Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Conclusion to "Soul and Body I"

Here are the remaining lines of "Soul and Body I":


130                                     With joy (she) seeks out
            willingly that clay-container (i.e., the body) that she wore long before.
            Then spirits speak God’s word,
            wise, victory-firm, and (she) thus greets
            (her) body faithfully and happily:
135     “Dearest friend, although worms continually attack
            you greedily, now your spirit has come,
            beautifully adorned, from my Father’s kingdom,
            enveloped in grace. Oh, my Lord,
            were I allowed to lead you with me
140     we two would see all the angels,
            the heavens’ glory, just as you meted out/deserved for me here.
            You fasted on earth and filled me
            with God’s body, with drink of the spirit.
            If you lived in poverty, you gave me a wealth of desirable (things).
145     Therfore you will have no need to be ashamed
            of what you gave me, when the sinners and saintly
            are separated on that illustrious day,
            nor need you lament here in this life
            all the great (things) you gave me
150     in the meeting-place of men and angels.
                  You redeemed yourself before men (lit., heroes) and raised me up into eternal joy.
            For it is constantly troubling to me, truest of men,
            misereably in my mind, ever since I knew you (suffered; to be) under these humiliations
            as food for worms, but God willed
155     that you thus would always seek out (this) revolting sick-bed (i.e., grave).
            I wanted to disclose (this) to you, so that you would not suffer,
            for we two will be joined at God’s judgment.
            Then, afterwards, we will be allowed to commune together??
            and have high-rank in heaven.
160     We will have no need to be anxious about the Lord’s coming,
            nor have any horrible sorrow in our hearts
            about (our) answer, but we ourselves will be able,
            there at Doomsday, to boast of our deeds,
            of such merits as were ours.
165     I know that you were wonderfully virtuous
            in the world-kingdom of this….  

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