LISTEN! The choicest of visions I wish to tell,

¹ Hwæt! Ic swefna cyst
secgan wylle,

which came as a dream in middle-night,

hwæt me gemætte
to midre nihte,

after voice-bearers lay at rest.

syðþan reordberend
reste wunedon!

It seemed that I saw a most wondrous tree

þuhte me þæt ic gesawe
syllicre treow

born aloft, wound round by light, ⁵

⁵ on lyft lædan,
leohte bewunden,

brightest of beams. All was that beacon

beama beorhtost.
Eall þæt beacen wæs

sprinkled with gold. Gems stood

begoten mid golde.
Gimmas stodon

fair at earth’s corners; there likewise five

fægere æt foldan sceatum,
swylce þær fife wæron

shone on the shoulder-span  All there beheld the Angel of God

uppe on þam eaxlegespanne.
Beheoldon þær engel dryhtnes ealle,

fair through predestiny  Indeed, that was no wicked one’s gallows, ¹⁰

¹⁰ fægere þurh forðgesceaft.
Ne wæs ðær huru fracodes gealga,

but holy souls beheld it there,

ac hine þær beheoldon
halige gastas,

men over earth, and all this great creation.

men ofer moldan,
ond eall þeos mære gesceaft.

Wondrous that victory-beam--and I stained with sins,

Syllic wæs se sigebeam,
ond ic synnum fah,

with wounds of disgrace. I saw glory’s tree

forwunded mid wommum.  
Geseah ic wuldres treow,

honored with trappings, shining with joys, ¹⁵

¹⁵ wædum geweorðode,
wynnum scinan,

decked with gold; gems had

gegyred mid golde;
gimmas hæfdon

wrapped that forest tree worthily round.

bewrigene weorðlice
wealdendes treow.

Yet through that gold I clearly perceived

Hwæðre ic þurh þæt gold  
ongytan meahte

old strife of wretches , when first it began

earmra ærgewin,
þæt hit ærest ongan

to bleed on its right side. With sorrows most troubled, ²⁰

²⁰ swætan on þa swiðran healfe.
Eall ic wæs mid sorgumgedrefed,

I feared that fair sight. I saw that doom-beacon

forht ic wæs for þære fægran gesyhðe.
Geseah ic þæt fuse beacen

turn trappings and hews: sometimes with water wet,

wendan wædum ond bleom;
hwilum hit wæs mid wætan bestemed,

drenched with blood’s going; sometimes with jewels decked.

beswyled mid swates gange,
hwilum mid since gegyrwed.

But lying there long while, I,

Hwæðre ic þær licgende
lange hwile

troubled, beheld the Healer’s tree, ²⁵

²⁵ beheold hreowcearig  
hælendes treow,

until I heard its fair voice.

oððæt ic gehyrde
þæt hit hleoðrode.

Then best wood spoke these words:

Ongan þa word sprecan
wudu selesta:

“It was long since--I yet remember it--

"þæt wæs geara iu,
(ic þæt gyta geman),

that I was hewn at holt’s end,

þæt ic wæs aheawen
holtes on ende,

moved from my stem. Strong fiends seized me there, ³⁰

³⁰ astyred of stefne minum.
Genaman me ðær strange feondas,

worked me for spectacle; cursèd ones lifted me

geworhton him þær to wæfersyne,
heton me heora wergas hebban.

On shoulders men bore me there, then fixed me on hill;

Bæron me ðær beornas on eaxlum,
oððæt hie me on beorg asetton,

fiends enough fastened me. Then saw I mankind’s Lord

gefæstnodon me þær feondas genoge.  
Geseah ic þa frean mancynnes

come with great courage when he would mount on me.

efstan elne mycle
þæt he me wolde on gestigan.

Then dared I not against the Lord’s word ³⁵

³⁵ þær ic þa ne dorste
ofer dryhtnes word

bend or break, when I saw earth’s

bugan oððe berstan,
þa ic bifian geseah

fields shake. All fiends

eorðan sceatas.
Ealle ic mihte

I could have felled, but I stood fast.

feondas gefyllan,
hwæðre ic fæste stod.

