* * * * *
milde, gemetfæst. Hē is monþwǣre,
lufsum and lēoftæl: nele lāþes wiht
ǣ[ng]um geæfnan būtan þām āttorsceaþan,
his fyrngeflitan, þe ic ǣr fore sægde.
35 Symle, fylle fægen, þonne fōddor þigeð,
æfter þām gereordum ræste sēceð,
dȳgle stōwe under dūnscrafum;
ðǣr se þēo[d]wiga þrēonihta fæc
swifeð on swe[_o_]fote, slǣpe gebiesga[d].
40 Þonne ellenrōf ūp āstondeð,
þrymme gewelga[d], on þone þriddan dæg,
snēome of slǣpe. Swēghlēoþor cymeð,
wōþa wynsumast, þurh þæs wildres mūð;
æfter pære stefne stenc ūt cymeð
45 of þām wongstede-- wynsumra stēam,
swēttra and swīþra, swæcca gehwylcum,
wyrta blōstmum and wudublēdum,
eallum æþelīcra eorþan frætw[um].
* * * * *
From all disturbing passion. Gracious, kind,
And full of love, he meditates no harm
But to that venomous foe, as I have told,
His ancient enemy.
Once he has rejoiced
His heart with feasting, straight he finds a nook
Hidden among dim caves, his resting-place.
There three nights' space, in deepest slumber wrapped,
The people's champion lies. Then, stout of heart,
The third day he arises fresh from sleep,
Endowed with glory. From the creature's mouth
Issues a melody of sweetest strains;
And close upon the voice a balmy scent
Fills all the place--an incense lovelier,
Sweeter, and abler to perfume the air,
Than any odor of an earthly flower
Or scent of woodland fruit, more excellent
* * * * *
it. Kind, attractive, and friendly, he has no thought of doing harm to
any save the envenomed foe, his ancient adversary of whom I spoke.
When, delighting in a feast, he has partaken of food, ever at the end of
the meal he betakes himself to his resting-place, a hidden retreat among
the mountain-caves; there the champion of his race, overcome by sleep,
abandons himself to slumber for the space of three nights. Then the
dauntless one, replenished with vigor, straightway arises from sleep
when the third day has come. A melody, the most ravishing of strains,
flows from the wild beast's mouth; and, following the music, there
issues a fragrance from the place--a fume more transporting, sweet, and
strong than any odor whatever, than blossoms of plants or fruits of the
forest, choicer
* * * * *
Þonne of ceastrum and cynestōlum
50 and of burgsalum beornþrēat monig
farað foldwegum folca þrȳþum;
ēoredcystum, ofestum gefȳsde,
dareðlācende --dēor [s]wā some--
æfter þǣre stefne on þone stenc farað.
55 Swā is Dryhten God, drēama Rǣdend,
eallum ēaðmēde ōþrum gesceaftum,
duguða gehwylcre, būtan dracan ānum,
āttres ordfruman-- þæt is se ealda fēond
þone hē gesǣlde in sūsla grund,
60 and gefetrade fȳrnum tēagum,
biþeahte þrēanȳdum; and þȳ þriddan dæge
of dīgle ārās, þæs þe hē dēað fore ūs
þrēo niht þolade, Þēoden engla,
sigora Sellend. Þæt wæs swēte stenc,
65 wlitig and wynsum, geond woruld ealle.
Siþþan tō þām swicce sōðfæste men,
* * * * *
Than all this world's adornments. Then from town
And palace, then from castle-hall, come forth
Along the roads great troops of hurrying men--
The very beasts come also; all press on
Toward that sweet odor, when the voice is stilled.
Such as this creature is the Lord our God,
Giver of joys, to all creation kind,
To men benignant, save alone to him,
The dragon, author of all wickedness,
Satan, the ancient adversary whom,
Fettered with fire, shackled with dire constraint,
Into the pit of torments God cast down.
The third day Christ arose from out the grave,
For three nights having suffered death for us,
He, Lord of angels, he in whom alone
Is hope of overcoming. Far and wide
The tidings spread, like perfume fresh and sweet,
Through all the world. Then to that fragrance thronged
* * * * *
than aught that clothes the earth with beauty. Thereupon from cities,
courts, and castle-halls many companies of heroes flock along the
highways of earth; the wielders of the spear press forward in hurrying
throngs to that perfume--and so also do animals--when once the music has
ceased.
Even so the Lord God, the Giver of joy, is gracious to all creatures, to
every order of them, save only the dragon, the source of venom, that
ancient enemy whom he bound in the abyss of torments; shackling him with
fiery fetters, and loading him with dire constraints, he arose from
darkness on the third day after he, the Lord of angels, the Bestower of
victory, had for three nights endured death on our behalf. That was a
sweet perfume throughout the world, winsome and entrancing. Henceforth,
* * * * *
on healfa gehwone, hēapum þrungon
geond ealne ymbhwyrft eorþan scēat[a].
Swā se snottra gecwæð Sanctus Paulus:
70 'Monigfealde sind geond middangeard
gōd ungnȳðe þe ūs tō giefe dǣleð
and tō feorhnere Fæder ælmihtig,
and se ānga Hyht ealra gesceafta
uppe ge niþre.' Þæt is æþele stenc.
* * * * *
From every side all men whose hearts were true,
Throughout the regions of the circled earth.
Thus spoke the wise St. Paul: 'In all the world
His gifts are many, which he gives to us
For our salvation with unstinting hand,
Almighty Father, he, the only Hope
Of all in heaven or here below on earth.'
This is that noble fragrance, rare and sweet,
Which draws all men to seek it from afar.
* * * * *
through the whole extent of earth's regions, righteous men have streamed
in multitudes from every side to that fragrance. As said the wise St.
Paul: 'Manifold over the world are the lavish bounties which the Father
almighty, the Hope of all creatures above and below, bestows on us as
grace and salvation.' That, too, is a sweet odor.