Thanking him once again for his gifts,
And for leading them home to a thriving land.
Abraham and Lot lived in bliss and bounty.
They shared their happiness in that new homeland
Until the plains and pastures could not sustain them, 1905
With crops crowding and people expanding,
And they had to seek more spacious lands.
Then the leaders often had to endure
Conflicts and quarrels, feuds among herdsmen,
Constant wrangling and severe strife. 1910
So mindful of commitments and family honor,
Abraham spoke plainly and fairly to Lot:
“I am your father’s beloved brother;
You are my brother’s beloved son.
Kin should not quarrel or a family, feud. 1915
God will not suffer such wounding strife.
We are bound together forever by blood—
Nothing should link us but enduring love.
Now my noble nephew, consider this:
Our borders are pressed by proud nations, 1920
Canaanites and Pherizites, who crowd us together
And cramp our space, provoking conflict.
Their bold warriors and guarded lands
Leave less and less room for us to expand.
Let’s settle our differences and set out again 1925
To seek new territories, traveling with God
Guiding us on the road, leading us to new realms.
I give you good counsel, son of Haran,
A truth-speech to travel by. Think about it.
Ask your heart which road to follow 1930
With your family and herds. The choice is yours.”
Then Lot left to seek the land near the Jordan
With its green pastures and bright streams,
Rich fields, harvest grains, ripe fruits,
Succulent and sustaining as an earthly paradise, 1935
Before our saving God, because of man’s sins,
Gave Sodom and Gomorrah to the dark flames.
So Lot, son of Haran, settled in Sodom,
Bringing from Bethel his precious possessions,
Household goods and rings of twisted gold, 1940
Living many years with his family by the Jordan.
The land was good, and the crops were bountiful,
But the people of Sodom were ripe with sin,
Perverse in their pleasures, depraved in their deeds.
They had grown hateful to their own Creator 1945
And brought about their own grim undoing.
Lot would never adopt the shocking and shameful
Customs of that country—he abhorred evil
And shunned sin. He lived a stranger
In that loathsome land, pure of mind, 1950
Patient of spirit, following God’s counsel
With his whole heart, as if unaware
Of the degraded delights of that wicked nation.
Abraham stayed in the country of Canaan,
Where the mighty Maker protected him. 1955
The Guardian of angels, Lord of mankind,
Gave him full favor, worldly wealth,
His heart’s happiness, love and joy.
So generations later, we tell this story,
As children baptized in the bright waters 1960
Of our steadfast faith, honoring his name.
Wise and holy, he served God gladly
While he lived on earth and under heaven.
Never shall a man be defenseless today,
Or lack the Lord’s powerful protection, 1965
Or have any reason to fear his wrath,
If only he will steadfastly serve his Creator
In words and deeds, promise and purpose,
Spirit and speech, until death calls.
A man must be mindful of his Lord’s counsel— 1970
His heart must heed his holy commands.
Then I heard that King Chedorlaomer,
Lord of the Elamites, a bold leader
And brave captain, gathered a great army
And went to war. Amraphel of Shinar 1975
Supported his stance with a mighty host.
Four peoples’ kings with their battle-companies
Marched south against Sodom and Gomorrah.
The homeland of the men of Jordan was overrun
With unwavering warriors, ferocious foes. 1980
Many pale maidens and beautiful brides
Had to go trembling into alien arms,
And evil embraces, for the brides’ defenders
Had fallen in the fields, sick with war-wounds.
Then in righteous wrath and battle-rage 1985
Came five southern kings who fervently wished
To guard Sodom against its grim invaders.
For twelve hard years the southern peoples
Had paid tribute to their northern enemies
Till they could no longer stomach their shame— 1990
The price of peace was too high. They revolted
Against the Elamites, refusing to fill
Their fattened hoard any longer with gold.
Both hosts advanced with their savage hordes,
Eager for battle, bent on slaughter. 1995
Swords clashed, corselets sang, spears bit,
Bodies fell. Death-arrows filled the air.
The dark raven floated above the destruction,
Searching for carrion, screeching for blood,
A feast of flesh. Helmets crashed, 2000
Heads were bashed, both north and south—
There was no discrimination in death’s dominion.
Battle-snakes hissed their venomous songs,
War-lances howled for the unbound heart,
Ring-adorned blades cut through the shouts 2005
To sever the spirit from a man’s bone-house.
It was easy to separate precious war-booty
From wounded flesh for any living warrior
Who was not yet sated with sword-slash
Or any scavenger seeking to strip the dead. 2010
The northern men finally defeated their foes,
Trapped them in terror and tore them apart—
They were too fierce for the soldiers of Sodom.
