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Translation

 

  voice he gave a second order,
That they should seek out the man of God who is in Rome,
And beg of him that the city should not be destroyed
And that the people who dwell there should not perish:
Those that heard it are left in great fear.		 300
61 Saint Innocent was pope at that time.
To him they turn, both rich and poor,
And ask his advice about this thing
Which they have heard, which troubles them greatly;
They expect the earth to swallow them up at any moment. 		305
62 The pope and the emperors,
One called Acharius, the other Onorius,
And all the people with one voice
Pray to God to give them guidance,
About this holy man through whom they will be saved. 		310
63 They beg him of his pity,
To show them where to find him.
There came a voice which told them,
Look in the house of Eufemien,
For there he is and there you will find him.”		 315
64 They all turn on Lord Eufemien;
Some of them start to reproach him strongly:
“This is something you should have told us,
All the people who were disconsolate;
You have kept it hidden so long, and there is great sin in that.” 		320
65 He apologises as one who does not know about it;
But they do not believe him; they have gone to his home.
He goes on ahead to get the house ready;
He urgently enquires of all his servants:
They reply that none of them knows about it. 		325
66 The pope and the emperors
Are sitting on the benches deep in thought and weeping.
All the other lords look to them,
And beg God to give them guidance
About this holy man through whom they will be saved. 		330
67 And meanwhile as they have been sitting there,
The soul of Saint Alexis leaves his body;
And goes straight from there to Paradise
To his Lord whom he had served so long.
Oh! Heavenly King, bring us there too! 		335
68 The faithful servant who waited on him gladly,
Told his father Eufemien the news;
Gently he calls him, and gave him counsel:
“My lord,” he said, “the man who received alms from you is dead,
And I can truly say that he was a good Christian.”		 340
69 “I have lived by his side for a very long time;
There is nothing in truth for which I can fault him,
And it seems to me that he is the man of God.”
All alone Eufemien went back,
And came to his son lying under the stairs.		 345
70 He lifts up the sheets with which he was covered:
And saw the beautiful, radiant face of the holy man:
In his hand the servant of God clasped the letter,
[In which he has written all about his life.]
Eufemien wants to know what it says. 		350
71 He tries to take it: but the other will not let it go
He came back quite distressed to the pope:
“Now I have found what we have been looking so hard for:
Under my stairs there is a pilgrim lying dead:
He is holding a letter, but I cannot take it from his grasp.”		 355
72 The pope and the emperors
Come forward, and prostrate themselves in prayer,
They subject their bodies to/ 		 

