The Complete Old English Poems
Page 38
To all of mankind so that almighty God,
The Healer of souls, the Sustainer of multitudes,
May fulfill my purpose and my solemn promise.”
Then Judas, steadfast and stubborn, said:
“I don’t know where this Calvary is, 695
Where Christ was crucified and the cross buried.”
Then Helena replied in an angry passion:
“I swear by the Savior, the Son of God,
The crucified Christ, that you will die
An unholy death by hunger in front of your kinsmen 700
Unless you cease lying and reveal the truth.”
Then she commanded him to be securely bound,
Quickly carried away by a band of men,
And thrust into a deep pit, a dry well,
Where he would endure hunger and isolation, 705
Wrapped in chains for seven nights,
Bound in that grim underground prison.
On the seventh day, desperate and starving,
His body weary, his spirit wasted,
He began to mourn and cry out for mercy: 710
“Please, I beg you by the God of heaven
To free me from this terrible well of pain
And the fierce hounds of hunger that gnaw
At my poor belly. I promise I’ll tell you
Where the holy gallows-tree of God is hidden, 715
Gladly reveal the resting place of the glory-rood.
I can’t conceal the truth any longer
About the location of the tree of life.
I tried to hide it in my misplaced folly,
But down in the darkness I’ve seen the light.” 720
When the ruling queen heard this cry
And took in the truth of her prisoner’s pleading,
She commanded him raised from the well of suffering,
The narrow cell of his gathering grief.
Then Judas was mercifully lifted into the light 725
At the queen’s command, and he led her to the hill
Where the Lord and Guardian of heaven was hanged,
The Son of God, on the gallows-tree.
Judas was weary and weakened by hunger
And couldn’t remember where the cross was buried 730
In its battle-bed, its slaughter-rest, by the enemy’s cunning;
But with a new courage and conviction,
He raised up these words in a Hebrew prayer:
“My Lord and Savior, Guardian of glory,
Who created the world from the wide plains 735
To the surging seas, who measured out
With holy hands the boundary of both
Earth and sky, who rules heaven’s realm
With its host of angels, riding high in the radiant air
In a perfect place, where those wrapped in flesh 740
Can never rise from their earthly paths—
You shaped these celestial beings and set them forth
To serve your ministry and perform your purpose.
Six ranks exist in perpetual bliss, each bathing
Six bright wings in the blessed light. 745
Four are always in flight, serving the Lord
Both day and night, singing glorious hymns
To the everlasting Judge, praising with passion
And perfect clear voices, the King of heaven.
These chosen angels are the Cherubim who chant: 750
‘Holy is the holy God of archangels,
The Lord of hosts. Heaven and earth
Reveal his rich glory, his sublime power,
The radiant wonder of his making might.’
Among the other angels in heaven, 755
The two most exalted are called the Seraphim.
They protect the sacred garden of paradise
And its tree of life with a flaming sword,
A damascened blade whose cutting edge
Blazes and shimmers with a radiant light 760
Of variegated hues, the colors of creation.
That sword is terrible in the grip of God.
Lord, you wielded that slashing flame,
That radiant wonder, to cast out the company
Of rebellious angels, order-unravelers, 765
Heaven-wreckers, sin-serpents, thanes of Satan.
That cursed company of rabble-rousers,
Never-again-angels, fell down into darkness,
Into the flames of hell to endure forever
Torment and pain, torture and anguish, 770
Eternal bondage. Now they live in the clutch
Of the demon’s claws, the dragon’s embrace.
That insurgent angel renounced your sovereignty,
Rebelled against your righteous law.
For that he must suffer eternal exile 775
For his foul sins, his tortuous rebellion,
A source of misery and miserable himself,
Outlaw in envy, outcast in shame,
Bound forever in a prison of pain,
Unable in deceit to unweave your words. 780
Lord of angels, Ruler of heaven and earth,
Is it not your will that one should reign
Who was born a child to his mother Mary,
A pure maiden, to be Prince of the angels,
Who rode on the rood, crucified on the cross? 785
And if he were not your own true Son,
Unstained by sin, how could he then
Have woven such wonders, making miracles
In this worldly life? And how could you lift
Him up from the dead in waking glory 790
Before the multitudes of men and women,
If he were not your child by that radiant maiden?
Reveal now the rood, the victory-sign,
The blessed cross, the beacon of God.
Just as you heard the holy prayers 795
Of Moses and revealed the buried bones
Of Joseph hidden under the hill-stones,
Now I beg you Lord, Joy of hosts,
If it seems according to your eternal will
Through the light of creation, to hear my prayer 800
And reveal to me the rood’s resting place,
That treasure-house long hidden from men.