The southern gold-givers lost their lives
And the precious treasure of their unprotected wives. 2015
Some managed to flee—most were slain.
Beloved battle-friends went down to death.
The sons of princes followed in their wake.
The leader of the Elamites held the battle-victory;
He ruled the field. His warriors seized the gold 2020
And sacked the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah,
Robbing households of wealth and wives.
Women were ripped from their sheltering homes—
Wives, widows, maidens. They led the losers,
Abraham’s people, his kith and kin, 2025
From the city of Sodom, a pack of prisoners.
But all was not lost! Let’s not forget
The rest of the story, reveal the fierce fate
Of the war-wolves who led Lot away,
Bragging of battle-prowess and cold courage, 2030
Boasting of victory as they boldly hauled off
Both wives and wealth, the spoils of war.
A survivor who fled the sword-slashing at Sodom
Sought out Abraham, the Hebrew leader,
And related to him Lot’s fate, Sodom’s defeat, 2035
Their loss of power and precious possessions.
Abraham grieved that his close kin,
His brother’s son, should suffer slavery.
He mourned Lot’s fate and mentioned it
To his comrades, Aner, Mamre, and Eshcol, 2040
Asking for their aid in his time of need.
He wanted these warriors
to devise a plan
To free his beloved nephew with his bride,
Both bound in thrall to cruel conquerors.
The three brothers, known for their battle-skill, 2045
Promised Abraham in solemn counsel
To slay his enemies in righteous wrath
Or fall dying on the field of slaughter.
They healed Abraham’s heart with their hard words.
Then the holy man ordered his hearth-retainers 2050
To take up their weapons. Three hundred eighteen
Bold spear-wielders, loyal to their lord,
Lifted their linden shields and left for battle.
Abraham and the three unwavering warriors,
Faithful to their lord, led the way to rescue Lot 2055
From his slavery and suffering, comrades carrying
Both faith and fury, righteousness and wrath.
When these battle-wolves were near the war-camp,
Abraham, heir of Terah, sagest of spear-bearers,
Counseled his captains on the coming battle, 2060
Suggesting that they set up a siege in two flanks,
Engage the enemy from divided directions,
Thrusting in a powerful pincer movement,
A double assault of swords and spears,
A savage battle-thrust with grim sword-play. 2065
He had carefully devised a cunning plan.
Abraham predicted success in the spear-rush,
A bold battle-victory through God’s great power.
The soldiers advanced under the night-shadow—
As we have heard in the scriptured story— 2070
Spears striking, shields clashing, corselets ringing.
The air was alive with the ache of arrows,
The suffering of swords. The boldest blade-wielders,
The bravest bowmen, followed their weapons
On the savage field to the slaughter-bed. 2075
Enemy soldiers drank death where before in battle
They had pillaged bodies like savage scavengers,
Riding their rage, roaring with laughter.
Abraham and his comrades quashed that army
Of northern wolves. He offered no ransom 2080
Of worldly goods or wrought gold
For his noble nephew, except of course
A treasure of blood, a gift of blades.
The Lord and Creator was Abraham’s ally—
He smote the unholy host of heathens. 2085
The four enemy armies flew in terror,
Fleeing sword-slash, spear-thrust, arrow-bite—
The anger of Abraham, the ire of God.
They were pursued by an unrelenting power,
A host of Abraham’s hearth-retainers, 2090
The fiercely faithful servants of the Lord.
Death claimed many enemy lives,
A clutch of corpses, a carrion feast.
On the slaughter-field lay those loathsome fiends
Who had looted Sodom and Gomorrah and slain 2095
The warriors of Lot, stealing their wives,
Their worldly wealth, their pride and power.
Now they found grief in place of gold,
Death in place of the battle-delight
Of bearing off women. Lot’s uncle offered 2100
No trade or treasure, no residue of life’s
Earlier pleasures or earthly joys.
Their gifts were grim, their lives lost.
The lords and leaders of the army of Elam
Who fled from death headed for Damascus. 2105
Abraham gave them a grim good-bye.
Lot was freed, the treasures retaken,
The women returned to their rightful homes
In the fond embrace of their own families.
Back on the battlefield, savage birds 2110
Swooped down on the bloodied bodies,
Screeching delight in their carrion joy,
Tearing at eyes, arms, sinews, tendons,
Calling their comrades to the battle-feast.
Abraham carried back the southern treasures, 2115
The brides and maidens. No man on middle-earth
Has ever achieved such great success
With such a small army against all odds.
