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Art. 2, Herman de Valenciennes, La Passioun Nostre Seignour

Art. 2, Herman de Valenciennes, La Passioun Nostre Seignour: EXPLANATORY NOTES


ABBREVIATIONS: AND: Anglo-Norman Dictionary; ANL: Anglo-Norman Literature: A Guide to Texts and Manuscripts (R. Dean and Boulton); BL: British Library (London); BnF: Bibliothèque nationale de France (Paris); CUL: Cambridge University Library; MED: Middle English Dictionary; NLW: National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth); PL: Patrologiae cursus completus . . . series latina (Migne).

164 Here Jesus is listening to “them,” i.e., the Jews, as in the Bible (John 11:34–37), even though Herman has given the speech in lines 159–63 to Mary. The texts printed by Spiele and Kremer agree with Harley in this feature.

166–77 The opened sepulcher of Lazarus at the beginning of the Harley extract is balanced later by the sepulcher of Jesus (laisses 163–64).

232–52 See explanatory note to lines 523–601.

268 Johan . . . ki fiz fut Zachaire. “John son of Zachary” is John the Baptist. Compare lines 625–29, and also the tale of John’s birth and prophecies in The Life of Saint John the Baptist (art. 5).

321 Cenophé. “Scenopegia,” the Jewish festival for dedication of the altar, or Feast of the Tabernacles (2 Maccabees 1:9). The French word Cenophé (Cenofee in the editions of Spiele and Kremer) is from Latin scenopegia. See MED, cenophegie (n.), a word appearing in Cursor Mundi (probably via this passage in Herman’s Bible) and the Wycliffite Bible.

322–34 The speaker or speakers of these lines are ambiguous. In the versions printed by Spiele and Kremer, the apostles are speaking.

336–42 These lines are presented as a dialogue between Jesus and the apostles. The word munz, “world” (line 336), becomes the singular pronoun il, “it” (lines 337–42), here translated as “they.”

398 For the emendation of dui to un, compare John 10:30, “Ego et Pater unus sumus” (I and the Father are one), spoken by Jesus. The MS reading dui might be influenced by a traditional gloss on unus: “one divine nature, but two distinct persons” (see Douay-Rheims). The citation of this sentence as the Law seems to be conflated with Jesus’ quotation (in John 10:34) of Psalm 82:6, “I said you are gods.” The passage differs in the versions printed by Kremer, p. 72 (“Je et dieu sommes un”) and Spiele, p. 304 (“Dieux est sire il meismes”).

447 Saisante anz. “Sixty years.” On the length of time required to build Solomon’s temple, compare line 457, and The Gospel of Nicodemus (art. 3), lines 130–34, which both specify the span as forty-six years.

457 Quarante e sis anz. “Forty-six years.” See explanatory note to line 447.

497 Nicodemus is named in John 3.

499 For the emended reading (jofnes to jugiés), see the editions of Spiele, p. 307 (line 5312, jugiez) and Kremer, p. 78 (line 5390, jugies).

523–601 Laisses 54–59 are a sermon expansion of Herman’s gospel account. He here expounds on the wicked perfidy of the Jews, who failed to be grateful to God for his favors. This is a theme often reiterated by Herman to underscore the story’s simple good-versus-evil morality, and to heighten the pathos of Jesus’ persecution. Unfortunately, it also exemplifies antisemitic attitudes that pervade much medieval Christian literature. A similar lesson on the Jews’ ingratitude since the time of Moses appears at lines 232–52. Compare, too, The Gospel of Nicodemus (art. 3), lines 223–27; and the Ludlow scribe’s paraphrase of the story of Moses in Exodus in Old Testament Stories (art. 71).

625–29 On John the Baptist as prophet, compare lines 267–71; and The Life of Saint John the Baptist (art. 5).

679–755 On Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, compare The Gospel of Nicodemus (art. 3), lines 29–40.

801–15 Herman explains here that his translated French Bible is made for “lords” who do not read Latin. On Herman’s audience being mainly secular male listeners, see Boulton 2009, pp. 119–20.

833 rei Henri. On this memorial tribute to Henry II, “King of England and Count of Normandy,” see discussions by Lyons, pp. 31–32; and Thompson 1997, p. 27.

881 une asne. Harley agrees with other manuscripts in its reading une asnesse, “she-ass.” Compare the edition of E. Martin, p. 26 (line 5759), and the variants listed there. But the Harley reading is clearly a mistake for the biblical “young ass” cited earlier in the poem (lines 650–60, 738). The reading un asne appears in Spiele’s edition, p. 316 (line 5690).

986 Jesus drying the apostles’ feet with his hair is not in the Bible. In John 13:4–6, he uses only a towel. The detail seems to borrow from the action of Mary the sister of Lazarus (John 11:2, 12:3).

1111 esgaré. “Scandalized.” The translation accords with the Vulgate and the Douay-Rheims rendering (Matthew 26:31).

1362–84 Peter’s three denials of Jesus complement the earlier pattern of Jesus praying thrice while three of his disciples sleep.

1467–77 On Pilate questioning Jesus privately, compare The Gospel of Nicodemus (art. 3), lines 112–27.

1478–95 On the troubling dream experienced by Pilate’s wife, compare The Gospel of Nicodemus (art. 3), lines 68–70.

1496–1501 On Pilate’s statement of Jesus’ innocence, compare The Gospel of Nicodemus (art. 3), lines 128–29.

1508–68 On Pilate sending Jesus to Herod, compare The Gospel of Nicodemus (art. 3), lines 234–44.

1512–38 In laisses 127–30 the density of simple pronouns to refer to Jesus, Herod, and Pilate invites confusion, so, for clarity, the translation given here specifies several referents by name.

1659–82 On the release of Barabbas, compare The Gospel of Nicodemus (art. 3), lines 211–15.

1770 ne volt venir a jur. “Didn’t want to stay alive,” or literally, “didn’t want to come to day.”

1791 Acheldemac. “Field of Blood,” as in Matthew 27:8 and Acts 1:19–20. Compare Pilgrimages in the Holy Land (art. 38), line 73.

1835 Herman’s emphasis on Jesus’ silence associates him with the sacrificial lamb of Passover, as in the Bible. Compare Luke 23:8–9. For a dramatization of his silence before Herod, see The N-Town Plays, ed. Douglas Sugano, Play 30: Death of Judas; Trials before Pilate and Herod, lines 189–232 and the explanatory note to line 237 for Jesus as the Passover Lamb.

1895–1901 On Jesus’ words to Mary and John, compare The Gospel of Nicodemus (art. 3), lines 262–64.

1906–20 On Jesus being offered bitter drink and Longinus striking his side, compare The Gospel of Nicodemus (art. 3), lines 268–70.

1932–38 On the splitting of the temple and the centurion’s statement, compare The Gospel of Nicodemus (art. 3), lines 280–86.

2067 fenestres. “Windows.” A variant reading is festes, “feasts.” See the edition of E. Martin, p. 103 (line 6935).

Art. 2, Herman de Valenciennes, La Passioun Nostre Seignour: TEXTUAL NOTES


Abbreviations: MS: MS Harley 2253; M: Meyer 1895; O: O’Connor; P: Perman; R: D. Russell 1989.

title Note: The laisses are numbered consecutively, and they are keyed (by corresponding number in the right margin) to the manuscript versions printed by Spiele (S), Martin (M), and Kremer (K). Omitted from the notes below are the many absent initials at the head of laisses. These were omitted because the scribe left spaces for large letters to be added later. The following laisses lack the first initial: 1–5, 7, 9–11, 67–105, 107–62, 164, 167–68. Some of these laisses are marked with guide letters (115, 127, 133, 148, 162). Some laisses are not marked by the scribe as separate laisses (6, 8, 106, 163, 165, 166).

La Passioun N(ost)re Seignour. MS: Scribe B inserts this title in red ink on a blank line.

7 Si. MS: omitted.

32 nel. MS: nes.

40 servir. MS: serui.

81 malades. MS: mades.

82 Içoe. MS: Ioe.

95 n’en vis. MS: ne ruis.

98 cité. MS: cited.

119 cui. MS: cri.

163 morir suffris. MS: suffris morir (reversed for rhyme, in agreement with other MSS).

173 parole. MS: parale.

250 escultez. MS: escustez.

318 cele. MS: omitted.

335 talant. So MS. In other MSS, this line — with the rhyme-word spelled talent — is copied as the first line of the next laisse.

398 un. MS: dui. See explanatory note.

436 en. MS: la me.

456 volt. MS: vol.

499 jugiés. MS jofnes. See explanatory note.

513 venimus. MS: veninus (us abbreviated).

521 eschinent. MS: resinnent.

651 lait. MS: hait.

807 comencement. MS: comencent.

811 comprend. MS: compend.

877 Par. MS: Pas.

881 un asne. MS: une asnesse. See explanatory note.

883 l’unt. MS: sunt.

955 çoe. MS: doe.

979 levad. MS: leve.

982 Aprés. MS: Aprest.

983 ot fait. MS: uit. For the emendation, see Spiele, p. 319.

1022 suspeciun. MS: suspeciunn (second n abbreviated).

1058 A. MS: ci.

1108 cestui. MS: cestun.

1134 de. MS: te.

1158 volt. MS: vol.

1174 son. MS: saint.

1187 m’escultez. MS: mesclustez (us abbreviated).

1207 urez. MS: ure.

1326 vos pior. MS: omitted.

1330 unc. MS: un.

1378 si. MS: su.

1379 bien. MS: bien su.

1384 l’ort. MS: lore.

1407 dreture. MS: reture.

1463 oimes. MS: dimes.

1484 unt. MS: uit.

1491 pris. MS: prris.

1514 volt. MS: vol.

1545 venist. MS: sienist.

1681 a. MS: omitted.

1769 sun. MS: sunt.

1795 covenant. MS: corborant.

1818 Corone. MS: Corono.

1838 funt. MS: omitted.

1882 ne. MS: omitted.

2026 ester. MS: estre (re abbreviated).

2039 charité. MS: clartere (re abbreviated).

 




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Herman de Valenciennes, La Passioun Nostre Seignour


Mult fud grant icele electiun
Dunt Madoleine reçut Symund veir pardun.
Celui eslit par qui vait tut le mund.
As suenz servanz ki rend teles guerdons,
Sachez, seignurs, ke dire nel savuns;
En Escripture n’enz livre nel trovums.
[Si] lui servum tuz tel luier en averums
Pur robeur en vie nel perderums
Ne pur uthlage, ne par nuit ne par laruns.
De ces dous dames desore fineroms,
De Lazarum suen parent si parleroms.

Boens cristiens, si volez escoter
De Lazararum, ja me orrez parler.
Çoe qu’en dit le Egle ke tant halt poet voler,
Çoe est Johans — bien le vus sai numer —
Ki la science but quant dormit al super
Sur le piz de sun Maistre. De tuz parla plus cler!
Ore oez del miracle tant boen a esculter!
Il le fist en latin — ja l’orrez translater.
Metez i vostre entente si en purrez amender.

Oez ke dit Johan, li sages e li pruz,
Ki de ces compaignums fut le plus merveillus.
Il dit ke de Bethanie fut nez cist Lazarus,
E suens fut li chastels e a ses dous sorurs.
D’aive e de treive fut a ses ancessurs.
Unkes a ses veisins ne fut contrarius.
Sovent cum boen veisin lur feseit granz honurs.
Sur tute rien, ama cest prodomes ses sorurs.

Çoe fut tut veirs, seignurs, ke lungement languid —
Li home ki est malede ne vit pas a delit!
Ses veisins entur li amat mult e servit.
Il ne fut pas robere, ne pas nel consentit.
Joe sai, seignurs, asez ke vus l’avez oit,
Ke Martha sa soror, sicum dit l’Escrit,
E Marie ensement. Sicum la lettre dit,
D’iceste set debles jetat Dex e tolit.
Icist Lazere lur frere ert mult amaladit
Ke il aler ne pout ne lever de sunt lit.

Mult amerent lur frere les sorurs bonement;
De servir li sunt prestes mult amiablement,
E de jor e de nuit le servent dulcement.
Quant veient ki li mals li agreget forment,
Les dous sorurs entr’els en unt fait parlement,
E si unt esgardez entr’els communement
Ke manderunt Jhesum, ki set saner la gent,
Ki lur frere est malade, ke tant aimet forment.

Dient en lur consail ki lui frunt mander,
Ke malades est cil ke soleit tant amer,
E si est sis pleisirs qu’il li veinge saner.
As messages l’unt dit, ke bien sevent parler.
Vont s’en mes en Judee nel pount pas trover.
Purquoi? Kar li Judeu le voleient tuer.
Pur quant, si l’unt trovét, pernent li a cunter
Ke malades est Lazere: or le vienged saner.

