Christ and Satan

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 730 sections

600
beman blawan ofer burga geseotu
601
geond foldan sceatas.
602
þonne of þisse moldan men onwecnað;
603
deade of duste arisað þurh drihtnes miht.
604
þæt bið daga lengust, and dinna mæst
605
hlud gehered, þonne hælend cymeð,
606
waldend mid wolcnum in þas woruld færeð.
607
Wile þonne gesceadan wlitige and unclæne
608
on twa healfe, tile and yfle.
609
Him þa soðfæstan on þa swiðran hond
610
mid rodera weard reste gestigað.
611
þonne beoð bliðe þa in burh moton
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gongan in godes rice,
613
and heo gesenað mid his swiðran hond
614
cynincg alwihta, cleopað ofer ealle:
615
"Ge sind wilcuman! Gað in wuldres leoht
616
to heofona rice, þær ge habbað
617
a to aldre ece reste."
618
þonne stondað þa forworhtan, þa ðe firnedon;
619
beoð beofigende hwonne him bearn godes
620
deman wille þurh his dæda sped.
621
Wenað þæt heo moten to þære mæran byrig
622
up to englum swa oðre dydon,
623
ac him bið reordende
624
ece drihten, ofer ealle gecwæð:
625
"Astigað nu, awyrgde, in þæt witehus
626
ofostum miclum. Nu ic eow ne con."
627
Sona æfter þæm wordum werige gastas,
628
helle hæftas, hwyrftum scriþað
629
þusendmælum, and þider leaðað
630
in þæt sceaðena scræf, scufað to grunde
631
in þæt nearwe nið, and no seoððan
632
þæt hie up þonan æfre moton,
633
ah þær geþolian sceolon earmlic wite,
634
clom and carcern, and þone caldan grund
635
deopne adreogan and deofles spellunge,
636
hu hie him on edwit oft asettað
637
swarte suslbonan, stæleð feondas
638
fæhðe and firne, þær ðe hie freodrihten,
639
ecne anwaldan, oft forgeaton,
640
þone þe hie him to hihte habban sceoldon.
641
Uton, la, geþencan geond þas worulde,
642
þæt we hælende heran onginnen!
643
Georne þurh godes gife gemunan gastes bled,
644
hu eadige þær uppe sittað
645
selfe mid swegle, sunu hælendes!
646
þær is geat gylden gimmum gefrætewod,
647
wynnum bewunden, þæm þe in wuldres leoht
648
gongan moten to godes rice,
649
and ymb þa weallas wlitige scinað
650
engla gastas and eadige sawla,
651
þa ðe heonon ferað.
652
þær martiras meotode cwemað,
653
and herigað hehfæder halgum stefnum,
654
cyning in cestre. Cweþað ealle þus:
655
"þu eart hæleða helm and heofendema,
656
engla ordfruma, and eorðan tudor
657
up gelæddest to þissum eadigan ham."
658
Swa wuldres weard wordum herigað
659
þegnas ymb þeoden, þær is þrym micel,
660
sang æt selde, is sylf cyning,
661
ealra aldor, in ðære ecan gesceft.
662
þæt is se drihten, seðe deað for us
663
geþrowode, þeoden engla.
664
Swylce he fæste feowertig daga,
665
metod mancynnes, þurh his mildsa sped.
666
þa gewearð þone weregan, þe ær aworpen wæs
667
of heofonum þæt he in helle gedeaf,
668
þa costode cyning alwihta.
669
Brohte him to bearme brade stanas,
670
bæd him for hungre hlafas wyrcan--
671
"gif þu swa micle mihte hæbbe."
672
þa him andswarode ece drihten:
673
"Wendest þu, awyrgda, þæt awriten nære,
674
nymþe me ænne
675
ac geseted hafast, sigores agend,
676
lifigendum liht, lean butan ende,
677
on heofenrice, halige dreamas."
678
þa he mid hondum genom
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atol þurh edwit, and on esle ahof,
680
herm bealowes gast, and on beorh astah,
681
asette on dune drihten hælend:
682
"Loca nu ful wide ofer londbuende.
683
Ic þe geselle on þines seolfes dom
684
folc and foldan. Foh hider to me
685
burh and breotone bold to gewealde,
686
rodora rices, gif þu seo riht cyning
687
engla and monna, swa ðu ær myntest."
688
þa him andswarode ece drihten:
689
"Gewit þu, awyrgda, in þæt witescræf,
690
Satanus seolf; þe is susl weotod
691
gearo togegnes, nalles godes rice.
692
Ah ic þe hate þurh þa hehstan miht
693
þæt ðu hellwarum hyht ne abeode,
694
ah þu him secgan miht sorga mæste,
695
þæt ðu gemettes meotod alwihta,
696
cyning moncynnes. Cer ðe on bæcling!
697
Wite þu eac, awyrgda, hu wid and sid
698
helheoðo dreorig, and mid hondum amet.
699
Grip wið þæs grundes; gang þonne swa

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