, to be led unto her sinless death.
Then came suddenly that humbled hell-ghast singing a harmful song,
wretched and unhappy—that same cursed devil
whom she had bound and beaten with torments—
he called for the crowd, filled with sorrowful songs: (607-18)

“Requite it with affliction now, that she has despised
the power of our gods, and degraded me most strongly,
so that I became a traitor. Let her obtain the hateful rewards
through the sword’s spoor, achieve your olden enmity,
enveloped in your sins. I remember the sorrow,
how I endured in one night countless afflictions
and sufferings, fast in bonds, innumerable evils. (619-27a)

Last part of Juliana V

2010-02-25T12:47:00.001-08:00

The final stanzas of the fifth section of Juliana are now drafted. These were fairly complicated, and will probably change incrementally as I continue to read them aloud to myself.

----------------------

“I have borne it all—cruel crimes throughout human nations,
those that have happened in the wide ages from the start of the world
for the kindred of men, the earls upon the earth.
There was none among them that have dared to touch me thus
boldly as you now do, holy with your hands.
There were none of these mindful men across the earth
through holy might, none of the high-fathers or prophets:
even though the God of Multitudes, the King of Glory,
revealed to them the spirit of wisdom, his boundless gift,
nevertheless I might approach the way to them. (506b-518a)

There was none of them who have laden me with bonds so boldly*
or whelmed me over with calamity, before now
when you seized me fast and overcame my great strength,
which my father gave me, the enemy of man-kind,
when he ordered me to venture, a prince from the darkness,
so that I had to sweeten your sins for you.
There sorrow befell me, a heavy hand-struggle.
I need not rejoice over this errand in the company of my kinsmen
after this sore suffering, when I must render unto them
a sorrowful account in our gloomy home.” (518b-530a)

Then Heliseus the noblemen, a cruel-minded man, ordered
Juliana, holy in heart, to be lead out from her narrow house
unto his doom-seat to speak with the heathens.
She, sainted and inspired in her breast, dragged with her
that unbelieving devil, fastened in bonds.
Then he, wretched and careful, lamented his errand,
bewailed his pain, bewept his bad fortune, speaking wordfully:
(530b-38)

“I entreat you, my lady Juliana, before the peace of God,
to work me no further insult, no disgrace in front of these earls,
more than you have done already, when you overwhelmed
the wisest under the prison’s shadow, the king of the hell-dwellers
in the city of fiends; he is our father, the evil prince of murder.
So, you have chastised me by your soreful swats!
I know as truth that I have never met, before or since,
in worldly realms a woman like you—more bold in your thoughts,
nor more cross-timbered* of all womankind!
It is clear to me that you have become in all things
unabashed and wise in mind.” (539-553a)

At that moment the woman allowed the devil after his time
of suffering to seek the shadows in the dark earth,
the adversary of souls, in pain of torment. He knew more readily,
that messenger of malice, to speak of it before his kinsmen,
torture’s thanes, how it befell him on his journey. (553b-58)

2010-02-23T17:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, so a sense of flow is returning now that I've made a point to work on Juliana a little bit every day. Here are the first fifty lines of the fifth part of the poem, in which the interrogation of the demon continues:

-----------------------------------------

Then that beautiful woman, the light of glory,
spoke wordfully to that pledge-breaker:
“You must confess more wicked deeds,
humiliated spirit of hell, before you may go hence—
what iniquity, what great evil works by dark error,
have you accomplished, against the children of men?” (454-60a)

To her that devil replied: “Now I learn it by your speech,*
that I must speak my mind, constrained by compulsion
as you command me, to suffer your affliction.
This miserable time is full strong, this punishment excessive.
I have to suffer and tolerate all things in your judgment,
to uncover my dark and stained deeds, which I have plotted for an age.
Often I have stolen the sight, blinding countless warriors
by wicked thoughts, the kindred of men, covering the light
of their eyes with a cowl of mist, through the poisonous spear-point
and storms of darkness, and I have crushed the feet
of some through evil contrivances, others I have brought into burning,
into the blazes’ embrace, so that the last of his tracks was visible.* (460b-75a)

“Also I did unto some so that the blood spewed
from their bone-locks, so that they with sudden peril
gave up their ghost through the welling of their veins.
Others on a sea-voyage were drowned upon the way of waters,
on the ocean-flood, by my skill under the gloomy gushing.
Some I delivered unto the rood so that they gave up their life,
dreary, upon the high gallows. Others I incited by my teaching
to make strife so that they in sudden peril renewed old grudges,
drinking beer. I poured out for them crime from the cup,
so that they lose their soul in the wine-hall through sword-grabbing,
hastening fated from the flesh-home, seeking sore wounds.
When I find some without the mark of God, heedless
and unblessed, then I boldly slay them by various deaths
with my own hands and devilish devices. (475b-94a)

“Even though I sit a summer-long day,* I could not relate
all the suffering that I have performed as evil, early and late,
indeed since the heavens and the way of stars were areared,
the earth was fastened and the first humans, Adam and Eve,
from whom I snatched away life and instructed them
so that they abandoned the love of the Lord, his eternal blessed gift,
and their bright happy home, so that wretchedness became them both
forever and so upon their heirs, the darkest of sinful deeds—
How much more endless evil must I recount? (494b-506)

Juliana IV complete!

