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
95 ever thou didst shun.
hwar is nu the _mo_dinesse. Where is now the pride
swo muchel the thu lufedæst. thou so much didst love?
hwar beoth nu theo pundes. Where are now the pounds
thurh * * * newes igædered. by * * * gathered?
heo weren monifolde. 100 they were manifold,
bi markes itolde. counted by marks.
hwar beoth _nu_ theo goldfæten. Where are now the vessels of gold
theo the guldene. that thou idolized,
comen to thine honden. as they came to thy hands?
thin blisse is _nu_ al igon. 105 Thy bliss is now all gone;
min seoruwe is fornon. my sorrow is near.
hwar beoth nu thin wæde. Where are now thy clothes
the th_u_ wel lufedest. that thou well didst love?
hwar beoth the. Where are they
seten sori ofer the. 110 that sate sorry over thee,
beden swuthe ȝeorne. praying right earnestly
_that_ the come bote. that help _might_ come to thee?
heo_m_ thuthte alto longe. They thought it all too long
that thu were on live. that thou wert alive,
for heo _we_ren grædie. 115 for they were greedy
to gripen thin æihte. to gripe thy property.
nu heo hi dælith heom imang. Now they divide it among them,
_heo_ doth the withuten. they do without thee,
ac nu heo beoth fuse. eke now they are prompt
to bringen the ut of huse. 120 to bring thee out of house;
bergen the ut æt thire dure. bearing thee out at the door.
Of weolen thu art bedæled. Of wealth thou art deprived.
Hwui noldest th_u be_thenchen me. Why wouldst thou not think of me
theo hwile ic was innen the. while I was within thee?
ac scendest me mid sunne. 125 but blemished me with sin.
fo_rthi_ ic seoruhful eam. Therefore I sorrowful am;
weile that ic souhte. alas! that I sought
so seoruhfulne buc. such a miserable body.
noldest th_u lo_kien lufe. Nor wouldst thou observe love
with ilærede men. 130 with learned men,
ȝiven ham of thine gode. give them part of thy wealth
that heo the fo_re_ beden. that they _might_ pray for thee,
heo mihten mid salm songe. that they might with psalm sung
thine sunne acwenchen. thy sin extinguish,
mid * * * re_in_esse. 135 with * * *
thine misdeden forebiddan. pray for thy misdeeds;
heo mihten offrian loc. that they might offer gifts
leofli_che_ for the. acceptable for thee,
swuth deor thurthe lac. through the most dear sacrifice
licame Cristes. 140 of Christ's body;
thurh thære thu wære.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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