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
_thu_ othre beræfedest. thou others bereaved
rihtes istreones. of rightful wealth,
_thurh_ thæs deofles lore, 420 through the devil's lore,
theo the likede wel. that thou liked well.
the _deofle_ tuhte his hearpe. The _devil_ touched his harp,
and tuhte the to him. and enticed thee to him;
thu iherdest thene dream. thou heardest the harmony;
he was drih_tene f_ulloth. 425 it was hateful to the Lord.
he swefede the. He lulled thee
mid then sweize. with the sound;
swote thu sleptest. sweetly thou sleptest
longe on thine bedde. long in thy bed;
_n_is the to chirche. 430 nor art thou at church,
ne mostes thu iheren. nor canst thou hear
theo holie dræmes. those holy sounds,
theo bellen rungen. the bells tolling,
_that s_iker becnunge wæs. that a sure beckoning was;
ne holie lore. 435 nor holy lore
the unker helpe wære. that should be our help.
ac efre he tuhte the. But ever he enticed thee,
_andnu_ beo the iwold ahte. and now thou art in his power;
ac nu beoth fordutte. eke now are closed
thine dream thurles. 440 thy doors of sound,
ne ihereth heo _ne_ more. nor hear they more
non herunge of the. any praise of thee,
ær theo bemen blowen. until the trumpets blow
the unc becnien scu_llen_. which shall summon us
_f_rom deathes dimnesse. 445 from death's dimness
to drihtenes dome. to the Lord's doom.
thonne thu scalt iheren. Then thou shalt hear
thene _lauer_de dom. the Lord doom,
the thu on thisse life. that thou in this life
lutherliche of eodest. 450 wickedly walked.
Thet et seith the sowle. Again saith the soul
_soril_iche to hire licame. sadly to the body,
nu thu bist afursed. now thou art separated
from alle thine freonden. from all thy friends;
nu is thin muth forscutted. 455 now is thy mouth prevented,
for death hine haueth fordutted. for death has closed it;
ne bith he _ne m_are undon. nor will it be ever opened
ær cume thæs heiȝe kinges dom. before the high King's doom.
thonne hit bith isene. Then it will be seen,
_thet_ on Psalme seith. 460 as the Psalm sayeth,
_Reddituri sunt de factis propriis _Reddituri sunt de factis propriis
rationem._ rationem._
thonne sculen theo _w_eile. Then shall those servants
seggen hore deden. tell their deeds,
wisliche thurh wisdome. truly through wisdom,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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