Part 2 (2/2)
The Ruler of the waves replied to him:-- ”'Tis not in blame that I thus question thee, Nor to insult thee on the ocean-road.[1]
My mind is blithe and blossoming with joy At thy most n.o.ble speech; not I am blithe Alone, for every man is glad in heart And comforted in soul who far or near Remembers in his heart what that One did, G.o.d's Son on earth. Souls unto Him were turned; 640 With eagerness they sought the joys of heaven, The angels' home, by aid of His great might.”
[Footnote 1: Lit. ”whale-road.”]
Straightway did Andrew answer Him again:-- ”In thee I see an understanding heart Of wondrous power, the gift of victory; With wisdom blooms thy breast, with brightest joy.
Lo, I will tell to thee from first to last The words and wisdom of the n.o.ble Lord, 650 As I have heard it oft from His own mouth When He conversed with men upon the earth.
Oft did great mult.i.tudes, unnumbered throngs, a.s.semble to the council of the Lord, And hear the teachings of the Holy One.
The s.h.i.+eld of kings, bright Giver of all bliss, Went to another house, where many men, Wise elders, came to meet Him, praising G.o.d; And ever men were joyful, glad of heart, At the Lord's coming.
Likewise it befell 660 That once of yore the Lord of victory, The mighty King, went on a pilgrimage; Eleven glorious champions alone Of His own people on that journey went; He was Himself the twelfth. When we were come Unto the kingly city where was built The temple of the Lord with pinnacles High towering, famous 'mong the tribes of men, Beauteous in splendor--with reviling words The high priest straight began to mock at Him 670 Insultingly, from out his wicked heart; He oped his inmost thoughts and mischief wove; For in his heart he knew we followed aye The footsteps of our ever-righteous Lord, His teachings we performed; straightway he raised His baneful voice infect with wickedness:-- 'Lo, ye are wretched more than all mankind; Ye go upon wide wanderings, and ye fare On many toilsome journeys; ye give ear Unto a stranger's teachings 'gainst our law; A prince without a portion ye proclaim; 680 Ye say, in sooth, that with the Son of G.o.d Ye daily converse hold! The rulers know From what beginning his high race is sprung.
In this land he was nourished, and was born A child among his kindred; at their home Thus are his father and his mother called-- As we have learned by prudent questioning-- Mary and Joseph; other children twain Were born his brothers in that family, 690 Simon and Jacob--Joseph's sons they are.'
So spake the counsellors of men, the lords Ambitious, and they thought to hide the might Of G.o.d; their sin returned to them again From whom it rose, an everlasting bane.
Then did the Prince, the Lord of hosts, depart With all His thanes from out the council-hall, Strong in His might, to seek an unknown land.
By wonders manifold and mighty deeds In deserts wild He showed that He was King 700 By right throughout the world, made strong with power, Ruler and Author of bright majesty, Eternal G.o.d of all created things.
Likewise He showed before the sight of men Unnumbered other works miraculous.
Upon another journey then He went With a vast throng, and in the temple stood, The glorious Prince. The sound of words arose Within the lofty building; sinful men Would not receive the holy Savior's words, Though He had shown so many tokens true 710 While they looked on. Upon the temple wall On either side the Lord victorious saw An image of His angels wondrous carved, Brightly adorned and beautifully wrought; Then to the mult.i.tude he spake in words:-- 'This is the likeness of the angel-race Most widely known to dwellers in this town.
In Paradise their names are Cherubim 720 And Seraphim; before the face of G.o.d They stand, strong-souled, and with their voices praise In holy song the might of Heaven's King, And G.o.d's protecting hand. Here is carved out The holy angels' form; the thanes of glory Are chiseled on the wall by handicraft.'
The Lord of hosts, the Holy Spirit of heaven, Spake yet again unto the mult.i.tude:-- 'Now I command a sign to be disclosed, A miracle before the throng of men, 730 That from the wall this image shall descend All beautiful to earth, and speak a word, Shall tell them truly of My parentage, That men throughout the land may then believe!'
The ancient image durst not disobey The Savior's words, but leapt from off the wall, Stone cleft from stone; upon the earth it stood, A wonder in the sight of all the throng; Then came a voice loud sounding from the stone, 740 Rebuking them in words; and wondrous seemed The statue's speech to those proud-hearted men.
With tokens manifest it taught the priests, Warned them with wisdom; thus it spake in words:-- 'Accursed are ye and wretched in your thoughts, Deceived with tricks, or else with clouded mind No better do ye know. Ye call G.o.d's Son Eternal but a man--Him who marked out With His own hands the sea and solid ground, Both heaven and earth, the stormy ocean-waves, The salt sea-streams, and the high firmament. 750 He is that self-same G.o.d all-powerful Whom in the early days your fathers knew; To Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob He gave His grace, and honored them with wealth; To Abraham He first declared in words The covenant of his race, that of his seed The G.o.d of glory should be born; this fate Is now fulfilled among you, manifest; And lo! your eyes can now behold the G.o.d Of victory, who rules the heavens on high.' 760
After these words the crowd stood listening; All silent were they through the s.p.a.cious hall.
The elders then began again to say, Those sinful men--the truth they did not know!-- That it was magic art and sorcery That made the s.h.i.+ning stone to talk to men.
