Die Kildare-gedichte; die ältesten mittelenglischen denkmäler in anglo-irischer überlieferung von Dr. W. Heuser ...

Fall and Passion.

Gedruckt von Furnivall, EEP. p 12; Mätzner, Ae. Sprachpr. I, 124.

Im Ms. geschrieben in Langzeilen von acht Takten (mit eingeflochtenem Reim), ebenso bei Furnivall abgedruckt, während Mätzner in vier|zeilige Strophen abteilt.

In dieser Reimpredigt werden den Zuhörern die beiden Hauptmomente des Alten und Neuen Testamentes vorgeführt: der Sündenfall, dem Lucifers Anmaßung und Erniedrigung vorausgeschickt wird, und die Erlösung durch Christi Leiden und Sterben. Die Darstellung ist einfach erzählend, nur bei der Uberleitung vom ersten Teil zum andern und am Schlusse, bei der Auferstehung, wird sie etwas verwickelter und mit Betrachtung verknüpft. Naiv ist die Frage, die der Dichter sich selbst vorlegt, warum die Schlange lieber zu Eva als zu Adam gekommen sei, und ihre Beantwortung, daß das Weib des Mannes Willen lenken könne, wie es wolle; erwähnenswert der Zug, daß seint Ion, patriarkes and oþer mo von Christus aus der Hölle geholt werden, eigenartig, daß die Mutter des Heilandes bei seinem Tode nur vier bitter teris of blode zu weinen vermochte.

Þe grace of god ful of miȝt [folio 29b] Line 1 Þat is king and euer was Mote amang vs [us] aliȝt And ȝiue vs alle is swet grace:

Me to spek and ȝou to lere Line 5 Þat hit be worsip, lord, to þe, Me to teche and ȝou to bere [lies here?] Þat helplich to ure sowles be.

Þat ich mote wiþ moch worþing Line 9 Þroȝ is miȝt so hit fulfille To ȝov schow is vprising, If hit be his swet wille.

Al þat god suffrid of pine, Line 13 Hit nas noȝt for is owen gilt, Ok hit was, man, for sin þine Þat wer for sin in helle ipilt.

Þo Lucifer steiȝ in pride Line 17 Þat was angel in heuen so briȝte, Vte of heuen he gan glide, And in to helle sone he liȝte.

And wiþ him mani and mo [Mä. an mo, Ms. a' = and] Line 21 Þat no tunge ne miȝt telle Wiþ him fille adune al so In to þe derk pit of helle.

Seue daies and [Ms. a] seue niȝt, Line 25 As ȝe seeþ þat falliþ snowe, Vte of heuen hi aliȝt And in to helle wer iþrow.

For þe prude of Lucifer Line 29 Þe teþe angle fille in to helle, And al þat to him boxum were Euer in pine hi mot dwelle.

Har stides forto fulfille Line 33 Þat wer ifalle for prude and hore — God makid Adam to is wille To fille har stides þat wer ilor.

Skil, resun and eke [Ms. ek] miȝt Line 37 He ȝef Adam in his mode To be stidfast wiþ al riȝt And leue þe harme and do gode.

God ȝaf him a gret maistri [maistre Ms. maistⁱ] Line 41 Of al þat was in watir and londe, Of paradis al þe balye, [Ms. baly'] Whan him likid to is honde,

Foules, bestis and þe frute — Line 45 Saf o tre he him forbede, Of paradis þe grete dute, And ȝit he sinied þroȝ iuil red.

To him þe deuil had envie Line 49 Þat he in is [his] stid schold be broȝte;

A serpent he com þroȝ felonie And makid Eue chonge hir þoȝt.

Whi com he raþer to Eue Line 53 Þan he com to Adam? Ichul ȝou telle, sires, beleue, For womman is lef euer to man

Womman mai turne man is wille, [folio 30] Line 57 Whare ȝho wol pilt hir to; Þat is þe resun and skille Þat þe deuil [deuyl] com hir first to.

Ette, he seid, of þis appil, Line 61 If þat þou wolt witti be Þe [Mä. þou] worþ as witti of miȝt and wille As god him silf in trinite.

Hi nad bot þat appil iȝette Line 65 Þat þe sin nas ido; Glad was þe deuil, wol ȝe iwit, For þe sorow þat he [Mä. hi] sold to.

Of paradis hi wer ute pilt Line 69 Wiþ trauail har liuelode to winne And vte flemid for har gilt And neuer efte paradis to com inne.

In þe vale of Eboir Line 73 His liuelod he most swink sore; Wiþ sorow and care and dreri won He liued .IX.C. ȝer and more.

Aftir is lif he had here, Line 77 Nedis he most wend to helle, For þe trepas þat he did here Þer [þere, Ms. þ̛] he most bide and dwelle.

God makid mankin more, Line 81 Ok to helle þe deuil ham broȝt And [þat, Ms. χ = and?] euir ham traiid þroȝ is lore, Non fram him scapid noȝt.

God is prophetis to ham send Line 85 And seid, hov hi sold be sauid, As bi Moyses þat am wend Aȝe þe propheci ȝit isinid.

God wist wel bi þilk say Line 89 Þat bi no man þat was ycor, Whan [lies what?] bi prophetis no bi lai Þat communelich hi ne wer forlor.

