bipeahte preanỹdum; and þý þriddan dæge
of digle ārās, þæs pe hē deað fore ūs
preo niht polade,

pēoden engla,

sigora Sellend. Pæt was swēte stenc,

65 wlitig and wynsum,

Sippan to pām swicce

geond woruld ealle.

sōðfæste men,

than aught that clothes the earth with beauty. Thereupon from cities, courts, and castle-halls many companies of heroes flock along the highways of earth; the wielders of the spear press forward in hurrying throngs to that perfume-and so also do animals-when once the music has ceased.

Even so the Lord God, the Giver of joy, is gracious to all creatures, to every order of them, save only the dragon, the source of venom, that ancient enemy whom he bound in the abyss of torments; shackling him with fiery fetters, and loading him with dire constraints, he arose from darkness on the third day after he, the Lord of angels, the Bestower of victory, had for three nights endured death on our behalf. That was a sweet perfume throughout the world, winsome and entrancing. Henceforth,

Than all this world's adornments. Then from town
And palace, then from castle-hall, come forth
Along the roads great troops of hurrying men-
The very beasts come also; all press on

Toward that sweet odor, when the voice is stilled.
Such as this creature is the Lord our God,
Giver of joys, to all creation kind,

To men benignant, save alone to him,
The dragon, author of all wickedness,
Satan, the ancient adversary whom,

Fettered with fire, shackled with dire constraint,
Into the pit of torments God cast down.
The third day Christ arose from out the grave,
For three nights having suffered death for us,
He, Lord of angels, he in whom alone

Is hope of overcoming. Far and wide.

The tidings spread, like perfume fresh and sweet, Through all the world. Then to that fragrance thronged

on healfa gehwone, geond ealne ymbhwyrft Swa se snottra gecwæð 70 'Monigfealde sind

gōd ungnyõe þe
and to feorhnere
and se anga Hyht
uppe ge nipre.'

heapum þrungon

eorban sceat[a].
Sanctus Paulus:
geond middangeard
us tō giefe dæleð
Fæder ælmihtig,

ealra gesceafta
Pæt is æpele stenc.

through the whole extent of earth's regions, righteous men have streamed in multitudes from every side to that fragrance. As said the wise St. Paul: 'Manifold over the world are the lavish bounties which the Father almighty, the Hope of all creatures above and below, bestows on us as grace and salvation.' That, too, is a sweet odor.

From every side all men whose hearts were true,
Throughout the regions of the circled earth.
Thus spoke the wise St. Paul: 'In all the world
His gifts are many, which he gives to us
For our salvation with unstinting hand,
Almighty Father, he, the only Hope

Of all in heaven or here below on earth.'
This is that noble fragrance, rare and sweet,
Which draws all men to seek it from afar.

II

THE WHALE (ASP-TURTLE)

Nu ic fitte gēn wille wōocræfte þurh mōdgemynd,

ymb fisca cynn wordum cypan

bi pām miclan hwale. oft gemōted,

fareðlācendum,

Sẽ bið unwillum

5

frecne and fer[h]ðgrim,

niþþa gehwylcum ;

pām is noma cenned,

hrēofum stāne,

fyr[ge]nstreama geflotan, Fastitocalon.

Is þæs hiw gelic

swylce wōrie bi wædes ōfre,

10 sondbeorgum ymbseald, særỹrica mæst,
swā þæt wēnap waglipende

þæt hy on ealond sum ĕagum wliten ;
and ponne gehyd[i]að heahstefn scipu
tō þām unlonde oncyrrāpum,

15 s[@]lap smearas

sundes æt ende,

This time I will with poetic art rehearse, by means of words and wit, a poem about a kind of fish, the great sea-monster which is often unwillingly met, terrible and cruel-hearted to seafarers, yea, to every man; this swimmer of the ocean-streams is known as the asp-turtle.

His appearance is like that of a rough boulder, as if there were tossing by the shore a great ocean-reedbank begirt with sand-dunes, so that seamen imagine they are gazing upon an island, and moor their high-prowed ships with cables to that false land, make fast the oceancoursers at the sea's end, and, bold of heart, climb up