Lines 247–369

Salomon quoth.
Books are famous,
they announce sufficiently
the counselled will
for him that thinketh aught;
they strengthen and confirm
the steadfast thought,
they purify the mind
of every one
from the enforced need
of this life.

Saturnus quoth.
Bold is he that tasteth
of book-craft;
ever is the wiser
he that hath power over them.

Salomon quoth.
Victory they send
to every steadfast man,
the refuge of heal
to him that loveth them.

Saturnus quoth.
A wise one is there
in the world,
concerning whom curiosity plagued me
fifty years,
day and night,
through the deep creation:
my mourning spirit
doth so ever, from of old,
until to me shall grant
the eternal Lord,
that me shall reconcile,
some wiser man.

Salomon quoth.
True is what thou sayest.
I will reconcile thee forthwith
about the wondrous wight.
Wilt thou that I tell thee?
A bird sitteth
in the Philistine's
middle district,
a mountain is about him,
a lofty golden wall;
him gladly hold
the councillors of the Philistines
* * *
* * *
* * *
with the edges of weapons,
they therefore try cunning,
every night,
on the north and south,
on both sides
two hundred warders guard him.
The bird hath
four heads
of ordinary men,
and he is in the midst
of a whale's shape;
he hath wings
and griffin's feet.
* * *
He lieth fast in bonds,
he looketh monstrous,
fiercely he swingeth,
and his mail ringeth;
sadly he yelleth
and breathes out his rage;
he bubbles in his pain,
he lives in sorrow,
strangely he singeth,
seldom ever
his light abates;
hard is his longing,
troublesome seem
the thirty thousand years
before he doomsday's
din shall hear.
Him knew not upon earth
any of men,
of human race, until
I alone found him,
and commanded him to be put in bonds
over the broad water,
till him the haughty
child of Melote commanded,
prince of the Philistines,
fast to bind,
and lock with chains,
against the mighty terror.
That bird
the inhabitants of earth,
the princes of the Philistines call
Vasa Mortis.

Saturnus quoth.
But what is the wonder
that fareth throughout the world,
fiercely goeth,
beateth the foundations,
wakeneth drops of sorrow,
often struggleth hither;
neither star nor stone,
nor the lofty gem,
water or wild beast,
may aught escape it:
but into its power goeth
hard and soft,
much meat;
for its food
every year shall go,
of those that till the ground,
of those that fly the air,
of those that swim the water,
thrice thirteen
thousand in number?

Salomon quoth.
Age is on earth
powerful over every thing,
with its capturing
chain of war,
with its vast fetter
wide it reacheth;
with its long line
it haltereth all it will;
the tree it crusheth,
and breaketh with its twigs;
in the stony nest it stirreth
the prow on its journey,
and felleth it on the ground;
besides that it eateth
the wild bird;
it subdues the wolf in fight,
it abideth longer than the stones,
it overtops the mountain path,
it consumeth iron with rust,
it doth us so too.

Saturnus quoth.
But why falleth the snow,
and hideth the earth,
covereth the young shoots of herbs,
weigheth down the fruits,
twisteth and oppresseth them,
so that at times they are
clung with cold:
often it tryeth too
the multitude of beasts,
with wet it covereth them;
it breaketh the gates of towns,
it boldly goeth,
it plundereth much more
than the strong man,
who leadeth his people
into the hostile dwelling,
with his treacherous
foe at his will?

Saturnus quoth.
Night is the darkest of weathers,
need is the hardest of destinies,
sorrow is the heaviest burthen,
sleep is likest unto death.

Salomon quoth.
A little while
the leaf is green,
then falloweth again,
falleth to the earth,
and drieth away,
turneth to dust:
so then shall fall
they who crimes before
have long committed,
have lived in guilt;
hide lofty treasures,
guard them earnestly
in the fastness,
to the delight of fiends;
and ween in their folly
that the king of glory,
almighty God,
will ever hear them.

Saturnus quoth.
Soon will it be seen,
when the wave is permitted
to flow over all the land;
nor will it ever
desist from its course,
when the time is come
when it heareth the din
of doomsday.

Salomon quoth.
Woe then to those proud men
who now here longest in wickedness
live in this perishable creation!
that thy people published of yore,
they warred against the might of God,
therefore they perfected not their work.
Yet would I not vex thee, my brother;
thou art of a very bitter race,
an angry heathen family;
run not thou into their guilty nature.

Saturnus quoth.
Tell thou me, king Salomon,
Son of David,
what are the four
ropes of the doomed man?

Salomon quoth.
Accomplished
Fates, these are
the four
ropes of the doomed man.

Saturnus quoth.
But who then shall judge
Christ the lord,
at doomsday when he
judgeth all creatures?

Salomon quoth.
Who then dare judge the lord
who wrought us out of dust,
the saviour from the flood of night?
But tell me what were saviours!

Saturnus quoth.
But why may not the sun
this wide creation
brightly shine around?
Why shadoweth it
mountains and moors,
and also many
desert places?
How happeneth that?