Dream of the Rood University of Oxford CLASP Project nick.white@ell.ox.ac.uk https://clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/poem/A.2.5 Distributed by the University of Oxford under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License Library of Congress Subject Headings English, Old (ca. 450-1100) Poems Dream of the Rood
hwæt ic swefna cyst secgan wylle hwæt me gemætte to midre nihte syþþan reordberend reste wunedon þuhte me þæt ic gesawe syllicre treow on lyft lædan leohte bewunden beama beorhtost eall þæt beacen wæs begoten mid golde gimmas stodon fægere æt foldan sceatum swylce þær fife wæron uppe on þam eaxlegespanne beheoldon þær engel dryhtnes ealle fægere þurh forþgesceaft ne wæs þær huru fracodes gealga ac hine þær beheoldon halige gastas men ofer moldan ond eall þeos mære gesceaft syllic wæs se sigebeam ond ic synnum fah forwunded mid wommum geseah ic wuldres treow wædum geweorþode wynnum scinan gegyred mid golde gimmas hæfdon bewrigene weorþlice wealdendes treow hwæþre ic þurh þæt gold ongytan meahte earmra ærgewin þæt hit ærest ongan swætan on þa swiþran healfe eall ic wæs mid sorgum gedrefed forht ic wæs for þære fægran gesyhþe geseah ic þæt fuse beacen wendan wædum ond bleom hwilum hit wæs mid wætan bestemed beswyled mid swates gange hwilum mid since gegyrwed hwæþre ic þær licgende lange hwile beheold hreowcearig hælendes treow oþþæt ic gehyrde þæt hit hleoþrode ongan þa word sprecan wudu selesta þæt wæs geara iu ic þæt gyta geman þæt ic wæs aheawen holtes on ende astyred of stefne minum genaman me þær strange feondas geworhton him þær to wæfersyne heton me heora wergas hebban bæron me þær beornas on eaxlum oþþæt hie me on beorg asetton gefæstnodon me þær feondas genoge geseah ic þa frean mancynnes efstan elne mycle þæt he me wolde on gestigan þær ic þa ne dorste ofer dryhtnes word bugan oþþe berstan þa ic bifian geseah eorþan sceatas ealle ic mihte feondas gefyllan hwæþre ic fæste stod ongyrede hine þa geong hæleþ þæt wæs god ælmihtig strang ond stiþmod gestah he on gealgan heanne modig on manigra gesyhþe þa he wolde mancyn lysan bifode ic þa me se beorn ymbclypte ne dorste ic hwæþre bugan to eorþan feallan to foldan sceatum ac ic sceolde fæste standan rod wæs ic aræred ahof ic ricne cyning heofona hlaford hyldan me ne dorste þurhdrifan hi me mid deorcan næglum on me syndon þa dolg gesiene opene inwidhlemmas ne dorste ic hira nænigum sceþþan bysmeredon hie unc butu ætgædere eall ic wæs mid blode bestemed begoten of þæs guman sidan siþþan he hæfde his gast onsended feala ic on þam beorge gebiden hæbbe wraþra wyrda geseah ic weruda god þearle þenian þystro hæfdon bewrigen mid wolcnum wealdendes hræw scirne sciman sceadu forþeode wann under wolcnum weop eal gesceaft cwiþdon cyninges fyll crist wæs on rode hwæþere þær fuse feorran cwoman to þam æþelinge ic þæt eall beheold sare ic wæs mid sorgum gedrefed hnag ic hwæþre þam secgum to handa eaþmod elne mycle genamon hie þær ælmihtigne god ahofon hine of þam hefian wite forleton me þa hilderincas standan steame bedrifenne eall ic wæs mid strælum forwundod aledon hie þær limwerigne gestodon him æt his lices heafdum beheoldon hie þær heofenes dryhten ond he hine þær hwile reste meþe æfter þam miclan gewinne ongunnon him þa moldern wyrcan beornas on banan gesyhþe