Transcription

voiz lur dist altra summunse · que l’ume deu quergent ki est an rome/ si depreient que la citet ne fundet · ne ne perissent la gent ki enz/ fregundent · ki l’un oid remainent en grant dute · Sainz innocenz/ ert idunc apostolie a lui repairent e li rice e li povre · si li requerent/ conseil d’icele cose · qu’il unt oit ki mult les desconfortet · ne guar/dent l’ure que terre nes anglutet · Li apostolie e li empereor/ li uns acharies li altre anories [misreading for onories] out num · e tut le pople par com/mune oraisun · depreient deu que conseil lur an duins · d’icel/ saint hume par qui il guarirunt · Co li deprient la sue pietet · / que lur anseinet ol poissent recovrer · vint une voiz ki lur ad/ anditet · an la maisun eufemien quereiz · quer iloec est & iloc/ le trovereiz · Tuz s’en returnent sur dam eufemien · alquanz/ li prennent forment a blastenger · iceste cose nus douses nuncier ·/ a tut le pople ki ert desconseilet · tant l’as celet mult i as grant/ pechet · Il l’escondit cume cil kil nel set · mais ne l'en creient al/ helberc sunt alet · il vat avant la maisun aprester · forment l'en/quer a tuz ses menestrels · icil respondent que neuls d'els nel set ·/ Li apostolie e li empereur · sedent es bans pensif et plurus · iloc es/guardent tuit cil altre seinors · si preient deu que conseil lur/ an duins · d’icel saint hume par qui il guarirunt · An tant de/mentres cum il iloec unt sis · deseivret l’aneme del cors sainz/ alexis · tut dreitem[en]t en vait en paradis · a sun seinor q[u’i]l aveit tant/ servit · e reis celeste tu nus i fai venir · Li boens serganz kil serveit/ volentiers · il le nuncat sum pedre eufemien · suef l'apelet si li ad/ conseilet · sire dist il morz est tes provenders · e có sai dire qu'il/ fut bons cristiens · Mult lungament ai a lui converset · de nule/ cose certes nel sai blasmer · e có m'est vis que có est l'ume deu · tut/ sul s'en est eufemien turnet · vint a sun filz ou il gist suz lu de/gret · Les dras suzlevet dum il esteit cuvert · vit del sain home/ le vis e cler e bel · en sum puing tint le cartre le deu serf · eufe/mien volt saveir quet espelt · Il la volt prendra cil ne li volt/ guerpir · a l'apostolie revint tuz esmeriz · ore ai trovet có que/ tant avums quis · suz mun degret gist uns morz pelerins · / tent une cartre mais na li puis tolir · Li apostolie e li empereor/ venent devant jetent sei an ureisuns · metent lur cors en/

Translation

  voice he gave a second order,
That they should seek out the man of God who is in Rome,
And beg of him that the city should not be destroyed
And that the people who dwell there should not perish:
Those that heard it are left in great fear.		 300
61 Saint Innocent was pope at that time.
To him they turn, both rich and poor,
And ask his advice about this thing
Which they have heard, which troubles them greatly;
They expect the earth to swallow them up at any moment. 		305
62 The pope and the emperors,
One called Acharius, the other Onorius,
And all the people with one voice
Pray to God to give them guidance,
About this holy man through whom they will be saved. 		310
63 They beg him of his pity,
To show them where to find him.
There came a voice which told them,
Look in the house of Eufemien,
For there he is and there you will find him.”		 315
64 They all turn on Lord Eufemien;
Some of them start to reproach him strongly:
“This is something you should have told us,
All the people who were disconsolate;
You have kept it hidden so long, and there is great sin in that.” 		320
65 He apologises as one who does not know about it;
But they do not believe him; they have gone to his home.
He goes on ahead to get the house ready;
He urgently enquires of all his servants:
They reply that none of them knows about it. 		325
66 The pope and the emperors
Are sitting on the benches deep in thought and weeping.
All the other lords look to them,
And beg God to give them guidance
About this holy man through whom they will be saved. 		330
67 And meanwhile as they have been sitting there,
The soul of Saint Alexis leaves his body;
And goes straight from there to Paradise
To his Lord whom he had served so long.
Oh! Heavenly King, bring us there too! 		335
68 The faithful servant who waited on him gladly,
Told his father Eufemien the news;
Gently he calls him, and gave him counsel:
“My lord,” he said, “the man who received alms from you is dead,
And I can truly say that he was a good Christian.”		 340
69 “I have lived by his side for a very long time;
There is nothing in truth for which I can fault him,
And it seems to me that he is the man of God.”
All alone Eufemien went back,
And came to his son lying under the stairs.		 345
70 He lifts up the sheets with which he was covered:
And saw the beautiful, radiant face of the holy man:
In his hand the servant of God clasped the letter,
[In which he has written all about his life.]
Eufemien wants to know what it says. 		350
71 He tries to take it: but the other will not let it go
He came back quite distressed to the pope:
“Now I have found what we have been looking so hard for:
Under my stairs there is a pilgrim lying dead:
He is holding a letter, but I cannot take it from his grasp.”		 355
72 The pope and the emperors
Come forward, and prostrate themselves in prayer,
They subject their bodies to/ 		 

 

 

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