2010-02-13T11:35:00.000-08:00

After only six months, I have finished the first translation of part four of Juliana. It's not that it is particularly difficult rendering, I just have had a lot of other things to do with my time. The final three stanzas are posted below and appear on the Juliana translation page in context. The post-wrestling conversation with the devil is almost finished.

-----------------------

The accursed one addressed her, that wretched miscreant:
“Say to me first how you, daring through deep thought,
became thus battle-bold beyond all of woman-kind
so that you clapped me fast thus in chains,
in every way defenseless. You placed your trust
in God Eternal, He that Sits in Majesty, Maker of Man-kind,
such as I founded hope in my father, the king of hellish citizens. (429-37)

“Then I am dispatched against sooth-fast people,
that I might convert their minds in wicked deeds,
their hearts from health. At times my desire is
restrained by their resistance, my hope for holy ones,
just as sorrow befalls me here on my campaign.
I know that much too late myself: now I, a sin-worker,
have to suffer shame over this for a long time. (438-45)

“Therefore I beg of you through the power of the Highest,
the grace of the Heaven-King, who upon the rood-tree
suffered, Lord of Majesty, that you have mercy upon me
in my wanting, so that I miserable may not wholly perish,
even though I, thus rashly and dull-wittedly sought you
on my journey, where I did not expect such an unhappy time as this.
(446-53)

Three more stanzas of Juliana IV

2010-02-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

Several more stanzas of Juliana have crept onto the translation page. They are repeated below for your morning-coffee convenience.

--------------------

If I meet any powerful or mind-proud champions of the Maker
who against my arrows’ flight will not bend far thence
from the battle but heaves up his board against them,
mind-wise, a holy shield, his ghostly war-dress,
who will not betray his God—but bold in his prayers he makes a stand,
fast in a foot-band so I must flee far thence,
low-minded, deprived of comfort, in the grip of gleeds,
mourning my care, so that I can not with craft of strength
go against him with war, but sad I should seek others
lacking in courage, under the bristle of standards,
the more sluggish warrior who I can puff up with my leaven,
and hinder from warfare. Although he the strength of God
may begin spiritually, I will be immediately ready,
so that I look through all his thought,
how established he might be his inward strength,
built his defenses. (382-401a)

I open up the gate of his wall through reproach;
the tower will be pierced, opened by its apeture,
then first I dispatch to him through arrow-flight
into his breast-self bitter thoughts by varied desires of the mind,
so that it seems better to himself to perform sins
instead of the praise of God, lusts of the body.
I am an eager teacher so that he may live
according to my wicked customs,* averted certainly
from the law of Christ, his heart troubled for me
as power in the pit of his sins. I care more,
and more eagerly about the spirit, the ruin of the soul,
than for the body-house, that which must become in this world
the comfort of worms and is commended to a lair in the earth.” (401b-17a)

Then again the woman spoke: “Speak, wretched shape,
spirit unclean, ruler of darkness, how do you associate yourself
in the company of the clean? You of old, pledge-less, labored
against Christ and drew along a struggle, plotting against holy men.
For you was the pit of hell delved below, where you,
harassed by your misery on account of your over-pride
sought a home. I supposed that you must be the more cautious—
and the more cowardly—in such a meeting against the sooth-fast
one that often withstood your will by the Glory-King.
(417b-28)

* 410. mon-þeawum: This is usually translated as “human custom” or simply “custom.” However, the possibility cannot be ruled out “mon-” (human) is not “man-” (evil, wicked), especially since the context seems to demand it.

Andreas re-lineation is complete

2010-02-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

I have finally finished re-lineating and revising Andreas. The line breaks should feel more comfortable and less breath-stretching now, with a concomitant increase in the energy of the translation. Let me know how it works for you.

I have also considered and reconsidered a tough word choice at line 1478-81 (the first lines of section IX):

Hwæt, ic hwile nu haliges lare,
leoð-giddinga, lof þæs þe worhte,
wordum wemde

Listen, I have defamed [proclaimed?] for a while now the teaching of the saint, the praise of what he achieved, in the words of poetic songs

There is an untranslatable pun possible between weman “to announce, persuade, entice” and wemman “to mar, spot, spoil" and "to defile, besmirch” (both are weak verbs and may look the same in the preterite). Both of the translations I rely upon translate it as weman: Kennedy rendering it as “singing” and Bradley as “proclaiming.” The Bosworth Toller Dictionary, however, translates this line as “I have not given a good account of the saint," and suggests a definition for the phrase wordum wemman "to reproach, blame."

