Dream of the Rood

Reprinted with permission from the Labyrinth Library.

Converted to EPUB/Kindle by Ben Crowder.

http://bencrowder.net/books/old-english/dream-of-the-rood

Version 1.0

Table of Contents

- Dream of the Rood

Dream of the Rood

Indeterminate Saxon.

Hwæt! Ic swefna cyst       secgan wylle,

hwæt^1 me gemætte       to midre nihte,

syðþan reordberend       reste wunedon!

þuhte me þæt ic gesawe       syllicre treow

5

on lyft lædan,       leohte bewunden,

beama beorhtost.       Eall þæt beacen wæs

begoten mid golde.       Gimmas stodon

fægere æt foldan sceatum,       swylce þær fife wæron

uppe on þam eaxlegespanne.       Beheoldon þær engel dryhtnes ealle,

10

fægere þurh forðgesceaft.       Ne wæs ðær huru fracodes gealga,

ac hine þær beheoldon       halige gastas,

men ofer moldan,       ond eall þeos mære gesceaft.

Syllic wæs se sigebeam,       ond ic synnum fah,

forwunded mid wommum.       Geseah ic wuldres treow,

15

wædum geweorðode,       wynnum scinan,

gegyred mid golde;       gimmas hæfdon

bewrigene weorðlice       wealdendes^2 treow.

Hwæðre ic þurh þæt gold       ongytan meahte

earmra ærgewin,       þæt hit ærest ongan

20

swætan on þa swiðran healfe.       Eall ic wæs mid sorgum^3 gedrefed,

forht ic wæs for þære fægran gesyhðe.       Geseah ic þæt fuse beacen

wendan wædum ond bleom;       hwilum hit wæs mid wætan bestemed,

beswyled mid swates gange,       hwilum mid since gegyrwed.

Hwæðre ic þær licgende       lange hwile

25

beheold hreowcearig       hælendes treow,

oððæt ic gehyrde       þæt hit hleoðrode.

Ongan þa word sprecan       wudu selesta:

“þæt wæs geara iu,       (ic þæt gyta geman),

þæt ic wæs aheawen       holtes on ende,

30

astyred of stefne minum.       Genaman me ðær strange feondas,

geworhton him þær to wæfersyne,       heton me heora wergas hebban.

Bæron me ðær beornas on eaxlum,       oððæt hie me on beorg asetton,

gefæstnodon me þær feondas genoge.       Geseah ic þa frean mancynnes

efstan elne mycle       þæt he me wolde on gestigan.

35

þær ic þa ne dorste       ofer dryhtnes word

bugan oððe berstan,       þa ic bifian geseah

eorðan sceatas.       Ealle ic mihte

feondas gefyllan,       hwæðre ic fæste stod.

Ongyrede hine þa geong hæleð,       (þæt wæs god ælmihtig),

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strang ond stiðmod.       Gestah he on gealgan heanne,

modig on manigra gesyhðe,       þa he wolde mancyn lysan.

Bifode ic þa me se beorn ymbclypte.       Ne dorste ic hwæðre bugan to eorðan,

feallan to foldan sceatum,       ac ic sceolde fæste standan.

Rod wæs ic aræred.       Ahof ic ricne cyning,

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heofona hlaford,       hyldan me ne dorste.

þurhdrifan hi me mid deorcan næglum.       On me syndon þa dolg gesiene,

opene inwidhlemmas.       Ne dorste ic hira nænigum sceððan.

Bysmeredon hie unc butu ætgædere.       Eall ic wæs mid blode bestemed,

begoten of þæs guman sidan,       siððan he hæfde his gast onsended.

50

Feala ic on þam beorge       gebiden hæbbe

wraðra wyrda.       Geseah ic weruda god

þearle þenian.       þystro hæfdon

bewrigen mid wolcnum       wealdendes hræw,

scirne sciman,       sceadu forðeode,

55

wann under wolcnum.       Weop eal gesceaft,

cwiðdon cyninges fyll.       Crist wæs on rode.

Hwæðere þær fuse       feorran cwoman

to þam æðelinge.       Ic þæt eall beheold.

Sare ic wæs mid sorgum^4 gedrefed,       hnag ic hwæðre þam secgum to handa,

60

eaðmod elne mycle.       Genamon hie þær ælmihtigne god,

ahofon hine of ðam hefian wite.       Forleton me þa hilderincas

standan steame bedrifenne;       eall ic wæs mid strælum forwundod.

Aledon hie ðær limwerigne,       gestodon him æt his lices heafdum,

beheoldon hie ðær heofenes dryhten,       ond he hine ðær hwile reste,

65

meðe æfter ðam miclan gewinne.       Ongunnon him þa moldern wyrcan

beornas on banan gesyhðe;       curfon hie ðæt of beorhtan stane,

gesetton hie ðæron sigora wealdend.       Ongunnon him þa sorhleoð galan

earme on þa æfentide,       þa hie woldon eft siðian,

meðe fram þam mæran þeodne.       Reste he ðær mæte weorode.

