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Christ III (Old English) · c. 9th century (poet unknown)

Lines 1237–1364

by Anonymous (Old English) c. 7th–11th century


An is ærest orgeate þær
þæt hy fore leodum leohte blicaþ,
blæde ond byrhte ofer burga gesetu.
Him on scinað ærgewyrhtu,
on sylfra gehwam sunnan beorhtran.
Oþer is to eacan ondgete swa some,
þæt hy him in wuldre witon waldendes giefe,
ond on seoð, eagum to wynne,
þæt hi on heofonrice hlutre dreamas
eadge mid englum agan motun.
ðonne bið þridde, hu on þystra bealo
þæt gesælige weorud gesihð þæt fordone
sar þrowian, synna to wite,
weallendne lig, ond wyrma slite
bitrum ceaflum, byrnendra scole.
Of þam him aweaxeð wynsum gefea,
þonne hi þæt yfel geseoð oðre dreogan,
þæt hy þurh miltse meotudes genæson.
ðonne hi þy geornor gode þonciað
blædes ond blissa þe hy bu geseoð,
þæt he hy generede from niðcwale
ond eac forgeaf ece dreamas;
bið him hel bilocen, heofonrice agiefen.
Swa sceal gewrixled þam þe ær wel heoldon
þurh modlufan meotudes willan.
ðonne bið þam oþrum ungelice
willa geworden. Magon weana to fela
geseon on him selfum, synne genoge
atolearfoða ær gedenra.
þær him sorgendum sar oðclifeð,
þroht þeodbealu, on þreo healfa.
An is þara þæt hy him yrmþa to fela,
grim helle fyr, gearo to wite
ondweard seoð, on þam hi awo sculon,
wræc winnende, wærgðu dreogan.
þonne is him oþer earfeþu swa some
scyldgum to sconde, þæt hi þær scoma mæste
dreogað fordone. On him dryhten gesihð
nales feara sum firenbealu laðlic,
ond þæt ællbeorhte eac sceawiað
heofonengla here, ond hæleþa bearn,
ealle eorðbuend ond atol deofol,
mircne mægencræft, manwomma gehwone
magun þurh þa lichoman, leahtra firene,
geseon on þam sawlum. Beoð þa syngan flæsc
scandum þurhwaden swa þæt scire glæs,
þæt mon yþæst mæg eall þurhwlitan.
ðonne bið þæt þridde þearfendum sorg,
cwiþende cearo, þæt hy on þa clænan seoð,
hu hi fore goddædum glade blissiað,
þa hy, unsælge, ær forhogdun
to donne þonne him dagas læstun;
ond be hyra weorcum wepende sar
þæt hi ær freolice fremedon unryht.
Geseoð hi þa betran blæde scinan;
ne bið him hyra yrmðu an to wite,
ac þara oþerra ead to sorgum,
þæs þe hy swa fægre gefean on fyrndagum
ond swa ænlice anforletun,
þurh leaslice lices wynne,
earges flæschoman idelne lust.
þær hi ascamode, scondum gedreahte,
swiciað on swiman; synbyrþenne,
firenweorc berað, on þæt þa folc seoð.
Wære him þonne betre þæt hy bealodæde,
ælces unryhtes, ær gescomeden
fore anum men, eargra weorca,
godes bodan sægdon þæt hi to gyrne wiston
firendæda on him. Ne mæg þurh þæt flæsc se scrift
geseon on þære sawle, hwæþer him mon soð þe lyge
sagað on hine sylfne, þonne he þa synne bigæð.
Mæg mon swa þeah gelacnigan leahtra gehwylcne,
yfel unclæne, gif he hit anum gesegð,
ond nænig bihelan mæg on þam heardan dæge
wom unbeted, ðær hit þa weorud geseoð.
Eala, þær we nu magon wraþe firene
geseon on ussum sawlum, synna wunde,
mid lichoman leahtra gehygdu,
eagum unclæne ingeþoncas!
Ne þæt ænig mæg oþrum gesecgan
mid hu micle elne æghwylc wille
þurh ealle list lifes tiligan,
feores forhtlice, forð aðolian,
synrust þwean ond hine sylfne þrean,
ond þæt wom ærran wunde hælan,
þone lytlan fyrst þe her lifes sy,
þæt he mæge fore eagum eorðbuendra
unscomiende eðles mid monnum
brucan bysmerleas, þendan bu somod
lic ond sawle lifgan mote.
Nu we sceolon georne gleawlice þurhseon
usse hreþercofan heortan eagum,
innan uncyste. We mid þam oðrum ne magun,
heafodgimmum, hygeþonces ferð
eagum þurhwlitan ænge þinga,
hwæþer him yfel þe god under wunige,
þæt he on þa grimman tid gode licie,
þonne he ofer weoruda gehwylc wuldre scineð
of his heahsetle hlutran lege.
þær he fore englum ond fore elþeodum
to þam eadgestum ærest mæðleð,
ond him swæslice sibbe gehateð,
heofona heahcyning; halgan reorde
frefreð he fægre ond him friþ beodeð,
hateð hy gesunde ond gesenade
on eþel faran engla dreames,
ond þæs to widan feore willum neotan:
"Onfoð nu mid freondum mines fæder rice
þæt eow wæs ær woruldum wynlice gearo,
blæd mid blissum, beorht eðles wlite,
hwonne ge þa lifwelan mid þam leofstum,
swase swegldreamas, geseon mosten.
Ge þæs earnedon þa ge earme men,
woruldþearfende, willum onfengun
on mildum sefan. ðonne hy him þurh minne noman
eaðmode to eow arna bædun,
þonne ge hyra hulpon ond him hleoð gefon,
hingrendum hlaf ond hrægl nacedum;
ond þa þe on sare seoce lagun,
æfdon unsofte, adle gebundne,
to þam ge holdlice hyge staþeladon
mid modes myne. Eall ge þæt me dydon,
ðonne ge hy mid sibbum sohtun, ond hyra sefan trymedon
forð on frofre. þæs ge fægre sceolon
lean mid leofum lange brucan."
Onginneð þonne to þam yflum ungelice
wordum mæðlan þe him bið on þa wynstran hond,
þurh egsan þrea, alwalda god.

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). Christ III (Old English), Lines 1237–1364. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/work/christ-3-doomsday-oe/3/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). Christ III (Old English), Lines 1237–1364. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/work/christ-3-doomsday-oe/3/.

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