The Dream of the Rood

Hwæt! Ic swefna cyst    secgan wylle, hwæt me gemætte    to midre nihte, syðþan reordberend    reste wunedon! þuhte me þæt ic gesawe    syllicre treow

on lyft lædan,    leohte bewunden, beama beorhtost.    Eall þæt beacen wæs begoten mid golde.    Gimmas stodon fægere æt foldan sceatum,    swylce þær fife wæron uppe on þam eaxlegespanne.    Beheoldon þær engel dryhtnes ealle,

fægere þurh forðgesceaft.    Ne wæs ðær huru fracodes gealga, ac hine þær beheoldon    halige gastas, men ofer moldan,    ond eall þeos mære gesceaft. Syllic wæs se sigebeam,    ond ic synnum fah, forwunded mid wommum.    Geseah ic wuldres treow,

wædum geweorðode,    wynnum scinan, gegyred mid golde;    gimmas hæfdon bewrigene weorðlice    wealdendes treow. Hwæðre ic þurh þæt gold    ongytan meahte earmra ærgewin,    þæt hit ærest ongan

swætan on þa swiðran healfe.    Eall ic wæs mid sorgum gedrefed, forht ic wæs for þære fægran gesyhðe.    Geseah ic þæt fuse beacen wendan wædum ond bleom;    hwilum hit wæs mid wætan bestemed, beswyled mid swates gange,    hwilum mid since gegyrwed. Hwæðre ic þær licgende    lange hwile

beheold hreowcearig    hælendes treow, oððæt ic gehyrde    þæt hit hleoðrode. Ongan þa word sprecan    wudu selesta: "þæt wæs geara iu,    (ic þæt gyta geman), þæt ic wæs aheawen    holtes on ende,

astyred of stefne minum.    Genaman me ðær strange feondas, geworhton him þær to wæfersyne,    heton me heora wergas hebban. Bæron me ðær beornas on eaxlum,    oððæt hie me on beorg asetton, gefæstnodon me þær feondas genoge.    Geseah ic þa frean mancynnes efstan elne mycle    þæt he me wolde on gestigan.

þær ic þa ne dorste    ofer dryhtnes word bugan oððe berstan,    þa ic bifian geseah eorðan sceatas.    Ealle ic mihte feondas gefyllan,    hwæðre ic fæste stod. Ongyrede hine þa geong hæleð,    (þæt wæs god ælmihtig),

strang ond stiðmod.    Gestah he on gealgan

The Dream of the Rood

Listen, the best of dreams    let me tell you that I met with     near midnight when the spear-bearers    were sleeping. I thought I saw    a sparkling tree lifted on high,    laden with light, the brightest of trees.    All the beacon was gilded with gold;    gems gripped it gleaming across all earth,    and five of them were on the cross-beam.    I saw an angel chorus, beautiful creation;    no cruel gallows this: holy spirits    beheld it there, men throughout the world    and this wondrous creation.

Sublime, the tree was,    and I was foul with sin, wounded and filthy.    I saw the wondrous tree become more beautiful,    bound with streamers,

wound with gold;    gems gathered nobly covering    the King's tree. But through the gold    I could glimpse, though buried by sinfulness,    that it began to bleed on its right side.    I was racked with sorrow, afraid before that fair sight;    I saw that fine beacon change its colours;    it was moisture coated, furled in flows of blood,    then folded in treasure.

So I lay there    a long while sorrowfully staring at    the sacred tree, until I heard    how it spoke; the celestial wood    was saying these words:

"It was years ago,    or so I remember, that I was torn    from the trees' edge, ripped from my root.    Strong enemies gripped me, made me a spectacle,    swung their criminals from me; I carried men on my crossbeam    until I was fixed on a crag; many enemies set me there.    I saw mankind's Lord walk boldly, quickly,    eager to climb up. There I could not,    against the Creator's will, quiver or fall,    though I saw quake the earth's surface.    I was able to slaughter all the enemies,    but I stood firm. The young man, Heaven's King,    cast off his clothes, strong and firm spirited;    he stood on the gallows bravely, beheld by many,    to break mankind free. I trembled as the man embraced me;    I dared not topple to earth, fall to the ground;    I had to stand fast. As a cross I was raised,    carrying the mighty king, heaven's lord.    I could not lean away.

heanne, modig on manigra gesyhðe,    þa he wolde mancyn lysan. Bifode ic þa me se beorn ymbclypte.    Ne dorste ic hwæðre bugan to eorðan, feallan to foldan sceatum,    ac ic sceolde fæste standan. Rod wæs ic aræred.    Ahof ic ricne cyning,

heofona hlaford,    hyldan me ne dorste. þurhdrifan hi me mid deorcan næglum.    On me syndon þa dolg gesiene, opene inwidhlemmas.    Ne dorste ic hira nænigum sceððan. Bysmeredon hie unc butu ætgædere.    Eall ic wæs mid blode bestemed, begoten of þæs guman sidan,    siððan he hæfde his gast onsended.

