Wonders, of contemplating this grand creation,
Of acting wholly and wisely in the world.
Understand this lesson—learn this lore.
Let me tell you first of the Creator’s power,
His everywhere abundance, his mind and might: 30
It is greater than yours no matter how quick
Your intelligence, how deep your understanding.
Your mind cannot grasp his infinite wisdom,
His grandeur, his glory. No earth-walker,
No dust-dweller, can wrap his mind around God’s 35
Magnificent work any more than the Lord grants,
According to his plain purpose, his high decree.
We must always give thanks to the Prince of peoples,
Our eternal Lord, both now and forever,
Who grants us grace, a radiance of spirit, 40
So we may rise up to the heavenly realm
If we obey the commands of the King of heaven
And are not found wanting at last in our souls.
Hear this praise-song. In the beginning,
Almighty God the Father, Guardian of all gifts, 45
Created heaven and earth, the fathoms and floor
Of the wide seas, and all the world’s creatures
Visible and variable. Through God’s guidance,
They praise his everlasting purpose and power,
Raising their reverent songs to his high splendor. 50
Our great Creator wove the world as one,
Shaping all creatures with craft and purpose.
Everyone moved as the mover intended
In his majesty and meaning according to his laws.
So all things brighten and bear his glory. 55
All things ring round the world, praising him,
Following his artful, original word,
Dwelling in the places where he justly put them,
Following the course that the Lord commanded.
The seas keep their boundaries; the sun and stars, 60
Heaven’s candles, hold their bright places,
Maintaining their course. The blessed Lord of life
Leads all of creation, directs all beings,
All doings, in his fathomless embrace.
All life is drawn into his heart’s hold. 65
He is the gentlest of judges, who shaped this life.
Each morning the sun rises, bright and beautiful,
Over the misty hills, the dark horizon,
Walks out of the east over the waves,
Wondrously adorned at the day’s dawn. 70
The brightest of flames, a lustrous light,
Shines on the living, the torch of God.
It is a source of splendor, magnificent to men
On earth who have been given the gift of sight
By the Creator and King. Then the glorious star 75
Sails off into the western sky like a wanderer
Until it dives down in the last touch of twilight
Into the deep waters of the western seas.
Night follows according to the Lord’s natural laws.
The sun sails downward into darkness, 80
Shining somewhere on secret roads
Under earth’s embrace, behind the world.
No man is so wise that he knows the way
This traveler takes, or where the bright blaze
Hides its light, brilliant as gold, 85
How it sails over the plains into the endless edge
Of darkness and beneath the surging seas,
Or what earth-dweller in an unknown land
Might still see the sun’s splendor
Across the ocean while we sleep in darkness. 90
Thus the Lord with unfolding purpose
And unending knowledge shaped the world—
The day with the night, the deep with the high,
The wind with the water, the land with the sea,
The field with the flood, the fish with the waves. 95
These works do not weaken but weather well.
He keeps them strong, maintains the muscle
And sinew of each splendor, so that each remains
Steadfast, firmly in the grasp of God’s hands.
His glorious power is the source of all standing. 100
Those who dwell in the Lord’s keeping,
In God’s household, are eternally blessed,
Surrounded by joy. They live with a beloved host,
Countless throngs of saints and angels,
In the company of the glorious King of heaven, 105
Gazing on his radiance with devoted eyes,
In full faith. They have enough of everything.
Who sees the light knows who made the eyes;
Who loves the Lord lacks nothing.
In heaven’s hall there is faith and feasting, 110
Radiance and revelry, the music of angels,
And the eternal comfort of the King of glory.
So each person must resolve to serve God.
Let each of the children of earth forsake
All empty desires, all idle pleasures, 115
All fleeting joys, all transient treasures,
And aspire to that abounding heavenly bliss
Among the blessed, where all sin is shed,
All evil eradicated, all malice undone
By God’s mercy in that better kingdom. 120
THE RHYMING POEM
This poem is among the most difficult to translate in the OE corpus. It has not only the traditional alliterative, strong-stress constraints in each line but also rhyming half-lines—all of which make the poem nearly impossible to reproduce in modern English. It was probably difficult to produce in the original as well, since many of the words which enable the scheme are rare or nonce words, and this unrecognizability has produced scribal corruption in a number of places. The translation here makes use of off-and slant-rhymes, sometimes in succeeding lines, to allow for more flexibility. Macrae-Gibson notes in his edition of the poem that in the “writing of alliterative verse with end-rhyme, the poet is simply … adopting a device already established as an occasional feature, used by Cynewulf to lend weight to passages of emotional intensity, and extending it to give intensity to a whole poem” (5). Klinck, in her edition, classifies this poem as an elegy like The Wanderer and The Seafarer, noting that it divides into two halves: “The poem contrasts the speaker’s former happy and prosperous state with his present bitterness, and links his decline to the corruption of the world generally … and like [those elegies] moves towards a homiletic close, admonishing us to seek the joy in heaven which will not fade” (40–41). Finally, the speaker must give up his lichoma or “corpse-house” and find a home in heaven.
