Erly, er any heven-glem, þay to a hil comen.
Þe grete God in his greme bygynnez on lofte;
To wakan wederez so wylde þe wyndez he callez,
Line 948
And þay wroþely upwafte and wrastled togeder,
Fro fawre half of þe folde flytande loude.
Clowdez clustered bytwene, kesten up torres,
Þat þe þik þunder-þrast þirled hem ofte.
Line 952
Þe rayn rueled adoun, ridlande þikke,
Of felle flaunkes of fyr and flakes of soufre,
Al in smolderande smoke smachande ful ille,
Swe aboute Sodamas and hit sydez alle, [MS., M. swe; M. note sweyed (?) accepted by Fi.; B. swe[d] or swe[led].]
Line 956
Gorde to Gomorra, þat þe grounde laused,
Abdama and Syboym, þise ceteis alle faure,
Al birolled wyth þe rayn, rostted and brenned,
And ferly flayed þat folk þat in þose fees lenged.
Line 960
For when þat þe helle herde þe houndez of heven,
He watz ferlyly fayn, unfolded bylyve;
Þe grete barrez of þe abyme he barst up at onez,
Þat alle þe regioun torof in riftes ful grete,
Line 964
And cloven alle in lyttel cloutes þe clyffez aywhere,
As lance levez of þe boke þat lepes in twynne.
Þe brethe of þe brynston bi þat hit blende were,
Al þo citees and her sydes sunkken to helle.
Line 968
Rydelles wern þo grete rowtes of renkkes wythinne,
When þay wern war of þe wrake þat no wyȝe achaped;
Such a ȝomerly ȝarm of ȝellyng þer rysed,
Þerof clatered þe cloudes þat Kryst myȝt haf rawþe.
Line 972
Þe segge herde þat soun to Segor þat ȝede, [folio 74b]
And þe wenches hym wyth þat by þe way folȝed;
Ferly ferde watz her flesch þat flowen ay ilyche,
Trynande ay a hyȝe trot þat torne never dorsten.
Line 976
Loth and þo luly-whit, his lefly two deȝter,
