Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition

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

Poem 8

Ten Commandments

1] Now, Jesus, by your precious blood which you shed for mankind, give us grace to do good works so that we may enter heaven.
5] Man and woman, I advise you, beware, that you desist from your great oaths, and unless you do, God will not spare you. He will deprive you of both life and property.
9] It is no wonder, indeed, that great clamity befalls on that account, because we do not spare any of His limbs by not swearing in vain on them.
13] Man is worse than any dog, or he is too wild and mad, that we should speak slightingly of His precious wounds which He suffered for our benefit.
17] Pay attention, whoever wishes to! All torment and sorrow that ever exists, we shall so find at the end that it exists on account of man's sins.
21] I advise that each one beware, indeed, in as much as you are a man: when you swear great oaths, you put Him upon the cross.
25] God commanded Isaiah that he should go and preach - that was on the hill of Sinai - and how he ought to teach the people,
29] And to show them God's prohibition both to young and to old of the Ten Commandments. Whoever wishes to be saved must keep them.
33] The first commandment is this: We must worship one God, the divine king of heavenly bliss, honour His name with acts of worship.
37] Love Him as He loves you, with all your strength and your mind. We should do so fully, because it was He who redeemed us wretches at so high a price.
41] The greater pity is that we do not do so. We loved the foul dung of the earth. Alas! Wretches, why do we do so? It can not preserve our life for a moment.
45] Yea, they who believe in more gods than one and make gods by witchcraft, are ruled by the devil. They shall all go to the devil.
49] The second is thus as follows: that you keep Sunday properly, to serve God after the manner of that day, both young and old alike.
53] And now on Sunday men openly hold all their markets. The wonder is that God does not send vengeance upon mankind over the whole world.
57] The third is: honour father and mother for each man ought to do so very fully. They suffered much vexation before they could bring the wretch to a state of well-being.
61] It happens with children that are cruel as it does with bees in a hive: when a father gives them land and retainers, the young wish to drive out the old.
65] The fourth: love your neighbour like your own body, desire nothing else for him. The fifth: keep yourself from lechery. The sixth is: steal no goods from man.
69] The seventh: be not a murderer, nor ever covet anything the least bit, though you are stronger than he is, nor his wife nor his property.
73] Do not bear false witness, for to destroy the reputation of poor or rich will grievously and severely injure the soul, for it deprives it of the kingdom of heaven.
77] Let us beseech Him, merciful of heart, who sucked the milk of a Virgin's breast, who redeemed us with His precious blood, to give us repose in heaven for ever. Amen.