1A2.5

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2

DREAM OF THE ROOD

    
3Hwæt.
4Ic swefna cyst secgan wylle, hwæt me gemætte to midre
5nihte, syðþan reordberend reste wunedon.
6þuhte me þæt ic gesawe syllicre treow on lyft lædan,
7leohte bewunden, beama beorhtost.
8Eall þæt beacen wæs begoten mid golde.
9Gimmas stodon fægere æt foldan sceatum, swylce þær fife
10wæron uppe on þam eaxlegespanne.
11Beheoldon þær engel dryhtnes ealle, fægere þurh
12forðgesceaft.
13Ne wæs ðær huru fracodes gealga, ac hine þær beheoldon
14halige gastas, men ofer moldan, ond eall þeos mære gesceaft.
15Syllic wæs se sigebeam, ond ic synnum fah, forwunded mid
16wommum.
17Geseah ic wuldres treow, wædum geweorðode, wynnum scinan,
18gegyred mid golde; gimmas hæfdon bewrigene weorðlice
19wealdendes treow.
20Hwæðre ic þurh þæt gold ongytan meahte earmra ærgewin,
21þæt hit ærest ongan swætan on þa swiðran healfe.
22Eall ic wæs mid sorgum gedrefed, forht ic wæs for þære
23fægran gesyhðe.
24Geseah ic þæt fuse beacen wendan wædum ond bleom; hwilum
25hit wæs mid wætan bestemed, beswyled mid swates gange,
26hwilum mid since gegyrwed.
27Hwæðre ic þær licgende lange hwile beheold hreowcearig
28hælendes treow, oððæt ic gehyrde þæt hit hleoðrode.
29Ongan þa word sprecan wudu selesta: þæt wæs geara iu, ic
30þæt gyta geman, þæt ic wæs aheawen holtes on ende,

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31astyred of stefne minum.
32Genaman me ðær strange feondas, geworhton him þær to
33wæfersyne, heton me heora wergas hebban.
34Bæron me ðær beornas on eaxlum, oððæt hie me on beorg
35asetton, gefæstnodon me þær feondas genoge.
36Geseah ic þa frean mancynnes efstan elne mycle þæt he me
37wolde on gestigan.
38þær ic þa ne dorste ofer dryhtnes word bugan oððe
39berstan, þa ic bifian geseah eorðan sceatas.
40Ealle ic mihte feondas gefyllan, hwæðre ic fæste stod.
41Ongyrede hine þa geong hæleð, þæt wæs god ælmihtig,
42strang ond stiðmod.
43Gestah he on gealgan heanne, modig on manigra gesyhðe, þa he
44wolde mancyn lysan.
45Bifode ic þa me se beorn ymbclypte.
46Ne dorste ic hwæðre bugan to eorðan, feallan to foldan
47sceatum, ac ic sceolde fæste standan.
48Rod wæs ic aræred.
49Ahof ic ricne cyning, heofona hlaford, hyldan me ne dorste.
50þurhdrifan hi me mid deorcan næglum.
51On me syndon þa dolg gesiene, opene inwidhlemmas.
52Ne dorste ic hira nænigum sceððan.
53Bysmeredon hie unc butu ætgædere.
54Eall ic wæs mid blode bestemed, begoten of þæs guman sidan,
55siððan he hæfde his gast onsended.
56Feala ic on þam beorge gebiden hæbbe wraðra wyrda.
57Geseah ic weruda god þearle þenian.
58þystro hæfdon bewrigen mid wolcnum wealdendes hræw, scirne
59sciman, sceadu forðeode, wann under wolcnum.
60Weop eal gesceaft, cwiðdon cyninges fyll.
61Crist wæs on rode.
62Hwæðere þær fuse feorran cwoman to þam æðelinge.
63Ic þæt eall beheold.

