The Rune Poem

A translation I made to help out one of my students this past semester. It was intended to be baldly literal, and so of assistance when trying to figure out where James Harpur's version in The Word Exchange was taking liberties. (I was so happy nobody chose the Riming Poem for their comparision...) That version is charming, even if it goes too far sometimes (see for example the stanza about the river-fish).

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Wealth is a comfort to every man,
Although every man must share it out greatly
If he would obtain a portion of the Lord’s glory.

The ox is single-minded and over-horned,
A very savage beast, fighting with his horns,
A famous moor-stepper. That is a proud creature.

Thorns are severely sharp. To any thane
Seizing it is an evil, measurelessly cruel
To every man who comes to rest upon it.

The mouth is the beginning of all speech,
A support to wisdom and a comfort to the wise,
And a prosperity and trust to every earl.

Riding is a comfort to every warrior
in the hall, and very trying to those who sit upon
A powerful courser over the mile-paths.

A torch is known by every living being to be on fire,
White and bright, most often burning
Where the nobles rest themselves within.

Gifts are an honor and praise of men,
A support and a distinction, and to every wretch
Mercy and meat to those who are free from other possessions.

Joy is enjoyed by those who little know of woe,
Pains and sorrow, and to those who have of themselves
Profit and bliss and also many citadels.

Hail is the whitest of grains. It comes down from heaven’s breeze,
The wind’s showers rolls it down, and after it becomes water.

Need is a constraint on the breast, although it often becomes to the sons of men
A help and a healing of every one, if they hearken to his demands before.

Ice is really cold, measurelessly slippery
Glistening clear as glass, most like gemstones
A floor created by frost, and a fair face.

The new year is the hope of men, when God allows,
The Holy Heaven’s King, the earth to give
Her bright fruits to rich and poor alike.

The yew is an unsmooth tree without,
Hard, fixed to the earth, a warden of fires,
Supported by its roots, a joy in the home.

Peorth is always a play and laughter
To the proud where warriors sit
In the beer-hall, happy together.

Elk-sedge keeps its home most often in the swamps,
It grows in the water, and grimly wounds,
It burns the blood of any man
Who grasps it.

The sun is ever a hope to seamen,
When they carry themselves over the fishes’ bath,
Until their brine-horses bring them to shore.

Tir is a certain token, it keeps its troth well
With noble men. It is always on its journey
Over the clouds of night, never wandering.

Birch lacks fruit, even though it bears
Shoots without seed. It is lovely in its branches,
High in its crown and fairly adorned,
Laden with leaves, pressing into the breeze.

Horses are for earls the joy of noblemen,
A steed proud in its hooves, where the heroes about him,
Prosperous on horseback, weave their speech,
And ever a comfort to those on the move.

Man is in mirth, dear to his brother;
Though every one must depart to another place,
Because the Lord wishes, through his own doom,
That our wretched flesh be commended to the earth.

The waters seem to men to be broad,
If they should venture upon an unstable ship,
And the sea-waves terrify them so,
And the brine-horse cares not for his bridle.

Ing was first among the Eastern Danes
seen by men, until he soon afterwards
departed over the ways, a wagon running after him.
Thus bold men named this hero.

A homeland is very dear to every man,
If there he may enjoy in his household
What is right and fitting, very often with its fruits.

The day is the Lord’s message, dear to men,
the renowned light of the Measurer, a mirth and troth
to the prosperous and the wretched, useful to all.

The oak is fodder for flesh on earth
For the sons of men. It frequently ferries
Over the gannet’s bath. The spear-waves test
Whether the oak possesses reliability for noble men.

The ash is very tall, dear to men,
Stout in its trunk, its hilt is rightfully fixed,
Although it fights against many men.

A bow is for every noble and earl
A joy and an honor. It is fair on horseback,
Support on a journey, some part of a warrior’s tackle.

The gar is a river-fish, and though he takes
His food on land, he owns a lovely home
Surrounded by water, where he lives in joy.

The grave is terrible to every earl,
When the fixed flesh begins,
The corpse cooling, to choose the earth
Paleness as its bedmate. Fruits fail,
Joys depart, mankind ceases [to be].

