To discover a broad-bellied ship ready to sail. 255
Just then the sun, the brightest of beacons,
The candle of heaven, the radiance of morning,
Lifted its glory, the day’s first light,
Over the sea’s horizon, shimmering on the waves.
Then Andrew saw standing on the strange ship 260
Three splendid seafaring thanes,
Brave-hearted men eager to set sail.
Its mighty captain was secretly God himself
With a crew of two angels, robed not in radiance
But in sailors’ garb, tossing in their ships, 265
Ready for the cold embrace of the sea-road.
Andrew greeted them, standing on the shore,
Eager to embark on his journey, saying:
“Bold seafarers, where have you come from,
Mighty warriors in a wondrous craft? 270
What power has driven you over the wild waves,
Bearing your boat securely to our shore?”
Then almighty God answered Andrew
With such a humble human voice
That he could not fathom who was speaking: 275
“We have sailed the sea-road from Mermedonia,
Riding surge and swell in this high-necked ship,
Our sea-stallion driven by wind and wave.”
Andrew answered the strange sea-captain:
“I humbly beg for your help to carry us 280
Across the whale-road on your high-prowed ship
To Mermedonia, though I have no wealth,
No worldly goods, no gold rings or gems
To pay for our passage. Only God can give you
His rich reward for your kindness and caring 285
If you consent to our poor request to carry us
Across the sea.” Then the Creator of angels,
God of all earthly princes and peoples,
Answered Andrew, speaking from the deck
Of the ready wave-walker, saying: 290
“No foreigner can flourish, no heart remain whole,
No body last long in that wretched land.
That is no good home for the weary traveler.
Men who make their way to Mermedonia
Often find devouring death in that evil city. 295
Why do you want to cross the wide seas
To toss your lives to the wolfish ones there?”
Then Andrew answered the captain again:
“Our hearts are driven by hope and longing
To arrive boldly at that infamous city, 300
If you will kindly carry us there,
Sailing us seaward toward those cruel killers.”
The Lord of angels, the Savior of men,
Spoke again to Andrew from the ship’s prow:
“We will gladly and graciously bear you 305
Across the sea, the great fishes’ bath,
To the dangerous land you long to visit,
The dark hideout of hideous desires,
If you will pay the price these sailors demand.”
Then Andrew replied, a friendless man 310
Without money on a desperate mission:
“I have no precious treasure, no plated gold,
No worldly wealth, no claim of land,
No rings or riches, gems or jewels,
To satisfy the fair cost of this journey.” 315
Then God answered Andrew from the gangway
Where the sovereign captain, the Savior stood.
He spoke over the gather of sea and sand:
“How, dearest friend, has it come about
That you intended without any treasure 320
To secure a ship to cross the sea
With its deep currents and mountainous heights,
The cold cliffs of ocean waves?
Have you no precious bread or pure water
To nourish your body and sustain your spirit? 325
Hard is the lot of the poor man who must wander
Over the dangerous waves of the ocean road.”
Then Andrew unlocked his word-hoard,
Offering his heart’s wisdom to the ship’s captain:
“It is not proper for a prosperous man 330
To whom God has given such worldly wealth
To speak proudly to a poor man who owns nothing.
It would be better to act humbly and offer help
To a stranded stranger as Christ commanded.
We are his followers, his chosen warriors. 335
He is our Ruler by right, our Creator and King,
Who made us all and gives us meaning,
Shapes each moment and sustains all life.
He sent forth his apostles across the earth
To seek out souls, saying to us: 340
‘Go forth to the end of every country—
Walk every road, sail every sea,
Preaching my holy message to the multitudes,
Spreading the faith. I will sustain you
And keep you safe. Go without worry, 345
Without wealth, without silver or gold.
I will give you both bounty and blessing,
Each day’s deserving—my gift of grace.’
Now you can judge our journey for yourself
And tell us whether you will offer us aid.” 350
Then the eternal Lord answered Andrew:
“If you are truly the servants of the Lord,
Who raised up heaven and shaped middle-earth,
And if you live in his love and obey his law,
Then I will take you sailing across sea-streams 355
In the spirit of generosity with which you ask.”
So the bold-minded warriors boarded the ship,
Sailing with joyous hearts over the wide waves.