The line is repeated from line 740, where it is used to describe the animated statue speaking. There the pun also works, but not so urgently: it could mean either "proclaiming [to them] in words" or "reproaching [them] ('them' being the priests of the Temple at Jerusalem).

My preference is to go with the unusual, but defensible "defamed" in line 1480—it becomes then a humility topos that fits in with the author's need to re-introduce himself in direct address and begins his apologetic statement. What do you think? Can I keep it as "defamed" or should it be "proclaimed?" I'd like to hear from you on this?

Updates and revisions

2010-01-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

There have been many changes made to the Andreas translation. I spent the afternoon reading it aloud, making many changes to the lineation in order to create a better rhythm as well as correcting many errors and reconsidering many lexical choices. So far I've blazed through the first three parts and anticipate getting through a few more before the evening is finished. Please see for yourself (by following the sidebar link).

Finally some progress with Juliana

2010-01-16T17:57:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything. Meanwhile the Guthlac translation is getting tons of hits and Andreas is just as well read as ever.

I have had such trouble getting through Juliana. Two measly sections were giving me fits (the final two posted below) -- and suddenly I lost confidence in my ability to translate effectively, then I got very busy with another season on the job market (better known 'round these parts as the susel-tid). But things are settling down now and I have some time to work on this again

--------------------

IV.

Then the holy woman asked wordfully the enemy of heroes,
the workman of crime, the originator of sinful deeds.
“You must speak to me further, enemy of souls,
about how you grievously harm, by falling into sins,
the soothfast encompassed round with guilt.” (345-351a)

To her the fiend answered, a faithless wretch,
and spoke his words: “I will make it known to you,
blessed virgin, of every evil from the start forth unto the end
that I, wounded by sins, have performed—
and not just a few times—so that by this you may plainly know
yourself that this is the truth, and not at all lies.
I believed and reckoned it certain, an audacious thought,
that I could, without difficulty and by my own craft,
turn you away from your salvation, so that you renounced
the Heaven-King, the Lord of Victories, and bowed down
to an inferior, sacrificed to the Origin of Sins.
(352b-62a)

Thus I turn the minds of soothfast men through varying forms.
Where I find him making steadfast his spirit to the desire of God,
I am soon ready that I him multifold the lusts of the mind
towards bear horrible thoughts, dark errors, through
delusions uncountable. (362b-68)

I sweeten in him the desires for sin, the wicked loves of his heart,
so that he, quickly for evil deeds attached to his crimes, hears my teachings.
I enflame him very strongly in these sins so that he, burning,
ceases his prayers, stepping willfully—he can not abide
in the place of prayer firm as a foundation
for long on account of the love of his crimes.
And so I conduct a hateful dread to the man whom I begrudge
life and the clarity of belief, and he wishes to hear my teachings
through the desires of his mind and perform sins, he shall afterwards
turn away, deprived of all good virtues. (369-81)

More from Juliana, part III

2009-06-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

Yet more from Juliana. I am rapidly approaching the halfway mark, and feel that I am hitting my stride with the voice and language.

-------------------------------

She swiftly asked then, she who was unafraid, pleasing to Christ,
whence his origins were. To her the wrack-kin replied:
I am an angel of God sailing from above,
a noble thane, and to you sent holy from the heights.
For you severe tortures with slaughter-grim wounds are decreed
as deadly punishment. God orders you be commanded,
child of the Wielder, to protect yourself from them." (258-66)

Juliana was then, on account of its fearful message to her,
terrified by that monster, the terror that spoke in words,
the adversary of glory. Then she firmly fastened her spirit,
the young and innocent woman, and called out to God:
“Now I wish to ask you, O Shelter of Warriors, Eternal Almighty,
by the noble creation that you, Father of Angels, established at the start,
do no permit me to turn aside from the praise of your blessed gift,
as this herald who stands before me bids me with his fear-spell.
So I wish to ask you, gentle Lord, the Glory of Kings, to reveal
what this thane might be, bouncing in the breeze,
and who instructs me upon a rough road away from you.” (267-86)

Then the heart of Juliana was gladdened, judgment-blessed.
She grabbed that devil… (287-8)

[at least one folio is missing from the Exeter Book at this point]

…. to sell the King of All Kings unto his death.
Moreover, I contrived it so that champion wounded the Wielder
while the multitude watched, so that both blood and water
sought the earth together there. Moreover, I incited
Herod in his heart so that he ordered the head of John the Baptist
be cut off when the holy man rebuked him wordfully
for his wife-love and his unlawful marriage.*
Also I instructed, guile-minded, Simon Magus to raise strife
against Christ’s chosen thanes and stretch out slander
to the holy men through deep error saying that they were sorcerers. (289-301)

