Of beasts with horns forged of iron, 405
Screaming eagles ravenous for blood,
Black adders, blazing flames,
Heartsick hunger, unquenchable thirst,
Savage strife. That was no paradise.
There was never to be an end to their agony.” 410
Saturn said:
“Tell me, is there any man on middle-earth
Who has sinned whom death can suddenly seize
Before his run of days is done? Can you answer this?”
Solomon said: 415
“The Lord of heaven sends a holy angel
To each one at dawn to discover and discern,
As the day goes by, how the man or woman
Walks in the way of the Lord, watches
How their minds move toward his will, 420
Respecting his power or rebelling against it.
Two struggling spirits circle around him.
One of the spirits is brighter than gold;
One blacker than hell’s endless abyss.
One descends from the breath of heaven, 425
One climbs up from the bite of hell.
One gleams with the radiance of the sun,
One is all smoke and mirrors.
One teaches a man to hold firm his faith
In the Lord’s love, the Maker’s mercy, 430
Rely on the fellowship of family and friends,
Seek good counsel and avoid sin.
The other tempts him to revel in ruin,
Reveals no truths but subtle misconceptions,
Shaping his mind in malicious ways, 435
Deluding him with delight, leading him astray
Until his eyes burn with hostility and hatred,
His rage feeds grimly on his buried guilt,
And he blames the wretched for his own woes.
Some books say the faithless devil fights 440
In the hearts of men in four dark ways—
Subtle insinuation, devious delight,
Crafty consent, and outright rebellion—
Until a man turns, twisting into evil,
And does the devil’s darkest bidding. 445
His better angel heads for home,
Weeping on the way, singing sadly,
‘I could not dislodge the evil seed,
The steel-hard stone, the pit of peril,
From his faithless heart. It sticks there still. 450
I mourn this man. His fate is fixed.’”
* * *
[Solomon is speaking]
“His arrogance will tire till he knows the truth—
That sinful souls are stuck in hell
Together with their tormenters, fierce demons. 455
Then the high King of heaven will order hell
Closed and locked in the clutch of fire,
An abyss of agony for devils and men.”
So wise Solomon, the son of David,
Overcame the Chaldean, put him to shame. 460
Still Saturn rejoiced—he had traveled far
And learned to laugh in the depths of his heart.
THE MENOLOGIUM: A CALENDAR POEM
This poem is found in MS Cotton Tiberius B.i along with some Chronicle poems and Maxims II: Cotton Maxims. This is a calendar poem of the saints’ feast days, the holidays marked by several of the major moments in Christ’s life, the arrival of each of the four seasons, and the onset of each month. Fulk and Cain point out that “this vernacular poem is inspired by sanctoral calendars in Latin hexameters, which appear from the late eighth century, and which are simply versifications, for non-liturgical use, of the calendars of saints that preface missals and breviaries,” noting also that “in its manuscript context it seems to have been intended as a preface to version C of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle” (133). The actual dates of the various celebratory days set out in the poem are not included in the text itself; only the time that intervenes between each of the succeeding dates is noted in convoluted ways such as “after four weeks minus two days” and “after thirteen plus ten days.” This is probably to help meet the alliterative constraints in the poem. Some of the intervening day-counts are in error. All of this causes what Stanley calls “arithmetical complexities” in the poem (2006, 259), and he indicates each of the proper dates. Malone (1969) indicates the actual dates in the margin to his translation. I have simplified all of this complexity in my translation by indicating both the dates themselves and the actual number of days (sometimes corrected) between the dates in question.
There is in this poem an interesting relationship between different forms of time. The saints’ days are celebrated in present time but honor an event in past time. These events seem to “recur” periodically, as do the entry of the months and the seasons. Present listeners or readers are invited to recall these past events as they prepare for present celebrations. In this way, linear history takes on a cyclical pattern, as does the metaphoric dying and rebirthing of the earth from winter to spring; and this in turn underlines the death and rebirth of Christ in the poem. Every significant earthly event is marked in recurring time, which imbues the poem with a sense of eternity. The word tid is often repeated in the poem and stands as a marker of these complex perspectives on time and has a wide range of meanings: “time, period, season, while, hour, feast-day, festal-tide, canonical hour or service, proper time” (Clark Hall, 340).
The Menologium: A Calendar Poem
Christ was born, the glory of kings,
Mighty, magnificent, on a midwinter day,
Our eternal Lord, the Guardian of heaven.
Eight days later, he was named “Savior”
On New Year’s Day, as it’s known by many 5
In town and village, hearth and home.
Five days later the feast day arrives,
When the Lord was baptized, that holy day
That battle-brave men, blessed with glory,
Call Twelfth Night here in Britain. 10
Four weeks later minus two days,
As is told by wise calendar-counters,
February arrives and settles down.
