# The Descent into Hell

ongunnon him on uhtan || æðelcunde mægð
gierwan to geonge || wiston gumena gemot
æðelinges lic || eorðærne biðeaht
woldan werigu wif || wope bimænan
æðelinges deað || ane hwile
reonge bereotan || ræst wæs acolad
heard wæs hinsið || hæleð wæron modge
ðe hy æt ðam beorge || bliðe fundon
cwom seo murnende || maria on dægred
heht hy oðre mid || eorles dohtor
sohton sarigu tu || sigebearn godes
ænne in ðæt eorðærn || ðær hi ær wiston
ðæt hine gehyddan || hæleð iudea
wendan ðæt he on ðam beorge || bidan sceolde
ana in ðære easterniht || huru ðæs oðer ðing
wiston ða wifmenn || ða hy on weg cyrdon
ac ðær cwom on uhtan || an engla ðreat
behæfde heapa wyn || hælendes burg
open wæs ðæt eorðærn || æðelinges lic
onfeng feores gæst || folde beofode
hlogan helwaran || hagosteald onwoc
modig from moldan || mægenðrym aras
sigefæst ond snottor || sægde iohannis
hæleð helwarum || hlyhhende spræc
modig to ðære mengo || ymb his mæges //
hæfde me gehaten || hælend user
ða he me on ðisne sið || sendan wolde
ðæt he me gesoht/ || siex monað
ealles folces fruma || nu // sceacen
wene ic ful swiðe || ond witod
// to dæge || dryhten wille
// gesecan || sigebearn godes
fysde hine ða to fore || frea moncynnes
wolde heofona helm || helle weallas
forbrecan ond forbygan || ðære burge ðrym
onginnan reafian || reðust ealra cyninga
ne rohte he to ðære hilde || helmberendra
ne he byrnwigend || to ðam burggeatum
lædan ne wolde || ac ða locu feollan
clustor of ðam ceastrum || cyning in oðrad
ealles folces fruma || forð onette
weoruda wuldorgiefa || wræccan ðrungon
hwylc hyra ðæt sygebearn || geseon moste
adam ond abraham || isac ond iacob
monig modig eorl || moyses ond dauid
esaias || ond sacharias
heahfædra fela || swylce eac hæleða gemot
witgena weorod || wifmonna ðreat
fela fæmnena || folces unrim
geseah ða iohannis || sigebearn godes
mid ðy cyneðrymme || cuman to helle
ongeat ða geomormod || godes sylfes sið
geseah he helle duru || hædre scinan
ða ðe longe ær || bilocen wæron
beðeahte mid ðystre || se ðegn wæs on wynne
abead ða bealdlice || burgwarena ord
modig fore ðære mengo || ond to his mæge spræc
ond ða wilcuman || wordum grette
ðe ðæs ðonc sie || ðeoden user
ðæt ðu us/ /ige || secan woldest
nu we on ðissum bendum || bidan //
ðonne monige bindeð || broðorleasne
wræccan // || he bið wide fah
ne bið he no ðæs nearwe || under niðloc/
ðæs bitre gebunden || under bealuclommum
ðæt he ðy yð ne mæge || ellen habban
ðonne he his hlafordes || hyldo gelyfeð
ðæt hine of ðam bendum || bicgan wille
swa we ealle to ðe || an gelyfað
dryhten min se dyra || ic adreag fela
siððan ðu end to me || in siðadest
ða ðu me gesealdest || sweord ond byrnan
helm ond heorosceorp || a ic ðæt heold nu giet
ond ðu me gecyðdest || cyneðrymma wyn
ðæt ðu mundbora || minum wære
eala gabrihel || hu ðu eart gleaw ond scearp
milde ond gemyndig || ond monðwære
wis on ðinum gewitte || ond on ðinum worde snottor
ðæt ðu gecyðdest || ða ðu ðone cnyht to us
brohtest in bethlem || bidan we ðæs longe
setan on sorgum || sibbe oflyste
wynnum ond wenum || hwonne we word godes
ðurh his sylfes muð || secgan hyrde
eala maria || hu ðu us modigne
cyning acendest || ða ðu ðæt cild to us
brohtest in bethlem || we ðæs beofiende
under helle dorum || hearde sceoldon
bidan in bendum || bona weorces gefeah
wæron ure ealdfind || ealle on wynnum
ðonne hy gehyrdon || hu we hreowen/
/on murnende || mægburg usse
oððæt // || sigedryhten god
bimengdes/ || /gust ealra cyninga
 || nu us mon modge ðe
ageaf from usse geogoðe || we ðurh gifre mod
beswican us sylfe || we ða synne forðon
berað in urum breostum || to bonan honda
sculon eac to ussum feondum || freoðo wilnian
eala hierusalem || in iudeum
hu ðu in ðære stowe || stille gewunadest
ne mostan ðe geondferan || foldbuende
ealle lifgende || ða ðe lof singað
eala iordane || in iudeum
hu ðu in ðære stowe || stille gewunadest
nales ðu geondflowan || foldbuende
mostan hy ðynes wætres || wynnum brucan
nu ic ðe halsie || hælend user
deope in gedyrstum || ðu eart dryhten crist
ðæt ðu us gemiltsie || monna scyppend
ðu fore monna lufan || ðinre modor bosm
sylfa gesohtes || sigedryhten god
nales fore ðinre ðearfe || ðeoda waldend
ac for ðam miltsum || ðe ðu moncynne
oft ætywdest || ðonne him wæs are ðearf
ðu meaht ymbfon || eal folca gesetu
swylce ðu meaht geriman || rice dryhten
sæs sondgrotu || selast ealra cyninga
swylce ic ðe halsige || hælend user
fore /inum cildhade || cyninga selast
ond fore ðære wunde || weoruda dry/
ðinum æriste || æðelinga wyn
ond fore ðinre me/ || /ian nama
ða ealle hellwara || hergað ond lof/
/lum || ðe ðe ymb stondað
ða ðu ðe lete sittan || // hond
ða ðu us on ðisne wræcsið || weoroda dryhten
ðurh ðines sylfes geweald || secan woldest
ond fore hierusalem || in iudeum
sceal seo burg nu-ða || bidan efne swa ðeah
ðeoden leofa || ðines eftcymes
ond for iordane || in iudeum
wit unc in ðære burnan || baðodan ætgædre
oferwurpe ðu mid ðy wætre || weoruda dryhten
bliðe mode || ealle burgwaran
swylce git iohannis || in iordane
mid ðy fullwihte || fægre onbryrdon
ealne ðisne middangeard || sie ðæs symle meotude ðonc