Meter 8

After Wisdom these words had spoken,
Clearly set forth, soon she began
Sooth words to sing, and thus she spake:
‘Oh! the ancient days for all earth-dwellers
Throughout the world were ever the best.

Then was each man ever contented
With fruits of the earth ; ’tis otherwise now.
Not then in the world were wealthy homes,
Nor many kinds of meat and drink ;
Nor aught of raiment recked men then,
In these days to men of all things dearest ;
For then such was not seen as yet,

Never the sea-folk had seen it at all.
No, nor anywhere of it had heard.
Ah! then the sin of lust they longed not to do,
But in degree they duly followed
The call of nature as Christ appointed.
But one meal daily they always made
Of the earth’s increase, at hour of even,
Of plants of the wood. No wine they drank

Bright from the bow! ; none could boast
Skill to mingle drink with his meat,
Water with honey, nor to fashion by sewing
Clothing of silk ; nor had they cunning
In costly stuffs ; nor stood there halls
Cleverly planned ; but it was their custom
In every season to sleep in the open

In the deep tree-shade. They drank burn-water
Cool from the spring. Never did chapman

See o’er the sea-surge the shore of strange land ;
Nor had men heard of the harrying ship-host ;
No, nor was fighting familiar to mortals.
Not as yet was the earth anywhere stained
With the blood of a man nor the dye of the blade,
Nor even one wounded had any man witnessed
Under the sun. So too none was worthy

Held in the world if his will seemed
Evil unto men; by all was he loathed.

Oh! were it true, or would God but grant
That here on earth in our days now,
O’er the wide world, man’s wont was such
Under the sun! But now ’tis more sinful,
For covetous greed so cloggeth the soul

Of every man that he heedeth not other things,
And in the mind boiling it burneth ever,

This curse of covetise, never contented,
Black and bottomless blazeth smould’ring,
E’en as the mountain that mortals call
By name of Etna ; this on an island,
Even Sicily, with sulphur burneth,
Hell-fire widely hight by mortals,
For unceasing it smould’reth ever,
And all around it the rest of the land
It fiercely blasteth with blaze consuming.
Ah! who was the first that filled with greed
Dwelt in the world, and dug the ground

In quest of gold and curious jewels?
Wealth did he find, fatal to many,
In the world hidden’ in water or earth.