The young hero stripped himself--he, God Almighty--

Ongyrede hine þa geong hæleð,
(þæt wæs god ælmihtig),

strong and stout-minded. He mounted high gallows, ⁴⁰

⁴⁰ strang ond stiðmod.
Gestah he on gealgan heanne,

bold before many, when he would loose mankind.

modig on manigra gesyhðe,
þa he wolde mancyn lysan.

I shook when that Man clasped me. I dared, still, not bow to earth,

Bifode ic þa me se beorn ymbclypte.
Ne dorste ic hwæðre bugan to eorðan,

fall to earth’s fields, but had to stand fast.

feallan to foldan sceatum,
ac ic sceolde fæste standan.

Rood was I reared. I lifted a mighty King,

Rod wæs ic aræred.
Ahof ic ricne cyning,

Lord of the heavens, dared not to bend. ⁴⁵

⁴⁵ heofona hlaford,
hyldan me ne dorste.

With dark nails they drove me through: on me those sores are seen,

þurhdrifan hi me mid deorcan næglum.
On me syndon þa dolg gesiene,

open malice-wounds. I dared not scathe anyone.

opene inwidhlemmas.
Ne dorste ic hira nænigum sceððan.

They mocked us both, we two together  All wet with blood I was,

Bysmeredon hie unc butu ætgædere.
Eall ic wæs mid blode bestemed,

poured out from that Man’s side, after ghost he gave up.

begoten of þæs guman sidan,  
siððan he hæfde his gast onsended.

Much have I born on that hill ⁵⁰

⁵⁰ Feala ic on þam beorge
gebiden hæbbe

of fierce fate. I saw the God of hosts

⁵¹ wraðra wyrda.
Geseah ic weruda god

harshly stretched out. Darknesses had

þearle þenian.
þystro hæfdon

wound round with clouds the corpse of the Wielder,

bewrigen mid wolcnum
wealdendes hræw,

bright radiance; a shadow went forth,

scirne sciman,
sceadu forðeode,

dark under heaven. All creation wept, ⁵⁵

⁵⁵ wann under wolcnum.
Weop eal gesceaft,

King’s fall lamented. Christ was on rood.

cwiðdon cyninges fyll.
Crist wæs on rode.

But there eager ones came from afar

Hwæðere þær fuse
feorran cwoman

to that noble one. I beheld all that.

to þam æðelinge.
Ic þæt eall beheold.

Sore was I with sorrows distressed, yet I bent to men’s hands,

Sare ic wæs mid sorgumgedrefed,
hnag ic hwæðre þam secgum to handa,

with great zeal willing. They took there Almighty God, ⁶⁰

⁶⁰ eaðmod elne mycle.
Genamon hie þær ælmihtigne god,

lifted him from that grim torment. Those warriors abandoned me

ahofon hine of ðam hefian wite.
Forleton me þa hilderincas

standing all blood-drenched, all wounded with arrows.

standan steame bedrifenne;  
eall ic wæs mid strælum forwundod.

They laid there the limb-weary one, stood at his body’s head;

Aledon hie ðær limwerigne,
gestodon him æt his lices heafdum,

beheld they there heaven’s Lord, and he himself rested there,

beheoldon hie ðær heofenes dryhten,
ond he hine ðær hwile reste,

worn from that great strife. Then they worked him an earth-house, ⁶⁵

⁶⁵ meðe æfter ðam miclan gewinne.
Ongunnon him þa moldern wyrcan

men in the slayer’s sight carved it from bright stone,

beornas on banan gesyhðe;
curfon hie ðæt of beorhtan stane,

set in it the Wielder of Victories. Then they sang him a sorrow-song,

gesetton hie ðæron sigora wealdend.
Ongunnon him þa sorhleoð galan

sad in the eventide, when they would go again

earme on þa æfentide,
þa hie woldon eft siðian,

with grief from that great Lord. He rested there, with small company.

meðe fram þam mæran þeodne.
Reste he ðær mæte weorode.

