The Dream of the Rood

The Dream of the Rood
Do you recognize the language below? German?  Dutch?  Would you believe me if  I told you the text below is written in English? Old English to be precise, as differentiated from Middle English or Early Modern English.  If you're wondering, linguistically, we speak Late Modern English.

The lines below come from an Old English poem titled, "The Dream of the Rood" by an unknown author in the eighth century (circa 700-800 AD).  The poem tells the story of the crucifixion from the point of view of the cross itself.  The word Rood means crucifix or cross of Christ.

Hwæt, iċ swefna cyst     secgan wylle,
  hwæt mē ġemǣtte     tō midre nihte
  syðþan reordberend     reste wunedon.
  Þūhte mē þæt iċ ġesāwe     syllicre trēow
5 on lyft lǣdan,     lēohte bewunden,
  bēama beorhtost.     Eall þæt bēacen wæs
  begoten mid golde;     ġimmas stōdon
  fæġere æt foldan scēatum;     swylċe þǣr fīfe wǣron


Here are a few lines of the poem translated by Richard Hammer (1970). What is the attitude of the Rood or Cross?  What is the Cross's attitude toward Christ?

From “The Dream of the Rood”
The earliest Christian poem in English

The Rood (cross of Christ) speaks:

“It was long past – I still remember it –
That I was cut down at the copse’s end,
Moved from my root. Strong enemies there took me,
Told me to hold aloft their criminals,
Made me a spectacle. Men carried me
Upon their shoulders, set me on a hill,
A host of enemies there fastened me.

“And then I saw the Lord of all mankind
Hasten with eager zeal that He might mount
Upon me. I durst not against God’s word
Bend down or break, when I saw tremble all
The surface of the earth. Although I might
Have struck down all the foes, yet stood I fast.

“Then the young hero (who was God almighty)
Got ready, resolute and strong in heart.
He climbed onto the lofty gallows-tree,
Bold in the sight of many watching men,
When He intended to redeem mankind.
I trembled as the warrior embraced me.
But still I dared not bend down to the earth,
Fall to the ground. Upright I had to stand.

“A rood I was raised up; and I held high
The noble King, the Lord of heaven above.
I dared not stoop. They pierced me with dark nails;
The scars can still be clearly seen on me,

The open wounds of malice. Yet might I
Not harm them. They reviled us both together.
I was made wet all over with the blood
Which poured out from his side, after He had
Sent forth His spirit. And I underwent
Full many a dire experience on that hill.
I saw the God of hosts stretched grimly out.
Darkness covered the Ruler’s corpse with clouds
His shining beauty; shadows passed across,
Black in the darkness. All creation wept,
Bewailed the King’s death; Christ was on the cross….

“Now you may understand, dear warrior,
That I have suffered deeds of wicked men
And grievous sorrows. Now the time has come
That far and wide on earth men honor me,
And all this great and glorious creation,
And to this beacon offers prayers. On me
The Son of God once suffered; therefore now
I tower mighty underneath the heavens,
And I may heal all those in awe of me.
Once I became the cruelest of tortures,
Most hateful to all nations, till the time
I opened the right way of life for men.”




If you would like to hear the poem read in Old English, click the link below. 

No Comments


Recent

Archive

Categories

Tags

10000 Reasons 2 Corinthians 3 A People in Decline Aaron Shust Abandoned Acts 2 Acts Alabaster Jar Alert Annointing Anointing Art Asleep Assyria Awareness Aware Awe Babylon is Fallen Babylon Bach Barabbas Barrabbas Be Courageous Be Strong Benjamin West Bible Project Blessing Bonhoeffer Caesar Cancer Character of God Charles Wesley Christ's Return Christina Rossetti Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery Context Cost Crisis Crowds Crown of Thorns Crucified Cunning Current Events Denial Dickinson Discipleship Ears Easter Economy Edward Hicks Empty tomb End of World Examen Exodus Eyes Fall of Babylon Fall of Icarus False Glory Fear Not Forskaen Garden of Gethsemane Gethsemane God Story God's Will God\'s Will God\\\'s Will God Good Friday Gospels Grace Discipleshio Handed Over Handel's Messiah Handel\'s Messiah He's Not Finished He\'s Not Finished Head and Heart High Priest Holy Saturday Holy Spirit Holy Week How Will You Respond? Hymn I AM Injustice Introduction Isaiah 11 Isaiah 13 Isaiah 14 Isaiah 1 Isaiah 21 Isaiah 2 Isaiah 36-39 Isaiah 3 Isaiah 40 Isaiah 4 Isaiah 5 Isaiah 6 Isaiah 9-12 Isaiah James Weldon Johnson Jan Richardson Jen Rose Yokel Jesus in the Boat Jesus' Coming Jesus John 5 John Martin John Wesley Jonathan Rogers Jordan Joshua 1 Joshua Keep My Word Kingdom of God Kingdom Last Supper Lord Byron Lord's Supper Love Malcolm Guite Man of Sorrows Mark 13 Mark 14 Mark 15 Martin Luther Mary Oliver Matt Redman Matthew 28 Maundy Thursday Memorial Michael W Smith Mocking Music New Kingdom Nicolai Not Done Yet Online Resources Open the Eyes of My Heart Overview Painting Palm Sunday Passion Passover Peter James John Peter Pictures of Temple Pilate Poem Poetry Politics Poor Power of God Praise Presence of God Propoganda Prudence Psalm 22 Reading Plan Redeemer Reflection Remember Remnant Restoration Resurrection Richard Foster Righteousness Robert Hayden Rossetti Sacrifice Sanhedrin Sarah Clarkson Servant Signs Silence Sonnet Soul Care Sovereign Spiritual Spoken Word Stafford Stations of the Cross Stay With Me Success Sweetly Broken Temple destruction Temple The Dream of the Rood The Proud Will Be Humbled Tim Keller Triumphal Entry Trusting God Uphill Video Watchman Watch Weekly Examen What is Important Who Ami I? Who am I? Who is God? William Stafford anger attention awake belong challenge cross cruciform delusional disciples give hesed hope led astray money offering poverty prayer second coming tax tenants truth widow yeats