Soul and Body II
Medieval Unknown old_englishtransliterator: thothica
work_id: "d5fe9e58-3f94-4c5e-961f-267c5e2f09f4" work_slug: "unknown-old-english-elegies-d5fe9e" work_title: Old English Elegies author_name: Unknown chapter_number: 10 chapter_title: Soul and Body II chapter_slug: "10-soul-and-body-ii" variant_id: "f6a29e65-e36d-431b-93ea-b3d85058d1a4" content_type: transliteration layout: prose language: old_english source_language: old_english language_direction: ltr script: latin word_count: 818 estimated_read_time: 8 source_url: "https://sacred-texts.com/neu/ascp/a03_19.htm"
Soul and Body II
Verse Indeterminate Saxon
Huru, thas behofath haletha aghwylc that he his sawle sith sylfa bewitige, hu that bith deoplic thonne se death cymeth, asundrath tha sibbe, tha the ar somud waeron, 5 lic ond sawle! Long bith siththan that se gast nimeth at gode sylfum swa wite swa wuldor, swa him in worulde ar efne that eorthfat ar geworhte. Sheal se gast cuman gehthum hremig, 10 symle ymb seofon niht sawle findan thone lichoman the heo ar longe wag, threo hund wintra, butan ar wyrce ece dryhten, almihtig god, ende worlde. 15 Cleopath thonne swa cearful caldan reorde, spriceth grimlice gast to tham duste: "Hwat, drug thu dreorga, to hwon dreahtest thu me, eorthan fylnes eal forweornast, lames gelicnes! Lyt thu gethohtes 20 to won thinre sawle sith siththan wurde, siththan heo of lichoman laded waere! Hwat, wite thu me, werga! Hwat, thu huru wyrma gifl lyt gethohtes, hu this is long hider, ond the thurh engel ufan of roderum 25 sawle onsende thurh his sylfes hond, meotud almihtig, of his magenthrymme, ond the tha gebohte blode thy halgan, ond thu me thy heardan hungre gebunde ond gehaftnadest helle witum! 30 Eardode ic the in innan. No ic the of meahte, flasce bifongen, ond me firenlustas thine gethrungon. that me thuhte ful oft that waere thritig thusend wintra to thinum deathdage. Hwat, ic uncres gedales bad 35 earfothlice. Nis nu se ende to god! Waere thu the wiste wlonc ond wines sad, thrymful thunedest, ond ic ofthyrsted was godes lichoman, gastes drinces. thar thu thonne hogode her on life, 40 thenden ic the in worulde wunian sholde, that thu waere thurh flasc ond thurh firenlustas stronge gestyred ond gestathlad thurh mec, ond ic was gast on the from gode sended, nafre thu me swa heardra helle wita 45 ned gearwode thurh thinra neoda lust. Shealt thu nu hwathre minra geshenta shome throwian on tham miclan dage, thonne monna cynn se ancenda ealle gegadrath. Ne eart thu nu thon leofre nangum lifgendra, 50 menn to gemaeccan, ne medder ne fader, ne nangum gesibbra, thonne se swearta hrefn, siththan ic ana of the ut sithade thurh thas sylfes hond the ic ar onsended was. Ne magon the nu heonan adon hyrste tha readan, 55 ne gold ne sylfor ne thinra goda nan, ac her shulon abidan ban bireafod, besliten seonwum, ond the thin sawl sheal minum unwillan oft gesecan, wemman mid wordum, swa thu worhtest to me. 60 Eart thu dumb ond deaf, ne sindan thine dreamas wiht. Sheal ic the nihtes setheah nyde gesecan, synnum gesargad, ond eft sona from the hweorfan on honcred, thonne halege menn gode lifgendum lofsong doth, 65 secan tha hamas the thu me ar scrife, ond tha arleasan eardungstowe, ond the shulon moldwyrmas monige ceowan, seonowum beslitan swearte wihte, gifre ond gradge. Ne sindon thine geahthe wiht, 70 tha thu her on moldan monnum eawdest. Forthon the waere selle swithe micle thonne the waeran ealle eorthan spede, (butan thu hy gedalde dryhtne sylfum), thar thu wurde at frumshafte fugel oththe fisc on sa, 75 oththe eorthan neat ates tiolode, feldgongende feoh butan snyttro, ge on westenne wildra deora that grimmeste, thar swa god wolde, ge theah thu waere wyrmcynna that wyrreste, 80 thonne thu afre on moldan mon gewurde, oththe afre fulwihte onfon sholde. thonne thu for unc bu ondwyrdan shealt on tham miclan dage, thonne eallum monnum beoth wunde onwrigene, tha the in worulde ar 85 firenfulle menn fyrn geworhton, thonne wile dryhten sylf dada gehyran, at ealra monna gehwam muthes reorde wunde witherlean. Ac hwat wilt thu thar on domdage dryhtne secgan? 90 thonne ne bith nanig to thas lytel lith on lime geweaxen, that thu ne shyle for aghwylc anra onsundran ryht agieldan, thonne rethe bith dryhten at dome. Ac hwat do wit unc, thonne he unc hafath geedbyrded othre sithe? 95 Shulon wit thonne atsomne siththan brucan swylcra yrmtha, swa thu unc ar scrife." Firenath thus that flashord, sheal thonne feran on weg, secan helle grund, nales heofondreamas, dadum gedrefed. Ligeth dust thar hit was, 100 ne mag him ondsware anige secgan, ne thar edringe ange gehatan gaste geomrum, geoce oththe frofre. Bith that heafod tohliden, honda tohleothode, geaflas toginene, goman toslitene, 105 seonwe beoth asogene, sweora bicowen; rib reafiath rethe wyrmas, drincath hlothum hra, heolfres thurstge. Bith seo tunge totogen on tyn healfe hungrum to hrothor. Forthon heo ne mag horshlice 110 wordum wrixlan with thone wergan gast. Gifer hatte se wyrm, tham tha geaflas beoth nadle sharpran. Se genetheth to arest ealra on tham eorthshrafe; he tha tungan totyhth ond tha tothas thurhsmyhth, 115 ond to aetwelan othrum gerymeth, ond tha eagan thurhitheth ufon on that heafod wyrmum to wiste, thonne bith that werge lic acolad that he longe ar werede mid wadum. Bith thonne wyrmes giefl, 120 at on eorthan. that mag aghwylcum men to gemyndum modsnotterra.