Trové l’unt li message de defors lur contree.
La parole li dient cum ele lui fut mandee,
E prient lui mult bel ke ne seit refusee.
A ceus respont li Sires parole remembree:
“Realez vus, seignurs, en vostre contree,
E dites a Marie bien seit aseuree
L’enfermetez al frere n’est pas a mort turnee,
Ainz iert la meie glorie par li manifestee.”

Cels s’en vont e Jhesus est remés.
Les apostles ad a sei apelez
Si lur ad dit: “Trestuz vus aprestez,
Kar en Judee ensemble oud mei irrez.”
E il li respondent cum ja oir porrez:
“Icest consail ne semble pas senez
Pur poi ke vus ne fustes par Judeus lapidez.
N’i alez, Maistre. N’i estes pas amez.”
Respond de çoe Jhesus: “Purquai en parlez?
El jour ad ures: si bien les a contez;
Mes escient, dous feiz siz i troverez.
Ki par nuit vait sovent est encombrez.

“Ore entendez trestuz içoe ke vus dirrai:
Nostre ami se dort Lazre. A lui irrai.
Çoe en est la verité ke mult amé l’ai.
Jo voil a lui aler, e si l’esveillerai.”
Li disciple respondent içoe ke vus dirrai:

“Sire, se il dort, çoe lui iert santez;
S’il est malades, tost serrat resanez.”
Dunc respondi li Sires: “Içoe, qui mesentendez:
Ja orrez tele novele dunt tristes tuz serrez,
Kar nostre ami est mort quatre jorz sunt passez,
E si est mis en tere. Pas vif nel troverez.
Si en sui plus leez pur vus kar par veir le saverez
Qu’enz cel pais ne fu meis. Ore i sui mandez.
Ore vus apparaillez — ensemble od mei irrez.”

Quant l’entendit Thomas l’apostre Didimus,
De la buche sun Maistre — que mort eit Lazarus —
Un grant suspir getat; unc dolent ne fut plus.
Ses compaignums apele; sachez ne fut pas muz:
“Oez, seignurs, pur Deu, ke vus ad dit Jesus —
Ke mort est de Bethanie nostre ami Lazarus!
Alum morir od lui! Joie n’en vis plus!
Mult m’est ore a contraire que si nus est toluz.
Mar en sumes bailliz si ore ne penset Jhesus.”

Pres de Jerusalem la bele cité,
Non ad que quinze estadies, çoe est la verité,
Iloec esteit Marie Magdalené
U ele od sa sorur unt sun frere enterré.
Jhesus od ses desciples cele part est turnee.
Lazarus qui mort fut ert de grant parenté;
El chastel de Bethanie se sunt tut assemblé.
Pur Lazre lur ami unt grant doel demené.
Od Marie e od Marthe, unt quatre jorz ploré
Li Judeu del pais (mandét e demandé),
Cil de Jerusalem, de la bele cité.
Quant Deus vint el chastel, tuz i furent trové.

Il erent venuz pur conforter Marie
De la mort sun frere, dunt el’esteit marie.
Este vus la novele par le chatel oie:
Ke venuz est Jhesus, od li sa compaignie!
Marthe li vait encuntre, ke tut est esbaie.
As piez li est chaie. A halte voiz escrie:
“Bel Sire, bons amis, de mun frere n’ai joie mie!
Lasse, si ici fuissez, mult par fuse guarie!
Ainz qu’il fut mort, mis freres li feissez aie.
Si vus rien requerez, cui ne vus escundie.

“Sire, mun frere est mort — çoe est la veritez —
Mes joe sai e crei quanque Deu requerez,
Ke tut le vus durrat; escundit ne serrez.”
“Teis tei,” çoe dit li Rais, “ja iert resucitez.”
Çoe li respunt Marthe: “Maistre, çoe est veritez
Quant al Grant Jugement ierent tuz assemblez.”
“Marthe,” çoe dist Jhesus, “sez tu que est veritez?
E Resurrectiun e Vie sui joe nomez.
Cil ke en mai crerrat ne serrat ja dampnez.
S’il muert, si reviverat — tels est ma poestez.
Creis tu çoe?” “Oil, certes, si sai ke çoe est veritez,
Si cré ke es Fiz Deu, e Jhesus es nomeez,
E si cré ke en cest mund, bel Sire, fustes nez.”

Marthe fut mult dolente. Sa parole ad finee.
Al chastel s’en tornat cum femme forsené.
Marie Magdalene sa sorur ad trové.
Bel li ad dit, suef sa parole ad mustré:
“Li Maistres est venuz, e si vus ad mandé.”
Quant l’entendit Marie, ne s’est pas demuré;
Unc un mot ne sonat ainz s’est haitee —
Vait curant vers sun Maistre, tute descoloré.
Genz i out des Judeus ki l’unt reconfortee.
Quant veient que s’en vait cum se fust forsenee,
Sachez que fut entr’els maint lerme ploré!
E dient tuz entr’els: “Mult par est trespensé —
Ele vait al sepulchre, u ja serra pasmé.”

Meis Marie nel pense, meis vait a sun Seignur,
Ke mandé l’aveit par Marthe sa sorur.
Quant le vit, a ses piez chai par grant amour
E dit li, em plorant e par grant dulçur:
“Sire, morz est mun frere, si ai mult grant dolur.
Si fuissez ici, ne fust morz, si estes de valur.”
E Jhesu l’esgardat s’in out el quer tendur.
Veit les Judeus plorans, ki li crient entur.
Iloec mustrat li Sire Marie grant honur.

Sachez, boen cristien, n’i out gab ne ris.
Mult amat les sorurs, mult fut a Lazre amis.
Kar dunc plorat Jhesus e tut fut efremis,
Kar dunc plorat Jhesus e tut fut efremis,
Çoe li respunt Marie: “Bel Sire, bels amis,
Ven avant e sil vei — mult t’amat quant fut vis.
Bon ami, Dampnedeu, entendez a mes dis:
Sire, ke tel mervaille en icest mund feeis!
Lazre, que tant amez, purquei [morir suffris]?”

Ben les escultez ad e entendi Jhesus.
Al moniment s’en vait u gisait Lazarus.
La spelunce fut grante e la pere desuz.
Isnelement parlat e dit quant fu venuz:
“Ostés mei tost cest marbre. Jo voil ke seit toluz.”
Ignelpas de Marthe response li fut renduz:
“Sire, verms l’und mangé — bien ad treis jorz e plus
Ke il i fut posez! N’iert jamés coneuz!”

“Marthe,” çoe dit li Sires, “tu n’es pas senee.
Ma parole ke dis tu l’as tut obliee.
Si tu creis ke joe dis tu en serras amendé.
Tu verras ja la glorie dunt iert grant renomé.”
A icés paroles, est la gent assemblé.
A sun comandement, sin, fut la pere osté.
Li Sires vers le ciel ad sa face suslevé.
Dulcement a sun pere sa praiere ad mustré.
Seignurs, ceste praiere fust tres ben esculté.

“Ourez seiez, Pere, od tes angles lasus.
Graces t’en rent tiz Fiz k’enveas ça jus,
Ki est del Saint Esperit e de tai conuz.
Joe sai ki su de tai, e nus treis sumus uns.
Joe ai pris char en tere, si ai a nun Jhesus.
Joe sui entre les mens, meis n’i sui coneus.
Pur çoe voil, bel Pere — ne seie meis respuns —
Joe voil ke tut le sachent purquai i sui venuz.
Joe sai ke m’est doné de tei la grant vertuz
Dunt joe sui en cest mund e amez e cremuz.
Joe voil ke tuz le sachent cels ki sunt venuz.”
Quant çoe out dit, si crie: “Lazre, levez suz!

“Lazre, ven fors!” Cil s’en est fors saillis
A la parole al Maistre, ki en la fosse ert mis.
Liés out les mains, suarie sur sun vis.
“Ore le me desliez kar joe sai qu’il est vifs.”
E çoe dient li Judeu: “Vus fustes sis amis!
Este vus la novele par trestut le pais:
Que Lazre ke fut morz tut est seins e vis!”
Li Judeu ki çoe virent tut furent esbais.
Od Jhesum sunt remis — ne sunt pas departis.

Seignurs, icest miracle fait mult a esculter.
Unques mes de nul tel n’en oistes parler!
Icels qui cels mervailles li veient overer —
Les contrais esdrescer, les orps enluminer,
E as surz rendre oie, les muz faire parler —
Ki la fust e veist icest mort desenterrer,
Cum il le resuscita e l’en fist aler,
Mult le deut duter, cremer, e honurer.
Mes li felun Judeu, quant l’oierent cunter —
Ke servir le deussent e bonement amer —
Un consail unt pris cum le poent dampner!

Quant virent les miracles que fait tant mervellus —
Que fait les muz parler e rend oie a surz
E suscite les morz — mult fut angussuz.
Un consail unt pris ke mult fut dolerus,
E del faire lur fut mult perillus —
Mult par erent debles, senz sen e coveitus
De oscire lur Seignur, ki tant ert glorius,
Ke tant ert amiable, succurable, e aidus,
Ki tant par esteit sages, humbles, e virtuus.

Bien savez ke la Bible escritrent nostre anteccisur —
Icil livres fu fait del tens anceniur.
Ainceis ke Deus fust nez, mil anz fistrent lur tur.
Amat Deus les Judeus si lur musttra grant amur
Quant, des mains Pharaun le fort emperur,
Les deliverat a force e fist lur grant honur
Parmi la Ruge Mer, que n’i eurent pour.
E fist de Moysen lur maistre e lur seignur.
Es deserz les garid, que n’i orent labur.
La les poeut de sa manne de tant dulce savur.

Al Munt de Synai a Moysen parlat.
Ainz que fust nez en tere, grant amur lur mustrat,
Kar lur lei lur escrit e si lur enveiat.
Sicum nel deservirent, le manne lur donat.
Des mains al felun rai ki unkes nes amat,
De Pharao, les garid e en mer les neiat,
E fist florir la verge ke Aaron portat,
E de la secche verge amandes jetat.
E puis par les prophetes dist lur e mustrat
Ke il char deveit prendre. Nient ne lur celat.
Quant rei demanderent, Saul lur envead.

Puis lur dona David par grant electiun
Qui occist Goliam. Mult fu sages hom.
Quant fut mort reis David, reis fut Salomon.
Promit ke lur durreit Tere de Promissiun,
E, pur çoe, quant moreient que tut senz rançun,
Alerent en enfern a grant perdiciun.
Volt naistre de lur lin, e vint a natiun.
Ore escultez, seignurs, cum par furent felun:
Neis creire ne voleient le juste Symeun,
Ki a ses mains le tint par grant devociun!

Kar, oez dé feluns quant entr’els fut venuz,
Cum amiablement feseit entr’els vertuz:
As noces u il furent e architriclinus,
Cum de l’ewe fit vin, e cum il feud beus;
Cum sanat diz leprus; cum fist parler les muz.
Dous morz resuscita; le tiers fut Lazarus.
Un home ki esteit de Syloé venuz
Pur santé requere pres de trent anz e plus;
Icelui sanat il. E quant dans regulus
Le requist de sun fiz, tut sein il fut renduz.

Kar, oez dé Judeus, cum furent deputaire,
Encontre les Escriz cum furent a contraire
(Çoe distrent lur Escrit, sicum mei est veire):
Que d’eus naisciret Christ, e Rei e Amperire,
E naisciret de la Virgine si n’avret nul paire,
Neis Johan lur dist ki fiz fut Zachaire
E al Dei mustrat ke çoe estait lur Salveire.
Unques a dreite veie nes poet Johans atraire,
Ne Jhesus pur miracle que lui veissent faire.
Or oez quel envie! Ke unkes oit maire!

Maintes feiz li culvert li voldreint lapider
Pur çoe ke les maledes li veient saner.
Les ovres que ovret nuls ne poet ovrer.
Les clops feseit saillir e les muz parler.
E pur çoe qu’il le virent les morz resuciter,
Entr’els sunt comencét de sa mort a parler,
E dient entr’els: “Nus coveint a trover
Entre nus tel consail dunt le puissum dampner.”

Li plus riche s’asemblunt tut en une maisun
E tienent consilie de lur dampnatiun,
Coment en quele manere frunt la traisun:
Coment en quele manere frunt la traisun:
Tut li mund lui pursuit. Tant par est sages hom
Trestut crerrunt en lui si vivre le leissum.
Puis vendrunt li Romain. Ne nus en defenderum.
Nostre lei nus tolderunt; aprés sis servirum.”

Ceo respunt Cayphas: “Seignurs, kar m’escultez!
Joe sui desur vus tuz, sicum vus bien savez,
E si sui vostre eveske, si sai ke vus m’amez.
Vus crerrez mun consail si crere me volez.
Vus ne savez nient ne vus rien n’i pensez.
Iceo keveint par certes ke un sul hom seit dampnez
E pris, e pur le pople seit a mort liverez.
E çoe serrat Jhesus, dunt vus si parlez,
E, pur lui, ierent tut li fil Deu resemblez.”
Cil felun Judeu se sunt entreaffiez
Ke il serra tuez s’il poet estre encontrez.

