Striving in strength and with steadfast heart,
830 He began to delve for the glorious tree
Under its covering of turf, till at twenty feet
Below the surface concealed he found
Shut out from sight, under the shelving cliff,
In the chasm of darkness --three crosses he found,
In their gloomy grave together he found them,--
835 Grimy all over, as in ancient days
The unrighteous race had wrapped them in earth,
The sinful Jews. Against the Son of God
They showed their hate as they should not have done
Had they not harkened to the behests of the devil.
840 Then blithe was his heart and blissful within him.
His soul was inspired by the sacred tree.
His heart was emboldened when he beheld that beacon
Holy and deep hidden. With his hands he seized
The radiant cross of heaven, and with his host he raised it
845 From its grave in the earth. The guests from afar
And princes and aethelings went all to the town.
In her sight they set the three sacred trees,
The proud valiant men, plain to be seen
Before Elene's knee. And now was joy
850 In the heart of the Queen; she inquired of the men
On which of the crosses the crucified Lord,
The heavenly Hope-giver, hung in pain:
"Lo! we have heard from the holy books
It told for a truth that two of them
855 Suffered with him and himself was the third
On the hallowed tree. The heavens were darkened
In that terrible time. Tell, if you can,
On which of these roods the Ruler of angels,
The Savior of men suffered his death.
860 In no wise could Judas --for he knew not at all--
Clearly reveal that victory tree
On which the Lord was lifted high,
The son of God, but they set, by his order,
In the very middle of the mighty city
865 The towering trees to tarry there,
Till the Almighty King should manifest clearly
Before the multitude the might of that marvelous rood.
The assembly sat, their song uplifted;
They mused in their minds on the mystery trees
870 Until the ninth hour when new delight grew
Through a marvelous deed. --There a multitude came,
Of folk not a little, and, lifted among them,
There was borne on a bier by brave-hearted men
Nigh to the spot --it was the ninth hour--
875 A lifeless youth. Then was lifted the heart
Of Judas in great rejoicing and gladness.
He commanded them to set the soulless man,
With life cut off, the corpse on the earth,
Bereft of life, and there was raised aloft
880 By the proclaimer of justice, the crafty of heart,
The trusty in counsel, two of the crosses
Over that house of death. It was dead as before
The body fast to the bier: about the chill limbs
Was grievous doom. Then began the third cross
885 To be lifted aloft. There lay the body,
Until above him was reared the rood of the Lord,
The holy cross of heaven's King,
The sign of salvation. He soon arose
With spirit regained, and again were joined
890 Body and soul. Unbounded was the praise
And fair of the folk. The Father they thanked
And the true and sacred Son of the Almighty
With gracious words. --Glory and praise be his
Always without end from every creature.
829. After Constantine has accepted Christianity, his mother Helena
(Elene) undertakes a pilgrimage to the Holy Land for the purpose of
discovering the true cross. After many failures she finally learns
where it is hidden. The passage here translated relates the discovery
of the cross.
_b_. ANONYMOUS POEMS OF THE CYNEWULFIAN SCHOOL