Praising Christ through the Centuries

An Advent Poem -- Attributed to 9th Century A.D. poet Cynewulf (from The Christ, Part 1 - Section 10, Lines 348-377) translated from Anglo-Saxon by Burton Raffel

Oh Holy Lord of Heaven, You
and Your Father lived in that noble place,
Ruled together, before time began.
None of your angels existed, then,
None of the mighty Hosts of Heaven
Who guard and keep Your Kingdom, Your glorious
Home and Your Father's, when You worked Your wonders
You and He, making world
And stars and all this great creation.
In You, and in Your Father, rests
The joy of the Holy Ghost. Now
Your creatures join in a humble prayer,
Lord and Savior and God, beg You
To hear Your servants' voices. Our souls
Are tormented by our own wild longings.
Here in our miserable exile devils
And damned souls twist their savage
Chains around us. Our only safety
Is in You, eternal Lord: help
These sorrowful prisoners of sin, let
Your Coming comfort our misery, despite,
Oh Christ, our bitter lusts and our crimes
Against You. Pardon us, remember our misfortunes,
Our stumbling steps, our feeble hearts,
Remember our helplessness. Come, King
Of men, come now, bring us Your love
And Your mercy; deliver our souls, grant us
Salvation, God, so that in all we do,
Now and forever, our days on earth
Will work Your holy will among men.

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Original Anglo Saxon:

Ēalā þū hālga heofona Dryhten,
þū mid Fæder þinne gefyrn wǣre
efenwesende in þām æþelan hām.
Næs ǣnig þā giet engel geworden,
nē þæs miclan mægenþrymmes nān
ðe in roderum ūp rice biwitigað,
þēodnes þrȳðgesteald ond his þegnunga,
þā þū ǣrest wǣre mid þone ēcan Frēan
sylf settende þās sidan gesceaft,
brāde brytengrundas. Bǣm inc is gemǣne
Hēahgǣst hlēofæst. Wē þē, Hǣlend Crist,
þurh ēaðmēdu ealle biddað
þæt þū gehȳre hæfta stefne
þīnra niedþiowa, nergende God,-
hū wē sind geswencte þurh ūre sylfra gewill.
Habbað wræcmæcgas wērgan gǣstas,
het[e]l[a]n helsceaþa[n], hearde genyrwad,
gebunden bealorāpum. Is sēo bōt gelong
eall æt þē ānum, ēce Dryhten.
Hrēowcearigum help, þæt þin hidercyme
āfrēfre fēasceafte, þēah wē fǣhþo wið þec
þurh firena lust gefremed hæbben.
Āra nū onbehtum, ond ūsse yrmþa geþenc,-
hū wē tea1trigað tȳdran mōde,
hwearfiað hēanlīce. Cym nū, hæleþa Cyning;
ne lata tõ lange. Ūs is lissa þearf,-
þæt þū ūs āhredde, ond ūs hǣlogiefe
sōðfæst sylle, þæt wē siþþan forð
þā sēllan þing symle mōten
geþēon on þēode, þīnne willan.