Andreas IV

Then the Ward of the Way further unlocked his word-hoard,
the bold man upon the gangway, speaking: “Can you tell me,
so that I may know the truth, whether your Sovereign
made known the miracles, those he performed not a few times,
to comfort the people, openly upon the earth, where bishops
and scholars and elder-men sat conversing at council?
It seems to me that they for their envy plotted wickedness
by their profound heresy. These heroes listened too eagerly
to the devil’s instruction, to the wrathful pledge-breaker.
Their fate betrayed them, seduced them and perverted them.
Now they must quickly, wearied amongst the weary,
endure wrack, a bitter burning in the slayer’s bosom.” (601-16)

Then Andrew made reply: “I tell you truly that Christ very often
performed miracle after miracle openly for the counselors
of the people in the sight of men, just as the Lord of men
performed the people’s good in secret, so intending peace.” (617-22)

The Helm of Nobles answered him: “Can you, wise warrior,
powerful and valiant in mind, speak in words of the power he,
brave-minded, often revealed when he held counsel in secret
whispers with the Lord, the Ruler of the Heavens.” (623-7)

And so Andrew gave answer: “What are you asking me,
most beloved lord, in elaborate words, when you perceive
the truth of each word by the skill of the wise?” (628-31)

Then the Ward of the Way addressed him still:
“I do not ask you in detraction nor slander on the whale-road,
but so my mind may be elated, joyfully fettered
through your word’s eloquence, perpetual in its nobility.
I am not alone in that—but the heart and spirit
of every man will be joyous, consoled far or near,
who regard in their heart how that mighty one acted, the god-child
on earth. Their souls turn and seek the joys of heaven,
eager for the journey, the homeland of angels by that noble might.” (632-42)

At once Andreas gave back answer: “Now I perceive
the sense of wisdom and truth itself in you—
triumphant capability given you with miraculous skill—
the inward breast, bright in bliss flourishes from wise men—
now I wish to tell you alone of the beginning and the end,
ever as I heard that nobleman’s words and wisdom
through his own mouth in the moot of men.
Often the wide-ranging band gathered, a people immeasurable,
for the judgment of their lord, where they hearkened
to the teaching of the holy one. (643-54)

“When soon the helmet of those noble men, the bright profit-giver,
departed into another temple, there many came towards him
as he praised God, to that court of debate, hall-counselors of the wise.
Always they rejoiced, the merciful men, at the coming of the City-Warden.
So it happened once upon a time that the victory-judge
went traveling, the mighty lord. There were no more people,
of his own folk on that journey-way except
eleven struggle-tested men, tallied among the glory-blessed—
Jesus himself was the twelfth.
Then we entered into the capital city, where was timbered up
the temple of the Lord, high and horn-wide,
well-known to warriors, beautified with glory. (655-69a)

"Yet scorn-speakingly and injuriously the high priest began
to mock with hostile intent; he unfastened his hoarded coffer
and wove a quarrel. He knew in his mind that we followed
the footsteps of the true one, and we endured
by the sentence of his teaching. The high priest quickly heaved
up a hostile cry, intermingled with woe:
'Harumph! You are wretched over all men!
You wade along wide wanderings,
endure a multitude of misfortunes.
Now you heed the teachings of a stranger,
a man outside the people’s law, having no share in its blessing.
You testify for this prince, swear that you dwell every day
with the Creator’s son. But it is well-known to the people
whence this nobling’s origin is derived.
Jesus was nourished in these borders,
begotten child-young amid his relations.
Thus his father and mother are native-dwellers
named Mary and Joseph, as we have learned
by our thought. There are two others, men born in
noble brotherhood, the sons of Joseph, Simon and Jacob.' (669b-91)

“So exclaimed the counselors of warriors, a band eager
for judgment. They thought to conceal the creator’s might.
Sin, that endless evil, returned soon where it had arisen before.
Then the prince departed from that heap of thanes
from the counsel-place comforted by his powers,
the lord of multitudes, seeking an unknown land.
Through many wondrous works in the desert,
Jesus had made known that he was the king
by right over middle-earth, comforted with power,
Sovereign and Artificer of the Glorious Majesty,
One Eternal God of all Creation. He made known such
innumerable other miracles in the sight of men. (692-705)

