The Descent into Hell

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Ongunnon him on uhtan æþelcunde mægð
gierwan to geonge; wiston gumena gemot
æþelinges lic eorðærne biþeaht.
Woldan werigu wif wope bimænan

5

æþelinges deað ane hwile,
reonge bereotan. Ræst wæs acolad,
heard wæs hinsið; hæleð wæron modge,
þe hy æt þam beorge bliðe fundon.
Cwom seo murnende Maria on dægred,

10

heht hy oþre mid eorles dohtor.
Sohton sarigu tu sigebearn godes
ænne in þæt eorðærn þær hi ær wiston
þæt hine gehyddan hæleð Iudea;
wendan þæt he on þam beorge bidan sceolde,

15

ana in þære easterniht. Huru þæs oþer þing
wiston þa wifmenn, þa hy on weg cyrdon!
Ac þær cwom on uhtan an engla þreat,
behæfde heapa wyn hælendes burg.
Open wæs þæt eorðærn, æþelinges lic

20

onfeng feores gæst, folde beofode,
hlogan helwaran; hagosteald onwoc
modig from moldan, mægenþrym aras
sigefæst ond snottor. Sægde Iohannis,
hæleð helwarum, hlyhhende spræc

25

modig to þære mengo ymb his mæges ......:
"Hæfde me gehaten hælend user,
þa he me on þisne sið sendan wolde,
þæt he me gesoht... siex monað,
ealles folces fruma. Nu ...... sceacen.

30

Wene ic ful swiþe ond witod
...... to dæge dryhten wille
...... gesecan, sigebearn godes."
Fysde hine þa to fore frea moncynnes;
wolde heofona helm helle weallas

35

forbrecan ond forbygan, þære burge þrym
onginnan reafian, reþust ealra cyninga.
Ne rohte he to þære hilde helmberendra,
ne he byrnwigend to þam burggeatum
lædan ne wolde, ac þa locu feollan,

40

clustor of þam ceastrum; cyning in oþrad,
ealles folces fruma forð onette,
weoruda wuldorgiefa. Wræccan þrungon,
hwylc hyra þæt sygebearn geseon moste,
Adam ond Abraham, Isac ond Iacob,

45

monig modig eorl, Moyses ond Dauid,
Esaias ond Sacharias,
heahfædra fela, swylce eac hæleþa gemot,
witgena weorod, wifmonna þreat,
fela fæmnena, folces unrim.

50

Geseah þa Iohannis sigebearn godes
mid þy cyneþrymme cuman to helle,
ongeat þa geomormod godes sylfes sið.
Geseah he helle duru hædre scinan,
þa þe longe ær bilocen wæron,

55

beþeahte mid þystre; se þegn wæs on wynne.
Abead þa bealdlice burgwarena ord
modig fore þære mengo ond to his mæge spræc
ond þa wilcuman wordum grette:
"þe þæs þonc sie, þeoden user,

60

þæt þu us... ...ige secan woldest,
nu we on þissum bendum bidan ......
þonne monige bindeð broþorleasne
wræccan ...... (he bið wide fah),
ne bið he no þæs nearwe under niðloc...

65

þæs bitre gebunden under bealuclommum,
þæt he þy yð ne mæge ellen habban,
þonne he his hlafordes hyldo gelyfeð,
þæt hine of þam bendum bicgan wille.
Swa we ealle to þe an gelyfað,

70

dryhten min se dyra. Ic adreag fela
siþþan þu end to me in siþadest,
þa þu me gesealdest sweord ond byrnan,
helm ond heorosceorp, (a ic þæt heold nu giet),
ond þu me gecyðdest, cyneþrymma wyn,

75

þæt þu mundbora minum wære.
Eala Gabrihel, hu þu eart gleaw ond scearp,
milde ond gemyndig ond monþwære,
wis on þinum gewitte ond on þinum worde snottor!
þæt þu gecyðdest þa þu þone cnyht to us

80

brohtest in Bethlem. Bidan we þæs longe,
setan on sorgum, sibbe oflyste,
wynnum ond wenum, hwonne we word godes
þurh his sylfes muð secgan hyrde.
Eala Maria, hu þu us modigne

85

cyning acendest, þa þu þæt cild to us
brohtest in Bethlem. We þæs beofiende
under helle dorum hearde sceoldon
bidan in bendum. Bona weorces gefeah;
wæron ure ealdfind ealle on wynnum

90

þonne hy gehyrdon hu we hreowen...
...on murnende mægburg usse,
oþþæt ...... sigedryhten god,
bimengdes... ...gust ealra cyninga.
nu us mon modge þe

95

ageaf from usse geogoðe. We þurh gifre mod
beswican us sylfe; we þa synne forþon
berað in urum breostum to bonan honda,
sculon eac to ussum feondum freoþo wilnian.
Eala Hierusalem in Iudeum,

100

hu þu in þære stowe stille gewunadest!
Ne mostan þe geondferan foldbuende
ealle lifgende, þa þe lof singað.
Eala Iordane in Iudeum,
hu þu in þære stowe stille gewunadest!

105

Nales þu geondflowan foldbuende;
mostan hy þynes wætres wynnum brucan.
Nu ic þe halsie, hælend user,
deope in gedyrstum, (þu eart dryhten Crist),
þæt þu us gemiltsie, monna scyppend.

110

þu fore monna lufan þinre modor bosm
sylfa gesohtes, sigedryhten god,
nales fore þinre þearfe, þeoda waldend,
ac for þam miltsum þe þu moncynne
oft ætywdest, þonne him wæs are þearf.

115

þu meaht ymbfon eal folca gesetu,
swylce þu meaht geriman, rice dryhten,
sæs sondgrotu, selast ealra cyninga.
Swylce ic þe halsige, hælend user,
fore ...inum cildhade, cyninga selast,

120

ond fore þære wunde, weoruda dry...
þinum æriste, æþelinga wyn,
ond fore þinre me... ...ian nama,
þa ealle hellwara hergað ond lof...
...lum þe þe ymb stondað,

125

þa þu þe lete sittan ...... hond,
þa þu us on þisne wræcsið, weoroda dryhten,
þurh þines sylfes geweald secan woldest,
ond fore Hierusalem in Iudeum,
(sceal seo burg nu þa bidan efne swa þeah,

130

þeoden leofa, þines eftcymes),
ond for Iordane in Iudeum,
(wit unc in þære burnan baþodan ætgædre).
Oferwurpe þu mid þy wætre, weoruda dryhten,
bliþe mode ealle burgwaran,

135

swylce git Iohannis in Iordane
mid þy fullwihte fægre onbryrdon
ealne þisne middangeard. Sie þæs symle meotude þonc!"