The battle-news promptly spread south
To the nation of Sodom, proclaiming the rout 2120
Of those fierce foes. The lord of that nation,
Deprived of his forces, bereft of friends,
Came looking for Abraham. He brought along
The famous Melchizedek, treasure-keeper,
High priest of the people, a powerful bishop, 2125
Bearing bright gifts and God’s blessing
To mighty Abraham, the victory-lord, saying:
“Abraham, you are honored among heroes
In the eyes of God, who gave you the glorious
Gift of ash-spears and gleaming swords 2130
To slash through your savage enemies,
Carve a bloody swath through your fierce foes,
A road of wrath, a hard path of pain.
That company was waiting in a cruel camp
To descend upon you, dealing out death 2135
In grim combat, but God himself
And your great army expelled that evil,
Banned that bane, put the faithless to flight.
Through his might you managed a great victory,
As God was your shield over superior numbers. 2140
You conquered an army through your covenant
With the Lord of heaven, Guardian of men.”
Then Melchisedech gladly granted Abraham
A gift of blessing by his own hand,
And Abraham gave God’s faithful bishop 2145
One-tenth of the booty the army collected.
Then the great war-king of Sodom spoke,
Deprived of his people, desperate for favor:
“Abraham, now that you have vanquished your foe,
Return to me the handmaidens you have rescued 2150
From bale and bondage, terror and torment.
Keep all the treasures of twisted gold,
The worldly wealth, the precious herds.
Let me lead home the women and children,
Wives and widows, who have suffered enough. 2155
Let’s give the wretched the gift of freedom,
Those heirs who have escaped death’s dark net,
Surviving now on the borderlands of woe.”
Then Abraham, honored in virtue and valor,
Exalted in victory, answered the bishop, 2160
Speaking plainly before the assembled people:
“Noble ruler, prince of men, I promise
Before the holy Lord of heaven and earth,
To take no bright treasure, no worldly wealth,
No gold coins or engraved artifacts, 2165
No sword or silver I have rescued in combat
From enemy archers, brazen bowmen—
Lest you and your people should later say
That I have grown rich on the spoils of Sodom.
You can carry home all the battle-booty I’ve won 2170
Except the shares of these noble leaders,
Aner and Mamre, and also Eshcol.
I cannot renege on my promise to them—
They deserve their reward for hard combat
And sustaining great injury on the battlefield. 2175
They fought fiercely for your care and comfort.
Go home with your treasure of gifts and gold,
Wives and maidens, your worldly wealth.
You are finally done with your dread of the northmen,
Who now lie lost on the fiercest of fields, 2180
A sumptuous feast for carrion crows,
The ravenous eagle with a blood-smeared beak,
The voracious birds who feed on flesh.”
Then the keeper
went home with the battle-gifts
That gracious Abraham, mindful of favors, 2185
Had freely given him. Then the High-king of heaven
Appeared again to the Hebrew leader,
Bringing comfort to his heart, solace to his soul,
With his holy words, saying to the prince:
“Your rewards are now great. Keep courage, 2190
Revere wisdom, and respect my will.
The steadfast spirit should never slacken,
The strong faith falter. Heed my counsel
And have no fear of any fierce enemies.
With my own hands I will shield and sustain you 2195
Through all the days of your enduring life.”
Afterwards, Abraham, wise in years,
A worthy man, answered his Lord:
“Almighty God, Guardian of souls,
What can you give me, a man without heirs, 2200
A father without sons, a prince without progeny?
I need no wealth, no treasure to take home,
No hoard to hold or pass on as inheritance.
My blood relatives will divide my wealth.
My heart is a cold cache of sorrow— 2205
For this agony I know no comfort or counsel.
My steward rejoices in the rewards to come
When he and his heirs will inherit my wealth
In trust for the tribe. My wife’s womb
Has always been empty. At night I dream 2210
Of a succession of sons. At daybreak I wake
To the slow ache of a fatherless dawn.”
Then almighty God answered Abraham:
“Your steward shall never inherit your goods,
Your family wealth. Your own proud son 2215
Will inherit and thrive when your flesh fails
And lies in the ground. Behold the sky,
The heavenly canopy that holds a treasure
Of countless star-stones, ethereal gems
That scatter their light over fields and plains, 2220
The curve of the earth, the spread of the sea.
How many stars inhabit the heavens?
As many as the multitude you and Sarah shall bear,
Your children’s children, your dear descendants,
A great tribe passing down through time. 2225
I promise you progeny. Lift up your spirits,
Chafe no more in your childless sorrow.
I will send you a son in Sarah’s womb
Who will grow into greatness, gathering grace,
To be a wielder of wealth, warden of the tribe, 2230
When you are long gone. Do not lament
What is not lost. Remember our history,
This sacred story. I am the Lord your God,
The guardian and guide who many years ago
Led you out of the Chaldean land 2235
With a small band of faithful followers,
Your dear and devoted kith and kin,
The Complete Old English Poems Page 17
