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Image © Hildesheim, St Godehard

Translation

98 If I had known that you were down there under the stairs,
Where you lay in your long infirmity,
The whole world could never have prevented me
From dwelling alongside you:
If I had been allowed, I would have taken care of you.		 490
99 Now I am a widow, my lord,” said the maiden,
“Never more will I have any happiness, for that cannot be,
Nor will I take a man again in the whole earth.
I will serve God, the king who is ruler of all:
He will not fail me if He sees that I am serving Him.” 		495
100 They wept so much, the father and mother,
And the maiden, that they all grew weary.
Meanwhile they prepared the holy body
All these lords, and clothed it in fine raiment:
How happy are those who in faith did him honour! 		500
101 “My lords, what are you doing?” said the Pope.
“What is the good of this shouting, this mourning and this noise?
Whoever may grieve here, for our gain it is joy,
For through him we will have good help:
So let us pray that he will deliver us from all evil.” 		505
102 All those who could draw near take hold of him:
With song they bear away the body of Saint Alexis,
And they all pray that he will have mercy on them.
There was no need to issue a summons to those who heard this:
They all rush up, high and low alike. 		510
103 All the people of Rome bestirred themselves,
Whoever could run the fastest got there the soonest.
Through the streets such large crowds are pressing,
That neither king nor count can find a way through,
Nor could they make their way through with the holy body. 		515
104 The lords begin to talk about it among themselves:
“There is such a crowd, we cannot get through.
[On account of] this holy body which God has given us
The people who sought him for so long are joyful.
They are all coming running, no-one wants to miss it.” 		520
105 They who rule the empire reply:
“We ask your indulgence, my lords! We shall try to find an answer.
We will distribute a great deal of our wealth
To the humble people who are looking for alms:
If they are still crowding in on us, we shall be free of them.” 		525
106 From their treasuries they take gold and silver
They have it cast before the poor people:
By this means they think they will make a way through the crowd;
But it cannot be, these people do not seek any of this:
All their desires are set on this holy man. 		530
107 With one voice the humble people cry:
“With this wealth we surely have no concern,
So great a joy has come upon us
With this holy body which we have in our keeping;
Through him, if it please God, we will find good help.” 		535
108 Never before in Rome was there such joy
As there was this day for rich and poor alike
On account of the holy body which they have in their keeping:
It seems to them that they hold God himself;
All the people give praise and thanks to God. 		540
109 Saint Alexis was a man of good will,
For that reason is he honoured on this day
His body is in the city of Rome,
And his soul is in God’s paradise:
He who is so placed can be exceedingly glad.		 545
110 Whoever has sinned can bear this well in mind,
Through penitence they can very well save themselves.
This life is short, look to a more lasting one.
Let us pray to God, the Holy Trinity,/		  