The Rhyming Poem
I was given life by the Lord of heaven,
Who brightly and boldly unfurled the light.
I was dressed in bliss, in blessed colors,
In blossoming hues, the truest shades.
My robes were a bouquet at the banquet— 5
Men gazed at my beauty, my blaze.
I went riding on rich horses striding
Across the plains, stretching, straining
Their muscles in whinnies and whistles,
Their heads brushing the boughs rushing by. 10
Then the world was quickened with thick growth,
Alive with shoots, seeds becoming
Blossoming fruits, grains growing on earth.
Guests came by, trying to mix and mingle,
Talking lightly, dressed in delightful clothes. 15
My ship came guided, gliding over the sea,
Sailing windward, never failing me.
In the high hall my rank was great,
My brave troops riding with a regal gait.
Each warrior wanted to see and celebrate 20
Some great treasure, a weight of gold and gems.
As I was proud,
puffed up with power,
Prudent men praised me, raised my image;
Brave men protected me from bitter enemies.
So power and pleasure lifted up my spirit. 25
My thanes and retainers were always nearby.
I held and harvested the land, commanded men,
Sat on a high throne, thriving, contriving glory,
Growing vain, never failing old friends.
Everything was smooth sailing, a plain joy. 30
My history was like a shaper’s story,
Chanted with charmed words. I held fate
At arm’s length—no frailty, just strength.
That was a time of singing, of harp-strings,
Of magical words. No sound of treachery 35
Was heard. Peace delivered an end
To the river of tears. Servants hastened to serve,
The lyre was plucked, bright song rang
In the hall, melody swelled to the ceiling—
There was no feeling of fear, no stealing 40
Of fortune or faith, blessing or boon.
The bright hall reverberated with bliss;
Nothing diminished, courage increased,
Wealth never dwindled, song never ceased.
Wisdom flourished as well as faith; 45
Nothing fell into ruin. I gave out gold,
Turned treasure into everyone’s pleasure,
Sold protection, bought trust, brought fame home,
Gathered land, leaned toward glory.
My robes were elegant, my kingdom magnificent. 50
Now my heart is troubled, my spirit trembles;
The times are twisted, danger persists.
A warrior loved by day flees by night,
His bold courage now cold in sudden flight.
Some secret curse comes shrithing 55
To the once blithe hall, sits on the soul
Where a treasure burns. Nothing turns it aside.
Some endless evil, some bottomless grief,
Steals in the mind like a cunning thief,
Razes all kind thought, all hope to thrive. 60
The weary one struggles, wants to walk away,
But the road goes nowhere—every sign says,
“Turn back” or “No Rest Here.”
Pain shows no pity—no respite but despair.
The will is weak, desire droops and curls, 65
No-faith follows, the heart heaves
Its last, its least—all harrows, all hollows.
Joy fades, lordships fall. Sin spreads
Its wide net, shame serves, pleasure pains.
Thus the world winds down. Hope drowns. 70
The battle-spear rends, sends man down,
The fletched arrow rips flesh, slaughter sings,
Thrift falters, debt stings,
Old age cuts courage, exile binds,
Finds no known friends, no known sayings. 75
Wealth fails, vows begin to bail,
Anger burrows in, wrath reigns.
The barrow holds the brave, the world
Turns cruel, cunning rules everywhere.
Commanding fate keeps demanding: 80
“Dig a hole for yourself, a grim grave;
You’ve earned it, your flesh cannot flee.”
I am fate’s servant: Death’s arrow
Flies toward my last day, its talon
Grasps my living, tears out a gasp, 85
Shatters my bone-house, my soul’s home.
Then the body lies low, deceased,
Its cold-cut heart, a worm’s feast—
Home alone down to the bone.
Fame is memory—what’s left remains. 90
A wise man knows well what ails, what aids him.
The taste of sin is thin and bittersweet;
God’s bread is whole and soul-sustaining.
Heaven is our haven, mercy our salvation.
Let’s flee from evil, see God’s blessing, 95
Sing like saints separated from sin,
Live in God’s love, rejoice in his judgment,
Hasten home to him, our place of peace.
PHYSIOLOGUS I: THE PANTHER
The Old English Physiologus is a poem that contains separate but related allegorical poems, beginning with The Panther and The Whale. A third poem, a fragment of one and one-half lines, is about a bird of some sort, possibly a partridge or phoenix. Some editors include the fragmentary poem, Homiletic Fragment III, as part of the bird poem (see below). Marckwardt and Rosier note that “the medieval Latin versions of the Greek Physiologus (or Bestiary, as it was sometimes later called) contained between twenty-six and forty-nine chapters, each devoted to a real or legendary creature together with its interpreted moral or theological significance” (236). Greenfield says that the poem treats the themes of salvation and damnation allegorically as it “describes the traits and actions of birds and animals—these do not necessarily bear any resemblance to natural history—and then didactically explicates their significance in terms of God, Christ, mankind, or the devil” (Greenfield and Calder, 241).