“I endeavored with evil tricks when I seduced Nero
to order Christ’s thanes Peter and Paul be killed and,
before, Pontius Pilate with my teachings to hang
the Wielder of Heaven upon the cross, the Mighty Maker.
Likewise I instructed Ægias to unwisely order
Andrew to be hung upon a high tree, so that he sent
his spirit up from the gallows into the Face of Glory.
Thus have I performed so many wrathful bales with my brothers,
dark with sins, that I cannot relate them all or tell them fully
nor count the number of torments, the grim hate-thoughts. (302-16a)

The holy woman answered him by the Spirit's gift, Juliana:
“You must speak further yet, Enemy of Mankind,
of your mission here, and of who send you to me.” (315b-8)

New Section breaks

2009-06-08T04:30:00.000-07:00

More lines from Juliana appear below, this time with the Exeter Book's own section breaks preserved. According to Muir's the Exeter Anthology of Old English Poetry, new sections (chapters, fitts, call them what you like) in the poem are demarcated by skipping a line and then starting the new line with a large capital letter followed by a smaller initial. Translations of the poem vary in their breaks, from Marie Nelson's unbroken stichic presentation to Bradley's divisions by sense. It seems better to, like with the Guthlac translation, to respect the manuscript's division when possible.

Enjoy! And let me what you think about the translation, my lurking friends. :)

---------------------

III.

Then it seemed base to the folk-leader to be unable
to turn the heart of that woman, or her intentions.
He ordered her to be seized by the hair
ad heaved up onto a high branch, where
she, sun-bright, should suffer blows, strife unstintingly fierce
for six hours of the day, and he ordered her forthwith
to be taken down again and he commanded her be led to prison.
Within her was the praise of Christ fast wound within her heart-lock;*
in her mild heart, a strength unbroken. (225-35)

The prison door was bolted closed then by the work of hammers.
The holy woman abode within pledge-fast. Always she praised
the Glory-King in her heart, Heaven-realm’s God, the Savior of Men,
within her constraining cell, covered with darkness.
The Holy Spirit was her enduring companion. (235-42a)

Then came suddenly into the closed hall the enemy of heroes
skilled in evil. He wore the shape of an angel—
a soul’s foe skilled in afflicting songs, a captive of Hell,
who spoke to the sainted one: “What do you suffer,
dearest and most worthy to the Glory-King, our Lord?
This deemer has prepared the worst tortures for you,
endless pain, if you do not wish, wise-minded, to make sacrifice
and propitiate his gods. Be hasty, as he orders you led out hence,
so that you quickly offer up some gift, a victory offering,
before you seize your death, a murder before his multitude.
Then you shall escape the judge’s ire, blessed virgin.” (242b-257)

She swiftly asked then, she who was unafraid, pleasing to Christ,
whence his origins were. To her the wrack-kin replied:
I am an angel of God sailing from above,
a noble thane, and to you sent holy from the heights.
For you severe tortures with slaughter-grim wounds are decreed
as deadly punishment. God orders you be commanded,
child of the Wielder, to protect yourself from them." (258-66)

More Juliana

2009-06-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

Work on Juliana continues. The lines below conclude the second part of the poem:

----------------------------------

Unafraid she then gave him answer through spiritual thought,
Juliana: “Never will you persuade me to promise tribute
by hypocrisy unto deaf and dumb devil-idols, the enemies of souls,
the worst thanes of torture but I will worship the Lord of Glory,
of Middle-earth and of Power Majestic—
and to him alone do I entrust all things, that he may become
my protector, my helper and savior against the hell-harmers.” (147-57)

Then Affricanus wrathfully delivered her, the father of that woman,
into the power of her enemy, Eleusius.
He ordered her at daybreak to be led unto his judgment-seat.
The crowd was astonished at the woman’s beauty, the people all together.
Then noble Eleusius greeted her at first, her bridegroom,
with soothing words: “My sweetest shone of sun, Juliana!
What gleam you have! What perpetual plenitude of grace!
What fruit of youth’s kind! If you will serve our gods yet
and betake yourself to their protection so mild,
the succor of sainted ones, then shall be turned aside from you
innumerable tortures cruelly contrived, savage sorrows that are
prepared for you if you do not wish to sacrifice unto our true gods.” (158-74)

Him the noble maid gave answer: “Never will you constrain me
with your threats, nor will you prepare torments of such great wrath,
that I would love your lord-ship, except if you renounce these false beings,
your idol-worship and recognize wisely the God of Glory,
Creator of Souls, the Maker of Mankind—
in whose power are all created things forever.” (175-83)

