Dream of the Rood				Back to lines 51 - 100
101	Death he tasted there; nevertheless, the Lord rose again
	with his great might to help mankind.
	He ascended into heaven. He will come again
	to this earth to seek mankind.
105	on doomsday, the Lord himself,
	almighty God, and his angels with him,
	so that he will then judge, he who has the power of judgement,
	each one of them, for what they themselves have
	earned here earlier in this transitory life.
110	Nor may any of them be unafraid there
	because of the words which the Saviour will speak:
	he will ask in front of the multitude where the person might be
	who for the Lord's name would
	taste bitter death, just as he did before on that tree.
115	But then they will be fearful and little think
	what they might begin to say to Christ.
	Then there will be no need for any of those to be very afraid
	who bear before them in the breast the best of trees.
	But by means of the rood each soul
120	who thinks to dwell with the Ruler
	must seek the kingdom from the earthly way.'
	I prayed to the tree with a happy spirit then,
	with great zeal, there where I was alone
	with little company. My spirit was
125	inspired with longing for the way forward; I experienced in all
	many periods of longing. It is now my life's hope
	that I might seek the tree of victory
	alone more often than all men,
	to honour it well. My desire for that is
130	great in my mind, and my protection is
	directed to the cross. I do not have many wealthy
	friends on earth; but they have gone forward from here,
	passed from the joys of this world, sought for themselves the King of glory;
	they live now in heaven with the High Father,
135	they dwell in glory. And I myself hope
	each day for when the Lord's cross,
	that I looked at here on earth,
	will fetch me from this transitory life,
	and then bring me where there is great bliss,
140	joy in heaven, where the Lord's people
	are set in feasting, where there is unceasing bliss;
	and then will set me where I might afterwards
	dwell in glory fully with the saints
	to partake of joy. May the Lord be a friend to me,
145	he who here on earth suffered previously
	on the gallows-tree for the sins of man.
	He redeemed us, and gave us life,
	a heavenly home. Hope was renewed
	with dignity and with joy for those who suffered burning there.
150	The Son was victorious in that undertaking,
	powerful and successful, when he came with the multitudes,
	a troop of souls, into God's kingdom,
	the one Ruler almighty, to the delight of angels
	and all the saints who were in heaven before,
155	who dwelled in glory, when their Ruler came,
	almighty God, to where his native land was.