Cayphas fu prophete, sicum m’oyez conter.
Dist ke murrat Jhesus pur le pople salver.
De cel jor comencerent li Judeu purparler
Coment le purrunt occir e dampner.
Ore ne volt Nostre Sire plus entr’els converser.
Ne veut mes qu’il le veient ne venir ne aler.
En la cité d’Effrem prent li Sires a aler,
Ki fut lunc en desert. La voldrat demorer.

Sachiez ke Nostre Sire ne remist pas el pais
Kar li Judeu le heent, ne volt ke uncore seit pris.
En la cité d’Effrem lunc un desert s’est mis.
Od lui vunt si apostre, ke mult sunt si amis.
Lur peiseid ke lur Maistre est si forment haiz
De cels dunt estre deut e cremuz e serviz.
Çoe lur dit Nostre Sire: “Jo ai vus duze eliz.
Le un de vus est diable e iert nus enemiz.”
Çoe dist il de Juda Symen Scariotis.

En Effrem ne fist pas lunge demoré;
Si tost cum il pout, leissa [cele] contré.
Ensemble od ses apostres vait en Galilee,
E Judee eschivve, qui sa mort unt juré.
Li Judeu tindrent feste qu’il noment Cenophé:
“Trespassat cel chastel, e vint enz Judee.
Çoe est drait ke tun regne seit manifesté.
De çoe que tu ci faiz n’averas ja renomee.

“Vien en Jerusalem, si te met devant.
La sunt tut ti parent, li petit e li grant.
Li Judeu tinent feste, e merveilluse e grant,
Si sunt tut assemblez, li veil e li enfant.
Çoe n’est pas raisun que alez si fuant.
Venez ensemble od nus, si parole a els oiant,
E si faites mervailes devant lur oilz veiant.
Tu voils ke aiez los si te vais repunant —
Ne fud unques oi de nul home vivant,
Ke loez vousist estre ne osit venir avant.”
Çoe respunt Nostre Sire: “Ne savez mun talant.”

“Li munz pas ne vus het, s’il sai a escient.”
“Joe sai qu’il mult me het, mes ovres, e ma gent.”
“Il ne vus set haier.” “Mai het il durement —
Çoe n’est pas mervaille, si me conust nient:
Joe di tut mal de li, e il de moi ensement.
Vus alez a la feste — n’en ai aisement.
Que ore i puisse aler, qu’il ne me aiment nient?”
Guerpi li unt tut s’in vunt communalement.

Guerpi l’unt si s’en vunt. Sul est remis Jhesus.
Il s’en vunt devant tut. Cil les ad seuz.
Suivet les privément. Ne vout qu’il seit veuz,
Ne volt ke se disciple ne il seit coneuz
De ces feluns Judeus, qu’il fut aparceuz.
Occire le voleient. Amer nel voilent plus.
Icel felun Judeu mult unt le sen perduz.
Demandent lé prophete, crient: “U est Jhesus?
Purquai ne vent avant? Qu’est il devenuz?
Ore dust venir e faire ses vertuz.”

Al porche Salomun est li Sires entrez.
De ces feluns Judeus iloec est encuntrez.
Ne domorat gueres d’els fut avirunez.
Ne domorat gueres d’els fut avirunez.
“A cest nostre feste asez i es demandez.”
“Purquai?” “Ore te dirrum: kar tu es mult dotez.
Tu dis que es Fiz Deu, e si es apelez.
Veirement, le di. Ne seies plus celez!”
“Oil, veir, si su joe. Od le Fiz Deu parlez.
Joe sai de verité ke vus pas nel creiez.
Les ovres ki joe face, que chascun jor veez,
Ne porreit overer nuls hom, si ke ben le savez.

“Joe sai pas nel crerrez. Ne sui pas vostre amis.
Ne su pas vostre pastur. Ne n’estes mes berbiz.
Quar fuisses mes oeilles, mult me su entremis.
Ne me volez amer, crere nul de mes dis.
Mes oailles ki m’aiment averunt mun parais,
E al jur ke serrunt jugez e morz e vis,
Si serrunt a ma destre si verrunt mun cler vis.
La vie permanable od mei averunt tut dis.
Icel dun lur durrai; ne serra contredis.

“Joe vus ne dut nient — pas nel vus celerai —
Ore entendez trestut içoe que vus dirrai:
Deu del ciel est mun Pere — pas nel vus celerai —
Si sui Jhesus sis Fiz. Lui a garant trai.
En cest mund su venuz; mes poi i serrai.
Nequedent, ses oailles tres bien li garderei.
Ceus ke m’ad comandez, sachez ke joe garrai.
Des peines enfernals bien les deliverai.
Joe ai mult grant poesté, e mult grenur averai.
Car nus sumes tut un, ja partis ne serrai.

“Entre mei e mun Pere, un sumes, çoe est veritez.
Ne pas ne poum estre — mei e lui — desheritez.”
Quant l’oient cil Judeu, a poi ne sunt desvez:
“Mult al bien deservi qu’il seit lapidez!”
“Purquai?” dist Nostre Sire. “Kar tu te fais le Fiz Dé!”
“Mainte bone ovre ait faite, si que bien le savez.
Ore me dites purquai, cheles, me lapidez.”

“Le bon ovre ke faites pas ne vus lapiderum.”
“Dunc me dites purquai.” “E nus le te dirrum:
Tu dis que ies Fiz Deu si que bien l’oum.
Deu te fais si es hom, e de veir le savum.”
“C’est veirs. Deus sui e hom. Ja partiz ne serrum.
En la lei est escrit — a guarant le traium.
Joe e Deu [un] eimes.” “C’est vers, nus le trovum.”
“Vus ne savés k’espealt, mes nus le vus dirrum:
E vostre lei nus proved ke estes felun,
E nus tient pur Fiz Deu ki ses ovres fesum.
L’Escripture ne ment, ne pas mentirum.

“En cest mund sui venuz, e Deu mei enveiad.
De lui sui joe, c’est veir. Il me saintefiad.
Ne ment pas Escripture, ne ja ne menterad.
Les ovres que joe face: ki est kis blasmerat?
Mult avrat de ces boens cil qui en mei crerrat,
E cil avrat travail ki creire nel voldrat.
En enfer prent herberge, dunt ja n’istirat.
Mis Peres est en mei e a tuz jurz serrat,
Joe en lui. Mult est sages icil ke çoe crerrat.”

Vencu les ad li Sires, ki de sen ert mananz.
L’Escripture lur mustre, ki ert mil anz.
Conclus les ad li Sires. Tuz les fait recreanz.
Ore ne sevent ke faire, mult par se funt dolanz.
En la cité s’en vunt kar la feste fut granz.
E Jhesus entre el temple. La trovat marchanz,
E lur boes, e lur vaches, e lur berbiz vendanz.
La trovat moneieres e changeurs seanz.
Devant els unt lur tables, lur moneies changanz.
Fors les ad tuz chaciés li Sire od un verganz.

Il ad pris dous cordeles e ensemble liez.
Les marchanz ke trovat feit parmi les chefs.
Chaçat fors les berbiz. Les boes n’i ad lessés.
Forement est corucié envers les moneiers
Kar lur tables abat e espant lur deners.
Lur chaiers u sient, cels abat a lur piez.
Unques ne targat desque tut fud voidés.
Une gent trovat. Cels ad araisunez.
Columbes vendirent. Mut les ad esmaiez.
“Tolez vus de caens! N’i remeindrat un piez!
La maisun est mum Pere que voil que li laissiez!

“Esperez que pur vus fut faite la meisuns?
Faite fut a mun pere, si la fist Salomuns.
Çoe est temple mun pere e maisun de oreisuns,
Mais vus [en] avez faite spelunce de laruns!”
Li Judeu le regardent, lur vis unt tut enbrun.
“En mei fei, dans Maistre, nus nus esmeveillums,
Si ne savum purquai tant te soffroms.
Quel signe sez tu faire quant si t’obeisums?”
Or oez del Seignur, cum rend bel respons:
“Or abatez cel temple, e nus le referums.
En treis jorz iert refaite. Ja plus n’i mettrums!”

“Ostez!” respondent tut. “Ki est k’il puisse oir?
Ces mervailes ke dites ne poum retenir!
Quant Salomons fut reis e out melz sun empir,
Saisante anz mist al faire, e furent tut entir.
Desque il out fait unques ne volt guerpir.
Mort est — c’est grant damage — cent anz sunt ja entir.
Pur çoe, ne poum mes ne crere ne oir
Que tu cel en treis jorz puissez acomplir!

“Salomun fut mut riches e rai renomez.
Plus sage rai de lui n’en n’i iert ja trovez.
Totes sont les set ars, çoe savum nus asez,
De lui fut fait cist temple. Mult fut bien compassez.
Sis pere le volt faire, mes il li fut veez.
Quarante e sis anz i mist Salomun, li senez.
En quarante anz par nus ne serrat graventez.
Tu dis que en treis jurs serrat tut restorez!”
Quant çoe unt dit li Judeu, tut s’en sunt retornez.
Jhesus od ses apostres i est tut soul remés.

Il l’unt tut sul laissé. Nen est pas lur amis.
De lui vunt maldisant. Mut li sunt enemis.
Li un dient as autres: “Unkes n’oimes tels diz!
U cist hom est prophete, veirement est Crist!
Mes une chose i ad dunt tuit sumes supris:
Nus connissum Joseph. Jhesus est sis fiz.
Si sunt de Galilee, dunc ne deit naistre Crist.
Ainz naistrat de un chastel u fud né rei Davis.
Del quel? De Bethleem! Çoe dient nos Escriz!
Çoe est veir. Ben est dreiz ke cest lere seit pris.
N’est pas de Bethleem. Aparmain seit occis!

“Sist est bien coneuz si est de ceste contré,
E sis pere e sa mere nez sunt de Galilee.
Icist se fait Fiz Deu. Nel dit pas a celee.
Fals est la gent suduit. Grant est la renomé.
Mut ad grant poesté. Mult li est grant donee.
Neis reis Salomuns ne out tele destinee.
Kar Salomuns aprist, la lei li fut mustree
E trestut li prophete. Çoe est verité provee.
Cist nus ad vencus, la gent si sormontee.
Parole qu’il die n’est contredite ne vee.
Ne de fol ne de sage ki la lei eit fermé.
La sentence del mund tut ad par quer formé.

“Alum ensus de lui. Ja par nus n’iert pris,
Kar s’il n’en ad les riches, les povres ad amis.”
Tut veinent al Judeus devant les Pharisis.
Il li unt demandé: “U est cil Deu enemis?
Purquei n’en avez fait pur qua fustes tramis?”
“Purquei? Kar il nus ad tuz vencuz e conclus!
Unkes ne fud home tels veus ne oyz.
De nule rien que die ne poet estre pris!”
Ceo dient li Judeu. “Vus estes tuz suspris!
Dites nus se des voz est nul a els vertis.”
“Dolenz, ke purrum faire? Cum nus ad tuz huniz!”
“Ne connesez la lei. Esguardez es Escriz.”
Ceo dist Nichodemus, ke mult ert sis amiz:
“Joe quid ben que seit veirz, e si ait li Escriz,
Ke hom deit estre jugiés ainz qu’il seit occis.”

Ceo dist Nichodemus: “Si la lei requerez,
Certes, mun escient, que dedenz troverez
Quar quant li hom est pris qu’il deit estre menez
De devant la justice e par sun dit provez.
Se il se puet deraisnier, ne deit estre dampnez.”
Çoe dient li Judeu: “Defendre li devez
Kar, par espeir, ke estes de Galilé nez.
Esgardez es Escriz u Crist deit estre nez.
En Escrit que aiom, en nul tant ne lirrez
Quar trouissez Galilé, mes Bethleem troverez.
Del lignage David creistrat sis parentez.”

Mult par furent felun e de povre senz.
Mult servirent Diable ne n’erent pas lenz.
Plus erunt venimus que n’en est serpenz.
Mult ovrent mal entente e plus culvert purpens.
Cist esteit de lur lin, e si ert lur parenz.
As surz rendit oie, e as devés lur senz.
Orz leprous lur sanat a un jor tut pulenz,
E de euue fist vin mieldres fu que piemenz.
Treis morz resucita. Bel doctrinat les genz.
De nul qu’il guarsist or n’ert pris ne argent.
Lur oiltz li esvulloent e eschinent lur denz.
Il ne volunt suffrir entr’els a nul senz.

