Image
© Hildesheim, St Godehard |
Translation
| |
So completely
are his thoughts fixed on God. |
50 |
| 11 |
When the day
is over and it was night,
The father said: “Son, go to bed now
With your bride, as God in heaven commands.”
The boy did not wish to anger his father,
He came into the chamber where his wife was. |
55 |
| 12 |
As he sees the
bed, he looked at the maiden;
He then remembers his Heavenly Lord,
Whom he holds dearer than all earthly possessions.
“Oh! God!” he said, “What great sin afflicts me!
If I do not take flight now, I am very afraid that I will lose you.” |
60 |
| 13 |
When they were
left all alone in the chamber,
Lord Alexis began to address her:
He began to denigrate this earthly life,
He shows her the truth of the heavenly life,
But he is longing to take his leave. |
65 |
| 14 |
“Hearken
to me, maiden! Consider Him as your bridegroom
Who redeemed us by his precious blood.
In this world there is no perfect love;
Life is unstable, there is no lasting honour in it;
This joy turns back into great sorrow.” |
70 |
| 15 |
When he has set
forth his whole argument,
Then he entrusts to her his sword-belt
And a ring; he has commended her to God.
Then he left his father’s chamber.
By night he flees the country. |
75 |
| 16 |
Then he quickly
came straight to the sea;
The ship which he was to board is ready.
He pays his passage and embarks ship.
They hoist their sail, and set the ship across the sea;
They struck land where God wished to take them. |
80 |
| 17 |
Straight to Lalice
(Laodicea), which was a very fine city,
There the craft arrives safely.
Then Lord Alexis disembarked in truth.
I do not know how long he lives there,
Wherever he is, he does not cease to serve God. |
85 |
| 18 |
From there he
went to the city of Alsis (Edessa)
On account of a statue of which he had heard,
Which the angels made at God’s command
In the name of the Virgin who brought salvation,
Holy Mary who bore our Lord God. |
90 |
| 19 |
All his possessions
which he has brought with him,
All of them he distributes throughout the city of Alsis (Edessa);
Generous alms, so that nothing is left for him,
He gives to the poor, wherever he could find them:
He did not wish to be encumbered by any possessions. |
95 |
| 20 |
When he has given
away all his possessions,
Lord Alexis sat down amongst the poor;
He received alms, whenever God sent him some;
He kept enough to sustain himself.
If anything is left over, he gives it to the poor. |
100 |
| 21 |
Now I will return
to the father and mother
And to the bride whom he had married.
When they discovered that he had gone away,
Great was the grief which they showed,
And great their lamentation throughout the whole city. |
105 |
| 22 |
The father said:
“Dear son, how have I lost you?”
The mother replied: “Alas, what has become of him?”
The wife said: “Sin/ |
|
|
Transcription
de
tut an tut ad a deu sun talent · Quant li iurz passet & il fut
anuitet · / co dist li pedres filz quar t’en vas colcer ·
avoc ta spuse al cumand/ deu del ciel · ne volt li emfes sum pedre
corocier · vint en la cambra/ ou ert sa muiler · Cum veit
le lit esguardat la pulcela · dunc li/ remembret de sun seinor celeste
· que plus ad cher q[ue] tut aveir/ terrestre · e deus dist
il cum fort pecét m’apresset · se or m’en/ fui
mult criem que ne t’em perde · Quant an la cambra furent/ tut
sul remes · danz alexis la prist ad apeler · la mortel vithe/
li prist mult a blasmer · de la celeste li mostret veritet ·
mais lui/ est tart quet il s’en seit turnet · Oz mei pulcele
celui tien ad/ espus · ki nus raens de sun sanc precius an ices secle
nen at parfit/ amor · la vithe est fraisle n’i ad durable honur
· cesta lethece/ revert a grant tristur · Quant sa raisun
li ad tute mustrethe/ pois li cumandet les renges de s’espethe ·
& un anel a deu li ad co/mandethe · dunc en eissit de la cambre
sum pedre · ensur nuit/ s’en fuit de la contrethe ·
Dunc vint errant dreitem[en]t a la mer/ la nef est preste ou il deveit entrer