But we there lamenting a good while ⁷⁰

⁷⁰ Hwæðere we ðær greotende
gode hwile

stood in our places after the warrior’s cry

stodon on staðole,
syððan stefn up gewat

went up. Corpse grew cold,

hilderinca.
Hræw colode,

fair life-dwelling. Then someone felled us

fæger feorgbold.
þa us man fyllan ongan

all to the earth. That was a dreadful fate!

ealle to eorðan.
þæt wæs egeslic wyrd!

⁷⁵ Deep in a pit one delved us. Yet there Lord’s thanes,

⁷⁵ Bedealf us man on deopan seaþe.
Hwæðre me þær dryhtnes þegnas,

friends, learned of me,. . . . . . . . . . .

freondas gefrunon,

adorned me with silver and gold.

ond gyredon me
golde ond seolfre.

Now you may know, loved man of mine,

Nu ðu miht gehyran,
hæleð min se leofa,

what I, work of baleful ones, have endured

þæt ic bealuwara weorc
gebiden hæbbe,

of sore sorrows. Now has the time come ⁸⁰

⁸⁰ sarra sorga.
Is nu sæl cumen

when they will honor me far and wide,

þæt me weorðiað
wide ond side

men over earth, and all this great creation,

menn ofer moldan,
ond eall þeos mære gesceaft,

will pray for themselves to this beacon. On me God’s son

gebiddaþ him to þyssum beacne.
On me bearn godes

suffered awhile. Therefore I, glorious now,

þrowode hwile.
Forþan ic þrymfæst nu

rise under heaven, and I may heal ⁸⁵

⁸⁵ hlifige under heofenum,
ond ic hælan mæg

any of those who will reverence me.

æghwylcne anra,
þara þe him bið egesa to me.

Once I became hardest of torments,

Iu ic wæs geworden
wita heardost,

most loathly to men, before I for them,

leodum laðost,
ærþan ic him lifes weg

voice-bearers, life’s right way opened.

rihtne gerymde,
reordberendum.

⁹⁰ Indeed, Glory’s Prince, Heaven’s Protector,

⁹⁰ Hwæt, me þa geweorðode
wuldres ealdor

honored me, then, over holm-wood

ofer holmwudu,
heofonrices weard!

Thus he his mother, Mary herself,

Swylce swa he his modor eac,
Marian sylfe,

Almighty God, for all men,

ælmihtig god
for ealle menn

also has honored over all woman-kind.

geweorðode
ofer eall wifa cynn.

⁹⁵ Now I command you, loved man of mine,

⁹⁵ Nu ic þe hate,
hæleð min se leofa,

that you this seeing  tell unto men;

þæt ðu þas gesyhðe
secge mannum,

discover with words that it is glory’s beam

onwreoh wordum
þæt hit is wuldres beam,

which Almighty God suffered upon

se ðe ælmihtig god
on þrowode

for all mankind’s manifold sins

for mancynnes
manegum synnum

¹⁰⁰ and for the ancient ill-deeds of Adam.

¹⁰⁰ ond Adomes
ealdgewyrhtum.

Death he tasted there, yet God rose again

¹⁰¹ Deað he þær byrigde,
hwæðere eft dryhten aras

by his great might, a help unto men.

mid his miclan mihte
mannum to helpe.

He then rose to heaven. Again sets out hither

He ða on heofenas astag.
Hider eft fundaþ

into this Middle-Earth, seeking mankind

on þysne middangeard
mancynn secan

on Doomsday, the Lord himself, ¹⁰⁵

¹⁰⁵ on domdæge
dryhten sylfa,

Almighty God, and with him his angels,

ælmihtig god,
ond his englas mid,

when he will deem--he holds power of doom--

þæt he þonne wile deman,
se ah domes geweald,

everyone here as he will have earned

anra gehwylcum
swa he him ærur her

for himself earlier in this brief life.

on þyssum lænum
life geearnaþ.

Nor may there be any unafraid ¹¹⁰

¹¹⁰ Ne mæg þær ænig
unforht wesan

for the words that the Wielder speaks.

for þam worde
þe se wealdend cwyð.

He asks before multitudes where that one is

Frineð he for þære mænige
hwær se man sie,

who for God’s name would gladly taste

se ðe for dryhtnes naman
deaðes wolde

bitter death, as before he on beam did.

biteres onbyrigan,
swa he ær on ðam beame dyde.