Author of life, let some sacred smoke
Curl up from its grave, rise up from the ground,
Drift into the sky, a delightful wonder. 805
Then I shall find faith, believe more firmly
In the crucified Christ and know him to be
The Savior of souls, the eternal and almighty
King of Israel, who will command the glorious
Homeland of heaven, ruling in radiance 810
Forever and ever in a world without end.”
Then from that spot steam rose up
Like smoke-wisps swirling into the sky,
And the heart of Judas was filled with joy.
Blessed and wise, he clapped both his hands 815
Up toward heaven, firm in his faith.
Unblinded, unbound, he prayed to God:
“Now I have discovered in my obstinate mind
That you are the Son, the Savior of middle-earth.
My eternal thanks to you, O Lord, 820
God of hosts, enthroned in glory,
For giving me this simple gift of grace
And revealing to such a stubborn sinner
And mournful man this hidden mystery,
The role of the rood in the working of Providence. 825
I also entreat you, Son and Savior,
Giver of all good gifts to mankind,
Now that I know you are the Lord Incarnate
And see revealed your radiant grace—
To forgive me for my former sins in this world 830
And forget my transgressions, for I have committed
More than a few. Let the heavy weight
Of my guilt be lifted and grant me leave
,
Almighty God, to dwell forever
In that shining city with saints and angels, 835
Where my brother Stephen is honored in glory—
For his steadfast faith he was stoned to death.
His reward is endless bliss in heaven,
While here on earth he is celebrated in stories,
In sermons and scripture, a holy martyr 840
Held dear in our memory, undefeated by death.”
Then Judas rejoiced. The resolute man
Began to dig in the earth for the rood
Until not twenty feet away he discovered
Hidden under a hill, deep in a dark pit, 845
A secret chamber with three crosses
Buried by a band of unbelieving Jews
In days long gone. They incited anger,
Stirred up hatred against God’s Son,
As they surely never would have done 850
If they hadn’t listed to the lies of Satan,
That devious demon, the shaper of sin.
Then his spirit soared and his heart gladdened
When he saw the tree of glory in the ground.
He grabbed hold of the gallows with his hands, 855
Lifting the cross from its earthly tomb
With the help of the crowd. Foot-travelers
Filed into the city with a firm purpose—
To boldly bring the three crosses to the queen,
Who rejoiced in her heart for the holy rood. 860
She asked which of the three unburied trees
The Son of God, the Healer and Hope-bearer,
Had hung upon in his hardest hour, saying:
“Listen! We have heard it said in the holy books
That two thieves suffered with Christ the Lord 865
On their separate crosses. The sky grew dark
In that deadly hour. Now who can tell me
Which of these three is the gallows-tree
On which the Lord of angels, the Guardian of glory,
Suffered and died? Which one is Christ’s cross?” 870
Judas grew quiet. He had no way of knowing
Which tree was the true cross, the victory-wood,
The rood on which the Son of God was raised.
So he commanded the crosses to be set there,
Three tall killing-trees in the great city center, 875
Where the crowds might wait for the wonder
Of the Lord’s revealing the one rood
On which he rode. The counselors and comrades
Who waited by the crosses began to sing,
Musing over one miracle, expecting another, 880
Lifting up their voices around the rood
Until the ninth hour, the sacred time
Of Christ’s crying out on the cross and dying.
Then a crowd of people came seeking a miracle,
Carrying to the crosses a dead body on a bier, 885
A bone-house deprived of its sacred soul.
Judas ordered them to lay the body down
Near the crosses while he meditated deeply.
He raised up boldly in his arms’ embrace
The first two crosses over the broken body, 890
The lifeless corpse. Its limbs stayed cold—
No living breath arose in that body.
Then Judas lifted the third cross in joy,
The Redeemer’s rood, the tree of victory,
And the body rose up, intact and inspired 895
By the breath of life, its own lost soul.
Its limbs were alive, its eyes opened,
Its heart quickened by the power of the cross.
People raised their voices in praise of the Lord,
Honoring the Father and exalting the Son, 900
Lifting up their voices in a rapture of song:
“Glory be to God, who breathes life into being,
Shaping, sustaining all living creatures
Who celebrate the Creator without end.”
All of mankind remember these miracles— 905
From sight or story, song or scripture.
Everyone should recognize the holy riddle
Of the rood, the miracle of Christ crucified,
And all of the wonders which the Lord of the world,
The Creator of life, accomplished on earth 910
For the saving of souls and salvation of mankind.
Then the liar leapt up, the devious devil
From the bowels of hell, hovering in air,
A monster minded to deceive mankind.