“On a later occasion, Jesus set out with a great band
that he might stand in the temple, the Prince of Glory.
A word-utterance was raised throughout the high hall.
The sinning ones would not swallow the teaching of the holy,
though he made known so many true tokens where they could be seen.
The Lord of Victory spotted a wonder graven quite elegantly
in the likeness of his own angels on the temple wall,
splendidly adorning either side. He spoke by word:
‘This is an image of the most illustrious of angel-kind
that there is, among the citizens in that city.
Cherubim and Seraphim they are named in heavenly joys.
They stand stout-hearted before the countenance of the Eternal Lord,
praising with voices and holy songs the glory
of the Heaven-King, the Creator’s protection.
Here is hewn the shape of holy ones—through hand-power
the servants of glory are written on the wall.’ (706-26)

“Then the Lord of Armies further spoke a word,
the heaven-holy soul, before that handiwork:
‘Now I command a signal to be revealed,
a miracle to occur in this assembly of men,
that this likeness seek the earth, lovely from the wall,
and speak a word, talk in adages truthful,
through which the nobles should believe
in my lineage, what my homeland is.’ (727-34)

“And then that wonder dared not conceal the Lord’s behest
before that host, but leapt up from the wall,
the wise and ancient work, so that he stood on the earth,
stone out of stone. Its voice came thereafter,
loud through the hardness, its speech resounded,
reproaching them. The stone’s first act seemed curious
to the stiff-purposed. It instructed the priests in clear signs,
wittily it restrained them and spoke in words: (735-42)

‘You are wretched among the miserable minds,
deluded by wiles—you do not understand well,
and are troubled in mind—
You will call the child of God Eternal a man,
when he has delineated with his own hands the ground and sea,
the heaven and earth and the stormy waves,
the salty sea-currents and upper heaven. (743-49)

“This is the same All-Wielding God
that your fathers knew in former days.
He dispensed gifts to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,
honored them with wealth, and first spoke in words
of noble Abraham’s destiny: that from his kin must be conceived
the God of Glory. That fate is open and manifest among you—
you can now see with your own eyes
the God of Victory, the Owner of Heaven.’ (750-60)

“After the host listened to these words throughout the wide hall,
all were stunned, then the eldest soon began to speak sinfully—
they did not recognize truth—they said that this was done with druid-craft,
with magical works, that that bright* stone spoke on behalf of men.
Evil flourished through the breasts of men,
burning hot malice welled in their thought,
a worm hostile to the fruit, a poison wholly harmful.
There the doubting mind was evident through harm-speech;
these men’s mis-thoughts wrapped up in murder. (761-72)

“Then the Prince ordered this glory-work to travel,
a stone onto the street from that place, and go forth,
treading the earth-way, to the green lands of Canaan,
to deliver the message of God by teaching within
that country’s borders, to command by the King’s word Abraham
and his two sons first to from their earth-grave, to lay down their land-rest
and gather up their limbs, to take up their souls and youth-hood,
to come forth into the present renewed, sage elder-prophets,
and reveal to the people which god they had acknowledged
for their might. He departed then, as the mighty Lord, the Sculptor of Men,
had inscribed him, over the marking-roads, until he arrived at Mambre,
dazzling brightly, just as the Maker had commanded him.
There the body-homes, the corpses of the high-fathers, had been
concealed for a long time. He ordered them to stand up at once,
Abraham and Isaac and the third noble called Jacob,
from the dirt into God’s destiny for them,
swiftly from the sleep that bound them.
He ordered them to gear up for the journey,
to fare at the Lord’s decree. They had to reveal
to those people who it had been at the first creation
that arranged the all-greening Earth and the Upper-Heaven,
where the Wielder was, that founded that work. (773-99)

“They dared not hinder any longer the Glory-king’s word.
Then those three wit-full witnesses treaded the border-land,
suffering their mould-home, their earth-grave, to remain open.
They wished to make known at once the Father of First-works.
Then the people became frightened with terror, wherever the noble
men praised in words the Prince of Glory. At last the Guardian of Realms
commanded them, to seek a second journey to blessed weal,
the joys of heaven, and after that to enjoy life there, far and wide, at their will. (800-9)

“Now you can hear, dearest lad, how he revealed a great number
of miracles, however mind-blinded men did not believe his own teachings.
I know many, very famous stories yet, which that man performed,
the Ruler of the Skies—these you, wise of mind-thought,
could not consider or encompass in your breast.” (810-7)

Thus the whole long day Andrew praised the teaching
of the Holy One in utterances, until sleep overcame him
suddenly on the whale-road, beside the King of Heaven. (818-21)