Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition

Anglo-Irish poems of the Middle Ages (Author: [unknown])

Poem 7

Fall and Passion

1] May the grace of God full of power, who is and ever was a king, come down among us and give us all His tender grace,
5] Me to speak and you to learn, so that it be to your worship, Lord; me to teach and you to conduct yourself so that it may be helpful to our souls,
9] So that I may with much respect so accomplish through His power as to show to you His resurrection, if it be His precious will.
13] Everything that God suffered in torment was not on account of His own offence, but it was for your sin, man, - on account of sin - that you were thrust into hell.
17] When Lucifer was filled with pride - he was such a beautiful angel in heaven - he fell out of heaven and in a short time he descended into hell.
21] And a great number besides, that no tongue could count, fell down with him as well into the dark pit of hell.
25] Seven days and seven nights, as you imagine that snow falls, they fell down out of heaven and were thrown into hell.
29] Because of the pride of Lucifer, the tenth order of angels and ill who were obedient to him fell into hell. They must live in torment for ever.
33] To fill up the places of those who had fallen because of pride and defilement, God made Adam for His own purpose, to fill up the places of those who were lost.
37] He gave Adam discrimination, reason and also strength in his disposition, in order to be resolute with all righteousness, and forsake evil and do good.
41] God gave him a great dominion over everything that was in water and on land, all the boundaries of Paradise as his responsibility when it pleased Him,
45] Birds, animals and the fruit - only one tree He excluded him from - the great pleasure of Paradise, and yet he sinned because of evil counsel.
49] The Devil bore malice towards him, in that he was to be brought into his place. He became a serpent through deceit and caused Eve to change her mind.
53] Why did he come to Eve rather than to Adam? I shall tell you, Sirs, have trust; it is because woman is always precious to man.
57] Woman can direct a man's purpose where she makes up her mind to it, that is the reason and the cause why the Devil came to her first.
61] ‘Eat’, he said, ‘Of this apple if you desire to be wise. You will become as wise of power and will as God Himself in the Trinity’.
65] No sooner had they eaten that apple than the sin was committed. The Devil was glad, you will know, because of the grief to which they must come.
69] They were thrust out of Paradise, to earn their sustenance with heavy labour, and driven out because of their sin, never to come into Paradise again.
73] In the valley of Hebron he had to toil hard for his sustenance, with sorrow and anxiety and doleful habitation he lived nine hundred years and more.
77] After his life that he had here, he had of necessity to go to hell, because of the sin he committed here. There he had to remain and live.
81] God made more members of the human race, but the Devil brought them to hell and always betrayed them through his teaching. None at all escaped him.
85] God sent his prophets to them, and said how they should be saved, as, for instance, Moses, who went to them in anticipation of the prophecy already signified.
89] God made well known by this same dictum, that generally they were not forsaken by any man that was chosen - either prophets or lay-men.
93] In order to fulfill the [prophecies of] Holy Books, God at once sent forth his angel, that is, the Angel Gabriel, who went to the Virgin.
97] He took flesh from the Virgin Mary, the nature of God and man together, and that was a great mystery, that the daughter bore the father.
101] A Virgin bore the King of heaven who is the Creator of us all. A Virgin bore that precious being, because of it she did not lose her virginity.
105] God went about here on earth for thirty winters and a bit more, as Holy Writ taught us. He suffered both torment and sorrow.
109] Man so sinned against God that no soul could go to heaven. And so God's Son was put upon the cross and won heavenly light for us.
113] Judas was not able to remain faithful to his Lord, though he was His own disciple. He sold Him for thirty pennies. He was taken and bound.
117] He was buffeted and struck, and they spat in His face. They bade Him decide if He was able to know which of them all it was.
121] He was bound to a tree and beaten with sharp scourges, so that all the blood rushed out. It was visible over His whole body.
125] Afterwards they took Him as a thief and led Him before Pilate, because He was not dear to them. They had a great hatred for Him.
129] Pilate bade them do their best, he did not wish to be against the law, because he knew no offence [committed] by Him for which He ought to suffer death.
133] They nailed Him by his hands and feet, as you may all see. On account of the apple which Adam ate, He suffered death upon the tree.
137] The wicked men would not believe that He was completely dead in this way, until they had attacked him with a spear and cleft His precious heart in two.
141] There was a knight in the land who was called Joseph of Arimathea, who loved Jesus very much and thought to honour his death.
145] He went to Pilate very quickly and begged him mercy, if it were his will, to grant that the body should be buried.
149] When Pilate had granted his petition he was glad enough. He took that precious body down and buried Him in a beautiful place.
153] His mother stood beside Him, St John too. Bitter tears flowed out, it seemed to her that her heart would break in two.
157] It was no wonder that she wept for her precious child. He was very heavily pierced with nails, with a spear they split Him in two.
161] All her joy was gone. When she saw Him die on the cross, she had no more than four bitter tears of blood to shed.
165] Whoever speaks of lamentation in respect of that period of time [says that] there was never any such as she and Saint John made, when they looked upon Him.
169] Afterwards they said unanimously that He wished to destroy temple and church and that He was well known as one who should perform every treachery.
173] And every one of them cried out to Pilate with one voice that they should keep Barrabas alive and put Jesus on the cross.
177] In this way He was tortured, as it was His precious will, and He suffered death for mankind. The third day He rose up.
181] After that He descended into hell, where all the souls were, indeed. He brought out all His friends into joy and heavenly happiness.
185] When Saint John was in hell, patriarchs and many others, it was seen that none escaped; prophets too that God loved,
189] All were held fast in hell; until Jesus Christ through His power cast them out of the pit and brought them to the light of heaven.
193] Through His death He was victorious, as He conformed to His humanity - as prophets preached in His name - so that He suffered death.
197] When He rose from death to life, as David the king tells us, He made known His divinity. The Holy Book narrates His resurrection.
201] Jesus was sufficiently strong, who said: ‘In the morning I will lift myself up’, and answered truly: ‘After that, death will be defeated’.
205] The third day He rose to life. He spread His teaching abundantly. He made His disciples happy. Thereafter, He sent them into the world
209] In order to preach His doctrine - how they, Lord, ought to follow You - and teach sinful people how joyful it is to be with You.
213] After that He ascended into heaven above where there is joy that lasts for ever, and there He shall love us all at His joyful happy banquet. Amen.