C&S XI

I think I've had just about enough of this lineation for the translation. There doesn't feel like there is any poetic transformation in what I've done and the rhythm just isn't right. Once I've finished rendering the whole poem, I am going to recast the lines so they satisfy my sense of flow and tension.

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Then the Eternal Lord was upon the earth
forty days, followed by the people,
revealed to mankind, before he would bring
the Holy Ghost to the heavenly realm,
the Chief of the City-Folk into that famous creation.
He mounted up into heaven, the Shaper of Angels,
the Wielder of Hosts. Then came the voice of the skies,
holy from heaven. Amidst it was the hand of God,
receiving that Free-Lord, and leading him forth
into the holy home, the Prince of Heaven.
Crowds of angels fluttered about him
by the thousands. (557-68a)

Then it happened thus,
when the Savior Christ yet spoke that
he would in about ten nights strengthen
his disciples, his twelve apostles, with the grace of his spirit.
Then he had established uncountable souls,
the Living God. One of these was Judas,
who had earlier sold out the Bright One as a sacrifice,
the Saving Lord. That deed prospered him little,
after he had betrayed the Child of the Sovereign
for silver treasures. The wretched monster
darkly requited him that inside hell. (568b-78)

The Son now sits at his Father’s right hand.
He doles out every day, the Lord of Armies,
help and salvation to all the children of men
throughout middle-earth. That is known to many
that he alone is the Wright and Master
of all creation through his glorious craft.
The Sovereign sits in heaven with the prophets
and holy angels. The Child of Glory keeps
his own throne surrounded by the skies. (579-87)

Lead us there to the light through his leechcraft,
where we might ourselves be seated with the Lord,
upwards among the angels, and keep that same light
where his holy household now dwells,
living in delight—where the fruits of glory
are brightly revealed. Let us think well
so that we obey eagerly the Savior,
be pleasing to Christ. There is a life more excellent
than we may ever acquire here on earth. (588-96)

C&S IX & X

Only two more sections of C&S to go!!

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IX

Then the Eternal Lord allowed them to travel upwards
in their glory. He had inflicted chains of torment
upon the fiends, and thrust them further
into the abjected darkness, bowed them down into constraint,
where now Satan harangues them darkly,
that wretched monster, and the terrible ones with him,
wearied with tortures. Not at all may they
hold the light of glory, but only the bottom of hell,
nor may they ever hope for their return
afterwards. The Lord God became angered
with them, and gave them the chains of torment,
pain as possession, and the despair of terror,
the shadows of death, dim and darkened,
the hot ground of hell and the fear of death. (441-54)

That, lo, was lovely when the foot soldiers returned
up to their homeland, with the Eternal amid them,
the Measurer of Mankind, into that renowned city!
They heaved them up among them upon holy hands,
the prophets up to their native land, the kindred of Abraham.
Then the Lord himself had subjugated death
and put the enemy to flight. That in days of old
the prophets had said that he would do so.
This was all accomplished in the early morning,
before the rush of dawn, that the crashing came down
loud from heaven, when the doors of hell
were broken open and bowed down. The killers were worn down
when they spied the beams of light so radiant. (455-67)

Then was the Eldest Child of God sitting among his army,
and he said in truth-words: “Wise spirits,
I have wrought you all through my might,
Adam first and his noble wife.
Then they begat by the pleasure of God
forty children so that forth from there
a multitude was born in middle-earth
and they were allowed to dwell for many winters,
noblemen in the native lands, until it soon happened
that the enemy in his crimes soon estranged them.
Fault is everywhere! (468-78)

“I set up in this new Paradise-plain
a tree with branches, so that the boughs bore
apples high up in them, and you two ate them,
the bright fruits as the harmer ordered you to,
the hand-thane of hell. Therefore you held the hot deeps
because you disobeyed the word of the Savior,
and ate this terrible thing. The monster was before you,
the one that gave you both baleful thoughts. (479-86)

“Then I rued that my own handiwork
should suffer the bonds of this prison.
There was no capacity of men, no power of angels,
no deed of prophets, no wisdom of humans,
that might assist you, except the Savior God,
he who established that torment before in revenge.
I ventured to earth, through the office of women,
down from my native home, and experienced on earth
many tortures and much injury.
Many men contrived about me,
by day and by night, how they might
do me the blow of death, the rulers of realms. (487-98)