Li prince des Judeus l’unt chacé del pais.
De çoe firent grant tort, kar mut fu lur amis.
Veirs fud. A lur ancestres çoe lur mustrat jadis,
Quant desuz Pharao furent maint an chaitis,
Quant furent tuz destruz e bien prof tuz oscis.
Sin remist Moyses, mult jofnes e petiz,
Ki puis fu lur maistre, e jetad del paiz,
Senz le gré Pharao e tuz lur enemis.
Parmi la Ruge Mer ke un sul ne fu periz,
E en cele mer neiad lur enemis.
El desert u a tuz fut li mangers faillis,
Par quarante anz lur est del ciel tramis.

Mult par furent tuz jorz e culvert e felun
Quant furent deliverez de la chaitivesun.
Pharao fud neiez enz en la Mer Rubrun,
E sa grant ost od lui, a grant perdiciun.
E doné lur fud del ciel la guareisun —
Unkes de ci dulce ne gustat nuls hom!
Moyses ert lur maistre. Vindrent lui envirun.
Demandat lur que voldreint. “La lei aver volum.”
Seignurs, a quei fere de cest plait lung sermun?
Doné l’ad a Moysen Deus senz defensiun.
Sur le Munt de Synai lur escrit li prodom.
Dunc demanderent plus, icil culvert felun:
“Nus volum la Tere de Promissiun.”
Çoe respunt Moysen: “Çoe n’iert tant cum nus vivum.
Puis ma mort, vus merrad Josué le fiz Num.”

Li felun mult duissent Nostre Seignur amer
Quar ainceis ke fut nez, ne sorent demander
Qu’il tut ne lur donast, ne lur volt rien veer.
Nuls hom n’en est tant fors kis osast adeser.
Franks furent desque al jor que lur plot demander
Un seignur que peust de desuz els regner.
Dunc lur donat Saul, un corteis bachiler.
Icelui lur fist oindre e a rei lever.
Quant fut reis, dans Saul si ne poet governer.
Ben proffurent destruit — ceo ne vus voil celer —
De un culvert Golias kis volt tuz devorer.
Dunc comencent vielz homes e anfans plorer,
Femmes veilles e jofnes, merci a demander.

Dunc distrent tuz ensemble: “Mar venimes le jor
Que autre demandames que celui a seignur
Ki des mains Pharao nus guarit a un jor.
Moyses le nus dist que esteium tricheur,
E dist que aprés sa mort suffrem meint mal jor.
Ore est sur nus venuz, las, dolent peccheur!”
Dunc oit Nostre Sire de lasus icel plour,
Si lur ad enveié le fiz a un pastur:
Daviet, un enfant, n’ert pas de grant valur,
Cil le oscist od sa funde, ne li fist que un sul tor.
Aprés la mort Saul, David lur fut seignur,
Ki bel les governat e a mult grant honur.

Mult furent li chaitif tuz jorz de povre senz.
Tut furent oscur de lur quor lur purpenz.
De els vindrent les prophetes qui vesquirent lung tenz.
Duze en furent, par cunte, mult bons e mult creenz,
Uncore unt eles les livres qu’il firent a cel tenz.
Distrent que d’eus naistrat ki salvereit la gens;
Del lignage David vendreit sis neisemenz.
Quant vint, nel voldrent creire li felun enz nul tenz.
Si virent les Treis Reis des teres de oriens,
Ki, dedenz Bethleem, en creche dedenz,
Le troverent gisant od poi d’aturnemenz.
E virent les treis dons dont lui fut fait presenz —
Els meisme le distrent: or fut mirre, e encenz.

Mult furent mescreant e del lin al Diable.
Unc creire Deu ne voldraient, Rei espiritable.
Si troverent enz es livres — içoe n’est pas fable —
Par la buche al prophete ki parole dist verable,
Ke quant Deu naisciret del lui David mirable,
Ke puis ne serreit jur lur oingture durable.
E quant il lur fut nez en cele povre estable,
Si apparut li angles as pasturs visable.
Si lur dist: “Ne tamez. Joe sui angle parable.
Joe vus annuns la joie ki iert a tuz durable.
Né vus est li salvere ki a tuz est mirable,
E demain, quant li jor serrat a tuz visable,
En Bethlehem le querez, sil troverez en l’estable.”
Quistrent le sil troverent cest parole verable.

Mult se poent dolir icele gent desvé
Quant nez fud si lur fut une esteile mustree.
Unkes tele ne fut si ne fut pas celee.
Unkes puis ne fud d’els esteile si esguardé!
E Herodes la vit, ki fut en la contree.
Pur l’esteile e les Rais, fut la lei esguardee
Ki dist ke Bethleem serreit mut renomee.
Herodes fud mut fel. Sa parole ad celee.
As Rais abandunat trestute sa contree
E cele enfant aquere — c’est verité provee,
Cum le purrunt veir la gent maluree
Quant li rai returnerent par aliene contree.
Cum li reis e sa gent fut forsenee,
La char a lur enfanz cum fut desiree —
Pur enfant ne fut puis tante teste coupee!

Seignurs, mult par puet estre cil lignage dolenz!
Ben sevent ke pur lui furent mort lur enfanz.
Ne fut puis pur enfant espandu itant sanc!
E coment Symeon, ki l’attendit tanz anz,
Cil ki de lui baillier fut tuz jorz desiranz,
Il le tint as ses mains devant lur oilz veanz
El temple Salomun, ki ert eus oianz:
“Nunc dimittis tun serf en pais ki est pesanz!”
E cument neirent içoe que lur dist Johans,
Ki ere el desert les homes baptizans:
“A mei estes venuz el desert demandans
Si jo sui Messias, ke en seie gehisanz.”
Il lur dist que nanal, einz est od els mananz.

Li Sire il ert venuz entr’els pur eus sauver.
Grant amisté lur mustre, mes nel volent amer.
Il les sieut. Il le fuient. Nel volent encontrer.
Asez les volt atraire. Il le volent dampner.
Quant les trovet malades, ne target d’els saner.
Quant les trovet contraiz, sis fait tut dreit aler.
E quant les trovet surz, sis fait oier mult cler.
E quant les trovat morz, sis fait resusciter.
Li felun mult duissent icel Seignur amer.
Atraire le doussent entr’els e nient tuer.
Mes de çoe n’i ad rien nes poet adominer,
Or nes vold mes fuir; entr’els vold converser.

Li apostres apelet li Sires debonaire.
Sur le Munt d’Olivete lur ad dit sun afaire:
“Joe vus dirrai purquai me su mis el repaire.
Cele gent des Judeus ele est mult de mal eire.
Ne me voilent amer pur rien ke puisse faire;
Pur miracle que face, nes puis a mai atraire.
Alez a cest chastel ke issi m’est contraire.
La fest i est mult grante. Lur Pasche voldrunt faire.
Une asnesse vierrez lié en un aire.
Sis asnels est od lui pur le lait que volt traire.
Desus ne muntat hom, ne quens ne empere.
Desus vodrai estre, en la cité calvachaire.”

“Alez,” ceo dist li Sires, “laenz en cel chastel.
Une asnesse vierrez lié a un postel.
De lunc li si verrez liéd un soen asnel.
Se hom est qui en face contredit u apel,
Dites qu’en ai afaire, c’est a dire, le plus bel.”
Li disciple s’en vunt. Entrez sunt le chastel,
Si troverent liee l’asnesse e l’asnel.
Quant li fu amené, si muntat tut bel.
Sachez qu’il n’out ne sele ne panel.
Si li Sires volsist, il chevachast plus bel,
E eust a sun col afuble bon mantel
Od aficailes de seie. D’or fussent li tassel.

Seinurs, ne voil ke çoe seit oblié,
Quar vus ne saciez tute la verité:
Quant entur lui furent li disciple asemblé
Ainceis qu’il entrat dedenz cele cité,
E ainceis que od l’asnesse fud l’asnel amené,
Si lur dist: “Ne seez unc anu desturbee.
Joe vus voil issi dire un mien consail privee.
Dirrai purquai alum en iceste cité.
Ja est venuz li tens que tant ai desiree,
Kar le fiz a la femme serrat pris e liveré,
Par traisun jugez e en croiz pené.
Mort iert e enfuiz e al tiers jur suscité.”
Quant içoe lur out dit, l’asnel unt amené.

“Estes vus la novele? Este vus la renomee?
Este vus la grant leesce par tute la contré?”
Unkes puis ne ainceis ne fut tele demené!
De tute la cité est la gent assemblé,
Quant oient que cil vient dunt la gent iert salvé.
Issent de la cité tute a une mené.
Od harpes e od giges est la joie suné,
Od corns e od businus de l’autre part corné!
Vielz e jofnes li crient trestuz auci hee:
“Ben vinges tu, Salvere, en iceste contree —
Quar as tant longement guerpi e oblié!”

A maisun sunt remis li riche e li poant,
Mes la menue gent e trestut li enfant
Lur mantels i desfublent si li jettent devant
Teles vestimenz, cum li vunt devant jetant
E de raims de foille vunt la tere coverant.
Ore vus dirrai, seignurs, quei distrent li enfant,
Cil qui surent parler, ne il li nunsavant.
Muntunt tut sur la porte de la cité veillant,
Quant il veient la prese — de totes pars tant grant!
As fenestres del mur sunt trestuz en estant,
Esgardunt lur Seignur, dunt erent desirant.
E quant le virent pres de la porte asprosmant,
Trestuit a une voiz comencent un chant:

“Gloria, laus seit od tai, bel Sire, e honur!
Rais Crist, qui en cest mund venis pur nostre amur,
Redemptor e Sauvere qui es de tel valur,
Receif hui a bon gré cest enfantil honur.
‘Osanna!’ te disum par mut grant dulçur,
‘In excelsis.’ Grant leiez, non en tere menur.
Israel es tu Rais, çoe sevent li plusur,
Del lignage David n’en savum nul majur.
Vien, Rei, beneit seiez el nun Nostre Segnur!
Tei receit plebs Hebree, bel Sire, a grant honur.
Od lur palmes tei honourunt si t’apelent Segnur.
Ymnes e preieres receif de nus cest jur,
E si nus oiez qui sumes peccheur.

“Vien çaenz, bon Salvere, qui tant ies desiré!
Tu es reis Israel, çoe est la verité!
Li prophete distrent devant ke fuissez né
Quar naistereit de lin David le Fiz Dé.
Osanna! Vien avant dedenz cete cité.
Tuit sumus tuen, bel Sire. Mult nus as ublié.
Beneit seiez tu e le houre ki fus né!
Unke rei ne fu venuz a tel humilité!
Ben seies tu venu a la sollempnité!”
La presse fut mult grant. Tut l’unt aviruné.
Dedenz Jerusalem, tut chantant, sunt entré.
Veiant trestuz les princes, l’unt el temple mené.
Il s’estunt as fenestres, si li unt demandé.
Dedenz ceste cité ki est si amené.
Ceo respundirent — tut ne vus serra celé:

“Çoe est Nostre Seignur ke çaenz est venuz,
Del lignage David, si ad a nun Jesus.
Cist resuscitet les morz si fait parler les muz.
Des treis qu’il suscitat, li un fu Lazarus.
Si sunt maint jur passés qu’il ne fut mes veuz.
Quant sumus sun venir e fut aparceus,
Ainz ki chaenz entrast, sin fumes tuz eissuz!
Fist amener une asne, si muntat dedesuz.
Il meine od li ne sai seignurs duze u plus,
Si ne sunt pas chalciez; ainz unt les piez tut nuz.
Pur çoe, avum mantels es chemins estenduz.
‘Osanna’ criamus, e jofnes e chanuz.
Li enfant ensement, as fenestres lasus,
A halte voiz escrient: ‘Ben venget la Salus!
Fiz al bon rei David, ben seiez tu venuz!’

“Mult esteient dolent qu’il nus od ublié,
Mes ore sumes tut leez qu’il nus ad visité,
Si l’avum receu od grant humilité.
Al temple Domini si l’avum amené,
Od grant chant e ymnes, kar mut ert desiré,
Kar il ad les plusurs de grant mal deliveré.”
Tuz cist de ceste cité l’unt a rei levé.
“Osanna” li escrient, estrange e privé.
Seignurs, içoe saciez ke çoe est verité:
“Osanna” deit l’em dire a rei qui est coroné.
Li Judeu qui l’entendent si en unt le sanc mué.
Tel doel en funt entre eus, a poi ne sunt desvé.
A l’ostel Cayphas sunt trestuit assemblé.
Çoe dist li uns a l’autre: “Mut sumes malmené!
Si nus li laissums qu’il ne seit tué,
Trestuit crerrunt en lui. Çoe est la verité!”