The next night on February 2nd,
Is Mary’s mass, when Christ’s mother 15
Brought her beloved boy, the Son of God,
To the holy temple, the Lord’s house.
Five nights later on February 7th,
Winter begins to leave our lodgings.
The Lord’s warrior, Matthias was martyred— 20
He left life seventeen days later on the 24th,
When the hint of spring was slipping in
To fields, furrows, and the homes of men.
Five days later, everyone always looks out
For fierce March, except for leap-year, 25
When it lags later by an added day.
That savage month sometimes brings
Hoarfrost and hailstones, terrible sleet-storms,
Over much of middle-earth. Holy Gregory
Left life eleven days later on March 12th. 30
A blessed man well known in Britain,
He hastened into the Lord’s embrace.
Nine days later on March 21st, brave Benedict,
Spirit-strong, faith-firm, sought the Savior.
He earned the praise of those raised strictly 35
By the learned rules of the Lord’s laws.
Books laud Benedict as God’s obedient servant.
Now the number-crafty calendar-counters
Make known the equinox on March 21st,
Because on that day our glorious Shaper 40
Created the sun and moon, heaven’s candles.
Four nights after equinox on March 25th,
Our Heavenly Father sent forth his archangel,
A holy emissary who announced to Mary
A great salvation—that the mother and maiden 45
Should bear the Creator, the best of kings,
The Lord of heaven. That act o
f Providence
Was proclaimed to the multitudes of middle-earth.
The wonder was no small gift to the world.
Seven nights later, our Lord and Savior 50
Sends us April, a month of gifts
When the glorious feast of the Lord’s resurrection
Often occurs as a comfort to mankind.
April is a month of green beauty and great blessing.
The wise prophet once sang in praise: 55
“This is the day the wise Lord made for us,
For all the blessed ones who dwell on earth,
For all the generations of mankind to come,
As a source of joy for the human race.”
We cannot keep that date fixed on the calendar 60
Or know the exact day of the Lord’s Ascension
Because these days change, always depending
On count and custom, learning and law,
The plotting of planets, the signs of seasons.
These matters and motions remain a wonder. 65
Perhaps those wise in winters, old in years,
Will one day discover this elusive truth.
Now we must weave words once again,
Mindful of martyrs, and sing out their stories.
Twenty-four days after April moves in 70
To gladden the homes and hearts of men,
Rogation arrives on the 25th of Easter month,
When the right-minded raise up relics
In a holy and profound time of prayer.
Six days later, lovely May moves in. 75
She brings in beauty, greening the earth
With a glorious gown of new shoots,
Gorgeous leaves, a fruitful living gift
That serves our needs. On that same day,
The 1st of May, the dedicated disciples, 80
The faithful followers, Philip and James,
Laid down their lives for their love of the Lord.
Two days later on May 3rd, God revealed the rood,
The holiest of beams, to blessed Helena.
On that gallows-tree, the Son of God, 85
The Lord of angels, was cruelly crucified.
By his Father’s leave, he offered his life
For his love of mankind. Six days later
On May 9th, glorious summer blazes in,
Brings to the fields and farms of men 90
Sun-bright days and warmer weather.
Then meadows blossom, groves bloom—
Earth’s gift is a cornucopia of colors.
Men and women rejoice on middle-earth,
All kinds and creatures are quickened with life, 95
And they praise their Creator in manifold ways,
In each muscled movement, each greening reach.
After seventeen nights, on May 26th,
God took Augustine to a place of pure light.
The holy one was glad-hearted here in Britain 100
To have found so many men, leaders and earls,
Who would listen to him and follow God’s will,
As the wise Gregory had so often counseled.
I have never heard of a better bishop
Or a wiser mentor in all of middle-earth 105
Between the salt-seas. Now he rests
In Canterbury, close to a kingly throne
In a famous monastery. Next the calendar-count
Brings us six days later to the 1st of June,
When heaven’s gem, the brightest of stars, 110
Soars in the sky to its highest point,
Then sets in the evening under the edge
Of sea and sand. In this summer setting,
The sun lingers in field and furrow
And leaves its lovely gift of daylight 115
A little longer before it disappears
Down under the horizon. Twenty-three days later
On June 24th, John the Baptist, thane of glory,
Beloved servant of the Son and Savior,
Was born long ago. We observe that feast 120
On midsummer day with great dignity.
Five days later on June 29th is the saints’ day
Of the apostles Peter and Paul. Loyal to the Lord,
These holy martyrs were murdered in Rome
For their faith. That was an infamous day. 125
They had worked wonders in many nations
Throughout middle-earth, and after death
Continued their count of mysteries and miracles
Through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Two days later in timely fashion comes July, 130
And on the 25th day, James met his death
With a strong heart and steadfast spirit.
He was a wise and constant counselor of people,
The son of Zebedee. Seven nights later,
August enters the world with its radiant sun, 135
Lammas Day for all of earth’s peoples.