Then did the appointed time pass by
that I was in this world, a count of winters,
three and thirty years, before I was to suffer.
I remembered this multitude and my home—
long might I lead them from captivity to home,
upwards to my homeland, so that they should possess
the glories of the Lord and the majesty of his magnificence.
They should dwell in delights, having the fruits of glory
by the thousands. I interceded for you
when men stuck me with spears upon the cross,
upon the gallows. The young man struck me there—
and I came soon upwards to the eternal joys
and to the Holy Lord.” (499-511)

X

So spoke the Warden of Glory wordfully,
the Measurer of Mankind, early in the morning
after the Lord God had arisen from death.
There was no stone so strongly fastened,
though it were entirely embraced by iron,
that could oppose his great power,
but he went out, the Lord of Angels,
into the fastness and ordered his angels
all-bright to bring near his cherished disciples
and ordered them to say especially to Simon Peter
that he could look lout for God in Galilee,
active and eternal, just as he did before. (512-23)

Then I have heard that the disciples went together,
all of them to Galilee—they had the fruit of the spirit,
perceiving the Son of Holy God
so they saw where the Son of the Measurer
as he stood on high, the Eternal Lord,
God in Galilee. The disciples all ran
to that one, to where the Eternal was.
They fell upon the ground, and bowed to his feet,
thanking their Prince that it had thus happened
that they had seen the Shaper of Angels.
Then at once spoke Simon Peter: (524-34)

“Are you, Lord, worthied with this glory?
We have seen you at one moment,
a heathen man laying hateful bonds upon you
with his hands. It will grieve them
when they are soon shown their final fate.” (535-39)

Some could not recognize him in their hearts
One, named Didimus, was dear to the Lord
before he handled the Savior with his own hands
about the side where he was losing blood.
It fell to the earth, baptism’s bath.
Lovely was that action that the Free Lord
endured, our Prince.
He mounted onto the cross and his blood poured out,
God upon the gallows, through the power of his spirit. (540-48)

Therefore men must at all times
say thanks to the Lord in their deeds and works,
because he led us home out of captivity,
upwards to the homeland, where he should own
the glory of the Lord,
and we in our delights are allowed to dwell.
For us is the light of glory
revealed brightly, to those who think well. (549-56)

Christ & Satan VIII

The subject of the poem now moves to the Harrowing of Hell, stepping a bit outside the chronological progression of events, but showing another victory of God as Christ over the powers of Satan. The first two episodes show the cosmic inevitability of Satan's defeat to the force of the divinity of Christ. If I have figured this correctly, the poem will find its culmination in the victory of Christ the Man over the temptations of Satan in the poem's final episode in the wilderness, which directly links the need to resist evil to our condition as humans, bringing the poem to a rousing call for action.

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That angel-kin once was named,
called Lucifer the light-bearer,
in years gone by in God’s kingdom.
Then he incited a crime in that home of glory,
and desired to possess it all in over-pride.
Then Satan darkly thought
that he would create a high-throne in heaven
upwards among the eternal. He was their prince,
the first-chief of evil. It soon grieved him
when he had to bow towards hell
and his fellows with him, gliding into abjection,
the hatred of the Savior and never afterwards
were they allowed to witness the face of the Eternal One
forever and ever. (365-78a)

Then terror came to them,
and a crash before the Deemer, when he bowed
and broke the doors of hell. Bliss came to men
when they saw the head of the Savior.
Then was that awful folk, who we named before,
they were all frightened with terror,
widely throughout their windy hall, and they complained wordfully:
“This is harsh now that this storm comes—
the thanes in their host, the Prince of Angels.
He carries before him a more beautiful light
than we have ever before seen with our eyes,
except when we dwelt upwards among the angels. (378b-89)

“Now he will destroy all our torments
through his glorious skill. Now this terror comes,
a crash before the Lord, and now this sorrowful crowd
must soon endure suffering.
It is that one himself, the Son of the Sovereign,
the Lord of Angels. He will lead these souls
upwards from here, and we afterwards always
will suffer the humiliation of his wrathful works.” (390-97)