“Seignurs,” dist Cayphas, “De çoe sui mut dolent.
Cist Jhesus est mut sages, pruz, e vaillanz.
Ben prof ke tut le mund est a lui attendanz.
Kar unkes a nul secle puis que fut fait Adams!
Quant il fut en cest mund u suffri tanz ahanz,
De sa femme dam Eve engendrat dos enfanz;
Horribles, quant nez furent desque furent granz,
Caim oscit Abel. Nuls n’en en fut garanz!
Li haut Sire del ciel, ki lasuz est mananz,
Nel veut al pere rendre, ki mut esteit dolanz.
E quant al tens Noé, neiad les nunsavanz,
N’en guarda il que vit enz l’arche mananz.
Quant fut mort Noé, si vint dans Abrahans
E Ysaac e Jacob e Joseph li vailanz.

“Trestut icil sunt mort; n’en est un sul remis.
Mult furent profitables e mult furent amis.
Mes puis qu’il furent mort, ne sunt resuscitez
Desque al Jor de Juise, ki li mundz ert finiz.
Ore est uns home venuz. Ben savum dunt est nez.
Mortal est cum nus sumes. Mervailles fet asez.
De devant nus memes, diz lepros ad sanez.
Dans Lazre de Betanie fud l’autreer resuscitez.
Puans quatriduans de la tere jetez.
Pur çoe, est tut le mund a cest home turnez.
Ore oez mun consail, si seit ben escultez:
C’est veirs que par cestui est tut li mund dampnez!
Ore seit icist occis e tut li mund sauvez!

“Melz est ke uns home muire que tuz serent periz,
E içoe seit Jhesus — aparmains seit pris!
Ceo ne pot or pas estre ke sest jor seit conquis,
Kar la feste est mut grante, si en surderat granz criiz
Tost serreit commue trestute ceste ciz.
Trestut sunt assemblé, les granz e les petiz;
Chaens l’unt resu e enz el temple mis.
Si coveint ke icest plai seit en suffrance mis
Ke saient repairez trestuz en lur pais.
Enaprés purparlerum cum il serrat trahis,
E en la croiz penez e tut sun cors malmis.
Par itant remeindra cest boban e cest cris.”

Seignurs ke Deu amez, entendez bonement,
Ke Deus qui meint el ciel e si est en orient
Vus pardonist vos pecchez, trestuz communalement.
Saciés ke ne sui pas de mult grant asient.
Jo l’ai jadis oiz e sai ben veirement
Ke Deus espant sa grace a mulz deversement.
De cest livre, ke fas des le comencement,
Sachez ke jol nel fas pur or ne pur argent.
Pur amur Deu le fas pur amender la gent,
E lised la rumanse qui latin n’entent
De la mort al Seignur ki tut le mund comprend.
Vus dirrai joe qu’en sai de cest livre brefment.
E il ki mort suffri pur reindre la gent,
Me doinst ke joe la die issi raisunablement,
Quar ne seie repris en nul parlement!

Seignurs, pur amur Deu, oez que vus dirrai:
Joe sui forment pecchiere — pas nel vus celerai.
Pri vus ke melz m’en seit quant jeo dit le vus ai.
Jeo ne vus sai a dire cum lunges joe viverai,
Si ne sai a dire quele mort joe murrai.
De ceo requerez Deu quant del mund turnerai,
Quar cels prengent m’alme que jo ci nomerai:
Seint Michel, bon angle, en ma presence averai;
E seint Pere e seint Pol, en lur cunduit serrai
Desque Dampnedeu u sa mere verrai;
E le bon Nicholas pas ne oblirai.
Si cels puis aver, en bon conduit serrai.
De l’agait del Deble ja pour n’en averai.

Seignurs, mult par est fible icest mortale vie.
Si tost cum home naist, primes plore e crie.
Ja de liu ne moverat si il n’en ad aie.
Mult vient de povre chose. Ne sai que plus en die.
Guardez al rei Henri e sa mantie:
Il fut reis d’Engletere e quens de Normandie,
E Guales e Escoce out tuit en sa baillie.
Fer fut cum liun; mult out grant seignurie.
Princes out e baruns od grant chevalerie.
U est ore li prodom? U est sa manantie?
E sa grant poesté? Joe vei que ele est faillie.
Deu li preste le soen regne kar de cest n’a il mie.
Mar demenum orgoil. Por nient portum envie.

Mult est home feble chose e de feble nature.
Quant est dedenz la mere, mult ad povre closture.
Il ne se pot mover. Chet sur la tere dure.
Idunc criet e brait. Tele est sa aventure.
Home est plus feble chose que altre creature,
Kar cum la beste naist, si vait a sa pasture,
E li pessuns par l’euue, u ele est clere e pure,
E li vermis en la tere, la u ele est plus dure.
Mes al home chatif covent grant nureture,
Primes od la mamele, içoe est sa nature.
Quant est granz e cruz e de bele figure,
Ainz qu’il mot en sace, si turne a purreture.

Mult devereit creature sun Creatur amer.
Quant il le fait de tere, sil fait vivre e parler.
Discreciun li done del mal del ben saver.
Ben set qu’il murrat. Lunges ne pot durer.
Pramet se le lui sert ben a guerdoner.
Mes nus chaitis dolenz n’i volum penser.
Parfitement devriem Nostre Seignur amer,
Ke del sege sun pere cha vint pur nus salver.
Enz el le quor la Virgine se laisat aumbrer;
De la char la Virgine se laissat encharner.
Par l’oraile a la bele deigna il entrer.
Le jor qu’il devait naistre ne lessa il passer.
Nul home ne poet dire ne oir ne penser
Nient plus sun eissir cum set sun entrer.
Si cum, m’avez oid ici devant cunter
Se laissat li Sires baptizer e lever,
E, pur le mund reindre, enz en la croiz pener.

Seignurs, qui Deu amez, entendez bonement.
Ceo ki fit Deus pur nus, ne fait hom pur parent.
Il descendit del ciel cha jus, primerement,
De la Virgine real, vint a sun naiscement.
Quant out trente anz, li Sire, a sun comensement,
Enz, el flum Jordan nus fist un lavement,
Par cel sumes lavez de grant pecché pudlent.
Par tere alad trente anz e treistut veirement.
De plusurs enfermetes sanat la sue gent.
Puis vint en Jerusalem od les suens humblement.
Il vint sur [un asne]; n’i vint pas noblement.
Il fut receus des enfans bonement.
Il fut receus des enfans bonement.
Mes icil qui ne l’aiment en furent mult dolent.
Entr’els unt pris consail que mis iert a torment.

Itant i fud li reis cum li vint a pleisir.
Ne s’en volt esloignier. Ne s’en volt departir.
Soventes feiz li vienent de sun quor li suspir.
La char deceit la Mort, ke lui deveit venir
E treis ben le saveit que cele deveit morir.
E quant furent passez li treis jorz tut entir,
E virent li apostre le — qu’ait jor a emplir —
Dedevant lur Seignur redutent a venir.
Ne se voleit li Sires devant els contenir.
Nepurquant, si li dient: “La Pasche deit venir.
U voldras tu, Maistre, tun manger mentenir?
De çoe que te disum nus, deis ben oir,
Kar nus sumes tuz prez de faire tun plaisir.

“Kar nus dites, bel Maistre, u voldras manger?
Vols tu que nus l’alum devant apparailler?”
Li Sires les regarde od dulç vis e nent od fer.
Nes volt en nule guise li Sires curucer.
Mult amiablement, les prist a enseigner:
“Laenz en cele cité vus irrez premer.
Un home enconterez od un plumet entier,
E il nus merrat en lui u devez herberger.
Quant verrez le seignur, si li dirrez premer.
Mustrat vus refreitur u joe porrai manger.
Prestad vus un cenal mult large e plener.
Alez, pas ne dotez. N’i averez encumbrer.
Ilokes faites ma Pasche mult bel apparailler.”

“Alez,” çoe dist li Sires, “ne demorez nient.”
Il pernent le congé si s’en vunt bonement.
Vunt parmi la cité senz nul encumbrement.
Li bons hom k’il encontrent lur fist aveiement.
Li Seignur unt cremé, si li distrent brefment:
“Chaenz vold Nostre Sire venir privément,
Si amerrad od lui mult de sa gent.
Mustrez nus un bel liu u seit celement.”
Çoe respont li bons hom: “Vus l’averez, bonement.
Pernez icest cenal tut charitablement.”
Il unt apparaillé covenablement.
Jhesus iest venuz si apostre ensement.

Seignurs, mult par fud bele la nuit cele assemblé.
Mult par fut honurable nequedent fu celé.
La male traisun fud la nuit purpensé
De Juda le dolent, as Judeus purparlee.
Ore voil ke ma parole seit ben escité —
Unkes puis ne enceis ne fut tele demené!
Plus fut icele nuit de autre maluree,
Kar la char al Fiz Deu fut as Judeus liveré,
Batue, e sechie, e laidement demené,
Ferue, demenés, e vilement defolé,
E senz nul achaisun la nuit enchartré!
Nesquedent, cele nuit fuit mult bon uré —
Seignurs, icele nuit fut meint alme salvé!

Entre ses compaignuns est Nostre Sire asis,
La table devant sei le manger desus mis.
De la destre al Seignur seigniez e beneis.
Li Sires prist le pain ke devant lui fud mis,
E le chaliz qu’il out dejusté li emplis.
Partid l’ad a trestuz. Mes quant fut departis,
Dulcement lur ad dit, cum pere a ses fis:
“Icest pain est mis cors, ke vus est departis.
Mangez le bonement, si seiez tuz amis.
Icest pain est mis cors, de ceo seiez tuz fiz,
Ki en cest nuit serrat pur vus trais.”
Il estent sa main si ad pris le chaliz.
A tuz le departit, pus qu’il fud beneis:
“Bevez,” fait il, “trestuz, kar çoe nen est pas vins,
Ainz est mi sancs, ke anuit serra pur vus espandis.”
Quant entendent Johans, de doel s’est adormis.
Li Sire en prent le chef sil met sur sun piz.

“Entendez bonement a çoe que vus dirrai:
Pernez tuz bonement çoe que doné vus ai,
Si mangez e bevez cum joe comandé l’ai.
Ne mangerai manger ne beivre ne beverai.
De vin que sait de vigne desquel regne serrai,
Ensemble od mun Pere, la u vus tuz merrai.
De mun novel manger od vus dunc mangerai,
E de mun novel beivre ensemble od vus bevrai.
Ore ne vus esmaiés de çoe que vus dirrai.
La main al traitur de qui trais serrai,
Ensemble od vus la tent, mes ice nel nomerai.

“Bons freres, bons amis, n’aiez nient de pour.
Jol vei e si le conois caenz pur tratur
Par ki serrai traiz ainz que vinge le jur.
Purquai me ad il mustré, ensemble od vus, amur,
Quant il ore me volt faire issi grant deshonur?”
Quant oient li apostre le dit al Seignur,
Mult par furent dolent e plein de grant tristur.
Li uns regarde l’altre par mult grant dulçur.
Il ne sevent ke dire, si sunt en grant errur.
Une contenciun i out devant le Seignur,
Lequels d’els ert plus maistre e de greignur valur,
Quels ad plus poesté e quel plus grant honur.
Nostre Sire regarde de lur quor la ferur.
Il lur dist qu’il ne volt que entr’els eit nul seignur.

De la ceine u il fut, li Sires s’est levad.
Tel afubla il cum out de tel se defublad.
Ceint sei de une tueille; mult bel s’aparilad.
Aprés prist un basins d’euue le s’aundat.
Quant ce [ot fait] Nostre Sire, mult bel s’agenulat.
Les piez a ses disciples mult humblement lavat.
Quant les out ters de dras, idunc se humiliat.
Li pius de ces chevels trestuz les essuiat.
Mes quant il vint a Peres e il si aprosmat
A sei, sachiez, ses piez forment vergundat.
Mult vistement li dist. Nient ne li celat:
“Ja, veir, la tue main mun pé ne laverat,
Ne ja la tue crine mun pé ne adeserat.”

Dunc respunt Nostre Sire mult amiablement:
“Si laver mes ne laissez, sachez veraiment
Ke part n’averas en mai tut parmanablement.”
Çoe dit Pieres: “Bel Sire, nient mes pez soloment,
Mes les piez e le chef e le cors ensement.”
Dunc respundit Jhesus, si li dist piément:
“Cil ke tut est lavé n’en ad mester nient
Cum il leve le cors, fors les piez sulement.”
Mult lur peisat a tuz; mult en furent dolenz.
Ne osent cuntredire. Mult sunt obedient.
Ja orrum bel sermun e bel enseignement.

“Oez, mi bon ami,” dit il, “ke vus dirrai:
Vus m’apelez tuz Maistre. Joe sui e sil serrai.
Vus dites ben: joel sui, veir, est — nel nierai.
Jo vus dirrai, amiz, purquai vos piez lavai
Issi, cum devant vus trestuz me humiliai,
E joe de mé chevols vos piez essuai:
Chacuns le face a altre issi cum joe fet l’ai.
Cest essample vus doins a tuz s’il vus lerrai.
Ne domurrat guers ke joe de vos irrai.
N’ait orgoil entre vus desi que revendrai.
Nurri vus ai tuz duze. Pas nel vus celerai.
E par un de vus doze anuit trai serrai.
Demain serrai jugez e en la croiz murrai.
En tere serrai mis. Al ters jur leverai.
Ne seiez en dutance, ben vus conforterai.”