Six days later on August 7th, autumn arrives
With fields overflowing with fruit and grain,
A wonder of wealth, a season of sustenance.
Three nights later on August 10th, was the day 140
When Laurence left his life, a mighty martyr
And famous deacon. For his firm faith
In words and works, he met his Master
And now lives a blessed life with God.
Five days later on August 15th is the time 145
When the fairest of maidens, the glory of women,
Ascended into paradise, seeking her Son
And the Lord of hosts. That purest of women
Was given a place of peace in paradise.
The Savior had paid her for a precious loan 150
With a well-earned home in eternal heaven.
After ten days on August 25th, we celebrate
Bartholomew’s Day with a feast in Britain.
Four nights later, a long while ago,
John the Baptist died on August 29th.
That worthy servant sprinkled the holy waters 155
Of baptism on the blessed head of the Son of glory.
Our Lord and Master once said about him
That there was never any greater person born
Of man and woman in all of middle-earth.
Three days later through time and tide, 160
Holy-month September is ushered in,
As all the wise ones of old once predicted.
Seven days later on September 8th,
We celebrate the day that the best of maidens,
Blessed Mary, Mother of God, was born. 165
Thirteen days later on September 21st,
The sinless Matthew sent forth his spirit
Soaring into heaven. He was wise in Gospel
Law and lore. Three days later on the 24th,
The equinox arrives to the children of men. 170
Five days afterwards on September 29th,
Everyone on earth honors the archangel
In singing Michael’s mass and celebrating
A joyous feast. After three days’ time,
The tenth month October arrives in town, 175
Bringing abundance and the beginning of winter,
As the year winds down. Men and women
All over the island, Angles and Saxons,
Know this month. Then we patiently wait
Twenty-seven days to October 28th, 180
When we celebrate the mass for two together,
Simon and Jude, those warrior-apostles.
We’ve learned that they were dear to our Lord—
They won great glory in their blessed ascension.
Four nights later, November rolls around 185
With plenty in the pantry for princes and people,
A heft of harvest, a fullness of feasts.
This month holds hope for the children of strife,
An ease of suffering, an end of anguish,
&nb
sp; God’s mercy for those who endure much misery. 190
On November 1st, we celebrate All Hallows’ mass
With a feast for the saints who have worked God’s will.
Six days later on November 7th, we all know
That winter storms in, chasing the sun-bright,
Heavy-footed, late harvest out, 195
Routing the welcome warmth of the year
With hard hailstorms, sleet and snow,
Locking down the land with firm ice-bonds,
At the Lord’s command so that the earth’s
Green garment grows suddenly white. 200
The meadow is meltless, the ground gripped
In a frozen clutch. Four days later
On November 11th, we celebrate the day
When the glorious Martin left life,
A sinless man seeking his Master, 205
The Lord of angels in high heaven.
Twelve days later on November 23rd,
The enemies of God sent sinking to the sea-bed
The glorious Clement, a wise gray-beard—
People still invoke his name in need. 210
Seven nights later on November 30th,
Splendid Andrew, dear to his Savior,
The Lord of victory, yielded his life,
Eagerly sending his soul on high
Into the embrace of God. The next morning, 215
As everyone knows, brings in December,
A chilly month for the children of men.
Twenty days later on December 21st,
The Savior gave brave-hearted Thomas
The treasure of everlasting life in heaven 220
For the trouble and strife the bold warrior bore.
He won God’s favor for his unshakeable faith.
Four days later on blessed December 25th,
The Father of angels sent us his Son
As a comfort to mankind all over creation. 225
Now whoever seeks can find the saints’ days,
The celebration feasts, the months and seasons
Throughout the year in this calendar poem,
As time is traced, and the yearly cycle repeats,
According to the rule in the realm of Britain, 230
Commanded herein by the king of the Saxons.
MAXIMS II: COTTON MAXIMS
This poem, found in MS Cotton Tiberius B.i, consists of a list of short, pithy statements about various creatures, human and non-human, and their appropriate, typical, or desired context, action, or condition. There is a longer set of maxims in the Exeter Book. These poems derive from a medieval and classical tradition of catalogic and encyclopedic works, but they have a tone and structure uniquely Anglo-Saxon. Each maxim is a mini-definition usually built on the verb byð (is, is always, will be) or sceal (shall be, should be, must be, ought to be, is typically). These simple verbs are notoriously difficult to translate. Greenfield and Evert list the following possibilities for the opening half-line, Cyning sceal rice healdan: “‘A king ought to rule (or preserve) a kingdom’ (i.e., a king ought to rule it rather than abuse or neglect it), or ‘A king shall rule a kingdom’ (i.e., it is the nature of a king to rule a kingdom), or ‘A king must rule a kingdom’ (i.e., each kingdom must be ruled by some king)” (342).
The Complete Old English Poems Page 109
