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
with torment mingled.
So bith eft the feorthsith. 50 So is oft the departure,
sorhliche to dæ_led_ miserably apportioned,
mid seoruwen al bewunden. with sorrow all surrounded,
thonne the licame and the sowle. when the body and the soul
soriliche to _dæl_eth. sorrowfully separate.
thonne bith that wræcche lif. 55 Then is that wretched life
iended al mid sori sith. ended all with sad departure;
thonne bith the _bodi_ge. then is the body
iflut to then flore. banished to the floor;
he bith eastward istreiht. he is stretcht eastward;
he bith sone stif. 60 he is soon stiff;
he _hear_deth also clei. he hardens like clay;
hit is him ikunde. it is of kin to him.
mon hine met mit on ȝerde. They measure him with a yard,
and tha mol_de_ seoththen. and that dust, thenceforth,
ne mot he of thære molde. 65 may not of the earth
habben namore. have any more
thonne that rihte imet. than that right measured
r_ih_tliche tæcheth. rightly teacheth.
Thonne lith the clei clot. Then lies the clay clod
cold on then flore. 70 cold on the floor,
and him sone from _fleoth_. and soon from him _flee_
theo he ær freome dude. those he before help did;
nulleth heo mid honden. nor will they, with _their_ hands,
his heafod riht wen_den_. lay his head straight;
heom thuncheth that hore honden. they think that their hands
swuthe beoth ifuled. 76 are much defiled
gif heo hondleth the _d_æde. if they handle the dead.
Seoththen his deaȝes beoth igon. After his days are gone,
sone cumeth that wrecche wif. soon cometh the wretched wife,
_forh_oweth thene earfeth sith. 80 lamenteth the woeful time,
forbindeth thæs dædan muth. binds up the mouth of the dead,
and his dimme eiȝen. and closes his dim eyes.
* * * _ie_ thet riche[A] wif. * * * that wretched wife
forhoweth thene earueth sith. lamenteth the woeful time;
for ufel is that wrecche lufe. 85 for evil is that wretched love
_thon_ne theo unblisse cumath. when adversity cometh.
Thonne besihth theo soule. Then saith the soul
sorliche to then lich_ame_. sadly to the body,
* * * * * * * * * *
_hwi noldest bethenchen_ thu me. 90 _why wouldst thou not think of me_
theo hwule thet ic wunede inne the. while that I dwelt in thee,
for thu were leas and lutiȝ. for thou wert false and deceitful,
and _un_riht lufedest. and iniquity didst love;
godnesse and riht. goodness and justice
æfre thu onscunedest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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