He began to mock God’s miracle, saying: 915
“What’s going on? Who is this man
Who is stealing my stuff, stirring up strife,
Thieving my thanes, my faithful followers,
Reviving that old unrewarding feud?
My powers are bound, my heart is broken 920
By this endless persecution. This is not fair.
Who is this stranger who embraces the cross?
I counted on him coming to my homeland in hell
With demons for company. He was stained with sin.
Now he steals what is rightfully mine 925
By calling on Christ, my ancient enemy.
That so-called Savior, Jesus of Nazareth,
Was a misguided boy born in Bethlehem
Of human flesh. He has mocked me, defiled me,
Made my existence an endless misery. 930
He has robbed me of riches, wasted my wealth,
Stolen my precious stash of souls.
He’s unrestrained. It’s unfair. It’s obscene.
His kingdom spreads like a pernicious plague
While mine is compromised all over creation. 935
I have no reason to revere this cross,
To praise its power. The Savior of souls
Has locked me in hell with a miserable host,
Flaming mad demons, all eager to escape.
My heart’s delight was once with a Judas— 940
He brought me hope with his secret betrayal.
Now I’m betrayed by another Judas—
My heart humiliated, my treasures stolen.
I’m fleeced and friendless. Never mind though—
I’ll consult with my devious comrades in hell 945
And come back with wicked plots and powers.
I’ll seduce a king to set against your king.
He’ll abandon the faith, follow my ways,
Persecute your people, deliver you into darkness,
So you will suffer and denounce your Savior. 950
Your crucified Christ will be king of nothing!”
Then the wise-minded Judas, a bold battler,
Prepared his response, for the Holy Spirit
Had entered his heart, inspiring his answer.
His mind was aflame with Christ’s love 955
And a warrior’s wisdom as he shrewdly said:
“Sin-shaper, God-mocker, Christ-killer,
There’s no need to stir up strife, renew the feud,
Deceiving people, delighting in their doubt,
Persecuting them with pain. The mighty King, 960
Who raised the dead with his holy word,
Will thrust you down into the pit of hell,
A place of torment, an endless abyss
Of evil outcasts, twisted with sin.
May you at last recognize your real loss, 965
The Lord’s love, a treasure you’ve wasted,
Pitched in the trash of your own perdition.
What have you gained? A lake of flame,
A bath of fire, a boundless torment.
For you and yours there is no hope, 970
No healing, no heaven. Delight in damnation
If you can. You are cut off from Christ’s
Mercy and will know misery without end.”
Helena heard this combat between friend and fiend,
Sanct
ified and sinner, blessed and damned. 975
Her heart rejoiced to hear the sin-spreading
Lord of hell overwhelmed by this bold believer,
And she wondered at the man’s newfound wisdom,
His spiritual strength, and his firm faith.
How had he gone from ignorance to insight, 980
From falsehood to truth in so little time?
She thanked God, the King of glory,
For the two gifts through the Savior and Son:
She had seen the victory-tree and the glorious gift
Of heavenly grace in the heart of Judas. 985
Then that great morning-news was announced
Throughout the nation, alarming many men
Who wanted to keep the Lord’s law hidden.
People proclaimed in every town and city,
As far as the endless seas surrounding the land, 990
That the long-buried cross of Christ had been found,
The most sacred symbol of victory ever raised
Under the realm of heaven, the holy rood.
This was the greatest of griefs to the Jews,
The hardest of fates to the fierce unbelievers, 995
Because they could not unravel that revelation,
Undo that act for all the will in the world,
But it was a boon and blessing to all Christians.
Then the queen commanded messengers sent
Across the sea to Rome to announce to the emperor, 1000
That bold warrior and wise leader, the great news—
That the rood had been recovered by the grace of God,
The cross which had been concealed for so long
To the endless distress of all devout Christians.
When he heard this news, the king rejoiced, 1005
His heart gladdened, his spirit soared.
Multitudes came from afar, robed in riches,
Gathered in gold, to hear those tidings.
The king and his company found comfort and joy
In the messenger’s welcome words from abroad 1010
That the queen had been so successful in sailing
Across the swan-road to discover the rood.
The emperor commanded the queen and her troops
To ready themselves for the return voyage.
No one hesitated when they heard that news. 1015
Constantine then sent soldiers and envoys
Carrying messages to his victorious mother,
Hoping that they would survive the wave-tumult
And arrive safely at the holy city.
He directed his mother to build a church, 1020
A temple of God, on Calvary hill
For the sake of Christ and the comfort of men,
Where the rood had been raised, a tree of glory,
A beam beyond any other found on earth.
So the queen followed her Son’s commands 1025