Quant oient qu’il murrat par lur traisun,
E que sis cors iert mis a dampnatiun,
E ke en la croiz suffrat passiun,
Oent qu’il parole de sa surrectiun,
Li uns esteit de l’altre en grant suspeciun.
Mult par furent dolent de cel occisiun.
Plus en fu dolent Pieres ke dire ne savum.
Premerement parlat e mustrat sa raisun.
Çoe respunt sein Pere: “Pieres, nel celerum.
Çaenz est li traitre par ki trai serrum.”

Bonement les regarde si lur dist: “Ne tamez.
Il est ensemble od vus par qui serrai dampnez.
Sachez que melz li fust ke unques ne fust nez,
E volez que vus die coment le conustrez?
C’est cil a qui li pain serra moilez donez.”
Judas overi sa buche ainz qu’il fust apelez.
Li morsels fut tut pres, e ben est temprez.
Sa grant gule baee. Dedenz li est botez.
Ensemble oud cest morsel Debles est entrez.
De venim e d’envie fut trestut enflambés.
Il n’i volt demorer, mes mult est tost trovez.
Si guerpi sun Seignur cum lere provez.
Ses freres ad guerpi. Eissi cum forsené.
Le Deble li mainet a ki c’est comandé.

De la destre le Seignur le pain receut Judas.
Sa grant gule overist, si entrat Sathanas.
Li culvert s’en tornat curant isnelpas.
Ai! De quel Seignur est li cum ert severas!
Cum lere s’en vait a l’ostel Cayphas.
Les Judias i trovat, les feluns aunas.
Cum Jhesus serreit pris e cum serrait dampnas
Teneient lur consail, quant i survint Judas.
Demandent li quel volt e qu’il ne celeit pas.
“Par fai,” fet il, “de Jhesu ja le saveras,
Vesteit sun ostel e hu est herbergas,
E si joe sai purquai saiez aseuras.
E jol vus trairei, nel tenés pas agas.”
Içoe respondent tut: “Mult par es prus, Judas.
De ceste traisun mut grant profit averas.”

De tel marchandise fut mult grant mesters.
A icels qui la sunt fut mult encumbrés.
Le sanc juste lur vent Judas, qui mult fu fers.
Or li demandent quel en iert li luers.
Içoe respunt Judas: “For sul trente deners.”
“Si vus en fas, seurs sis avras, volenters.”
Çoe respunt Judas: “Ne sui pas mensunger.”
Li chaitif tent la main si receit les deners.
Judas esteit entre els cum lere forseners.
“E ore, ami Judas mult est grant mesters,
Quar de cest covenant ne vus vienge encumbrers.”

“Que faites?” dist Judas. “Purquai tant demorez?
Parler voldrai a cels a queles serrat liverez.”
Ne demorat guers qu’il li sunt amenez,
Devant lui en la curt, trestut arivez.
Çoe lur dist li traitre: “Ensemble od mai irrez.
Conuissez vus celui ki vus serrat liverez?”
“Nanal,” respundunt il, “sil ne nus est mustrez.”
“Par fai,” dist li treitres, “si vus garde en pernez
Al signe ke frai, mult tost le cunuistrez.
Quant serrai devant, derere lui serrez.
Quant le saluerai, mar vus remuerez.
Mes quant joe baiserai, idunkes le pernez.
Il ad homes od lui, mes ne sunt armez.
Si il aider le volent, trestuz lé me tuez.”

Mult par devint Judas e culvert e pudneis.
Mielz li fust ke fut morz e que il fut bel ais
Qu’il traist sun Seignur par un baiser de pais.
Mult par fist que culvert e que lere malveis,
De oscir sun Seignur, cum asist les agueis.
Mal fud mult le consail de lui tenu e faiz,
Dunt li suen Sire fu a dammage treis.
Unkes mes de nul home ne fu tenu tel plais
Ki n’oust eutre gens menez greignur forfais!
Ohi, Judas, dolenz! Purquai ne te retrais?
Rend les deners arere! Veirement, si ne fais,
Le nun de tratur ne perderas tu jamais!

Seinurs ne vus voil faire de Judas lung sermun.
Dementers que Judas tint cel consail felun,
E que il purparle cele grant treisun
De sun Seignur, qu’il vent de sa dampnatiun,
Li Sire od ses apostres remist en la maisun.
Mult dulcement seint Pere li dist: “Que frum?”
“Trai serrai anuit d’un nostre compaignum.”
“Uncore sumes unze. Ensemble od tei serrum.
Mult sumes ben armé. Nule ren ne dutum!
Si il sa veint pur tei prendre, ben te defenderum!
Nus sumes tuz hardi. Dous espeies avum.”
“Asez est,” dist li Sires, “a tel defentum.”
Tuz lur rovet taisir si lur dist sa raisun:

“Joe voil, mi bon ami, que vus ne seit celé.
Mult ai cestui manger de lunc desiré.
Sempres vendrat Judas, par qui serrai dampné.
Une ren vus dirrai ainz ke seie menee —
Quar ainceis ke me reaiez, serrez mult esgaré.”
A icest, fust dolz merveillus demené.
Dunc repelat il Peres e si li ad mustré:
“Peres, ami, Debles vus ad tut demandé.
Anuit en ceste nuit, serras tuz desevré.
Cribler vus volt li Fel sicum l’un crible blé.
Reconforte tes freres cum serras turné.”
“Bel Sire,” çoe dist Peres, “tut seit ta volenté.
Joe te eim e si creim ja ne serrum sevré.
Ensemble serrum enchartré e a la mort mené.”

Dunc reguardat li Sires vers sa dulce mené.
Mult par a vint dolente e forment trespensé
Sa parole lur mustre, ke ben fud esculté:
“Ohi, bone maisné, cum vus vei esguaré
Cum serrez cest nuit departi e severé.
Mes ne vus esmaez; ben serrez raiunee.
Ceste Pasche jo l’ai de lunc tens desiree
Devant çoe que ma char fust as Judeus liveré.
Demain serrat jugé e ens en la croiz pené.
Mes si tost cum serrat al tiers jur suscité.
Jo vus revisiterai dreit en Galilee.
La tristur que ore est entre vus demené
Quant vus me reverrez si serrat oblié.
Dementers, Peres, amis, de tei ert conforté.

“Cheles, Symon, amis, nel tenis pas agas.
Trais serrai anuit de cel felun Judas.
Joe serrai sempres pris, e tu echaperas.
Joe sai ben, bels amis, ke grant doel en averas.
Trestuz vus volt cribler li felun Sathanas
Jo voil ke reasembles quant te returneras.
N’aiez trop grant pour. En Galilé irras.
Od ces ke sunt ici, ilokes m’atenderas,
Iloec vendrei a tei, e iloec me verras.”
Çoe li respunt Symon: “Si ne serra pas!
Jo serrai pris od tei quant tu pris serras!
Ensemble od tei murrai quant en la croiz murras.”
“Dulz ami, bon compaignum, ainz me reneiras.

“Certes, Peres, ami, jol ne te quer celer.
Mult me verras anuit laidement demener.
E ainceis que tu oiez treis feiz le coc chanter,
Dirras tu de ta buche que ne me sez nomer,
Ne ke unques n’oistes home de mai parler.
Mes quant revendras si fai tuz auner,
Ensemble od els serras pur els ben confermer.”
Dunc comencent trestut li apostre a plurer.
Dunc levad li Sire. N’i volt plus demorer.
Dreit el Mont des Olives s’en començat a aler.
Pur le doel qu’il meinent, n’i volt plus demorer.
Tuz les leissat fors treis qu’il fait od sai aler.

Les bons fiz Cebedei li bons Sires apelad,
Saint Jame e saint Johan, kar forment les amad,
E Peres sun ami. Tuz les altres laissat.
Icels ensemble od lui privément menat
Sur le Mont d’Olivete. Sun consail lur mustrat.
Cum bon pere sun fiz, mult bel les doctrinat.
Puis lur dist piément — nient ne lur celat:
“Ma alme est en tel dolur, jamés si grant n’averad,
Pur la grant passiun qu’ele sustendrad.
Sustenez vus od mai.” Quant ceo out dit, s’en ala,
En dolur e en plur ses treis seignurs laissa.

Itant cum uns hom poet une pere ruer,
Sis laissat il tuit treis si se prent a aler.
Le doel qu’il demene ne vus sai acunter,
Fors tant cum a son Pere volt li Sires apeler.
Seignurs, pur Deu, oez que joe vus voil mustrer,
Ke volez cest grant doel oir e asculter:
Ostez l’orgoil de vus! Apernez a plurer!
Certes, de tel dolur n’oistes mes parler!
Car cum vint a tere e començat urer,
Tant par out grant pour qu’il començat suer.
Tut sun cors comencat de pur sanc degoter:
“Pere, tis Fiz t’apele. Vols le tu esculter?
Beverat il cest calix? S’en puet par ele passer?
Mis Pere es, jo tis Fiz. Ore seit ta volenté.

“Pere, de cest chaliz jo en serrai abevrez,
Quant il ne poet estre altre seit ta volentez.”
Seignurs, pur amur de Deu, volenters m’escultez:
Certes, de tel dolur jamés parler n’orrez!
Mult par fut dolerus li Sires e trespensez.
Mult par dutat la mort. Tant par fud tremeuz
Quar parmi sun gent cors est li sanc tresuez,
E li lus u il jut fud ensanglantez.
Aprés cele suur, est li Sires levez.
Vint a ces compaignuns sis ad dormans trovez.
Lur oilz esteient mult de plur agrevez.
De doel de lur Seignur sunt mult trespensez.
Quant les vit endormiz, bel les ad apelé.
Puis dist mult dulcement: “Symon, purquai dormez?
Veillez! Cheles! Veillez que ne seiez temptez.”

De doel erent grevez si erent endormiz.
Li Sires vient a els, ki mult lur est amiz.
Il par esteit dols, tant simples e tant pius.
E dist Symon: “Tu dorz?” E s’il s’est espariz.
“Or ne te sovent pas de çoe que me desis?
Que morrez od mei? Or l’as en obli mis,
Quant tu une sule hore ne poez veillir nis!
Veillez, cheles, e urez que ne seiez suspris.
La char est mult enferme. Prest est li esperiz.”
Quant çoe out dit bonement, s’est puis d’elz departiz.
Mult les leissa dolenz e plurans e pensis,
E revait a cel liu u il esteit aenceis.
Mult redutat la mort u nus sumes guariz.
Forement se humiliad. Jus a tere s’est mis,
E redit sa ureisun par ces memes diz:
“Ben sai que par mai passerat cest chaliz.
Ore seit ta volenté, Pere. En tei m’en sui mis.”

Quant çoe out dit li Sires, bonement se levad.
Revint a ces apostres. Endormi les trovad.
Ne volt pas esveiller mes dormir les lessat.
De doel esteient las. Pur çoe nes esveillat.
Mult out d’els grant pité. Arere returnat
El lui u enceis fud a tere se culchat.
Le ureisun qu’en ainceis dist, cele recomençat.
De la mort qu’il doteit a sun pere parlat.
Le doel ne vus sai dire qu’il iloec demenat.
Quant out dit que li plout, li Sire se levat.
Revint a ses apostres sicum il les leissat.
Trovat les endormiz mes il les esveillat.
Bonement lur ad dit, nient ne lur celat:
“Ore dormez, kar cil vient ke ja me traierat.

“Dormez, ami, kar ben le poez faire.
Veez Judas, ki a mort me volt traire.
Maint ben li fis. Or est mult de mal aire,
Od li granz gens ki me frunt cuntraire.
Lanternes unt pur la clarté que paire.
Machues unt dunt me volent mal faire.
Melz venist a Judas, ke tant est de mal aire,
Quar engendrez ne fust de la char sun paire,
Quar fuist mort enz que eissist del ventre sa maire.

“Dormez, ami,” fet il, “e si vus reposez.
Ça vendrat cil par qui serrai dampnez.”
Neire est la nuit e grant l’oscurtez.
Des diz lur maistre erent tuz desturbez.
Quant se regardent, virent une clartez
Dunt il furent forement espontez.
Virent u Judas venit desfublez.
Ensemble od lui aveit plusurs armez
Od grant maçues, od speez a lur lez.
Des princes as Judeus li erent comandez,
Quar a icés fust li maistre liverez.
De ses serreit tute la nuit gardez,
E l’endemain as altres presentez,
Jugez a mort, e enz la croiz penez.
Quant fust li Sires de Judas avisé,
De male part fud de li saluez.
Cum il amast baisez e acolez.