Feala ic on þam beorge    gebiden hæbbe wraðra wyrda.    Geseah ic weruda god þearle þenian.    þystro hæfdon bewrigen mid wolcnum    wealdendes hræw, scirne sciman,    sceadu forðeode,

wann under wolcnum.    Weop eal gesceaft, cwiðdon cyninges fyll.    Crist wæs on rode. Hwæðere þær fuse    feorran cwoman to þam æðelinge.    Ic þæt eall beheold. Sare ic wæs mid sorgum gedrefed,    hnag ic hwæðre þam secgum to handa,

eaðmod elne mycle.    Genamon hie þær ælmihtigne god, ahofon hine of ðam hefian wite.    Forleton me þa hilderincas standan steame bedrifenne;    eall ic wæs mid strælum forwundod. Aledon hie ðær limwerigne,    gestodon him æt his lices heafdum, beheoldon hie ðær heofenes dryhten,    ond he hine ðær hwile reste,

meðe æfter ðam miclan gewinne.    Ongunnon him þa moldern wyrcan beornas on banan gesyhðe;    curfon hie ðæt of beorhtan stane, gesetton hie ðæron sigora wealdend.    Ongunnon him þa sorhleoð galan earme on þa æfentide,    þa hie woldon eft siðian, meðe fram þam mæran þeodne.    Reste he ðær mæte weorode.

Hwæðere we ðær greotende    gode hwile stodon on staðole,    syððan stefn up gewat hilderinca.    Hræw colode, fæger feorgbold.    þa us man fyllan ongan ealle to eorðan.    þæt wæs egeslic wyrd!

Bedealf us man on deopan seaþe.    Hwæðre me þær dryhtnes þegnas, freondas gefrunon,     ond gyredon me    golde ond seolfre. Nu ðu miht gehyran,    hæleð min se leofa,

They drove dark nails into me;    the dreadful cuts are still seen, open, malicious wounds;    I dared not harm one of them. They insulted us both together;    I was all besmeared with blood from the man's side    once he sent forth his spirit. On that hillside     I had to live through many loathsome fates;    I saw the Lord of Hosts terribly wracked;    darkness rolled over, covering with clouds    the Creator's sky; shadow swallowed    the shining light, lowering darkness.    All earth lamented, cried out the King's fall;    Christ was on the Cross. But then friends    came from far to the prince;    I perceived it all. I was torn sorely by sorrows,    but lay down, submitting with humble spirit.    They called on their high God, lifted up their tormented burden;    they left me there, standing stained with blood;    nails stabbed me.

"He had laid down his tired limbs,     they stood by his lordly head; they gazed at heaven's lord,    and he rested there a while weary after his great struggle.    They began to work on a tomb carving it from the stone    in the sight of his slayer. They set the mighty Lord inside    and began to lament, wretched as dusk fell,    that they must depart again, weary, from the renowned lord;    he remained, alone. We crosses waited there    a long while on our foundations;    the voice fell still in the man;    the corpse grew cold, the beautiful body.    Then men broke us trees all to the earth;    awful fate! We were thrown in a deep pit    but the Lord's thanes, his friends, found us     and graced me    with gold and silver."

"Now you may hear,    my beloved man, how wicked men    wore at me with sore sorrows.    The time has now come when I will be honoured    far and wide; men across earth    and all this glorious creation came to this cross.    On me the King's son suffered a while;    so I am now worshipped, towering under heaven,    and I can heal everyone    in awe of me. Before, I was given    the hardest blame, loathed by all,    until I life's way could clear    for mankind. So I am honoured    by the holy Lord, heaven's guardian,    over all great trees,

þæt ic bealuwara weorc    gebiden hæbbe,

sarra sorga.    Is nu sæl cumen þæt me weorðiað    wide ond side menn ofer moldan,    ond eall þeos mære gesceaft, gebiddaþ him to þyssum beacne.    On me bearn godes þrowode hwile.    Forþan ic þrymfæst nu

hlifige under heofenum,    ond ic hælan mæg æghwylcne anra,    þara þe him bið egesa to me.

Iu ic wæs geworden    wita heardost, leodum laðost,    ærþan ic him lifes weg rihtne gerymde,    reordberendum.

Hwæt, me þa geweorðode    wuldres ealdor ofer holmwudu,    heofonrices weard! Swylce swa he his modor eac,    Marian sylfe, ælmihtig god    for ealle menn geweorðode    ofer eall wifa cynn.