Later when the sea started to swell and surge,
Andrew prayed to the glorious Lord 360
For his blessing and favor on the sailors, saying:
“May the Lord who guards us grant you mercy,
Honor on earth and glory in heaven,
Be as generous with his joy to you on this journey
As you have been to me, a seafaring stranger.” 365
Then the holy one sat, the saint by the sea-captain,
One noble spirit next to the other. No one
Has ever seen a simple ship so lavishly decked out
With such a noble treasure—Lord, angels,
Thanes, and heroes—a gather of glory. 370
Then the Lord and Captain of that wondrous craft,
Eternal and almighty, ordered his angels
To bring food and comfort to the poorly provided,
Seafaring soldiers so they might sustain themselves
And endure their lot on the stormy road. 375
Then the sea was troubled, the ocean roared.
The great whale muscled his way through the waves,
The gray gull circled, greedy for dinner.
The air darkened as the sky-candle dimmed,
The winds whipped up, the waves crashed down, 380
The sea-currents clashed, the ropes crackled,
The sails were soaked. The waves attacked
Like wild warriors—the sailors knew dark dread
On that dangerous and deserted sea-road.
No one knew the outcome of that battle, 385
But few could fathom reaching the shore alive.
They feared their harbor would be the sea’s floor
And could hardly conceive of their sea-captain’s power—
But even above the raging sea-storms,
Andrew held firm, faithful to his Lord. 390
He also gave thanks to the steadfast sea-captain
For both food and fortune, saying to him:
“May the righteous Lord, Author of light and life,
Ruler of heavenly hosts, reward you for this food
With bounty and bliss, the bread of heaven, 395
And bless you for the gifts you have given to us,
Hope for our hearts and a home on the waves.
Now my men are dismayed—the sea’s in high rage.
Something is amiss in the watery abyss.
Brave warriors dread the death-dealing waves.” 400
Then the Captain and Creator answered Andrew:
“Let me steer this wave-tossed ship to the shore,
Where your men can rest secure from the storm
And await our return from battling the seas.”
Then Andrew’s men rose up as one, 405
Refusing this offer, standing steadfastly
Beside their leader. They would not seek land,
The safety of shore, with their commander at sea.
The courageous warriors began to complain:
“Where shall we turn in an unknown land 410
Without our dear lord, our hearts made heavy,
Our souls weighed down with the drag of shame?
We would be deserters, despised everywhere
When councils of men meet to discuss
Which warriors have served their lords at war 415
And which have left them alone on the field
To suffer the slash and slaughter of battle.”
Then the powerful Captain, King and Creator,
True to his promise, said to Andrew:
“If you are the servant of the Lord of heaven, 420
The Maker of middle-earth in all his majesty,
As you claim to be, comfort your men.
Make clear God’s mysteries as he told them,
Teaching the speech-bearing people on earth.
It’s a grueling journey over the gleaming ocean 425
To that distant land you so strenuously seek.
The sea is disturbed and churns up its bed,
But God can carry you safely across,
Shielding and sustaining the lives of your sailors.”
So Andrew reassured his faithful followers, 430
Those glorious men, with these good words:
“When you set out to sea on this dangerous mission,
You promised to risk your lives in that land
Of dreaded savages who devoured their kind,
To suffer death for our dear Lord who commands us, 435
Giving up the ghost in the cruelest of kingdoms,
That alien land. I know that the Lord,
The Creator of men and of heavenly hosts,
Shields and protects us from the menacing waves.
The sea will calm down—our Captain and Creator 440
Will prevail over peril, sustain us through the storm.
This has happened before, when we were all riding
Through rough waters, a terror of tides,
When the ocean was in agony, whipped by winds.
The waves seemed to screech, one to another, 445
Offering our sailors a terrible death-song.
Remember how the water battered the boat,
Washing grimly over the gunwale, drenching the decks,
Flowing heavily into the hold. That was dead weight.
Remember how we saw the Almighty sitting there 450
In the middle of the boat, a brightness in the storm.
Every man cried out for mercy from his Maker,
For safety from the storm. Then the Lord of creation,
Shaper and Sustainer of angels and men,
Rose up and rebuked the storm, silenced the winds, 455
Stilled the seas, calming the chaos.
Our hearts rejoiced when we saw wave and wind
Grow fearful before God. He tamed those terrors
And he will tame these. I tell you each truly
That your Creator will never forsake a man 460
Whose faith is firm and whose courage holds fast.”
So the saintly warrior wove these wise words
For his followers, wanting them to know comfort.
He heartened his thanes, reassuring seafarers,
Till sleep settled on them as they lay by the mast. 465
The sea-surge was stilled, the waves retreated,
The ocean gave up its attack—its wild fury
Became a buoyant embrace, lifting up life.
The sailors were saved, the terror was tamed,
The saint survived. His spirit rejoiced. 470
Then the wise traveler started speaking,
Opening his word-hoard to the captain, saying:
“I’ve never met a mightier or more worthy seaman,
So skilled in the way of both waves and words.