Evil was blossoming in their hearts, and hate Welled hot as fire within their wicked b.r.e.a.s.t.s, A serpent, foe to joy, a poison dire; 770 And by their words of mocking were revealed Their doubting hearts and thoughts of wickedness, With murder girt about. Then did the Lord Command the stone, that mighty work, to go Along the way, from out the open place, To tread the paths of earth, the meadows green, To bear G.o.d's message into Canaan land, And in G.o.d's name command that Abraham And his descendants twain should rise again From out their sepulchre, and leave their place 780 Of rest beneath the earth, take up their limbs, Receive a soul again and youth's estate; That those wise patriarchs should come once more Among mankind, to tell the folk what G.o.d It was that they had known by His own might.
It went and journeyed on the border-paths As mighty G.o.d, Creator of mankind, Commanded it, until it came to Mamre All dazzling bright, as G.o.d had bidden it.
There had the bodies of those patriarchs 790 Long time lain hid. It bade them straight arise From out the earth, those princes, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, leaving their deep sleep To meet their G.o.d; it bade them to prepare To come before the presence of the Lord; For they must tell the folk Who at the first Brought forth this earth all-green, and heaven above, And where that Ruler was who stablished firm All that great work. They durst not long delay Fulfilment of the glorious King's command. 800 So went those prophets three, those valiant men, And trod the earth; they let their sepulchres Stand open, for they would straightway proclaim The Father of creation. Then the folk With fear was stricken, when those Princes old Honored the King of glory with their words.
The Lord of might bade them forthwith return To blessedness, to seek a second time The happiness of heaven in holy peace, And there to live in bliss for evermore. 810
Lo, thou mayst hear, dear youth, how He performed By His commands full many miracles; Yet even so those people blind of heart Did not believe His teachings. I could tell Many more deeds which He, the Prince of heaven, Wrought on the earth--a great and famous tale: Such deeds as thou couldst never understand, Nor comprehend in heart, though thou art wise.”
Thus Andrew all day long showed forth the lore Of holy Jesus in his words, until A sleep came sudden o'er him as he sailed 820 Upon the whale's road nigh to Heaven's King.
The Lord of life then bade His angels bear That saint beloved over the beating waves, And gently carry him upon their b.r.e.a.s.t.s Under the Father's care across the floods, While sleep was on him weary of the sea.
So journeying through the air he reached the land And came unto the city, which the King Of angels bade him seek; the messengers Departed joyful to their home on high. 830 They left the holy man, that gracious saint, Beside the highway, 'neath the vault of heaven, Peacefully sleeping near the city wall And near his foes malignant all night long, 'Till G.o.d sent forth the candle of the day Brightly to s.h.i.+ne. Vanished the shadows dark Beneath the welkin; then the torch of heaven, The clear light of the sky, came forth and shone Above the town. The warrior brave awoke And gazed upon the fields; before the gates 840 Steep hills high towered; about the h.o.a.ry cliff Stood buildings wrought of many-colored tiles, Great towers, and wind-swept walls. The sage straight knew That he had reached the Mermedonian land, E'en as the Father of mankind declared, When He prescribed that journey. On the ground He saw his own disciples, valiant men, Beside him deep in sleep. He straight began To wake the warriors; thus he spake in words:-- 850 ”Lo, I can tell you one truth manifest, That yesterday upon the ocean-stream A n.o.ble Hero bore us o'er the sea.
The Glory of kings, the Ruler of mankind, Was sailing in that s.h.i.+p; I knew His words, Though He did hide the beauty of His face.”
His n.o.ble followers answered him again, Giving reply from out their inmost souls:-- ”Our journey, Andrew, will we tell to thee, That wisely thou mayst understand in heart:-- 860 A sleep came o'er us weary of the sea, And eagles came across the struggling waves In flight, exulting in their mighty wings, And while we slept they took our souls away; With joy they bore us flying through the air, Gracious and bright, rejoicing in their speed; And gently they caressed us, while they hymned Continual praise; there was unceasing song Throughout the sky; a beauteous host was there, 870 A glorious mult.i.tude. The angels stood About the Prince, the thanes about their Lord, In thousands; in the highest they gave praise With holy voice unto the Lord of lords; The angel-band rejoiced. We there beheld The holy patriarchs and a mighty troop Of martyrs; to the Lord victorious That righteous throng sang never-ending praise; And David too was with them, Jesse's son, The King of Israel, blessed warrior, 880 Come to Christ's throne. Likewise we saw you twelve All standing there before the Son of G.o.d, Full glorious men of great n.o.bility; Archangels holy throned in majesty Did serve you; happy is it for the man Who may enjoy that bliss. High joy was there, Glory of warriors, an exalted life; Nor was there sorrow there for any man.
Drear exile, open torment is the lot Of him who must be stranger to those joys, 890 And wander wretched when he goes from hence.”
Exceeding glad was holy Andrew's heart Within his breast, soon as he heard the speech Of his disciples, that above all men G.o.d should so high esteem them, and this word Spake then the brave defense of warriors:-- ”Lo, now I clearly see, Lord G.o.d, that Thou, Glory of kings, wast very nigh to me On the ocean-road, when on that s.h.i.+p I went; Though on the beating sea I did not know 900 The Lord of angels, Savior of men's souls!
Be gracious unto me, Almighty G.o.d, Bright King of mercy! on the ocean-stream Full many words I spake; but now I know Who bore me o'er the sea-floods on His s.h.i.+p With honor high; He is for all mankind A Spirit of comfort; there is ready help, And mercy from the Highest unto all Who seek of Him--the gift of victory.”
Straightway before his eyes the Lord appeared, 910 The Prince of glory, King of all that lives, Like to a youth in form, and thus he spake:-- ”Hail to thee, Andrew, and thy faithful band; Rejoice in heart, for I am thy defense, That wicked foes may never harm thy soul, Fierce-hearted workers of iniquity.”
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