Then he turned to hell, the Hero of Men,
the Measurer by his might. He wished to lead
forth a number of men, many thousands
up to his homeland. Then came the voices of angels,
a thundering at the crash of dawn. The Lord himself had
conquered the enemy. Their feud was still evident
at the start of day, when the terror came.
Then he allowed the blessed souls to voyage up,
the kindred of Adam, but Eve might not yet
look upon the glory before she spoke wordfully: (398-407)

“I once angered you, Eternal Lord,
when we two, Adam and I, ate the apple
through the adder’s hatred, as we never should have.
The terrible one taught us, he that ever now
burns in his bonds, that we would own riches,
a holy home, and heaven to rule.
And we trusted the words of the cursed one,
we seized it with our hands on the holy tree,
the bright fruits. Bitterly we paid for it
when we must venture into this hot cavern,
and for untold thousands of winters
dwell there afterwards, severely ignited. (408-19)

“Now I implore you, Guardian of Heaven’s Realm,
for my household, that you lead us from here,
and your legions of angels, that I can and may
be taken upwards away, with my kinsfolk.
And about three nights ago, a servant of the Savior
came homewards to hell. He is now stoutly bound in captivity,
wearied with torments, because the Glory-King
became angered with him due to his pride.
You said to us truly that God himself
would illuminate this house for all hell-dwellers.
Then everyone arose and rested against his arm,
leaning against his hands. Though the terror of hell
seemed terrifying, they were all
joyful in their suffering that the Free-Lord
wished to come to hell to help them.” (420-34)

Then she stretched up her hands to the Heaven-King,
and begged the Measurer for mercy through the office of Mary:
“Listen! you are, my Lord, born from my daughter
in middle-earth, to be a help to all mankind.
Now it is obvious that you are God himself
and the Eternal First-Chief of all creation.” (435-40)

Christ/Satan VII

Alas it is so! The accursed thought in his anger
that he wished to obey no longer the Heaven-King,
the Comforting Father. The bottom of hell boiled with venom,
hot under the captives. The devils howled widely
throughout their windy hall, bewailing their woes,
their wickedness and deadly sin. There was a multitude there
so immolated—that was all a very strong fate.
Then was their lord, who had come first
forth among the foot-soldiers, bound fast
in fire and licking flame. That was an unceasing calamity.
His thanes must also dwell there
in that terrible homeland, not at all up there
hearing in heaven that holy delight
where they had often a lovely following
upwards among the angels. They were not allowed to dwell
with any of the good things, except for the fires of the abyss,
and that cursed hall where there are woes and cries
widely heard, and a gnashing of teeth,
and the lamentations of men. (315-33)

Nor had he any hope except for chill and fire,
woe and torment, and a mass of serpents,
dragons and adders—and that darksome abode.
Therefore one could hear, he who was
twelve miles from hell, there was a grinding of teeth,
loud and miserable. The adversaries of God
traveled throughout hell, kindled in heat
from above and without—their woe was everywhere—
wearied with torture, beshorn of glory,
deprived of delights. They heaved up profound thoughts,
when they had established their homes in heaven,
that they wished to seize from the Savior Christ
the kingdom of heaven, yet he had rightfully maintained
the heavenly household and that holy throne. (334-47)

There is no one so wise nor so crafty,
nor so knowledgeable except God himself
that could speak of the light of heaven;
how its rays shone there from all about
by the might of the Measurer, throughout that famous kin,
there the angels hold blessed delights
and the saints sing before God (that is he himself). (348-54)

Then there are the blessed, who have come from earth,
bearing in their bosoms blossoms of sweet smell,
the pleasant herbs that are the word of God.
Then the Father of Mankind embraces them
and he blesses them with his mightier hand,
leading them into the light where they have life,
always and forever, in the lofty home,
that bright city-stead. Prosperity shall belong to all
who think to obey the Savior,
and it is well for them who can perform it. (355-64)

Christ & Satan VI

Work is moving forward on C&S. I have been doing something different with this poem, and preserving the editorial line-breaks from the ASPR version of the poem. It's an experiment, and one that I feel suits the sparseness of the poem. I might, however, decide to lineate the translation the way that I have the other ASNPP's poems, in the near future. I have to decide what I like better.

