The Departing Soul's Address to the Body: A Fragment of a Semi-Saxon Poem: Discovered Among the Archives of Worcester Cathedral — John Shaqi
The Departing Soul's Address to the Body: A Fragment of a Semi-Saxon Poem: Discovered Among the Archives of Worcester Cathedral
Religion
The Departing Soul's Address to the Body: A Fragment of a Semi-Saxon Poem: Discovered Among the Archives of Worcester Cathedral
Poetry
370 thou wert faithless
and mon sware. and perjured,
and * * * hund inouh. and * * * enough;
for thu were mid sunne. for thou wert with sin
ifulled al with inne. filled all within,
for the deofle l_ored the al_l. 375 for the devil taught thee all,
ord fulneih thine heorte. chief full nigh thy heart.
efre thu woldest fullen. Ever thou wouldst fulfil,
al that was his wille. all that was his will.
* * * * * * * * * *
* * * thu nefre th. 380 * * * * *
_drihtenes_ * * * * * * * *
* * * _iwo_ld ahte. * * * * *
The ȝet seith theo soule. Again, saith the soul,
soriliche to hire licame. sadly to the body,
clene bith the eor_the_. 385 the earth is pure
_ær_ thu to hire to cume. e'er thou come to it,
ac thu heo afulest. but thou defilest it
mid thin fule holde. with thy foul carcase;
thet is that fu_lnesse_. only that foulness is
afursed from monnen. 390 removed from men;
nu thu bist bihuded. now thou art hidden
on alre horde fulest. in foulest hoard,
on _deope_ seathe. in a deep pit,
on durelease huse. in a doorless house.
thu scalt rotien. 395 Thou shalt rot
and brostnian. and corrupt;
thine bon beoth bedæled. thy bones will be separated
_from th_ære wæde. from the clothing
the heo weren to iwunede. in which they were inhabited;
breketh lith from lithe. 400 limb breaks from limb;
liggeth the bon stil. the bones lie still,
_tha_ ure drihten eft. until our Lord again
of deathe heo aræreth. from death raiseth them,
so he alle men deth. as he doth all men,
thonne domes daie _cume_th. 405 when doomsday cometh.
thonne scalt thu erming. Then shalt thou, miserable!
up arisen. up arise,
imeten thine morth deden. thy deadly sins measured,
theo the murie _were_n. that were so pleasant to thee;
seoruhful and sorimod. 410 sorrowful and melancholy,
so thin lif wrouhte. the crimes of thy life.
nu beoth thine earen fordutte. Now are thine ears closed,
_non drea_me ihereth. no pleasant sounds they hear;
theo leorneden theo listen. they learned, they listened
tha luthere weren. 415 to those that were wicked.
[_mid_] wowe domes. With unjust judgments,
and gultes _feole_. and many trespasses,
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