Nu ic þe hate,    hæleð min se leofa, þæt ðu þas gesyhðe    secge mannum, onwreoh wordum    þæt hit is wuldres beam, se ðe ælmihtig god    on þrowode for mancynnes    manegum synnum

ond Adomes    ealdgewyrhtum. Deað he þær byrigde,    hwæðere eft dryhten aras mid his miclan mihte    mannum to helpe. He ða on heofenas astag.    Hider eft fundaþ on þysne middangeard    mancynn secan

on domdæge    dryhten sylfa, ælmihtig god,    ond his englas mid, þæt he þonne wile deman,    se ah domes geweald, anra gehwylcum    swa he him ærur her on þyssum lænum    life geearnaþ.

Ne mæg þær ænig    unforht wesan for þam worde    þe se wealdend cwyð. Frineð he for þære mænige    hwær se man sie, se ðe for dryhtnes naman    deaðes wolde biteres onbyrigan,    swa he ær on ðam beame dyde.

Ac hie þonne forhtiað,    ond fea þencaþ hwæt hie to Criste    cweðan onginnen. Ne þearf ðær þonne ænig    anforht wesan þe him ær in breostum bereð    beacna selest, ac ðurh ða rode sceal    rice gesecan

of eorðwege    æghwylc sawl, seo þe mid wealdende    wunian þenceð." Gebæd ic me þa to þan beame    bliðe mode, elne mycle,    þær ic ana wæs mæte werede.    Wæs modsefa

afysed on forðwege,    feala ealra gebad langunghwila.    Is me nu lifes hyht þæt ic þone sigebeam    secan mote

just as his mother,    Mary herself, all men's    almighty God honours above    all womankind."

"Now I bid you,    beloved man, to voice to the world    this vision, reveal in words    that this is the wondrous tree on which the Saviour    suffered for mankind's    many sins and Adam's    first act. He tasted death;    but directly arose through his great might    to help mankind on Doomsday.    The Dread Lord himself, Almighty God    with his angels Will then judge,    wielding all judgement's power, each one    according to how he deserved    in this drifting life. None may be    boldly unafraid of the words    the Lord will speak: he will ask the many there    if each man dare, for his name,    know death's bitter taste    as he did on the tree. They will be afraid then,    and have few thoughts of what they could    say to Christ. None there    need fear if they bear in their breast    the holy beacon; through that cross    heaven's kingdom each soul    will seek from earth that is willing    to worship the Lord."

Then I bowed before the tree    with blissful spirit, all eagerly,    there alone without company.    I was keen to depart this life    and spent many days in longing.    It is now my life's joy that I might seek    that sacred tree more often    than all other men to do it honour.    I desire that much in my spirit,    and my protection is the cross's rule.    I have remaining few friends on earth,    but they have gone forth careless of earth's joys    to find the wondrous King; they live now in heaven    with the High Father thinking on wonder;    and I wish for that day    when the dreamed-of cross that I saw    stand before me on earth will fetch me    from this feeble life and bring me    to where there is great bliss, joy in heaven,    to join the Lord's people always sitting    in unceasing bliss. I will sit    where afterwards I'll live in glory,    amidst good men, enjoying joy.    The Just Lord is my friend that endured before    here on earth on the cross    for mankind's sins; he redeemed us    and restored our life, and our heavenly home.    Hope was renewed with glory and bliss    for those who had endured burning. The Son was victorious    on this venture, mighty and swift.    When he came with many

ana oftor    þonne ealle men, well weorþian.    Me is willa to ðam

mycel on mode,    ond min mundbyrd is geriht to þære rode.    Nah ic ricra feala freonda on foldan,    ac hie forð heonon gewiton of worulde dreamum,    sohton him wuldres cyning, lifiaþ nu on heofenum    mid heahfædere,

wuniaþ on wuldre,    ond ic wene me daga gehwylce    hwænne me dryhtnes rod, þe ic her on eorðan    ær sceawode, on þysson lænan    life gefetige ond me þonne gebringe    þær is blis mycel,

dream on heofonum,    þær is dryhtnes folc geseted to symle,    þær is singal blis, ond me þonne asette    þær ic syþþan mot wunian on wuldre,    well mid þam halgum dreames brucan.    Si me dryhten freond,

se ðe her on eorþan    ær þrowode on þam gealgtreowe    for guman synnum. He us onlysde    ond us lif forgeaf, heofonlicne ham.    Hiht wæs geniwad mid bledum ond mid blisse    þam þe þær bryne þolodan.

Se sunu wæs sigorfæst    on þam siðfate, mihtig ond spedig,    þa he mid manigeo com, gasta weorode,    on godes rice, anwealda ælmihtig,    englum to blisse ond eallum ðam halgum    þam þe on heofonum ær

wunedon on wuldre,    þa heora wealdend cwom,

ælmihtig god,    þær his eðel wæs.

Anonymous

men's spirits    to the sanctuary of God, the Almighty Ruler,    the angels rejoiced with all the saints    that had sat in heaven before, living in glory,    that God was come, heaven's king,    to where his homeland was.

Translated from the Anglo-Saxon by Mark L