Judas le vit si lui dist haltement:
“Deus te salt, Maistre. Pren cest saluement!”
Jhesus le regarde si li dist bonement:
“Judas, que quers? Di le mei. Nel celét nient.”
A icest dit, Judas tremblat forement.
A tere chet. Ne poet estere nient.
Kar il chait entre tute sa gent,
Ensemble cheent trestut communalement.
Judas salt sur piez, plein de mal talent.
Sil resalue, cum fist primerement.
Li pius Sires, li bons, li respunt brefment:
“Çoe ke tu deis faire, fai plus hastivement.”
Judas lui aprosmet ki ne l’amat nient.
Mult out le fel al quor mult haredement
Semblant li fait d’amur celement.
Basier le volt. Li Sires le consent.
Quant l’ad beisé, od ambes mains le prent.
Quantque volt faire, bonement li consent.

“Judas,” fait il, “jadis fus mis amis.
Ore vei jo ben que par tai sui trais.
Par un baiser, le Fiz a home as pris.”
A icest dit, sunt tuz avant saillis.
De tutes pars l’unt tuz sachiez e pris,
De lur maçues batu e de lur piés.
Peres l’esguarde, ki ert mult sis amis.
Le brand d’acier fors de fuere ad mis.
Ferit un serjant, pur poi ne l’out malmis.
Mult volenters l’eust Pieres oscis.
De la part destre est li taillanz asis.
Tut l’oraille, sanglent, li fait voler del vis.
Mult volenters s’en fuist il entremis,
Quar li suens Sires fuist des feluns guariz.
Il reguarde s’il ad a raisun mis:
“Osté l’espee,” fet il, “Peres, amis,
Ki glaive prent par glaive seit peris.”

“Peres,” fait il, “met el fuere t’espee.
Ne voil ore qu’il ait fait medlee.
Sachez pur veir cele gent mar fud né
Ki par mal trait de fuere fors espee,
Kar par espee iert malveis e dampné.
As tu dunc ore ma parole oblié?
Si a mun Pere est aie demandé,
Mult serrat devant mai amené.
A l’ost mun Pere n’en ad nul duré.
D’angles iert l’ost ki me serrat presté.
La prophecie ben deit estre averree,
Ke li prophete unt de mei esguardé.”
A ces paroles, l’oraille ad demandé.
Ele li est enz en sa main doné.
Il la receit dunt ele fud severé.
La char li ad od l’oraille sané.

L’oraille prist la u ele chai jus,
En sa main, le bon mirie Jhesus.
Le serf apele ki out nun Malcus.
Si li resanet ja seit içoe qu’il fust muz.
Dunc fust pris Peres e iloec retenuz
Pur le surfait. N’i volt demurer plus.
Sun Maistre en amenent sil batent od fust.
Ses mains lient quant il fust ben batus.
Par les chevolz le tirent. Par les dras est tenus.
Or l’abatent a tere. Ore le sachent sus.
Mult le mainent vilement. Ne pount faire plus.
Quant veit que sil laidisent, sis apelet Jhesus:
“A, bone gent,” fait il, “purquai n’estes pitus?
Purquai m’avez vus pris e batus?
Issi cum a larun estes a mei venuz
Par nuit od vos lanternes. Joe n’ere pas repuns.

“Unques ne deservi, de nuit ne de jur,
Ne de fait que fesise — ne fustes nient peiur —
Ne de dit que deisisse — ne feistes [vos pior].
En icés synagoges dun nere joe chascun jur,
U erent ensemblé li prince e li seignur,
Ne n’i out un sul, tant fut de valur,
Ki me s’out reprendre, unc n’en oi pour.
A mai estes venuz en ceste tenebrur.
Pris m’avez vilement, n’i mustrez nul amur.
Ben vei qu’envers mei n’avez nule dulçur.
Joe sai que remaindrez durement peccheur.
Mar creites Judas cel culvert traitur.
En grant peine serrez, mes il averat greignur.”
A l’ostel Cayphas, l’evesque e lur seignur
L’unt amené tut liéd, s’il gardent desque jur.

Quant l’unt lunges tenus que tut en furent las,
Mes ne seurent purquai; trestut furent mas,
Kar itant l’unt mené, ne mie pas pur pas,
A l’ostel l’evesque que claiment Cayphas,
Ensemble od els amenent icel felun Judas.
La lur livre sun Maistre, ferm liéd od laz.
De devant lui firent ris e deriere lur gaz.
Quant Piere n’out sun Maistre, nel pot oblier pas.
Aprés curt li bons hom, que tuit en devint las.
La porte trovat fermé. Durement en fu maz.
Uns out dedenz de seus amout Cayphaz.
Icist le fist entrer priveement le pas.

Un de ses compaignus dedenz le fist entrer.
Le doel qui aveit Pieres nel sai acunter.
Sachez, s’il put estre, ne s’en vousist sevrer.
Mult se alout demusçant. Ne se volt demustrer.
Il ne conuisseit nul u il osast parler,
Si volsist saver, s’il osast demander
Qu’il ferunt de sun Maistre e u le voldrunt mener.
Un feu aveit a l’aire. La vit gent assembler.
Pur noveles oir la veit e pur eschaufer.
Un des serjanz le vit sil prist a aviser.
“Cestui vi joe en l’ort!” començat a crier.
“Ne sui, veir, ne od lui. Ne me veis unc aler.
Ne joe ne sai ki cest. Ne ruis oir parler.”

“Pernez cel viel, cest chanu, cel barbé!
Jol conuis ben, e si l’ai avisé!”
Çoe dist uns e altres: “Tu as dit verité!”
A halte voiz li ad cil escrié:
“Sis compainz ies! Trop ies avant alé!
Tu fus en l’ort u te vi tut armé,
U cil fut pris ki est enprisuné.”
“Tais tai!” dist Peres. “Ne dis pas verité.
Ne conuis l’ome, ne sai dunt il est né.”
A icest mot, Peres s’est mult hasté.
Pur eissir haste, mes il est encontré
De une meschine que l’ad araisuné:
“Estez, maistre,” fait ele. “N’en isterez.

“Estez, dans Viel! Ben estes coneuz.
Od celui fustes, si fustes veuz,
E si ies d’els bien aperceuz.
Purquai te teis? Purquai es si muz?
Par ta parole te conuiz, dan Chanuz.
Coment, dan Vielz? N’ies tu Galileus?”
“Nai, par fai,” çoe respunt Petrus.
“Unques nel vi, n’en l’ort ne fu veuz.”
A ces paroles, est de la curt issuz,
Li cocs chantans dunc, c’est aperceuz.
Dunc fut dolenz. Ne poet estre plus.

Dist la mechine: “Ceo est verité provee:
Ben te conuis si es de Galilee,
E ta parole est ben manifestee.
Par ta parole, s’il ai ben recordee.”
“Tes tei, mechine! Ne serras escultee.
Unques nel vi, ne ne sai sa cuntree.”
Cest parole ne fut si tost finee
De cele nuit fut la maitié passé.
Li cocs chantat a ure acustumee.
Quant l’entent Peres, la face ad mué.
L’ewe li est des oilz a vai colee.
Cele nuit ad mainte lerme ploré.
La parole est de sun Meistre averré.

Peres plorad, cum dit l’Escripture.
Mult li peisat de si faite aventure.
Amerement plured. Ne set nule mesure.
La nuit li fut mult pesmé e mult oscure.
Il c’est musciez suz une roche dure.
Le jor atent. L’albe fu clere e pure.
Deu reguardat si s’en vait a dreture.
Ore revendrum a cele gent parjure
Ki lur Seignur tienent en lur closture.
Mult li unt fait les feluns grant laidure,
Homes ki nez sunt de malveise nature.

Li jurz fut clers, e l’abe ert crevee.
Mult plurat Peres e pleinst sa destiné.
Quant sa dolur out si lunges mené,
Sa compaignie ad Peres visité,
Quar li suens Sires li aveit comandé.
E les Judeus, cele gent maluré,
Ki a nul jur ne volt estre senee,
De la cité s’est tute auné.
Dedenz la curt Cayfas est alé.
La mort al Maistre unt purparlee,
Par qui maint alme fust cel jor salvé.
La cort d’enfern fut le jor gasté;
Cele de ciel fut mult honoré.

Trestut s’asemblent enz l’ostel Cayphas.
Granz e petis vienent, pas pur pas.
Dient entr’els: “Que ferad Cayphas?
Tuer le volt kar il n’en vivrrat pas.
Hastivement seit demandé Pilas.
La seit mené; iloec jugas.”
Pilates vient od lur dit e lur gas.
Trestut esteient cum felun perjuras.
“Ou est vostre Reis?” fet il. “Kar le me amenas.”
“Amenéd l’unt,” tut crient a un glas.
“Par fai, Pilate, tu nel deis amer pas,
Kar Rei se fait si ne l’otrie Cesars.”
Encore dit: “Entent e si l’orras,
Par fai, Pilate, mult te merveilleras.”

Cayphas, lur evesque, mult par fud riche hom.
Tuit se sunt assemblé le jor a sa maisun.
Jhesus ert en la chartre en mult fort prisun.
Ore l’en unt fors jeté li culvert felun.
Liéd devant Pilate meinent cum larun.
Idunkes se purpensat de l’accusatiun,
Coment il l’oscirent de sa perditiun.
Pilates les reguardet, ki mut est sages hom.
Esgardet les culvers, escultet lur raisun.
Il entent qu’entr’els l’unt par traisun.
Il nes amot nient, kar mult erent felun.
Pilates est asis, tuit li prince envirun.

Si tost cum il sist, il li fu amenez.
Devant Pilate esteit cum un aignel privez.
Tut enclin ad chef nes ad pas esgardez.
De plusurs mençungiers est iloec acusez.
Pilates fait pais feire, sis ad ben escultez.
Il n’en oit ne ne veit dunt deit estre dampnez.
Enz en mi le concilie, dous fauz sunt levé.
A haute voiz escrient: “A nus ore entendez!
Cist home se fait Fiz Deu. Çoe creire ne devez.
Dist que Deus est cis Pere. Çoe n’est pas veritez,
Kar ben le conuissum, e savum dunt est nez.

“Ore entendez trestuz a çoe que vus dirrum,
E çoe ke nus oimes e qui sur lui portum:
Nus fumes enz el temple. Oimes sun sermum.
Abatre nus rovat le temple Salomun.
Il dist a plein. Sachez que n’i mentum.”
Quant l’entendi Pilate, si apeled Jhesum.
Ensemble od lui, vait hors del pretorium.
De lunc lui c’est asis, mustrat li sa raisun:
“N’oz tu cum tei accusent icest Judeu felun?
Purquei ne respons? Tu trop ies simples hom!

“Cist Judeu te heent mortelement.
Cil te oscirunt s’il pount, mult vilement.
De totes pars t’acusent mut forement.
Mut mervaille que ne respons nient.
E es mut saives, sicum dient la gent.
Quar dirras tu? Dites le brefment.”
A ces paroles, este vus un serjent.
De part sa femme li est venu curent.
Un sun message li dit hastivement:
“Saluz te mandet ta femme, veirement.
Quant se culchat anuit priveement,
Bel se dormi senz nul encombrement.
Un home unt pris de ceste Judee gent.
Cel vit tuit anuit visablement.
Sungat que esteit en merveillus turment.

“Pilate, sire, entent a ma raisun:
Ta femme gist malade en ta maisun.
Mult est pensante de l’avisiun,
E si te mande ke mult est justes hom,
Ke cist Judeu unt pris par grant traisun.
Anuit le vit. Mentir ne te volum.
Uncore en ad el cors grant passiun.
Si tu le poez faire, fai li, sire, pardun,
Quar de sun cors n’en ait perdiciun.”
Quant entendi Pilates le sermun,
De devant li ad fait eisir Jhesum.
Veient as Judeus dreit al pretorium.
“Par fai,” fait il, “nule ren n’i trovum,
Mes çoe me semble que il est mult justus hom.
Ben seit batuz si nus en deliverum.”

“Teis tei, Pilate, ne te volum esculter.
Ne l’otrium que l’en laisiez aler.
De altre manere tei covent parler.
Il se fait Rai, e nel volt pas celer.
Par tut u vait, se fet Rei apeler.
Nez est de Galilee si feit la gent errer.”
Mult se vousist volenters deliverer,
Mes quant lur oit Galilé nomer,
Mult durement començat a duter
Tut pur Herode, que terre out a guarder.
Aprociéd l’ad si li fait amener.

Quant out Pilate qu’il est de sun mestier,
Herodes dutet nel volt corecier.
Ses serjanz fait tut prest apparailler.
Par els, li volt bonement enveier.
En nule guise nel volt plus corucier.
Receud l’out, pensed de l’esplaiter.
Quant l’ot Herodes prist sai a eslecier.
De lui veir aveit grant desirer.
Encontre li vait od li si chevaler.
De ces miracles volt vere le mestier.
Delivres fust. Ja ne donast dener,
Mes il se taist kar ne n’ad nul mester.