The panther here is associated with Christ, probably because of a mistranslation of the word for “lion” in a rare reference to the Lord in Hosea where the Septuagint has “panther” instead of “lion.” The Christlike beast, handsome and exotic, is friendly to all creatures except the serpent or dragon who represents his archenemy Satan in this particular allegory. The panther has a magical coat of many colors like that of Joseph, its “luminous hues” an indication of its compelling beauty. The panther eats its fill, then sleeps in a cave for three nights, increasing its power. This corresponds to the period of Christ’s entombment after the crucifixion, during which time he harrowed hell and left the Devil enchained. At the end of this period, the panther emerges from the cave and emits an alluring music and scent from its mouth, which symbolizes the redemptive grace of the resurrection. The musical scent (or the perfumed melody) draws the faithful to him. The implicit connection between Christ and the panther is made explicit in the concluding half of the poem.
Physiologus I: The Panther
There are many creatures on middle-earth
Whose nature and origin we cannot know,
Whose numbers we cannot easily count—
Birds and beasts on air and land
Who wander to the water at earth’s edge, 5
Where the rolling waves, the roiling seas,
Surround the shores, embracing earth.
We’ve heard about one curious kind
Of wild creature, an exotic animal
Who inhabits the hills in distant lands, 10
Living in caves. It’s called the panther—
As the wise sons of men say in writings
About this wild wanderer, this beautiful beast.
He’s a friend to all except the serpent,
The devilish dragon, whom he hates and harrows, 15
Fighting that fierce fiend at every opportunity.
The panther has a coat of many colors.
Just as holy men say that Joseph’s coat,
A delight of dyes, a catch of colors,
Was brighter, more beautiful and varied 20
Than any worn by the children of men—
So the panther’s coat has luminous hues,
A rainbow range, a shimmering skin,
Each color brighter, more beautiful than the next—
The fairest of furs, the sleekest of skins. 25
This panther is unique, one of a kind—
Mild and meek, gentle and loving.
He will harm no creature except his foe,
His ancient enemy, the poisonous serpent,
The dangerous demon, whom I’ve mentioned before. 30
When the panther is full, pleased with his feast,
He seeks out his secret resting place,
His cave in the hills, where he sleeps soundly
For three nights, slumb
er-fast, storing strength.
Then on the third day when mind and muscle 35
Have grown great, there comes quickly
From the mighty beast’s mouth, strange music,
A sonorous mewing, a miraculous song.
After that melody, a strange smell rises
And plays like perfume in that same place, 40
Sweeter and stronger than any scent,
Than the blooms and blossoms of any plant,
Any flower in the wood, any fairness on earth.
Then from all the cities and kingdoms,
From the houses and halls, multitudes of men 45
Take to the roads, throng the earth-ways,
Hasten along with all the animals to the hills—
A company of creatures to the scent and song.
Likewise the Lord God, our ruler and redeemer,
Our judge and joy, giver of all gifts, 50
Earthly and eternal, is gentle to all creatures
Except the serpent, the bitter enemy,
The devious dragon, the source of all poison,
Who is God’s enemy, his fiendish foe,
Whom he bound hard in hell’s torments, 55
Wrapped in chains of fire, blazing fetters,
Sheathed in misery. Then on the third day
The Lord rose from the grave, from a strange and secret
Sleep where he suffered death for us all,
The prince of angels, the giver of glory, 60
Who died for our sake. That was a sweet smell,
Beautiful as a song that blessed the world.
Righteous men came from all over creation
Seeking that scent. So Saint Paul said,
There are many good things on middle-earth 65
Granted by God, the giver of gifts,
Ruler of rewards, our Savior and Redeemer,
The only hope of all earth’s creatures
Above and below. What draws us to God
Is the finest fragrance, the sweetest scent. 70
PHYSIOLOGUS II: THE WHALE
In The Whale, the second part of the Physiologus, Marckwardt and Rosier point to a mistranslation from earlier versions of the poem, where the creature is called “Fastitocalon,” which is probably derived from an Irish-Latin form of the Greek word for “shield-turtle” (237). The name lost its meaning to the Anglo-Saxons and was used as a name for the satanic whale in this poem. The description of the whale seems more realistic than that of the panther, probably because the Anglo-Saxons knew something about whales. In this poem Satan is represented by the dangerous and deceptive whale, who floats like an island, drawing unwary sailors to his thick-skinned shore. The sailors, relieved to find a respite in the middle of the sea-strife, build a fire, share a feast, and lie down in trusting sleep. The whale then dives down with the men into the ocean’s depths to drown and devour them. The poet tells us that this is the way devils and demons lure unwitting men into evil ways, drawing them away from righteous people and tempting them to rely upon the judgment of the wicked. Once the Devil has them mired in sin, he bolts into hell, dragging them behind him, just like the whale.
The Complete Old English Poems Page 61