curfon hie þæt of beorhtan stane gesetton hie þæron sigora wealdend ongunnon him þa sorhleoþ galan earme on þa æfentide þa hie woldon eft siþian meþe fram þam mæran þeodne reste he þær mæte weorode hwæþere we þær greotende gode hwile stodon on staþole syþþan stefn up gewat hilderinca hræw colode fæger feorgbold þa us man fyllan ongan ealle to eorþan þæt wæs egeslic wyrd bedealf us man on deopan seaþe hwæþre me þær dryhtnes þegnas freondas gefrunon # ond gyredon me golde ond seolfre nu þu miht gehyran hæleþ min se leofa þæt ic bealuwara weorc gebiden hæbbe sarra sorga is nu sæl cumen þæt me weorþiaþ wide ond side menn ofer moldan ond eall þeos mære gesceaft gebiddaþ him to þyssum beacne on me bearn godes þrowode hwile forþan ic þrymfæst nu hlifige under heofenum ond ic hælan mæg æghwylcne anra þara þe him biþ egesa to me iu ic wæs geworden wita heardost leodum laþost ærþan ic him lifes weg rihtne gerymde reordberendum hwæt me þa geweorþode wuldres ealdor ofer holmwudu heofonrices weard swylce swa he his modor eac marian sylfe ælmihtig god for ealle menn geweorþode ofer eall wifa cynn nu ic þe hate hæleþ min se leofa þæt þu þas gesyhþe secge mannum onwreoh wordum þæt hit is wuldres beam se þe ælmihtig god on þrowode for mancynnes manegum synnum ond adomes ealdgewyrhtum deaþ he þær byrigde hwæþere eft dryhten aras mid his miclan mihte mannum to helpe he þa on heofenas astag hider eft fundaþ on þysne middangeard mancynn secan on domdæge dryhten sylfa ælmihtig god ond his englas mid þæt he þonne wile deman se ah domes geweald anra gehwylcum swa he him ærur her on þyssum lænum life geearnaþ ne mæg þær ænig unforht wesan for þam worde þe se wealdend cwyþ frineþ he for þære mænige hwær se man sie se þe for dryhtnes naman deaþes wolde biteres onbyrigan swa he ær on þam beame dyde ac hie þonne forhtiaþ ond fea þencaþ hwæt hie to criste cweþan onginnen ne þearf þær þonne ænig anforht wesan þe him ær in breostum bereþ beacna selest ac þurh þa rode sceal rice gesecan of eorþwege æghwylc sawl seo þe mid wealdende wunian þenceþ gebæd ic me þa to þan beame bliþe mode elne mycle þær ic ana wæs mæte werede wæs modsefa afysed on forþwege feala ealra gebad langunghwila is me nu lifes hyht þæt ic þone sigebeam secan mote ana oftor þonne ealle men well weorþian me is willa to þam mycel on mode ond min mundbyrd is geriht to þære rode nah ic ricra feala freonda on foldan ac hie forþ heonon gewiton of worulde dreamum sohton him wuldres cyning lifiaþ nu on heofenum mid heahfædere wuniaþ on wuldre ond ic wene me daga gehwylce hwænne me dryhtnes rod þe ic her on eorþan ær sceawode on þysson lænan life gefetige ond me þonne gebringe þær is blis mycel dream on heofonum þær is dryhtnes folc geseted to symle þær is singal blis ond me þonne asette þær ic syþþan mot wunian on wuldre well mid þam halgum dreames brucan si me dryhten freond se þe her on eorþan ær þrowode on þam gealgtreowe for guman synnum he us onlysde ond us lif forgeaf heofonlicne ham hiht wæs geniwad mid bledum ond mid blisse þam þe þær bryne þolodan se sunu wæs sigorfæst on þam siþfate mihtig ond spedig þa he mid manigeo com gasta weorode on godes rice anwealda ælmihtig englum to blisse ond eallum þam halgum þam þe on heofonum ær wunedon on wuldre þa heora wealdend cwom ælmihtig god þær his eþel wæs