Then before the people with an angry mind Eleusius spoke
with boast-words, growing quite infuriated, the folk-owning man,
and he ordered the woman through spite-wrack to be stretched out
naked and sinless and beaten with scourges. (184-8)

The battle-warrior then laughed, speaking sarcastically:
“Thus is the life-domain of our enemy seized at its start!
Yet I will grant you your life, though you first
spoke many unwary words and refused too strongly
to adore the true gods. Your reward for your counter-thinking
must be frightful tortures afterwards, unless you are reconciled
with them, and sacrifice thankworthy gifts unto them—
after your vice-words setting your peace with them. (189-201a)

“Let rest this strife Juliana, this hateful civic infighting.
If you, long after this, through your rashness again
follow perversity, then I must be compelled to revenge,
constrained by hatred, your god-breaking—your grievous strife-speech—
that you with blasphemy began to contend against the best gods
and the most merciful of those that men know,
that this people-hood has long worshipped for themselves.” (201b-8)

Noble Juliana, heart unafraid, spoke to him:
"I do not fear your judgments, accursed harm-doer,
nor your baleful torments. I have as my hope
Heaven-realm's Ward, the Mild Protector, the Wielder of Power,
he who shields me against your shine-play,*
fro the grip of the fierce ones whom you consider your gods.
They are lacking of every good, idle, worthless,
without profit, nor may any man meet with comfort there,
true concord. Though he may seek friendship for himself,
he will not find there help among those devils.
I have affixed my heart in the Lord,
he who over every power rules wide-lived,
Owner of Glory, of every victory—
That is a True King."

* 214) scinlace: Literally "shine-play," but translated by Kennedy and Bradley as 'delusion(s),' and defined by Woolf as 'delusion, rage.' Clark-Hall defines the word as 'sorcery, magic, superstition' and adds the above definitions. The word must be derived from the same idea as "glamour," a magical spell, and is ancestor to "moonshine" as a wild idea or what gives those wild ideas. I decided to leave the strange kenning as is for the moment until I can think of something that alliterates and seems more communicative.

Start of Juliana II

2009-05-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

I've had a little spare time to work on the translations. Besides working on Juliana, I've been reassessing the lineation of the Guthlac poems. Despite several suggestions to try for a prose poem form, I am convinced that the translation belongs in some form of free verse. I am redoing Guthlac now, so please come by to see how you like the new line breaks.

Below are four stanzas of Juliana from the second part of the poem:

------------------

To her father then blessed Juliana gave answer,
she that had to God firmly founded her wifely friendship:
“Never will I endure this prince’s husband-love
unless he should cultivate the God of Hosts more eagerly
than he has previously done, loving with gifts
he that created the light, heaven and earth and the course of the seas,
the orbit of the universe. He cannot otherwise bring me to his bed.
Eleusius must look with his goods for another woman for bride-love—
he will have nothing here.” (105-16)

Then Juliana’s fiendly father replied to her in rage—
and he was not promising her ornaments:
“I shall make it such, as my life endures, that if you do not abandon
this crime first, if you henceforth attend to an alien god
and abandon those that are dearer to us, who stand as succour to our people,
that you shall succumb to death, quickly forfeiting your life
through the clutch of beasts, if you do not wish to submit to
the legal union, the partnership with brave Eleusius.
Great is that enterprise and terrible too for one like you,
one that despises our lord.” (117-29)

Blessed Juliana then gave him back answer, wise and dear to God:
“I wish to speak a truth to you, so long as I am of the living,
I wish not to tell a lie. Never will I fear your judgments,
nor are your torturing perils bitter to me, your battle-crash
by which you with violent evil-doing threaten me,
nor will you ever cause by your idolatry
me to turn from the praise of Christ.” (130-9)

Then Africanus* was infuriated, angry and ferocious,
maddened and mind-grim, the father against the daughter.*
Then he ordered her beaten, threatening her with torment,
troubling her with tortures and spoke this speech:
“Exchange your thoughts and convert these word that you spoke
in folly before when you disparaged the worship of our gods.” (140-7)

New Juliana lines! Yatta!

2009-05-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

Long time no post, nu? Here is the first section of Juliana, which has been posted to the appropriate page as well, fresh off the grill. There are doubtlessly still some mistakes, and notes are marked but not yet completed. As usual, please send me your comments and suggestions.

---------------------

I.