Transcription

Se ie sousse la ius suz lu degret · ou as geud de lung amfermetet · ia tute/ gent ne m'en sousent turner · qu'a tei ansemble n'ousse converset/ si me leust si t'ousse bien guardet · Ore sui ío vedve sire dist la pulcela · / ia mais ledece n'avrai quar ne pot estra · ne ia mais hume n'avrai an tute/ terre deu servirei le rei ki tot guvernet · il nel faldrat s'il veit que io lui/ serve · Tant i plurat e le pedra e la medra · e la pulcela que tuz s'en alasse/rent · en tant dementres le saint cors conreierent · tuit cil seinur e bel/ l'acustumerent · com felix cels ki par feit l'enorerent · Seignors que/ faites có dist li apostolie · que valt cist crit cist dols ne cesta noise · / chi chi se doilet a nostr'os est il goie · quar par cestui avrum boen adiu/torie · si li preiuns que de tut mals nos tolget · Trestuz li preient [error for le prenent The copyist’s eye has strayed ahead here to the next line.] ki pou/rent avenir · cantant enportent le cors saint alexis · e tut li preient/ que d'els aiet mercit · n'estot somondre icels ki l'unt oit ·tuit i acorent/ li grant e li petit · Si s'en commourent tota la gent de rome · plus tost/ i vint ki plus tost i pout curre · par mi les rues an venent si granz t[ur]bes · / ne reis ne quons n'i poet faire entrarote · ne le saint cors ne pourent/ passer ultra · Entr’els an prennent cil seinor a parler · granz est/ la presse nus n'i poduns passer · cest saint cors que deus nus ad donet · / liez est li poples ki tant l'at desirret · tuit i acorent nuls ne s'en volt/ turner · Cil an respondent ki l'ampirie bailissent · mercit seniurs/ nus an querreu[n]s mecine · de noz aveirs feruns largas departies · la main/ menude ki l’almosne desiret · s’il nus funt presse uncore an ermes delivres · / De lur tresors prenent l’or e l’argent · sil funt ieter devant la povre gent/ par icó quident aver discumbrement · mais ne puet estra cil n’en rovent/ nient · a cel saint hume trestut est lur talent Ad une voiz crient la gent/ menude · de cest aveir certes nus n’avum cure · si grant ledece nus [est] apa/rude · d’icest saint cors que avum am bailide · par lui avru[m] se deu/ plaist bone aiude · Unches en rome n’en out si grant ledece cun out/ le iurn as povres & as riches · pur cel saint cors qu’il unt en lur bailie ·/ có lur est vis que tengent deu medisme · trestut le pople lodet deu/ e graciet · Sainz alexis out bone volentet · pur oec en est oi cest/ jurn oneuret · le cors an est an rome la citet · e l’anema en est enz/ el paradis deu · bien poet liez estra chi si est aluez ki fait ad pechet/ bien s’en pot recorder · par penitence s’en pot tres bien salver · bries/ est cist secles plus durable atendeiz · có preiums deu la sainte t[ri]nitet/

Translation

98 If I had known that you were down there under the stairs,
Where you lay in your long infirmity,
The whole world could never have prevented me
From dwelling alongside you:
If I had been allowed, I would have taken care of you.		 490
99 Now I am a widow, my lord,” said the maiden,
“Never more will I have any happiness, for that cannot be,
Nor will I take a man again in the whole earth.
I will serve God, the king who is ruler of all:
He will not fail me if He sees that I am serving Him.” 		495
100 They wept so much, the father and mother,
And the maiden, that they all grew weary.
Meanwhile they prepared the holy body
All these lords, and clothed it in fine raiment:
How happy are those who in faith did him honour! 		500
101 “My lords, what are you doing?” said the Pope.
“What is the good of this shouting, this mourning and this noise?
Whoever may grieve here, for our gain it is joy,
For through him we will have good help:
So let us pray that he will deliver us from all evil.” 		505
102 All those who could draw near take hold of him:
With song they bear away the body of Saint Alexis,
And they all pray that he will have mercy on them.
There was no need to issue a summons to those who heard this:
They all rush up, high and low alike. 		510
103 All the people of Rome bestirred themselves,
Whoever could run the fastest got there the soonest.
Through the streets such large crowds are pressing,
That neither king nor count can find a way through,
Nor could they make their way through with the holy body. 		515
104 The lords begin to talk about it among themselves:
“There is such a crowd, we cannot get through.
[On account of] this holy body which God has given us
The people who sought him for so long are joyful.
They are all coming running, no-one wants to miss it.” 		520
105 They who rule the empire reply:
“We ask your indulgence, my lords! We shall try to find an answer.
We will distribute a great deal of our wealth
To the humble people who are looking for alms:
If they are still crowding in on us, we shall be free of them.” 		525
106 From their treasuries they take gold and silver
They have it cast before the poor people:
By this means they think they will make a way through the crowd;
But it cannot be, these people do not seek any of this:
All their desires are set on this holy man. 		530
107 With one voice the humble people cry:
“With this wealth we surely have no concern,
So great a joy has come upon us
With this holy body which we have in our keeping;
Through him, if it please God, we will find good help.” 		535
108 Never before in Rome was there such joy
As there was this day for rich and poor alike
On account of the holy body which they have in their keeping:
It seems to them that they hold God himself;
All the people give praise and thanks to God. 		540
109 Saint Alexis was a man of good will,
For that reason is he honoured on this day
His body is in the city of Rome,
And his soul is in God’s paradise:
He who is so placed can be exceedingly glad.		 545
110 Whoever has sinned can bear this well in mind,
Through penitence they can very well save themselves.
This life is short, look to a more lasting one.
Let us pray to God, the Holy Trinity,/		  

 

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