The Dream of the Rood
Posted on April 12th, 2009
So how is everyone spending their Easter weekend? Even if you’re Christian or not it’s still a nice celebration~~ chocolate, eggs, hot cross buns, yum~ I’m always up for a steaming hot bun~ Had some great Alfredo pasta at Lygon yesterday and the restaurant mini-chocolate eggs at the counter so my friend and I took one.
On a poetry comm I watch, someone posted an old Easter poem. It brought back a few memories since I learned it during that random semester of Old English. It is one of my favourite poems and the language is just beautiful and powerful. It is a poem told from the eyes of the tree that was made into the cross Jesus was crucified on.
Dream of the Rood, author unknown (my favourite bits)
Source for both versions.
“The young hero stripped himself then (that was God Almighty),
40 strong and resolute. He ascended onto the high gallows,
brave in the sight of many, there, [since] he wished to release mankind.
I trembled when the man embraced me. However, I dared not bow down to the earth,
fall to the surface of the earth, but I had to stand fast.
I was raised [as a] cross. I lifted up the mighty king,
45 the lord of the heavens; I dared not bend down.
They pierced me with dark nails. On me, the scars are visible,
open malicious wounds. I did not dare injure any of them.
They mocked both of us, together. I was all drenched with blood,
covered from the man’s side, after he had sent forth his spirit.
50 I endured many cruel events
on that hill. I saw the Lord of Hosts
severely stretched out. Darkness
had covered the bright radiance
of the Lord’s corpse with clouds, a shadow went forth,
55 dark under the sky. All of creation wept,
they lamented the king’s death. Christ was on the cross.”
Ahh, for some reasion WP is not displaying some of the Old English characters properly so just go to the source link I provided above if you want to look at the original Old English text. That said, I really need to brush up my Old English. There are so many hidden gems in the literature of that time.
Resurrection
“95 Now I command you, my beloved warrior,
that you tell this vision to men,
reveal in words that it is the tree of glory,
on which Almighty God suffered
for mankind’s many sins
100 and Adam’s deeds of old,
He tasted death there. However, the Lord arose again
to help men with his great power.
Then he ascended into the heavens.
etc etc…
May the Lord be a friend to me,
145 who suffered here on earth before
on the gallows-tree for men’s sins;
he redeemed us and gave us life,
a heavenly home. Joy was restored
with blessings and with bliss, for those who endured the fire there…”
Filed under: faith, literature, poetry