Listen! We have heard of heroes deliberating,
deed-brave men determining what occurred in the days
of Maximian, who throughout middle-earth, raised up
persecution, an infamous king killing Christian men
and felling churches—a heathen war-leader pouring out
upon the grassy field the sainted blood of the God-praising,
the right-performing. His realm was broad, wide and mighty
across human nations—very nearly across the entire earth. (1-10)

They traveled among the cities, as he had commanded,
the Emperor’s awful thegns. Often they roused strife with perverted acts,
those that hated the Lord’s law through criminal skill.
Fiend-ship was aroused, heaving up heathen idols
and slaying the holy, breaking the book-crafty and burning the chosen,
terrifying the champions of God with spear and flame. (11-7)

There was a certain wealthy* man of noble kind, a mighty count.
He ruled over guard-cities, ever defending that ground and holding
hoarded treasure in the city of Nicomedia. Often he earnestly and by duty
sought an idol, heathen-worship over the word of God. His name was ascribed
to be Eleusius and he had a great and renowned authority.
When his mind began to yearn after the virgin Juliana curiosity broke him.
She bore in her soul the holy troth, eagerly intending that her maidenhood
would be preserved for the love of Christ, pure from any sin. (18-31)

Then was that woman, with the wish of her father, betrothed to that wealthy man.
Her fate he did not fully know—how she, young in spirit, despised espoused friendship.
Her fear of God was greater in her mind than all the riches that abode
in the possession of that nobleman. Then the wealthy one, that gold-rich man,
was eager in his heart for marriage, when the woman would most promptly
be prepared for him, a bride unto his home. She firmly set herself against
that warrior’s love, although he owned acquired-wealth within hoard-locks,
uncountable jewels upon the earth. (32-44a)

Condemning it all, Juliana spoke a word amongst a multitude of men:
“I can say to you that you need not trouble yourself so greatly. If you adore
and believe in the True God and exalt his praise, you would recognize
the Comfort of Souls and I would immediately, without faltering, be prepared
to submit to your desire. Likewise I say to you, if in fact you confide
in an inferior god through devil-worship, or call to heathen-idols,
you cannot have me nor can you compel me to sin.
Never will you, through your violent spite, prepare the harsh pain
of severe torments that you should turn me from these words.” (44b-57)

Then the nobleman grew swollen with fury,
stained with criminal acts, hearing that woman’s words.
Rough and heart-blind, he ordered then a swift messenger
to bring the saint’s father to deliberation at once.
Voices mounted up after they leaned their spears together,
these war-great men. They were heathens sick in their sins,
father-in-law and son-in-law. (58-65)

Then spoke the ward of realms
with that woman’s father, and a dangerous mind,
spear-holding: “You daughter has shown me
shame. She says to me—singling me out—
that she does not care for my husband-love
nor my conjugal ways. These great difficulties
were a disgrace to me in my heart’s ken.
She quite viciously offers me abuse before your own people—
she commanded me to worship an alien God with my wealth,
—over the other Gods that we have known before—
to praise him wordfully, to extol him in my mind,
or else I will never possess her.”* (66-77)

Then darkened the bold father-in-law after these words
Juliana’s father, unbinding his mind-hoard:
“I swear it by the true gods, as I find favor at their hands,
or else, my prince, comfort at yours in wine-halls,
if these words are true, dearest of men, which you say to me,
that I will not spare her, but will give her to you,
famous prince, unto your authority for her ruination.
Sentence her to death, if you deem it appropriate,
or allow her to live, whatever may be more preferable to you.” (78-88)

Then her father boldly went to speak with Juliana,
resolute and wrath-wretched, swollen with rage,
where he knew the glad-hearted young woman kept her home.
He spoke then by word: “You are my daughter, dearest
and sweetest in my heart, close by the earth, the light of my eyes,
Juliana! You have in foolishness taken, through your idle hostility,
a way contrary to the judgment of wise men.
You renounce too strongly according to your own advice,
your bridge-groom, who is better than you,*
more noble in this world, more wealth-endowed in money riches.
He is good to have as a friend.
Therefore it is worthy that you be the lady of this man,
his eternal love’s blessing, yet not forsake him.” (89-104)

Happy New Year! Juliana begins

2009-01-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

Greetings one and all!

Feeling restless and realizing that the work of translation makes me feel good about myself --a needed break from other writing and studying-- I decided to get going on Juliana. Here are the first 57 lines. This represents my first attempt to get into the voice of Cynewulf, a process that will take discovering as I go along.

Right at the start, I am interested in the kennings with æht- as the first part (æht-welig (18), æht-spedigra (101), æht-gestealdum (115)) that indicate the wealth of Eleusius where we might usually expect a kenning on feoh-. It seems to me an intriguing possibility that there is a pun intended here, playing off a less common usage of æht (according to BT, with a long vowel, feminine noun) to mean "persecution." This usage appears only once in Beowulf (a text we have good reason to believe Cynewulf knew well)at line 2957: "Þa wæs æht boden Sweona leodum, segn Higelaces freoðowong þone forð ofereodon, syððan Hreðlingas to hagan þrungon" [Then was persecution commanded for the Swedish people, the standards of Hygelac over-rode into the refuge-field, after the Hrethings swarmed to its battlements.] Since Eleusius is both rich in possessions and in the desire to persecute Juliana, the double meaning definitely works though it is lost in translation.

