This is one of the few online translations of a medieval poem probably composed in the 12th century. The fragment I used was the Moffat's reconstruction (1987) published by R.D. Fulk.
The poem is in Middle English (an older form with lots of traces from Old English), and it shows what the soul tells the sinful body after death, a popular motif at the time. Though composed in the 12th century, this particular manuscript was copied by the easily identifiable hand of The Tremulous Hand of Worcester around the second quarter of the 13th century. The Tremulous Hand of Worcester was a scribe (probably a monk) who used to work in Worcester Priory, England. His nickname comes from the fact that he probably suffered from "essential tremor", a neurological condition which affected his writing.
This reconstruction is based on a manuscript found in seven fragmentary leaves that were cut up and used to reinforce bindings of other books. The actual manuscript is located in the Worcester Cathedral's library (Worcester Cathedral MS F.174, fols. 63v-66v) in England. Sadly I did not have access to a facsimile, let alone the manuscript itself.
The poem is in Middle English (an older form with lots of traces from Old English), and it shows what the soul tells the sinful body after death, a popular motif at the time. Though composed in the 12th century, this particular manuscript was copied by the easily identifiable hand of The Tremulous Hand of Worcester around the second quarter of the 13th century. The Tremulous Hand of Worcester was a scribe (probably a monk) who used to work in Worcester Priory, England. His nickname comes from the fact that he probably suffered from "essential tremor", a neurological condition which affected his writing.
This reconstruction is based on a manuscript found in seven fragmentary leaves that were cut up and used to reinforce bindings of other books. The actual manuscript is located in the Worcester Cathedral's library (Worcester Cathedral MS F.174, fols. 63v-66v) in England. Sadly I did not have access to a facsimile, let alone the manuscript itself.
1 Where is now that pride that you love so much?
Where are now those pounds through pennies gathered?
They were many times by coins counted.
Where are now those vessels of gold, that shinning came to your hands?
5 Your joy is now all gone; my sorrow is yet to come.
Where are now your garments, which you quite loved?
Where are those relatives that sorrowfully sit next to you,
pleading swiftly and earnestly that a remedy will come?
It seems to them too long since you were alive
10 for they are greedy to grasp your possessions.
Now they divide them amongst themselves. They put them outside.
But now they are rushing to bring you out of the house,
bring you out of your door: from your possessions you are separated.
Why wouldn’t you acknowledge me when I was inside you,
15 but instead burden me with sins, because of which I am sorrowful?
Alas! I found such a sorry body.
You wouldn’t show your favor to learned men (clerics)
or give them from your valuables when they asked you to.
They can, with psalm songs, your sins quench,
20 with their mass, your misdeeds forgive.
They can kindly offer you gifts,
the very precious gift: the body of Christ.
Through which you would’ve been released from the torments of hell
and with his red blood, that he shed on the cross,
25 then you would’ve been freed to fare into heaven.
But you accepted servitude through these diabolical instructions
Of that it is said, and true it is, on the books:
(LATIN) “Whoever tends riches is a slave to riches”
You were a slave to your wealth.
30 You wouldn’t do with it the Lord’s will
But you always greedily amassed more.
Miserably you are separated from all you love.
And I shall, a miserable soul, woe endure.
You are now loathsome and worthless to all your friends.
35 Now it seems all too long that you’ve been lying near them.
Before you are brought where you will be burned,
In the deep pit, in the door-less house,
Where the worms control all that was once valuable to you:
The foul death-carcass which you used to serve,
40 with all the sweetness that you loved so much.
That sweetness is now all gone; bitterness is yet to come.
That bitterness will always last; the sweetness will never return.
Moreover, the soul said to the anguished body:
“you don’t need to stand on the stirrup with your feet,
45 nor sit on your adorned golden saddle, for you shall fare to woe.
And you shall now ride backwards to the earth
And sit outside that door; you don’t need to come back ever again.
Ride miserably, soon to be deprived
of your earthly wealth that you pretended to control.”
50 Now men may say of you: “this man is known.
Alas! now here, his wealth is here, left behind.
He would never ever do with it the Lord’s will.”
But you always gathered treasures from your foes.
They will not go to get the one who took them.
55 You will get nothing but woe from the wealth you had.
Your condition is miserable, after your wretched life!
Those men are cheerful, who previously rose with you,
for your mouth is shut from which annoyance you used to let out;
which sorely provoked them, and made them afraid of you.
60 Death has closed it, and put away its annoyance.
So it is said in the book of Psalms:
(LATIN) “your mouth is full of wickedness”
Your mouth is full of wickedness.
You wouldn’t, in your house, harbor the poor.
65 Those under your row may not find rest.
You would never ever help the unpitied poor,
But instead you sat on your bench underlain by your pillow
You casted knee over knee, not realizing yourself
That you will, with worms, live in the earth
70 Now you have a new house, crowded inside.
Low are the end-walls and un-high are the sidewalls.
Your roof lies very close to your breast.
Cold are you bedded, of clothes deprived.
Never will your family send clothes to you;
75 For them it seems all too little what you left for them.
What you hoarded up, they will hold,
Thus is your wealth departed. Did you suppose it was yours?
Thus is your condition departed, after your wretched life!
Now worms will grow beside you,
80 The hungry foe that will devour you.
They will freely devour you, for your flesh is to their liking.
They will devour your foul carcass the moment they find it.
And when it’s all gone, they will gnaw your bones.
These pitiless worms, wind around your arms.
85 They break your chest and bore through everywhere.
They creep in and out; that treasure is open to them.
