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Solomon and Saturn (Old English) · c. 10th century

Lines 1–123

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


Saturnus cwæð:
"Hwæt! Ic iglanda eallra hæbbe
boca onbyrged þurh gebregdstafas,
larcræftas onlocen Libia and Greca,
swylce eac istoriam Indea rices.
Me þa treahteras tala wisedon
on þam micelan bec
M... ...ces heardum.
Swylce ic næfre on eallum þam fyrngewrytum findan ne mihte
soðe samnode. Ic sohte þa git
hwylc wære modes oððe mægenþrymmes,
elnes oððe æhte oððe eorlscipes
se gepalmtwigoda Pater Noster.
Sille ic þe ealle, sunu Dauides,
þeoden Israela, XXX punda
smætes goldes and mine suna twelfe,
gif þu mec gebringest þæt ic si gebryrded
ðurh þæs cantices cwyde Cristes linan,
gesemesð mec mid soðe, and ic mec gesund fare,
wende mec on willan on wæteres hrigc
ofer Coferflod Caldeas secan."
Salomon cwæð:
"Unlæde bið on eorþan, unnit lifes,
wesðe wisdomes, weallað swa nieten,
feldgongende feoh butan gewitte,
se þurh ðone cantic ne can Crist geherian.
Worað he windes full, worpað hine deofol
on domdæge, draca egeslice,
bismorlice, of blacere liðran
irenum aplum; ealle beoð aweaxen
of edwittes iða heafdum.
þonne him bið leofre ðonne eall ðeos leohte gesceaft,
gegoten fram ðam grunde goldes and seolfres,
feðersceatum full feohgestreona,
gif he æfre ðæs organes owiht cuðe.
Fracoð he bið ðonne and fremede frean ælmihtigum,
englum ungelic ana hwearfað."
Saturnus cwæð:
"Ac hwa mæg eaðost ealra gesceafta
ða halgan duru heofona rices
torhte ontynan on getælrime?"
Salomon cwæð:
"ðæt gepalmtwigede Pater Noster
heofonas ontyneð, halige geblissað,
metod gemiltsað, morðor gefylleð,
adwæsceð deofles fyr, dryhtnes onæleð.
Swylce ðu miht mid ðy beorhtan gebede blod onhætan,
ðæs deofles dreor, þæt him dropan stigað,
swate geswiðed, seofan intingum,
egesfullicran ðonne seo ærene gripu,
ðonne heo for XII fyra tydernessum
ofer gleda gripe gifrust wealleð.
Forðon hafað se cantic ofer ealle Cristes bec
widmærost word; he gewritu læreð,
stefnum steoreð, and him stede healdeð
heofona rices, heregeatewa wigeð."
Saturnus cwæð:
"Ac hulic is se organ ingemyndum
to begonganne ðam ðe his gast wile
meltan wið morðre, mergan of sorge,
asceadan of scyldum? Huru him scippend geaf
wuldorlicne wlite. Mec ðæs on worolde full oft
fyrwit frineð, fus gewiteð,
mod gemengeð. Nænig manna wat,
hæleða under hefenum, hu min hige dreoseð,
bysig æfter bocum; hwilum me bryne stigeð,
hige heortan neah hædre wealleð."
Salomon cwæð:
"Gylden is se godes cwide, gimmum astæned,
hafað sylfren leaf; sundor mæg æghwylc
ðurh gastes gife godspel secgan.
He bið seofan snytro and saule hunig
and modes meolc, mærþa gesælgost.
He mæg ða saule of siennihte
gefeccan under foldan, næfre hie se feond to ðæs niðer
feterum gefæstnað; ðeah he hie mid fiftigum
clusum beclemme, he ðone cræft briceð
and ða orðancas ealle tosliteð.
Hungor he ahieðeð, helle gestrudeð,
wylm toweorpeð, wuldor getimbreð.
He is modigra middangearde,
staðole strengra ðonne ealra stana gripe.
Lamena he is læce, leoht wincendra,
swilce he is deafra duru, dumbra tunge,
scyldigra scyld, scyppendes seld,
flodes ferigend, folces nerigend,
yða yrfeweard, earmra fisca
and wyrma welm, wildeora holt,
on westenne weard, weorðmynta geard.
And se ðe wile geornlice ðone godes cwide
singan soðlice, and hine siemle wile
lufian butan leahtrum, he mæg ðone laðan gæst,
feohtende feond, fleonde gebrengan,
gif ðu him ærest on ufan ierne gebrengest
prologa prima, ðam is ᛈ P nama.
Hafað guðmæcga gierde lange,
gyldene gade, and a ðone grymman feond
swiðmod sweopað, and him on swaðe fylgeð
ᚪ A ofermægene and hine eac ofslihð.
ᛏ T hine teswað and hine on ða tungan sticað,
wræsteð him ðæt woddor and him ða wongan brieceð.
ᛖ E hiene yflað, swa he a wile
ealra feonda gehwane fæste gestondan.
ðonne hiene on unðanc ᚱ R ieorrenga geseceð,
bocstafa brego, bregdeð sona
feond be ðam feaxe, læteð flint brecan
scines sconcan; he ne besceawað no
his leomona lið, ne bið him læce god.
Wendeð he hiene ðonne under wolcnum, wigsteall seceð,
heolstre behelmed. Huru him bið æt heartan wa,
ðonne he hangiende helle wisceð,
ðæs ængestan eðelrices.
ðonne hine forcinnað ða cirican getuinnas,
ᚾ N and ᚩ O samod æghwæðer brengeð
sweopan of siðe; sargiað hwile
fremdne flæschoman, feorh ne bemurnað.
ðonne ᛋ S cymeð, engla geræswa,
wuldores stæf, wraðne gegripeð
feond be ðam fotum, læteð foreweard hleor
on strangne stan, stregdað toðas
geond helle heap. Hydeð hine æghwylc
æfter sceades sciman; sceaða bið gebisigod,
Satanes ðegn swiðe gestilled.

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). Solomon and Saturn (Old English), Lines 1–123. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/work/solomon-and-saturn-oe/0/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). Solomon and Saturn (Old English), Lines 1–123. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/work/solomon-and-saturn-oe/0/.

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