(Translation)

Listen!
We have heard of heroes deliberating, deed-brave men determining
what occurred in the days of Maximian, who heaved up persecution
throughout middle-earth, an infamous king killing Christian men
and felling churches—a heathen war-leader pouring out upon the grassy field
the sainted blood of the God-praising, the right-performing.
His realm was broad, wide and mighty across human nations,
very nearly across the entire earth. (1-10)

They traveled among the cities, as he had commanded, the Emperor’s awful thegns.
Often they roused strife with perverted acts, those that hated the Lord’s law
through criminal skill. Fiend-ship was aroused, heaving up heathen idols
and slaying the holy, breaking the book-crafty and burning the chosen,
terrifying the champions of God with spear and flame. (11-7)

There was a certain wealthy* man of noble kind, mighty count.
He ruled over guard-cities, ever defending that ground and holding
hoarded treasure in the city of Nicomedia. Often he earnestly and by duty
sought an idol, heathen-worship over the word of God. His name was ascribed
to be Eleusius and he had a great and renowned authority.
When his mind began to yearn after the virgin Juliana curiosity broke him.
She bore in her soul the holy troth, eagerly intending that her maidenhood
would be preserved for the love of Christ, pure from any sin. (18-31)

Then was that woman, with the wish of her father, betrothed to that wealthy man.
Her fate he did not fully know—how she, young in spirit, despised espoused friendship.
Her fear of God was greater in her mind than all the riches that abode
in the possession of that nobleman. Then was that wealthy one, that gold-rich man,
was eager in his heart for the marriage, when the woman would most promptly
be prepared for him, a bride unto his home. She firmly set herself against
that warrior’s love, although he owned acquired-wealth within hoard-locks,
uncountable jewels upon the earth. (32-44a)

Juliana condemned all that and spoke a word among the multitude of men:
“I can say to you that you need not trouble yourself so greatly. If you adore
and believe in the True God and exalt his praise, you would recognize
the Comfort of Souls and I would immediately, without faltering, be prepared
to submit to your desire. Likewise I say to you, if in fact you confide
in an inferior god through devil-worship, or call to heathen-idols,
you cannot have me nor can you compel me to sin.
Never will you, through your violent spite, prepare the harsh pain
of severe torments that you should turn me from these words.” (44b-57)

(Notes)

18: See above for discussion of æht-welig.

DONE! GUTHLAC B IS DONE!

2008-11-15T09:45:00.000-08:00

Finally, the moment that I've all been waiting for--Guthlac B has been completed in first draft! This section has some particularly challenging moments, including the descent of the heavenly chorus to Guthlac's hermitage (496b-508a) and Guthlac's servant's words to the saint's sister (esp. 538b-48a). These required some decisions that departs from the strictly literal sense, into what I think the author may be saying, and may therefore be controversial. As usual, notes accompany the translation here and contain some narrative about those decisions (though still incomplete).

I need a break at any rate and so I will probably wait to start Juliana until the spring or summer. Too much to do until then! Job stuff? Dissertation? Teaching? Yep, all those. Let me know if you see any problems or errors with this and any of the other translations.

-------------

VI.

Then was Guthlac's spirit carried away, blessed upon the lofty road.
Angels carried him unto that enduring delight, and his body cooled,
unlifed under the lofty sky.* Then a brilliance blazed there, brightest of trees:
That beacon was entirely about the holy house, with heavenly arms,*
rising straight up from the earth like a flaming tower up to the roof of the stars,
visible under heaven, more splendid than the sun, the beauty of the noble stars.
Troops of angels sang triumphant hymns,
their voice heard in the wind beneath the heavens, the saints’ joy. (487-98)

So that sheltering stead* was filled with happiness throughout
its inner parts, with the sweetest odors and skyward miracles—
the ancestral seat of the blessed and the song of angels. There was more*
of the surpassing and overjoyed than any voice in this world could reckon:
how that fragrance and that melody were heard;* the heavenly sound and holy song;
God’s high-majesty; how each voice harmonized with its accompanying voice.*
That island quaked, the earth-field trembled. (499-508a)

Then Guthlac’s messenger was afraid, wanting courage, when he hastily departed;
an unhappy man that climbed into a boat and drove that wave-horse,
a journey upon a water-runner, swift under his sorrows.
The sky glittered warmly, shining over the shelter-hall. The brim-wood hurried,
light and fast on its course. The lake-steed made speed, bearing on the harbor,
that sandy place where the sea-floater would perch after its swim-play,
grinding against the gravel. (508b-17a)

He bore his mourning sadness burning in his breast, his sad heart,
his weary mind-sense, he who knew his master, his dearest friend,
watched his tracks, having sailed away from life. The ring of his woes
reminded him grievously. Tears welled forth in waves, hot cheek-drops,
and he carried in his chest a great mind-care. He had to deliver to that woman
Guthlac’s message, hateful news all too true. (517b-25)