Your craft is subtle, your speech profound. 475
I have one small request, though again I offer
Little in the way of wealth, rings or riches,
Beautiful treasures adorned with beaten gold.
I would be your good friend and follower,
Learn from your wise ways, if you would consent 480
To be my teacher and counsel poor wayfarers
Traveling alone in this storm-tossed world.
For this generous gift, you could win God’s grace,
An abundance of joy in the heavenly kingdom.
First I want to find out how you steer the ship 485
Since the King of glory, the Creator of men,
Has granted you the gift of guiding this wave-floater,
This surging sea-stallion, over the endless
Ocean road. I have made sixteen trips
In various ships, my ice-cold hands on the oars, 490
Stirring the sea-road through frost and fury,
Without ever seeing a sea captain so savvy,
A steersman so sure upon the prow.
Your craft and courage seem boundless.
You are prince and power over all ocean peril. 495
When the sea surges and the waves roll,
You make the ship glide and soar like a bird
On its outstretched wings, its spreading sails.
I have never seen such skill in a captain—
You are a man unmatched in my experience. 500
This strange ship glides along unshaken,
As if it were standing still on the shore,
Where wind and waves cannot trouble it,
And savage storms cannot lash its sails,
Untimber its mast, or unmake its prow— 505
Yet it rushes along, swift under sail.
You seem young in years, without many winters,
Yet old in wisdom, a protector of men,
A shield to warriors, a shelter to travelers.
Your heart seems noble, your mind all-knowing— 510
You see the meaning of every man’s words.”
Then the eternal Captain answered Andrew:
“It often happens on a stormy sea-road,
As the winds rage and the waves rush,
That we must ride our sea-stallions boldly 515
Across the furious ocean with a fearful crew.
Sometimes it’s hard for us on the high seas,
Even though we survive the worst of storms,
Pulling ourselves through peril on the flood—
But the storm cannot strike down any ship 520
Or hinder any warrior against God’s will.
Our Lord, the Creator holds power over life—
He binds the waves and fetters the wind.
The force that rules heaven reaches out over men;
The Craftsman who created the world controls fate. 525
The Shaper who wound the world with light
Weaves the destiny of both man and main.
The one who made heaven as a home for angels
Controls the tides, who built the hall of glory
For the blessed with his own hands holds back 530
The tempest in time. Let this truth be known now—
That you are the Lord’s thane, the Savior’
s servant,
Because the sea recognized in your gracious being
That your heart is home to the Holy Spirit,
Your faith is firm, and you know God’s grace. 535
So the sea held back its warring waves,
Stilled its waters, tamed its storms,
When it understood that the eternal Lord,
Who made the majesty of heaven with his might,
Was shielding these unprotected sailors with his power 540
And keeping you close in his kind embrace.”
Then the bold-hearted warrior began to pray
With his holy voice to the Ruler of glory:
“Bless you, my beloved Lord and Creator,
Shaper of the world, Savior of mankind. 545
Your glory is known both far and near;
Your name is holy, your might and mercy
Are manifest to all. No one alive on earth
Can say for sure how your grace is given,
Prince of all peoples, Comforter of souls, 550
But it’s clear that you’ve blessed this sea-captain
With untold gifts in his youth. His ways are wise
As are his words. I’ve never met a man
With a better mind or more discerning thought.
His wisdom belies his brief life in years.” 555
Then Alpha and Omega, the Glory of kings,
The Beginning and End, spoke from the ship:
“Tell me, wise thane, as a disciple and servant,
How it is that the Jewish people lacked piety,
Rejecting and reviling the Son of God. 560
They could not see the source of their lives,
Even though he revealed himself through miracles
And wondrous works? Those sinners could not recognize
That child who was born to defend and deliver,
Console and comfort, all of mankind. 565
His wisdom was clear in his words and works.
Was this not revealed to those unbelievers?”
Then Andrew answered the curious captain:
“Dearest of men, how is it possible
That you of all people have never heard 570
Of the Savior’s power, how the Ruler’s Son
Revealed himself, his grace and glory,
Throughout the world? He gave speech to the dumb,
Hearing to the deaf, sight to the blind.
He gladdened the spirits of the leprous and lame, 575
Those who were limb-locked, sinew-twisted,
Sick and tormented. He healed the suffering
While here on earth and woke the dead
With a holy word. This man of glory
Manifested his power by means of miracles, 580
Consecrating wine from water to everyone’s delight.
Likewise from two fish and five loaves,
He fed the multitudes, five thousand strong.
The Complete Old English Poems Page 29