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“Then it happened to us that we so wished
to drive out the Lord from his precious home,
the King from his fortress. It is widely known
that we must dwell on the exile’s track,
the grim ground. God himself
keeps the kingdom. He is the sole king,
who angered made this happen, the Eternal Lord,
the Measurer so mighty. Now must this host here
abide in their sins, some hurrying on the breeze,
flying over the earth. The flames are round about
around everyone, though he be up in the air.
Nor may he ever touch the souls of those who seek upwards,
blessed from the earth, though I will grab in my hands
the heathen opponents of God and take them to this ground. (254-68)

Some shall travel about throughout the lands of men
and without peace often disturb
the tribes of men throughout middle-earth.
I must suffer here every event
mourn these bitter harms and evils,
sick and sorrowful, because I wielded them myself
when I established a homeland in heaven
Whether the Eternal One will ever wish
to allow us to come home in heaven’s realm,
possessing our native seat, as he once did.” (269-78)

So mourned the adversaries of God,
hot in hell. For them was the wrath of God
the Savior was made for their blasphemous words.
Therefore one could conceive, every living person
whose heart avails, to remove himself
from wicked thoughts and hateful folly. (278-84)

Let us always remember in our hearts the strength of the Measurer
and to make ready a green road rising up before us,
upwards to the angels, where Almighty God is.
And the Free-born Son of God will embrace us
if we think first of him while we are on the earth,
and trust ourselves to his holy help.
Then he will not forsake us, but give us life instead
upwards amid the angels, and a blessed delight.
The Bright One will reveal to us a stable home,
the radiant city-walls. Radiantly they will shine
the blessed souls, deprived of their sorrows,
where they are ever allowed to dwell forthwards
at the citadel and regal throne. Let us make this known! (285-97)

Let us declare this upon the earth, where we formerly were living,
and unlock eagerly the strongbox of the Sovereign—
let our spirits understand! A thousand angels
will come toward us, if we are allowed to go thither,
and have labored for that while upon the earth.
Therefore he will be blessed who ever despised evil,
pleasing the Lord, and drowning his sins. So he will say himself: (298-305)

“Truth-fast men, like to the sun,
adorned beautifully in their Father’s kingdom,
shine in the shield-town.” There the Shaper himself
embraces them in amity, the Father of Mankind,
raises them graciously into the light of heaven,
where they may dwell with the Glory-King,
always forever—
they will possess the joy of all joys with the Lord God,
ever and forever, always without end. (306-14)

C&S III, IV, & V

Christ & Satan has been coming along well, with whole sections produced every time I sit down with it for a few hours. Things are helped greatly by its unique features: that is, that it seems to be built in very short sentences (unlike the Genesis, for example) and its relatively simple poetic diction and lack of kennings. What makes it harder is its orthography, which seems to be a combination of obscure dialect and late date of inscription or creation. The poetry changes so little from instance to instance that when something, like C&S, is different it really jumps out at you. I'm getting into the swing of things and so I'm feeling pretty good about how the poem is proceeding. Hope you enjoy the latest section!

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III

And so that accursed ghast spoke wordfully
about his torments, all together,
guilty of his crimes. The flaming light stood
throughout that terrible cavern, mixed with venom:
“I am such a limb’s stature that I cannot lurk
in this broad hall, wounded by my sins.
Listen! Here heat and cold are at one time mingled;
at other times I hear infernal devils,
a mourning tribe, lamenting this ground
under the headlands At other times naked humans
struggle with serpents. This is a wind-torn hall
inward entirely filled with terrible things. (125-36)

“Nor may I enjoy a more hopeful home,
neither citadel or household, nor may I gaze
upon the brightness of creation with my eyes evermore.
I am now the worse that I ever knew
the light of glory upwards among the angels,
their song upon the wind, where the son of the Measurer,
the Blessed Child, has embraced them all
himself with a joyful noise. Nor may I harm
any of these souls —
except the lonely one who he will not keep.
Then I am allowed to haul that one into my house of captivity,
bring him into my homestead, onto this bitter ground. (137-48)

“We were all unalike
when we were formerly in heaven and earlier held
beauty and distinction. Very often the voice of glory
brought us to the breast of the Child of the Savior,
where we heaved up the words of a praise-song
about him, light around the beloved
and spoke them to the Lord. Now I am stained of deeds,
wounded with iniquities. Now I must bear burning
these chains of torment upon my back,
hot in hell, without the joy of hope.” (149-58)