· dunet sum pris & enz est/ aloet · drecent lur sigle
laisent curre par mer · la pristrent/ terre o deus les volt mener
· Dreit a lalice co fut citet mult/ bele · iloec arivet sainement
la nacele · dunc an eisit danz/ alexis a certes · có
ne sai ío cum longes i converset · ou que il seit/ de deu
servir ne cesset · D’iloc alat an alsis la ciptet ·
pur une/ imagine dunt il oit parler · qued angeles firent par cumandem[en]t
deu · / el num la virgine ki portat salvetet · sainta marie
ki portat/ damnedeu · Tut sun aver quod sei en ad portet ·
tut le depart/ par alsis la citet · larges almosnes que gens ne l’en
remest · dunet/ as povres u qu’il les pout trover ·
pur nul aver ne volt estra/ ancumbret · Quant sun aver lur ad tot
departit · ent[ra]/ les povres se sist danz alexis · recut
l’almosne quant deus la li t[ra]mist/ tant an retint dunt ses cors
puet guarir · se lui’n remaint/ sil rent as poverins ·
Or revendrai al pedra & a la medra · & a la/ spuse qued il
out espusethe · quant il co sourent qued il fud si/ alet ·
co fut grant dols quet il unt demenet · e grant deplainz/ par tuta
la citiet · Có dist li pedres cher filz cum t’ai perdut
· / respont la medre lasse qued est devenut · co dist la spuse
pechet/
|
Translation
| |
So completely
are his thoughts fixed on God. |
50 |
| 11 |
When the day
is over and it was night,
The father said: “Son, go to bed now
With your bride, as God in heaven commands.”
The boy did not wish to anger his father,
He came into the chamber where his wife was. |
55 |
| 12 |
As he sees the
bed, he looked at the maiden;
He then remembers his Heavenly Lord,
Whom he holds dearer than all earthly possessions.
“Oh! God!” he said, “What great sin afflicts me!
If I do not take flight now, I am very afraid that I will lose you.” |
60 |
| 13 |
When they were
left all alone in the chamber,
Lord Alexis began to address her:
He began to denigrate this earthly life,
He shows her the truth of the heavenly life,
But he is longing to take his leave. |
65 |
| 14 |
“Hearken
to me, maiden! Consider Him as your bridegroom
Who redeemed us by his precious blood.
In this world there is no perfect love;
Life is unstable, there is no lasting honour in it;
This joy turns back into great sorrow.” |
70 |
| 15 |
When he has set
forth his whole argument,
Then he entrusts to her his sword-belt
And a ring; he has commended her to God.
Then he left his father’s chamber.
By night he flees the country. |
75 |
| 16 |
Then he quickly
came straight to the sea;
The ship which he was to board is ready.
He pays his passage and embarks ship.
They hoist their sail, and set the ship across the sea;
They struck land where God wished to take them. |
80 |
| 17 |
Straight to Lalice
(Laodicea), which was a very fine city,
There the craft arrives safely.
Then Lord Alexis disembarked in truth.
I do not know how long he lives there,
Wherever he is, he does not cease to serve God. |
85 |
| 18 |
From there he
went to the city of Alsis (Edessa)
On account of a statue of which he had heard,
Which the angels made at God’s command
In the name of the Virgin who brought salvation,
Holy Mary who bore our Lord God. |
90 |
| 19 |
All his possessions
which he has brought with him,
All of them he distributes throughout the city of Alsis (Edessa);
Generous alms, so that nothing is left for him,
He gives to the poor, wherever he could find them:
He did not wish to be encumbered by any possessions. |
95 |
| 20 |
When he has given
away all his possessions,
Lord Alexis sat down amongst the poor;
He received alms, whenever God sent him some;
He kept enough to sustain himself.
If anything is left over, he gives it to the poor. |
100 |
| 21 |
Now I will return
to the father and mother
And to the bride whom he had married.
When they discovered that he had gone away,
Great was the grief which they showed,
And great their lamentation throughout the whole city. |
105 |
| 22 |
The father said:
“Dear son, how have I lost you?”
The mother replied: “Alas, what has become of him?”
The wife said: “Sin/ |
|
|
