Old English Poems Part 9

Their proud works of war now lie waste and deserted; This fortress has fallen. Its defenders lie low, Its repairmen perished. Thus the palace stands dreary, And its purple expanse; despoiled of its tiles 30 Is the roof of the dome. The ruin sank to earth, Broken in heaps --there where heroes of yore, Glad-hearted and gold-bedecked, in gorgeous array, Wanton with wine-drink in war-trappings shone: They took joy in jewels and gems of great price, 35 In treasure untold and in topaz-stones, In the firm-built fortress of a far-stretching realm.

The stone courts stood; hot streams poured forth, Wondrously welled out. The wall encompa.s.sed all In its bright embrace. Baths were there then, 40 Hot all within --a healthful convenience.

They let then pour . . . . . . . . . .

Over the h.o.a.ry stones the heated streams, Such as never were seen by our sires till then.

Hringmere was its name . . . . . . . . . .

45 The baths were there then; then is . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . That is a royal thing In a house . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14-18. The text is too corrupt to permit of reconstruction. A literal translation of the fragmentary lines has been given in order to show the student something of the loss we have suffered in not having the whole of this finely conceived lament for fallen grandeur. The line numbers are those of Kluge's text.

II. CHRISTIAN POETRY

1. CaeDMONIAN SCHOOL

[Concerning the man Caedmon, we have nothing but Bede's account in his _Ecclesiastical History_ (see p. 179 below) and Caedmon's Hymn.

_Genesis_ was first published in Amsterdam 1655, next in 1752. The first editions brought _Genesis_ under Caedmon's name, because of Bede's account. There is, however, no such clue in the ma.n.u.script. The a.s.signment of _Genesis_ to Caedmon was questioned by Hicks as early as 1689. The Caedmonian authors.h.i.+p was defended in the early part of the nineteenth century by Conybeare and Thorpe. It is now agreed that all the Caedmonian Paraphrases are probably by different authors.

Cf. A. S. Cook, "The Name Caedmon," _Publications of the Modern Language a.s.sociation of America_, vi, 9, and "Caedmon and the Ruthwell Cross,"

_Modern Language Notes_, v, 153.]

CaeDMON'S HYMN

[Text used: Kluge, _Angelsachsisches Lesebuch_.

Prose translation: Kennedy, _The Caedmon Poems_, p. xvii.

The poem is interesting in that it is found in two texts, the Northumbrian and the West Saxon. It is the only thing we have that was undoubtedly written by Caedmon.]

Now shall we praise the Prince of heaven, The might of the Maker and his manifold thought, The work of the Father: of what wonders he wrought The Lord everlasting, when he laid out the worlds.

5 He first raised up for the race of men The heaven as a roof, the holy Ruler.

Then the world below, the Ward of mankind, The Lord everlasting, at last established As a home for man, the Almighty Lord.

_Primo cantavit_ Caedmon _istud carmen_.

6. The many synonyms (known as "kennings") make this pa.s.sage impossible to translate into smooth English. This fact is true in a measure of all old English poetry, but it is especially the case with this hymn.

BEDE'S DEATH SONG

[Text used: Kluge, _Angelsachsisches Lesebuch_.

This poem was attributed to Bede, who died in 735, by his pupil, Cuthbert, who translated it into Latin. The Northumbrian version is in a ma.n.u.script at St. Gall.

These verses are examples of gnomic poetry, which was very popular in Old English literature. Miss Williams, in her _Gnomic Poetry in Anglo-Saxon_ (Columbia University Press, 1914), p. 67, says that this is the earliest gnomic expression in Old English for which a definite date may be set.

Text criticism: Charlotte D'Evelyn, "Bede's Death Song," _Modern Language Notes_, x.x.x, 31.]

Before leaving this life there lives no one Of men of wisdom who will not need To consider and judge, ere he sets on his journey, What his soul shall be granted of good or evil-- 5 After his day of death what doom he shall meet.

1. Bede, the author of the _Ecclesiastical History of England_, was the greatest figure in the English church of the seventh and eighth centuries.

SELECTIONS FROM GENESIS

[The poem readily divides itself into two parts: _Genesis A_, the bulk of the poem, and _Genesis B_, lines 235-853. The latter is a translation from the Old Saxon. The pa.s.sage here translated is from _Genesis A_.

GENESIS A

Critical edition of _Genesis A_: F. Holthausen, _Die altere Genesis_, Heidelberg, 1914.

Translation: C. W. Kennedy, _The Caedmon Poems_, New York, 1916, p. 7.

Partial translation: W. F. H. Bosanquet, _The Fall of Man or Paradise Lost of Caedmon_, London, 1869.

Date and place: Early eighth century; Northern England. The author was obviously acquainted with _Beowulf_.

Source: Vulgate Bible; first twenty-two chapters.]

The Offering of Isaac

2845 Then the powerful King put to the test His trusted servant; tried him sorely To learn if his love was lasting and certain.

With strongest words he sternly said to him: "Hear me and hasten hence, O Abraham.

2850 As thou leavest, lead along with thee Thy own child Isaac! As an offering to me Thyself shalt sacrifice thy son with thy hands.

When thy steps have struggled up the steep hill-side, To the height of the land which from here I shall show you-- 2855 When thine own feet have climbed, there an altar erect me, Build a fire for thy son; and thyself shalt kill him With the edge of the sword as a sacrifice to me; Let the black flame burn the body of that dear one."

He delayed not his going, but began at once 2860 To prepare for departure: he was compelled to obey The angel of the Lord, and he loved his G.o.d.

And then the faultless father Abraham Gave up his night's rest; he by no means failed To obey the Lord's bidding, but the blessed man 2865 Girded his gray sword, G.o.d's spirit he showed That he bore in his breast. His beasts then he fed, This aged giver of gold. To go on the journey Two young men he summoned: his son made the third; He himself was the fourth. He set forward eagerly 2870 From his own home and Isaac with him, The child ungrown, as charged by his G.o.d.

Then he hurried ahead and hastened forth Along the paths that the Lord had pointed, The way through the waste; till the wondrous bright 2875 Dawn of the third day over the deep water Arose in radiance. Then the righteous man Saw the hill-tops rise high around him, As the holy Ruler of heaven had shown him.

Then Abraham said to his serving-men: 2880 "O men of mine, remain here now Quietly in this place! We shall quickly return When we two have performed the task before us Which the Sovereign of souls has a.s.signed us to do."

The old man ascended with his own son 2885 To the place which the Lord had appointed for them, Went through the wealds; the wood Isaac carried-- His father the fire and the sword. Then first inquired The boy young in winters, in these words of Abraham: "Fire and sword, my father, we find here ready: 2890 Where is the glorious offering which to G.o.d on the altar Thou thinkest to bring and burn as a sacrifice?"