Nevertheless the warden of many crimes spoke,
the terrible monster out from hell,
tired from his torments. Words flew out sparking,
much like poison when he forced them out:
“Alas the majesty of the Lord! Alas the Helm of Multitudes!
Alas the might of the Measurer! Alas middle-earth!
Alas the light of day! Alas the joys of God!
Alas the host of angels! Alas upper heaven!
Alas that I am without all the joys of eternity,
so that I cannot reach out to heaven with my hands,
nor may I look up with my eyes,
nor indeed shall I ever hear with my ears
the voice of the brightest trumpets!
because I wished to drive the Lord, the Son of the Measurer
from his throne, and keep its power of delight for myself,
the glory and the joy. But something worse befell me,
than I was allowed to have as a hope. (159-75)

“Now I am separated from that gleaming host,
withdrawn from the light into this hateful home.
Nor can I conceive how I have come into this place,
into this abjected cloud, stained with malicious sins,
cast out of the world. I know now this fact:
that he will deny the joys of eternity,
he that is the Heaven-King, to all who do not think to obey
or please the Measurer. I must endure this killing,
this woe and this torment and wrack,
deprived of good things, marked by my former-deeds,
because I thought to drive the Lord from his throne,
the Sovereign of Armies. I must now set myself
upon the ways of exile, sorrowing, upon these wide paths.” (176-88)

IV

Then went he to hell, when he was prostrated,
the adversary of God, and so did his cohort,
gluttonous and greedy, when God pursued them
into that overheated house, which is named hell.
Therefore must every hero think about
how not to provoke the Child of the Wielder.
Let him take as an example how the black fiends
were for their over-pride entirely overcome.
Let us take as our delight the Lord of Hosts,
upwards in eternal joy, the Wielder of Angels.
He showed that he possessed the great strength,
the powerful might, when the drove out that multitude,
the captives from his high throne. Let us remember the Holy Lord,
eternal in his glory, and choose for ourselves a glorious home
with the Prince of All Creation, with the King of All Kings,
such is Christ named — (189-204)

Bearing in the breast, these blissful thoughts,
peace and wisdom, let us remember the truth and the right,
when we think to bow down to that high-seat,
and ask for mercy from the Sovereign.
Then it would behoove him that dwells here,
in the delights of the world, to shine in beauty
when he soon seeks a second life.
a fairer land than this earth.
There is beauty and joy there, the fruits shine
brightly across the cities. That is a broad land,
a more hopeful home in the realm of heaven,
more pleasant to Christ. Let us turn to that place
where he sits himself, the Wielder of Victories,
the Lord and Savior, in that home more dear,
and about that highest throne stands the white
wings of angels and the more blessed souls,
holy heaven-legions praising the Lord
with words and deeds. Their beauty shines forth
throughout the world of all worlds with the Glory-King. (205-23)

V

Further still, as I have heard, confessed the fiends.
There was for them all the full strength of terror and torment;
the Glory-King had abandoned them for their over-pride.
They spoke quickly a second word:
“Now is obvious that we have sinned
up in our old home. We must ever wage
this glory-less struggle against the Lord’s might.
Listen! We were once allowed to dwell in the beauty of glory
where we wished to obey Holy God,
and must speak, by the thousands, a hymn
about the throne. When we were there,
we lived in delights, and heard the voice of glory,
the sound of the trumpet. Bright-words arose,
the First Chief of Angels, and unto that noble
every saint bowed. Victory-bright he arose,
the Eternal Lord, and stood over us
and blessed the blissful crowd
every day, and his dear Son,
the Shaper of Souls. God himself was
the defender of all who came up there,
and who had believed in him before on earth.
But it gave offense that the Lord was
so strong and stiff-minded. I began to step forth
alone among the angels, and spoke unto them all:
‘I can teach you all long-enduring counsel,
if you will trust in my power.
Let us despise the Great Defender,
the Wielder of Armies, and take this light of glory,
entirely as our possession. This is a vacuous boast
that we have endured before all this time.’ (224-53)