Homiletic Fragmentation

I've now finished my translation of Genesis A and B and feel like I want no commitments for the moment to massively long texts, so I thought I'd start filling in some of the more interesting shorter verses, starting with the Vercelli Book's "Homiletic Fragment I."  My rough translation follows.

I find my priorities warping a bit as I go further with this project. At first, I was pretty dogged about trying to represent the poetry in the most literal sorts of ways; now, to satisfy the demands for alliteration or poetic umph, I have been playing around with synonyms and getting a bit more adventurous, maybe wacky, in my willingness to depart from the literal text. Like most of the challenges in translation, these two poles pull in opposite directions.  See what you think.... I'd be grateful for any first impressions.

Homiletic Fragment I

….Sorrows,

many and sundry, come into the joy of men.

A nobleman scolds another behind (his back)

with insinuations and insult-words,

5          speaks politely in his presence, and nevertheless

has hatred in his heart, an unclean hoard.

The Lord of hosts is then witness to this evil.

Therefore the wise man says:

            “Do not give me over, Lord of hosts,

10        together with the deceitful into the death of punishment,

            nor abandon me, alive, to the lie-tellers,

to those who have perfectly polished speech,

            and in (their) soul-safes (i.e., hearts), grim thoughts,

(those who) promise faithfully (but) in such a way that their faithfulness does not fit

15        exactly with their lips.” [Psalm 27:3]  Suffering is in the heart,

            (in) the mind stained with sin, mixed with sorrow,

            filled with falseness, even though it flashes

            a kind word from the outside. They are singular--

            just like the bees, they bear both together,

20       delightful delicacies, honey in the mouth,

            tasty nourishment, and behind have

a venomous tail. Sometimes (they) wound

smartly with a sting, when the time comes.

                 And immoral men are similar,

25       those who with lips (lit., tongues) promise loyalty

            with fair words, think falsely,

then in the end they deceive cleverly,

have honey-smacks[1] in (their) promises,

            fine friendship-talk, but within the mind

30       (they inflict) by the devil’s power a hidden wound.

                 Thus this middle earth is now mixed with misdeeds,

            ebbs and flows.  The old (one) is vigilant,

            deceives and disturbs, day and night,

            (mixes) kindness with crime, trusts to strength,

35        attacks ever more bitterly, sows evil,

            trouble in abundance. No one makes peace

            with another in (his) heart except for a very few

            in such a way that he keeps friendship faithfully

            in spiritual love, as God commanded him.

40       Therefore, he who is not wise, astute,

            and skill-clever in the soul’s intelligence,

            will pursue (lit. choose) pleasure utterly, a wonderful world.

                 Let us think on and hope for better (things),

            now that we know the cure, so that we may have

            heaven’s light up with the angels

            as a support for spirits, when God wants

to work the end of life on earth.

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[1] The impulse to preserve OE smæcc “taste” is irresistable, since the verb smack “to taste” survives in PDE, even though "Honey-Smacks" sounds a bit like a breakfast cereal.