The Dream of the Rood Flashcards
Hwaet, ic swefna cyst secgan wylle
Listen, I will tell the best of visions,
Hwaet me gemaette to midre nihte
that came to me in the middle of the night,
syðþan reordberend reste wunedon
when voice - bearers all dwelled in rest.
Þuhte me þæt ic gesawe syllicre treow
It seemed to me that I saw a wonderful tree
on lyft lædan, leohte bewunden,
lifted in the air, wound round with light,
beama beorhtost. Eall þæt beacen wæs
the brightest of beams. That beacon was entirely
begoten mid golde. Gimmas stodon
cased in gold; gems stood
fægere æt foldan sceatum, swylce þær fife wæron
beautiful at the corners of the earth, likewise there were five
uppe on þam eaxlgespanne. Beheoldon þær engel dryhtnes ealle
upon the cross beam. Beheld there all, the angel of the Lord,
fægere þurh forðgesceaft. Ne wæs ðær huru fracodes gealga,
beautiful throughout creation. There was certainly no gallows of the wicked;
ac hine þær beheoldon halige gastas,
but the holy spirits beheld it there,
men ofer moldan, ond eall þeos mære gesceaft.
men over the earth and all this glorious creation.
Syllic wæs se sigebeam, ond ic synnum fah,
Wondrous was the victory - tree, and I stained with sins,
forwunded mid wommum. Geseah ic wuldres treow,
wounded with guilts. I saw the tree of glory,
wædum geweorðode, wynnum scinan,
honoured with garments, shining with joys,
gegyred mid golde; gimmas hæfdon
covered with gold; gems had
bewrigene weorðlice wealdendes treow.
covered magnificently the Lord’s tree.
Hwæðre ic þurh þæt gold ongytan meahte
Nevertheless, I was able to perceive through that gold
earmra ærgewin,* þæt hit ærest ongan
the miserable former struggle, so that it first began
swætan on þa swiðran healfe. Eall ic wæs mid sorgum gedrefed,
to bleed on the right side. I was all drenched with sorrows.
forht ic wæs for þære fægran gesyhðe. Geseah ic þæt fuse beacen
I was frightened by the beautiful vision; I saw that noble beacon
wendan wædum ond bleom: hwilum hit wæs mid wætan bestemed,
change its covering and colours: sometimes it was soaked with wetness,
beswyled mid swates gange, hwilum mid since gegyrwed.
drenched with streams of blood; sometimes adorned with treasure
Hwæðre ic þær licgende lange hwile
Yet as i lay there a long while,
beheold hreowcearig hælendes treow,
I beheld sad-minded tree of the Saviour
oððæt ic gehyrde þæt hit hleoðrode.
until I heard it utter a sound;
Ongan þa word sprecan wudu selesta:
it began to speak words, the best of wood:
“Þæt wæs geara iu (ic þæt gyta geman)
‘That was very long ago, I remember it still,
þæt ic wæs aheawen holtes on ende,
that I was cut down from the edge of the wood,
astyred of stefne minum. Genaman me ðær strange feondas,
ripped up by my roots. They seized me there, strong enemies
geworhton him þær to wæfersyne, heton me heora wergas hebban.
made me a spectacle for themselves there, commanded me to raiseup their criminals.
Bæron me ðær beornas on eaxlum, oððæt hie me on beorg asetton.
Men carried me there on their shoulders, until they set me on ahill,
Gefæstnodon me þær feondas genoge. Geseah ic þa frean mancynnes
enemies enough fastened me there. I saw then the Saviour of mankind
efstan elne mycle— þæt he me wolde on gestigan.
hasten with great zeal, as if he wanted to climb up on me.
Þær ic þa ne dorste ofer dryhtnes word
There I did not dare, against the word of the Lord,
bugan oððe berstan, þa ic bifian geseah
bow or break, when I saw the
eorðan sceatas. Ealle ic mihte
corners of the earth tremble. All I might have
feondas gefyllan, hwæðre ic fæste stod.
the enemies felled; even so, I stood fast.
Ongyrede hine þa geong hæleð— þæt wæs god ælmihtig—
He stripped himselfthen, young hero - that was God almighty -
strang ond stiðmod. Gestah he on gealgan heanne,
strong and steadfast; he ascended on the high gallows,
modig on manigra gesyhðe, þa he wolde mancyn lysan.
brave in the sight of many, when he wanted to ransom mankind .
Bifode ic þa me se beorn ymbclypte. Ne dorste ic hwæðre bugan to eorðan,
I trembled when the warrior embraced me; even then I did notdare to bow to earth,
feallan to foldan sceatum, ac ic sceolde fæste standan.
fall to the corners of the earth, but I had to stand fast.
Rod wæs ic aræred. Ahof ic ricne cyning,
I was reared a cross. I raised up the powerful King,
heofona hlaford. Hyldan me ne dorste.
the Lord of heaven; I did not dare to bend.
Þurhdrifan hi me mid deorcan næglum— on me syndon þa dolg gesiene,
They pierced me with dark nails; on me are the wounds visible,
opene inwidhlemmas. Ne dorste ic hira nænigum sceððan.
the open wounds of malice; I did not dare to injure any of them.
Bysmeredon hie unc butu ætgædere. Eall ic wæs mid blode bestemed,
They mocked us both together. I was all drenched with blood
begoten of þæs guman sidan, siððan he hæfde his gast onsended.
poured out from that man’s side after he had sent forth hisspirit.
Feala ic on þam beorge gebiden hæbbe
I have experienced on that hillside many
wraðra wyrda. Geseah ic weruda god
cruelties of fate. I saw the God of hosts
þearle þenian. Þystro hæfdon
violently stretched out. Darkness had
bewrigen mid wolcnum wealdendes hræw,
covered with clouds the rulers corpse.
scirne sciman, sceadu forð eode,
the gleaming light. Shadows went forth
wann under wolcnum. Weop eal gesceaft,
dark under the clouds. All creation wept,
cwiðdon cyninges fyll. Crist wæs on rode.
lamented the King’s fall. Christ was on the cross.
Hwæðere þær fuse feorran cwoman
Yet there eager ones came from afar
to þam æðelinge. Ic þæt eall beheold.
to that noble one; I beheld all that.
Sare ic wæs mid sorgum gedrefed, hnag ic hwæðre þam secgum to handa,
I was all drenched with sorrow; nevertheless I bowed down to the hands of men,
eaðmod elne mycle. Genamon hie þær ælmihtigne god,
humble, with great eagerness. There they took almighty God,
ahofon hine of ðam hefian wite. Forleton me þa hilderincas
lifted him from the oppressive torment. The warriors forsook me then,
standan steame bedrifenne; eall ic wæs mid strælum forwundod.
standing covered with moisture; I was all wounded with arrows.