And they then are afraid, and few think ¹¹⁵

¹¹⁵ Ac hie þonne forhtiað,
ond fea þencaþ

what they can to Christ’s question answer

hwæt hie to Criste
cweðan onginnen.

Nor need there then any be most afraid

Ne þearf ðær þonne ænig
anforht wesan

who ere in his breast bears finest of beacons;

þe him ær in breostum bereð
beacna selest,

but through that rood shall each soul

ac ðurh ða rode sceal
rice gesecan

from the earth-way enter the kingdom, ¹²⁰

¹²⁰ of eorðwege
æghwylc sawl,

who with the Wielder thinks yet to dwell.”

seo þe mid wealdende
wunian þenceð."

I prayed then to that beam with blithe mind,

Gebæd ic me þa to þan beame
bliðe mode,

great zeal, where I alone was

elne mycle,
þær ic ana wæs

with small company . My heart was

mæte werede.
Wæs modsefa

impelled on the forth-way, waited for in each ¹²⁵

¹²⁵ afysed on forðwege,
feala ealra gebad

longing-while. For me now life’s hope:

langunghwila.
Is me nu lifes hyht

that I may seek that victory-beam

þæt ic þone sigebeam
secan mote

alone more often than all men,

ana oftor
þonne ealle men,

honor it well. My desire for that

well weorþian.
Me is willa to ðam

is much in mind, and my hope of protection ¹³⁰

¹³⁰ mycel on mode,
ond min mundbyrd is

reverts to the rood. I have not now many

geriht to þære rode.
Nah ic ricra feala

strong friends on this earth; they forth hence

freonda on foldan,
ac hie forð heonon

have departed from world’s joys, have sought themselves glory’s King;

gewiton of worulde dreamum,
sohton him wuldres cyning,

they live now in heaven with the High-Father,

lifiaþ nu on heofenum
mid heahfædere,

dwell still in glory, and I for myself expect ¹³⁵

¹³⁵ wuniaþ on wuldre,
ond ic wene me

each of my days the time when the Lord’s rood,

daga gehwylce
hwænne me dryhtnes rod,

which I here on earth formerly saw,

þe ic her on eorðan
ær sceawode,

from this loaned life will fetch me away

on þysson lænan
life gefetige

and bring me then where is much bliss,

ond me þonne gebringe
þær is blis mycel,

joy in the heavens, where the Lord’s folk ¹⁴⁰

¹⁴⁰ dream on heofonum,
þær is dryhtnes folc

is seated at feast, where is bliss everlasting;

geseted to symle,
þær is singal blis,

and set me then where I after may

ond me þonne asette
þær ic syþþan mot

dwell in glory, well with those saints

wunian on wuldre,
well mid þam halgum

delights to enjoy. May he be friend to me

dreames brucan.
Si me dryhten freond,

who here on earth earlier died ¹⁴⁵

¹⁴⁵ se ðe her on eorþan
ær þrowode

on that gallows-tree for mankind’s sins.

on þam gealgtreowe
for guman synnum.

He loosed us and life gave,

He us onlysde
ond us lif forgeaf,

a heavenly home. Hope was renewed

heofonlicne ham.
Hiht wæs geniwad

with glory and gladness to those who there burning endured.

mid bledum ond mid blisse
þam þe þær bryne þolodan.

That Son was victory-fast  in that great venture, ¹⁵⁰

¹⁵⁰ Se sunu wæs sigorfæst  
on þam siðfate,

with might and good-speed , when he with many,

mihtig ond spedig,
þa he mid manigeo com,

vast host of souls, came to God’s kingdom,

gasta weorode,
on godes rice,

One-Wielder Almighty: bliss to the angels

anwealda ælmihtig,
englum to blisse

and all the saints--those who in heaven

ond eallum ðam halgum
þam þe on heofonum ær

dwelt long in glory--when their Wielder came, ¹⁵⁵

¹⁵⁵ wunedon on wuldre,
þa heora wealdend cwom,

Almighty God, where his homeland was.

ælmihtig god,
þær his eðel wæs.

Translation copyright © 1982, Jonathan A. Glenn
https://faculty.uca.edu/jona/texts/rood.htm