Holi bokis [bok is] fort fulfil Line 93 God is angle anon forþ send, As bi angle Gabriel Þat to þe maid was iwend.

Flees he tok [took] of maid Mari, Line 97 God and man is kund togadir, And þat was a gret maistri Þat þe doȝtir ber þe fader.

Maid bere heuen king Line 101 Þat is al ure creatoure, Maid ber þe swet þing, Þer for sso ne les noȝt hir flure.

God him ȝed an erþ here Line 105 XXX ti winter and somdel mo, As holi writ vs gan lere; He suffrid boþe pine and wo.

Man aȝens god so gilt, Line 109 To heuen non sowle ne miȝte, Fort god is sone in rode was pilt And wan vs heuen liȝt.

Iudas ne cuþe is lord noȝt hold, [folio 30b] Line 113 His owen disciple ȝit he was; For .XXX. peniis he him sold, Ynom and ibund he was.

He was ibobid and ismitte Line 117 And hi spette in is face,

Hi bede him rede, if he cuþe witte, Woch of ham al hit was.

He was ibund to a tre Line 121 And ibet wiþ scurges kene Þat al þe blode vt gan fle, Ouer al is bodi hit was sene.

Siþ hi nom him as a þef Line 125 And lad him bifor Pilate, For he nas noȝt to ham lef, Hi had to him grete hate.

Pilat bed ham do har best, Line 129 Aȝe þe law be he nold; For no gilt bi him he nist, War for deþ suffri he ssold.

Hi nailed him in hond and fete, Line 133 As ȝe mow al ise; For þe appil þat Adam ete Deþ he þolid opon þe tre

Þe wikkid men nol[d] leue noȝt Line 137 Þat he wer fullich ded so, Fort þer wiþ a sper hi ad him soȝt, And clef is swet hert atwo.

Þer was in þe lond a kniȝt Line 141 Þat het Iosep [ȝosep, Ms. iosep] of Arimathie, Þat louid Iesus wel ariȝt And þoȝt is [bodi] [bodi Konjektur von Mä., fehlt im Ms] wel to honuri.

He wend to Pilat swiþe snel Line 145 And besoȝt him mercy, If hit wer is wil Þe bodi grant biri.

Þo Pilat had igrant is bone, [luue, Ms. boue] Line 149 Glade ynoȝ he [ho] was; He nem þat swet bodi adoun [adun] And biriid hit in a fair plas.

His moder stode him be side Line 153 And seint Jon ek al so, Bitter teris vte gan glide, Hir þoȝt hir hert wol[d] [Ms. wol] a two.

Hit nas no wonder, þoȝ ȝo wep Line 157 For hir swet child al so; [alowe, im Ms. verwischt (al...)?] Wiþ nailes he was ismit dep, Wiþ sper hi delet him in two.

Al hir ioi was ago, Line 161 Þo ȝo him sei dei in rode, Forto wep ȝo [ȝe] nad no mo Bot .IIII. bitter teris of blode.

Who spekiþ of deil aȝe þat del, [folio 31] Line 165 Neuer such nas þer none, As whan þat hi him beheld, As ȝho makid and seint Ion.

Siþ hi seid at one mouþe Line 169 Þat he wold [wolde] destru temple and chirche And þat he was wel couþe Þat al falsnis [he] [Mä. ergänzt he] schold wirche.

And vp Pilat hi cried apan, Line 173 Euchon at one vois, Þat he schold hold Barabam And do Iesus on þe crois.

In þis maner [manere, Ms. man̛] he was ipinsed, Line 177 As his swet wil hit was, And deþ for mankyn suffred Þe þ[r]id [þrid, Ms. þid] dai vp he ros.

After þat he liȝt in to helle, Line 181 Þer al þe sowles wer iwisse, Al his frendis he broȝt vt al [alle] In to ioi and heuen blis.

Whan in helle was seint Ion, Line 185 Patriarkes and oþer mo,

Hit [was] [Mä. ergänzt was] isene þer scapid non, Profetis þat god louid al so.

Al in helle were ifast Line 189 Fort Iesus Crist þroȝ is miȝte Of þe pit vte he ham cast And broȝt ham to heuen lyȝt.

Þroȝ is deþ he ouercam, Line 193 As he is manhed siwed, As profetis prechid in his name, So þat he deþ suffrid.

Þo he rose fram deþ to liue, Line 197 As telliþ Daui þe king, Is godhed he gan to kiþe; Holi [holy] boke telliþ is uprising.

Iesus was sikir inoȝ Line 201 Þat seid erlich "ich wol riȝt me" And answard [so Mä.; Ms. asnward. Lies aȝenward = wiederum?] wiþ vt woȝ "After þat deþ ouercom be".

Þe .III. dai he ros to liue, Line 205 Is lore riuedlich he send, His deciplis he makid bliþe, Þer after in þe world ham send.

Of his lore forto preche, Line 209 Hou hi, lord, ssold siu þe And þe sinful folk to tech, Hou meri hit is to wiþ þe be. [so im Ms.]

Þer [An(d), Ms. þ̛] after he steiȝ to heuen aboue, Line 213 Þer ioi is þat euer lest, And þer he sal al vs loue [nach Mä. = laben.] In his swet blisful fest. Amen.