And so they will wander wide in your womb,
Splitting your entrails that were so dear to you,
your liver and lungs gruesomely tearing apart.
90 And so they will dissolve completely your stomach and spleen.
You shall now wring worms out of your flesh.
You shall nourish your enemy, which is completely devouring you.
You shall now bear unwholesome weight.
(Before, you wouldn’t, to good men, from your valuables give.)
95 They will make a treasure house in your skull.
They won’t leave our lips untouched,
And you will show your grisly grin to men;
so that whoever sees it may be frightened.
Miserable is your condition, after your wretched life!
100 Now men would sweep your floor and clean your feet.
For it is them who loath you, those you lied to.
They will, with holy water cast aside your woes,
Bless themselves carefully, to protect themselves and you,
Carry your bedstraw out, burn it with fire.
105 thus you are now beloved, after you lost me
Miserable is all your condition, after your wretched life.
Where are now those pounds through pennies gathered?
They were many times by coins counted.
Where are now those vessels of gold, that shinning came to your hands?
5 Your joy is now all gone; my sorrow is yet to come.
Where are now your garments, which you quite loved?
Where are those relatives that sorrowfully sit next to you,
pleading swiftly and earnestly that a remedy will come?
It seems to them too long since you were alive
10 for they are greedy to grasp your possessions.
Now they divide them amongst themselves. They put them outside.
But now they are rushing to bring you out of the house,
bring you out of your door: from your possessions you are separated.
Why wouldn’t you acknowledge me when I was inside you,
15 but instead burden me with sins, because of which I am sorrowful?
Alas! I found such a sorry body.
You wouldn’t show your favor to learned men (clerics)
or give them from your valuables when they asked you to.
They can, with psalm songs, your sins quench,
20 with their mass, your misdeeds forgive.
They can kindly offer you gifts,
the very precious gift: the body of Christ.
Through which you would’ve been released from the torments of hell
and with his red blood, that he shed on the cross,
25 then you would’ve been freed to fare into heaven.
But you accepted servitude through these diabolical instructions
Of that it is said, and true it is, on the books:
(LATIN) “Whoever tends riches is a slave to riches”
You were a slave to your wealth.
30 You wouldn’t do with it the Lord’s will
But you always greedily amassed more.
Miserably you are separated from all you love.
And I shall, a miserable soul, woe endure.
You are now loathsome and worthless to all your friends.
35 Now it seems all too long that you’ve been lying near them.
Before you are brought where you will be burned,
In the deep pit, in the door-less house,
Where the worms control all that was once valuable to you:
The foul death-carcass which you used to serve,
40 with all the sweetness that you loved so much.
That sweetness is now all gone; bitterness is yet to come.
That bitterness will always last; the sweetness will never return.
Moreover, the soul said to the anguished body:
“you don’t need to stand on the stirrup with your feet,
45 nor sit on your adorned golden saddle, for you shall fare to woe.
And you shall now ride backwards to the earth
And sit outside that door; you don’t need to come back ever again.
Ride miserably, soon to be deprived
of your earthly wealth that you pretended to control.”
50 Now men may say of you: “this man is known.
Alas! now here, his wealth is here, left behind.
He would never ever do with it the Lord’s will.”
But you always gathered treasures from your foes.
They will not go to get the one who took them.
55 You will get nothing but woe from the wealth you had.
Your condition is miserable, after your wretched life!
Those men are cheerful, who previously rose with you,
for your mouth is shut from which annoyance you used to let out;
which sorely provoked them, and made them afraid of you.
60 Death has closed it, and put away its annoyance.
So it is said in the book of Psalms:
(LATIN) “your mouth is full of wickedness”
Your mouth is full of wickedness.
You wouldn’t, in your house, harbor the poor.
65 Those under your row may not find rest.
You would never ever help the unpitied poor,
But instead you sat on your bench underlain by your pillow
You casted knee over knee, not realizing yourself
That you will, with worms, live in the earth
70 Now you have a new house, crowded inside.
Low are the end-walls and un-high are the sidewalls.
Your roof lies very close to your breast.
Cold are you bedded, of clothes deprived.
Never will your family send clothes to you;
75 For them it seems all too little what you left for them.
What you hoarded up, they will hold,
Thus is your wealth departed. Did you suppose it was yours?
Thus is your condition departed, after your wretched life!
Now worms will grow beside you,
80 The hungry foe that will devour you.
They will freely devour you, for your flesh is to their liking.
They will devour your foul carcass the moment they find it.
And when it’s all gone, they will gnaw your bones.
These pitiless worms, wind around your arms.
85 They break your chest and bore through everywhere.
They creep in and out; that treasure is open to them.
And so they will wander wide in your womb,
Splitting your entrails that were so dear to you,
your liver and lungs gruesomely tearing apart.
90 And so they will dissolve completely your stomach and spleen.
You shall now wring worms out of your flesh.
You shall nourish your enemy, which is completely devouring you.
You shall now bear unwholesome weight.
(Before, you wouldn’t, to good men, from your valuables give.)
95 They will make a treasure house in your skull.
They won’t leave our lips untouched,
And you will show your grisly grin to men;
so that whoever sees it may be frightened.
Miserable is your condition, after your wretched life!
100 Now men would sweep your floor and clean your feet.
For it is them who loath you, those you lied to.
They will, with holy water cast aside your woes,
Bless themselves carefully, to protect themselves and you,
Carry your bedstraw out, burn it with fire.
105 thus you are now beloved, after you lost me
Miserable is all your condition, after your wretched life.