Lines 377–510

Eodan ða mid mengo modcwanige,
collenferhðe, swa him sio cwen bead.
Fundon þa D forþsnottera
alesen leodmæga, þa ðe leornungcræft
þurh modgemynd mæste hæfdon,
on sefan snyttro. Heo to salore eft
ymb lytel fæc laðode wæron,
ceastre weardas. Hio sio cwen ongan
wordum genegan, (wlat ofer ealle):
"Oft ge dyslice dæd gefremedon,
werge wræcmæcggas, ond gewritu herwdon,
fædera lare, næfre furður þonne nu,
ða ge blindnesse bote forsegon,
ond ge wiðsocon soðe ond rihte,
þæt in Bethleme bearn wealdendes,
cyning anboren, cenned wære,
æðelinga ord. þeah ge þa æ cuðon,
witgena word, ge ne woldon þa,
synwyrcende, soð oncnawan."
Hie þa anmode ondsweredon:
"Hwæt, we Ebreisce æ leornedon,
þa on fyrndagum fæderas cuðon
æt godes earce, ne we geare cunnon
þurh hwæt ðu ðus hearde, hlæfdige, us
eorre wurde. We ðæt æbylgð nyton
þe we gefremedon on þysse folcscere,
þeodenbealwa, wið þec æfre."
Elene maðelade ond for eorlum spræc,
undearninga ides reordode
hlude for herigum: "Ge nu hraðe gangað,
sundor asecaþ þa ðe snyttro mid eow,
mægn ond modcræft, mæste hæbben,
þæt me þinga gehwylc þriste gecyðan,
untraglice, þe ic him to sece."
Eodon þa fram rune, swa him sio rice cwen,
bald in burgum, beboden hæfde,
geomormode, georne smeadon,
sohton searoþancum, hwæt sio syn wære
þe hie on þam folce gefremed hæfdon
wið þam casere, þe him sio cwen wite.
þa þær for eorlum an reordode,
gidda gearosnotor, (ðam wæs Iudas nama,
wordes cræftig): "Ic wat geare
þæt hio wile secan be ðam sigebeame
on ðam þrowode þeoda waldend,
eallra gnyrna leas, godes agen bearn,
þone orscyldne eofota gehwylces
þurh hete hengon on heanne beam
in fyrndagum fæderas usse.
þæt wæs þrealic geþoht! Nu is þearf mycel
þæt we fæstlice ferhð staðelien,
þæt we ðæs morðres meldan ne weorðen
hwær þæt halige trio beheled wurde
æfter wigþræce, þy læs toworpen sien
frod fyrngewritu ond þa fæderlican
lare forleten. Ne bið lang ofer ðæt
þæt Israhela æðelu moten
ofer middangeard ma ricsian,
æcræft eorla, gif ðis yppe bið,
swa þa þæt ilce gio min yldra fæder
sigerof sægde, (þam wæs Sachius nama),
frod fyrnwiota, fæder minum,
eaferan,
wende hine of worulde ond þæt word gecwæð:
'Gif þe þæt gelimpe on lifdagum
þæt ðu gehyre ymb þæt halige treo
frode frignan, ond geflitu ræran
be ðam sigebeame on þam soðcyning
ahangen wæs, heofonrices weard,
eallre sybbe bearn, þonne þu snude gecyð,
min swæs sunu, ær þec swylt nime.
Ne mæg æfre ofer þæt Ebrea þeod
rædþeahtende rice healdan,
duguðum wealdan, ac þara dom leofað
ond hira dryhtscipe,
in woruld weorulda willum gefylled,
ðe þone ahangnan cyning heriaþ ond lofiað.'
þa ic fromlice fæder minum,
ealdum æwitan, ageaf ondsware:
'Hu wolde þæt geweorðan on woruldrice
þæt on þone halgan handa sendan
to feorhlege fæderas usse
þurh wrað gewitt, gif hie wiston ær
þæt he Crist wære, cyning on roderum,
soð sunu meotudes, sawla nergend?'
ða me yldra min ageaf ondsware,
frod on fyrhðe fæder reordode:
'Ongit, guma ginga, godes heahmægen,
nergendes naman. Se is niða gehwam
unasecgendlic, þone sylf ne mæg
on moldwege man aspyrigean.
Næfre ic þa geþeahte þe þeos þeod ongan
secan wolde, ac ic symle mec
asced þara scylda, nales sceame worhte
gaste minum. Ic him georne oft
þæs unrihtes ondsæc fremede,
þonne uðweotan æht bisæton,
on sefan sohton hu hie sunu meotudes
ahengon, helm wera, hlaford eallra
engla ond elda, æðelust bearna.
Ne meahton hie swa disige deað oðfæstan,
weras wonsælige, swa hie wendon ær,
sarum settan, þeah he sume hwile
on galgan his gast onsende,
sigebearn godes. þa siððan wæs
of rode ahæfen rodera wealdend,
eallra þrymma þrym, þreo niht siððan
in byrgenne bidende wæs
under þeosterlocan, ond þa þy þriddan dæg
ealles leohtes leoht lifgende aras,
ðeoden engla, ond his þegnum hine,
soð sigora frea, seolfne geywde,
beorht on blæde. þonne broðor þin
onfeng æfter fyrste fulwihtes bæð,
leohtne geleafan. þa for lufan dryhtnes
Stephanus wæs stanum worpod;
ne geald he yfel yfele, ac his ealdfeondum
þingode þrohtherd, bæd þrymcyning
þæt he him þa weadæd to wræce ne sette,
þæt hie for æfstum unscyldigne,
synna leasne, Sawles larum
feore beræddon, swa he þurh feondscipe
to cwale monige Cristes folces
demde to deaþe. Swa þeah him dryhten eft
miltse gefremede, þæt he manegum wearð
folca to frofre, syððan him frymða god,
niða nergend, naman oncyrde,
ond he syððan wæs sanctus Paulus
be naman haten, ond him nænig wæs
ælærendra oðer betera
under swegles hleo syðþan æfre,
þara þe wif oððe wer on woruld cendan,
þeah he Stephanus stanum hehte
abreotan on beorge, broðor þinne.