Then the spirit-cold servant came to where the woman lived, glory’s joyous maid.
He did not conceal what had occurred,* the forward-course of the doomed,
but sang out, friend-lacking, a parting-song and spoke these words: (526-9)

“Courage is best for him that very often must endure lord-killing—
he must deeply meditate upon the oppressive prince-parting
when its ill season comes, woven with fate-songs.
He knows that who grieves sad-souled…
Ah! he knows that his beloved treasure-giver is buried.
He must depart from there, abjected and sad.
A lack of mirth is the hardship that he often suffers in his pained heart. (530-8a)

“At any rate, I need not make so light of his hence-journey.
My lord, leader of warriors and your own brother, best of those between the seas*
who we in England have ever heard, conceived in child’s form,
and of the kindred of men. He has turned toward the judgment of God,
the support of the weary. He has turned from worldly joys,
O delight of your cherished kin,* perchance into the majesty of glory and his protection.
He is departed to seek out dwellings, a home upon the upward-way. (538b-48a)

“Now his portion of earth, the bone-house broken out of its refuges from within,
abides upon its death-couch, and his portion of glory voyages from its body-vessel
into the light of God, its triumphant reward. I am ordered to say to you that you two
will always be allowed to take a common home at your desire, in those everlasting joys
among the brethren-rights, the glorious rewards of your deeds,
and to enjoy its profit and blissful things. (548b-56a)

My victory-lord also ordered me to announce to you, when he was eager
for the journey, that you, dearest maid, should cover over his body-home.
Now you know my journey’s purpose at once. Now I, pain-souled,
low-minded must go forth now with my heart drooping…” (556b-61)

[End missing]*

Notes for B VI

361) sweostor minre: This woman remains nameless in Guthlac B, identified only as his sister, who is implied to be an inhabitant of a convent. “Sister” does not have to mean just a sister of blood, but also a spiritual sister. His words to her are surprisingly romantic, and suggest the possibility that Guthlac wishes to send his regards to a former lover or wife, from whom his hermit lifestyle has separated.

480) lac: In this context, this broadly signifying word should be understood as meaning “message.” As in other places in the Guthlac poems, its use is onomastic, ironically punning on the saint’s name. Here, the ironic is quite grim, as Guthlac’s servant must bring his lac or message to Pega, which contains just about as much of Guthlac as his cold, lifeless lic (body) does.

490) belifd under lyfte: Belifd is a hapax legomenon, showing the past participle form of a weak verb, which clearly differentiates its from a form of belifan “to remain, abide.” It is thought to be a form of be-libban “to deprive of life.” I chose to express this unusual word in an unusual way, creating a Modern English calque word, “to un-life.”

491) beama beorhtast: The noun beam, -es, m. signifies both "tree," "wood," and anything that runs in a straight line, "a beam of wood" and "a beam of light." The ambiguity here creates the possibility that the beacen (sign, token, signal) that appears around Guthlac's house is an enormous illuminated cross. The uncertainty can be extended to the heofonlic leoma in line 492, which could be translated as either "heavenly arms" or "a heavenly illumination." -a is a permissible plural ending for feminine nouns, and leomu and leoma both appear in the poem, although the word means "limb" more often in B (leomu A 221; B 19, 137, 210, 213, 227). Leoma is seen twice in A, at lines 655 and 659. A blazing, miraculous cross would certainly have "heavenly arms."

499) Swa se burg-stede: Another ambiguous term, which could mean either "city-stead" or "place of refuge."

502) Þær wæs ænlicra: It appears that a word meaning “more” is either missing here or is to be understood, which the plural genitive adjectives require.

504-6) hu se stenc ond se sweg… gehyred wæs: This should probably be taken as synaesthetic reflex brought on by the impossibility of narrative to express what is occurring. Although the narrator has already mentioned the swetum stencum of this vision of divine power, its repetition here depends on a main verb that does not correspond to the human sense that normally apprehends it.

507) breahtem æfter breahtme: Literally, “a voice according to [another] voice,” this phrase has to be describing the heavenly harmony of the angelic song.

521) wopes hring: See Andreas 1278, Elene 1131, and Christ 537 for the same phrase. Hring can signify both a ring or ring-shaped object and a ringing sound.

527) One of the secondary goals of the ASNPP is to never translate wyrd as “Wyrd”: as if were always a personification or divine force. It has numerous connotations of fate, fortune, accident, occurrence, happening that are entirely common, natural, and without character or value judgment.

561) End missing: Although the servant's speech could conceivably end here, it is posited that unknown amount of text is likely to be missing. The top of folio 53, the first leaf in a new gathering is missing, removing the beginning of Azarias, the next item in the Exeter Book.