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64Sare ic wæs mid sorgum gedrefed, hnag ic hwæðre þam
65secgum to handa, eaðmod elne mycle.
66Genamon hie þær ælmihtigne god, ahofon hine of ðam hefian
67wite.
68Forleton me þa hilderincas standan steame bedrifenne; eall ic
69wæs mid strælum forwundod.
70Aledon hie ðær limwerigne, gestodon him æt his lices
71heafdum, beheoldon hie ðær heofenes dryhten, ond he hine
72ðær hwile reste, meðe æfter ðam miclan gewinne.
73Ongunnon him þa moldern wyrcan beornas on banan gesyhðe;
74curfon hie ðæt of beorhtan stane, gesetton hie ðæron
75sigora wealdend.
76Ongunnon him þa sorhleoð galan earme on þa æfentide, þa
77hie woldon eft siðian, meðe fram þam mæran
78þeodne.
79Reste he ðær mæte weorode.
80Hwæðere we ðær greotende gode hwile stodon on
81staðole, syððan stefn up gewat hilderinca.
82Hræw colode, fæger feorgbold.
83þa us man fyllan ongan ealle to eorðan.
84þæt wæs egeslic wyrd.
85Bedealf us man on deopan seaþe.
86Hwæðre me þær dryhtnes þegnas, freondas gefrunon, ond
87gyredon me golde ond seolfre.
88Nu ðu miht gehyran, hæleð min se leofa, þæt ic bealuwara
89weorc gebiden hæbbe, sarra sorga.
90Is nu sæl cumen þæt me weorðiað wide ond side menn ofer
91moldan, ond eall þeos mære gesceaft, gebiddaþ him to
92þyssum beacne.
93On me bearn godes þrowode hwile.
94Forþan ic þrymfæst nu

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95hlifige under heofenum, ond ic hælan
96mæg æghwylcne anra, þara þe him bið egesa to me.
97Iu ic wæs geworden wita heardost, leodum laðost, ærþan ic
98him lifes weg rihtne gerymde, reordberendum.
99Hwæt, me þa geweorðode wuldres ealdor ofer holtwudu,
100heofonrices weard.
101Swylce swa he his modor eac, Marian sylfe, ælmihtig god for
102ealle menn geweorðode ofer eall wifa cynn.
103Nu ic þe hate, hæleð min se leofa, þæt ðu þas gesyhðe
104secge mannum, onwreoh wordum þæt hit is wuldres beam,
105se ðe ælmihtig god on þrowode for mancynnes
106manegum synnum ond Adomes ealdgewyrhtum.
107Deað he þær byrigde, hwæðere eft dryhten aras mid his
108miclan mihte mannum to helpe.
109He ða on heofenas astag.
110Hider eft fundaþ on þysne middangeard mancynn secan on
111domdæge dryhten sylfa, ælmihtig god, ond his
112englas mid, þæt he þonne wile deman, se ah domes geweald,
113anra gehwylcum swa he him ærur her on þyssum
114lænum life geearnaþ.
115Ne mæg þær ænig unforht wesan for þam worde þe se
116wealdend cwyð.
117Frineð he for þære mænige hwær se man sie, se ðe for
118dryhtnes naman deaðes wolde biteres onbyrigan,
119swa he ær on ðam beame dyde.
120Ac hie þonne forhtiað, ond fea þencaþ hwæt hie to Criste
121cweðan onginnen.
122Ne þearf ðær þonne ænig anforht wesan þe him ær in
123breostum bereð beacna selest, ac ðurh ða rode sceal rice
124gesecan of eorðwege æghwylc sawl,

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125seo þe mid wealdende wunian þenceð.
126Gebæd ic me þa to þan beame bliðe mode, elne mycle, þær
127ic ana wæs mæte werede.
128Wæs modsefa afysed on forðwege, feala ealra gebad
129langunghwila.
130Is me nu lifes hyht þæt ic þone sigebeam secan mote ana
131oftor þonne ealle men, well weorþian.
132Me is willa to ðam mycel on mode, ond min mundbyrd is geriht
133to þære rode.
134Nah ic ricra feala freonda on foldan, ac hie forð heonon
135gewiton of worulde dreamum, sohton him wuldres cyning,
136lifiaþ nu on heofenum mid heahfædere, wuniaþ
137on wuldre, ond ic wene me daga gehwylce hwænne
138me dryhtnes rod, þe ic her on eorðan ær sceawode, on
139þysson lænan life gefetige ond me þonne
140gebringe þær is blis mycel, dream on heofonum, þær is
141dryhtnes folc geseted to symle, þær is singal
142blis, ond me þonne asette þær ic syþþan mot wunian
143on wuldre, well mid þam halgum dreames brucan.
144Si me dryhten freond, se ðe her on eorþan ær þrowode on
145þam gealgtreowe for guman synnum.
146He us onlysde ond us lif forgeaf, heofonlicne ham.
147Hiht wæs geniwad mid bledum ond mid blisse þam þe þær
148bryne þolodan.
149Se sunu wæs sigorfæst on þam siðfate, mihtig ond spedig,
150þa he mid manigeo com, gasta weorode, on godes rice,
151anwealda ælmihtig, englum to blisse ond eallum
152ðam halgum þam þe on heofonum ær wunedon
153on wuldre, þa heora wealdend cwom, ælmihtig god, þær his
154eðel wæs.