70

Hwæðere we ðær greotende^5       gode hwile

stodon on staðole,       syððan stefn^6 up gewat

hilderinca.       Hræw colode,

fæger feorgbold.       þa us man fyllan ongan

ealle to eorðan.       þæt wæs egeslic wyrd!

75

Bedealf us man on deopan seaþe.       Hwæðre me þær dryhtnes þegnas,

freondas gefrunon,

ond^7 gyredon me       golde ond seolfre.

Nu ðu miht gehyran,       hæleð min se leofa,

þæt ic bealuwara weorc       gebiden hæbbe,

80

sarra sorga.       Is nu sæl cumen

þæt me weorðiað       wide ond side

menn ofer moldan,       ond eall þeos mære gesceaft,

gebiddaþ him to þyssum beacne.       On me bearn godes

þrowode hwile.       Forþan ic þrymfæst nu

85

hlifige under heofenum,       ond ic hælan mæg

æghwylcne anra,       þara þe him bið egesa to me.

Iu ic wæs geworden       wita heardost,

leodum laðost,       ærþan ic him lifes weg

rihtne gerymde,       reordberendum.

90

Hwæt, me þa geweorðode       wuldres ealdor

ofer holmwudu,       heofonrices weard!

Swylce swa he his modor eac,       Marian sylfe,

ælmihtig god       for ealle menn

geweorðode       ofer eall wifa cynn.

95

Nu ic þe hate,       hæleð min se leofa,

þæt ðu þas gesyhðe       secge mannum,

onwreoh wordum       þæt hit is wuldres beam,

se ðe ælmihtig god       on þrowode

for mancynnes       manegum synnum

100

ond Adomes       ealdgewyrhtum.

Deað he þær byrigde,       hwæðere eft dryhten aras

mid his miclan mihte       mannum to helpe.

He ða on heofenas astag.       Hider eft fundaþ

on þysne middangeard       mancynn secan

105

on domdæge       dryhten sylfa,

ælmihtig god,       ond his englas mid,

þæt he þonne wile deman,       se ah domes geweald,

anra gehwylcum       swa he him ærur her

on þyssum lænum       life geearnaþ.

110

Ne mæg þær ænig       unforht wesan

for þam worde       þe se wealdend cwyð.

Frineð he for þære mænige       hwær se man sie,

se ðe for dryhtnes naman       deaðes wolde

biteres onbyrigan,       swa he ær on ðam beame dyde.

115

Ac hie þonne forhtiað,       ond fea þencaþ

hwæt hie to Criste       cweðan onginnen.

Ne þearf ðær þonne ænig       anforht^8 wesan

þe him ær in breostum bereð       beacna selest,

ac ðurh ða rode sceal       rice gesecan

120

of eorðwege       æghwylc sawl,

seo þe mid wealdende       wunian þenceð.”

Gebæd ic me þa to þan beame       bliðe mode,

elne mycle,       þær ic ana wæs

mæte werede.       Wæs modsefa

125

afysed on forðwege,       feala ealra gebad

langunghwila.       Is me nu lifes hyht

þæt ic þone sigebeam       secan mote

ana oftor       þonne ealle men,

well weorþian.       Me is willa to ðam

130

mycel on mode,       ond min mundbyrd is

geriht to þære rode.       Nah ic ricra feala

freonda on foldan,       ac hie forð heonon

gewiton of worulde dreamum,       sohton him wuldres cyning,

lifiaþ nu on heofenum       mid heahfædere,

135

wuniaþ on wuldre,       ond ic wene me

daga gehwylce       hwænne me dryhtnes rod,

þe ic her on eorðan       ær sceawode,

on þysson lænan       life gefetige

ond me þonne gebringe       þær is blis mycel,

140

dream on heofonum,       þær is dryhtnes folc

geseted to symle,       þær is singal blis,

ond me^9 þonne asette       þær ic syþþan mot

wunian on wuldre,       well mid þam halgum

dreames brucan.       Si me dryhten freond,

145

se ðe her on eorþan       ær þrowode

on þam gealgtreowe       for guman synnum.

He us onlysde       ond us lif forgeaf,

heofonlicne ham.       Hiht wæs geniwad

mid bledum ond mid blisse       þam þe þær bryne þolodan.

150

Se sunu wæs sigorfæst       on þam siðfate,

mihtig ond spedig,       þa he mid manigeo com,

gasta weorode,       on godes rice,

anwealda ælmihtig,       englum to blisse

ond eallum ðam halgum       þam þe on heofonum ær

155

wunedon on wuldre,       þa heora wealdend cwom,

ælmihtig god,       þær his eðel wæs.

Notes

1. Line 2. MS hæt.
2. Line 17. MS wealdes.
3. Line 20. MS surgum.
4. Line 59. sorgum supplied from the Ruthwell text.
5. Line 70. MS reotende.
6. Line 71. stefn supplied by Kluge.
7. Line 77. ond supplied by Grein, however no addition is necessary.
8. Line 117. MS unforht.
9. Line 142. MS he.