En icel tens, esteient enemis.
Mais en icel jur furent fait amis
Pur le Seignur que cil li ad tramis.
De mainte chose l’ad Herodes requis.
Unques li Sires ne li turnat sun vis.
Mult esteient li Judeus enemis.
Neis Herode en aveient requis,
Ne li aidast qu’il ne fust malmis.
Herodes ad tuz lur consailz ois.
Ses dras l’ostat. Altres li ad vestis.
De purpure furent, cum dient li Escriz.
Entre les mains as feluns, l’ad remis,
E a Pilate arere l’ad tramis.

Mult receut Herodes bonement —
Ne mie il sul, mes tute sa gent —
Kar desirez l’aveit lungement.
Il i a parolé, mes ne respont nent.
Herodes e Pilates s’entreheient forment.
A icel jur unt fait bel acordement.
Se un miracle fait tant sulement,
Pur nul dit de home ne venist a torment.
A cel Herode em peisat forment.
Il li demandet: “Di mai, primerement,
Pur quel forfait t’unt pris icele gent?
Parole a ma. Ne te valdra nient.
Purquei t’ameinent prisun issi vilement?”
Revestud l’ad de un purpre vestement.
Si le reveit mult honurablement.

Cil s’en repairunt a qui il fu liveré.
Pilate trovent si l’unt bel salué.
Çoe dit Pilate: “Vus l’avez remené.
Quai dist Herodes? Guardez ne seit celé.”
“Saluz te mande. Des ore serrez privé.
Ben set que l’aimez kar bien li as mustree.
Icest prodome li avum presentee.
Asez li ad enquis e demandé
Purquei fust pris. Respont verité.
Unke mes tel home ne vi enprisoné.
Ne respundist quant il fust encombré.
Cist tient le chif tuz jur si encliné.
Ne respont, mos ad jus esguardé.
Cest li demandet si l’avum remené.”

Çoe dist Pilate: “De çoe su joe tuit liez,
Quar Herodes m’eimet kar mult enseignez.
Pur Deu, seignurs, des ore me consaillez
Quar joe en face, kar mult est grant Mesters.
Mult ad esté cest prodom enseigniez.
Sur altres homes tuz juz affeitez,
Mes il nus ad tuz, espeir, contraliez.
Ceo est consail qu’il seit chastiez.
Dites mei tuz que en jugiez.”
Trestut responent: “Qu’il seit crucifiez!”
Çoe dist Pilate: “Vus estoet dire melz:
Vostre consail, pur Deu, si estregniez!”
Pilates fut durementes corusciez,
Si ad ces oilz forment esroilliez.
“Di va,” fet il, “purquei ies tu tant fiers
Quar ne respons contre tes adversers?

“Joe sai purquei responez si a enviz.
Par ces evesques es tu a mai traiz.
Jo vei que sunt trestuz tes enemis.
N’i vei un sul qui unc seit tis amis.
De tei aider n’en as pas entremis.
Di mai de Deu si tu ies sis Fiz,
Si que jo l’oie e seie tut fis.”
Idunc respundit Sire, levat sun vis:
“Joe su sun Fiz, e veirs est ke tu diz.
Oiez qu’il te dirrat, e si en seiez tut fis.
Il musterat es nues. Ja n’iert contredis,
E si descenderat e succurat ses amis.”
A ces paroles fust il tres ben oiz,
E criouent tuz ensemble od grant criz:
“Ore seit jugez a ses mesme dis!
N’ait raançun! Enz en la croiz seit mis!”

Quant çoe out dit, sa parole ad finé.
Un des serjanz l’at mult mal esculté,
Kar sa main destre ad il mult halt levee.
Ferit le el col. Donat lui grant colee.
Aprés parlat parole mal mustree:
“Par fai,” fait il, “ja ne t’iert pardoné.
Il est evesque. L’onur li est doné!
Ta parole iest malveisement finé.”
Dunc ad Jhesus sa face suslevé,
Si li ad dit parole remembré:
“Cheles, amis. Purquei m’as tele doné
Ainz que me eusses ma parole amendé?

“Cheles, amiz. Purquai m’as fet tel laid
Quant en dit nel forfis ne en fait?
Çoe n’est pas dreit que hom ferge home en plait
Desque i set coneus entreshait.
Congiez n’el ad. Ne jo sai qui l’ait
D’ome ferir desqu’il n’en ad mesfait.”
Fors del pretorie danz Pilates s’en vait,
E li culvert unt Jhesum aprés trait.
Ceo dist Pilates: “Ne li faites nul laid,
Kar ne savez cum li plais vent e vaid.”

Enz en la chambre est Pilates entrez
E Jhesus est ensemble od lui alez.
De dan Pilate est bel araisunez:
“Amis,” fet il, “tu es enprisonez
Par evesques si es a mai liverez.
Tul conuis de cel lignage es nez,
E d’els eissit trestut ti parentez.
Es tu Fiz Deu? Di mei si est veritez.”
“Veir, jol t’ai dit. Purquai le demandez?”
“Merveilles oi. Coment, e si ne savez,
Quar m’est donee de tai la poestez?

“Di mai purquai es tu si haiz.
Joe sai e vei que n’es pas lur amis
Ne finerunt, veir, si t’avrunt oscis.
Poesté ai que eschaperez tut vis.”
Çoe dist Jhesus: “Çoe me n’est mie vis.
La poestez ne l’avrez a tut dis.
Tu l’as de Deu, e joe sui sis Fiz.”
Quant veit Pilate que nel veinterad par diz,
Ses dras li tolt, altres li ad vestiz,
Sil renveat entre ses enemiz.
“Tut avras mal, mes cil en averat piz
Par qui jo su entre voz mains traiz.”

Pilates l’ad d’altres dras conraié,
Corone el chef, par eschar coroné.
De devant lui el pretorie est entré.
Mult fut huntus quant tuit l’unt esguardé,
Kar ne sout estre de tels dras aurné.
Le vis enclin, oiant tuz, ad crié:
“Ecce homo qu’il vus unt amené!”
Pilates escrie: “A mai ore intendité:
Veez vostre Rei que ai ci amené!”
En halte voiz escrient tuz: “Tollé!”
Enaprés distrent: “Crucifigé!”
Ceo dist Pilate: “Ne m’est a volenté.
Ne deit morir pur ren que aie trové.”
Tuit li escrient: “Si il n’est dampné,
Ja de Cesar ne serrez ben amé.”

Çoe dist Pilate: “Une custume avez.
Içoe sachez. Pur mei ne la perderez.
Çoe fut custume enceis que fuissiez nez
Quar si larun s’i ad enprisonez
En ceste feste si un en demandez,
Quar ces mesfaiz li erent pardonez.
Veez vostre Rei que en presence tenez.
Cel vus larrai si aveir le volez.”
Çoe dient tuit: “Pur nent en parlez!
Choisi avum! Celui nus graantez:
C’est Barrabas qui est enprisonez!”

“Oez, Pilate! Entent que te dirrum.
Cel homicide Barraban demandum.
Tu l’as laenz, sil tienz en prisun,
E Nostre Sire liverez a passium!”

Çoe dist Pilate: “Ja n’a il rien mesfait.
Unkes li bons home ne fist a home lait.”
Çoe dient tuit: “Unke n’oimes tel plait!
Dan Barraban avrum tuit entreshait!
Jesus penderat! Ne poet estre retrait!”
A icel dit li poples suz estait.
Trestut criant entur Pilate vait.
D’ist n’i [a] plus: dan Barraban lur lait.
Jhesum lur livre, debatu e detrait.

Quant veit Pilates qu’il pas nels veintrad,
Voleit u nun ke lur talent frad.
Esnelpas de l’ewe demandad.
Veant le pople iloec ses mains lavad.
Fist faire pais, oiant els tuz parlad:
“Ne muert par mai Jhesus, ne ne murrad.
Sis justes sanc espandu ne serrat.”
La pute gent mult haltement parlad:
“Ja li suens sancs ne tei nuirrad.
Sur nos enfanz e sur nus serrad.”

“Pur çoe me sui devant vus la vez:
Quar li suens sanc ne seit par mei dampnez.”
Çoe dient tuit: “Ja pecché n’i averez.
Tuit le pecché sait sur nus turnez,
E de nos fiz ne seit pas tres turnez.”
Pilate salt. Forment s’est escriez:
“Faites mai pais, trestuz, si ascultez!
Cest vostre Sire vus serrat ja livrez,
Vus dites çoe: que vus le crucifierez.”
“Par Deu, Pilate, pur nient em parlez.
Nus avum lei, e par cele iert dampnez.”
Pilates volt des Judeus estre amez.
Dedevant lui, est Jhesus flaellez,
Batus, liez, d’espines coronez,
E as serjanz prendre est livrez.

Li homicides est mis hors de prisun.
Nostre Seignur a mainent li felun.
Fors de la chartre unt jeté le larrun,
E en la croiz vunt pendre le barun.
Mal change unt fait cil culvert felun:
Ki laissunt l’or e demandent le plum.
Par icel change averunt dampnatiun,
Dunt tuit li munz receit salvatiun.
A Barraban rendit tut sa possessiun,
E lur Seignur mainent a passiun.

Judas esteit tuit sul entre la gent.
Sun Seignur veit qu’il meinent vilement.
Quant vait le fel qu’il vait a turment,
Mult le regarde des oilz pitusement.
Ore veit il ben e set perfitement
Qu’il le demainent mult angoissusement.
Il le veit batre e mener a turment.
Dolenz devint ens el quor forment.
Avant saillist desmesurement.
Trente deners qu’il d’els prist lur rent.
“Mult ad en vus,” fait il, “malveise gent.
Vus le ne menez pas entempreement.”

Çoe dist Judas: “Pas nel vus celerai:
Quant jol trai, mult durement pecchrai.
Pur le sanc juste les deniers que pris ai,
Içoe sachez: que nul ne retendrai!
Veez les deniers que joe mar guainai —
Vus les reaiez, kar un sul n’en averai!
Ohi, chaitif! Le jor mar me levai
Quant mun Seignur issi deguerpi ai!
Le jugement memes en frai.
Si par mai murt, e pur lui murrai.
Si il l’oscient, joe me oscirai.
S’il murt en croiz, de laz m’estranglerai.”

“Allaz!” fait il. “Cum par fu malurez!
Mar vi le jur que fu de li privez!
Mar fud l’ore ke joe fu engendrez!
Cele noaldre que en tere fu nez,
Quant de ma mere me fut laid donez —
Mielz fust qu’en tere fuisse absorbez!
Allas, dolenz! Cum maluré fu nez
Quant pur aveir fui treitre clamez!
Feluns Judeus, icés, voz deniers, pernez!
Le vostre aiez! El mien me rendez!”
A ces paroles ad les deners jetez
Devant lur piez. Aprés s’en est alez.

“Vendu vus ai,” fait il, “le juste sanc.
Mult ad en mai orrible marchant!
Joe vei sa mort alez apparaillant.
Tenez le vostre, kar le mien vus demant.”
Sun Seignur veit qu’en mainent li tyrant.
Les deniers jettéd a lur piez dedevant.
Ore escultez de Judas li dolant.
Sun Seignur veit. Devant lui vait fuiant.
Un liu esgarde neient bel ne avenant.
Entur sun col ad mis un laz curant.
Il munt en halte, icez laz confermant.
Li fel salt jus, si remist en pendant.

Morz est Judas par nun de tricheur.
Pur trente deniers vendi sun bon Seignur.
Judas se pent par nun de boseiur
Kar a sun Maistre ne mustrat nul amur.
Judas le fel ne volt venir a jur.
De plait n’out cure ne de nul plaidur.
Justice esgarde tote sa peiur.
Oid l’ai dire, sil dient li plusur:
Ne fust oie tele mort desque cel jur!
De celui fait Judas sun vavvassur
Ki pur nient trait sun bon Seignur.
Pur tel servise deit aver tel honur:
Cum se pendit, pendet a deshonur.

Ore est Judas pendu e astranglés,
E as Debles s’est del tuit donez.
De sun Seignur fud jadis mult privez.
Mult malement s’est de lui deseverez,
Deners em prist trente, tuz moneez.
Ore s’en repente sis ad tuz rejetez,
Mes li Judeu ne sunt pas dejetez.
De cels deniers unt un champ achatez.
A un porter sunt les diners deliverez.
Les pelerins estranges e privez
Puis icel jur dedenz sunt enterrez.
Des paisans un num li est doneez:
“Acheldemac” uncore est apelez.

Cil Judeu, cil felun nunsavant,
Les deniers prennent qui lur gisent devant.
Çoe dient tut, li petit e li grant:
“Nus nes mettrum mie en covenant,
Kar de nus sunt donez em pris pur sanc.”
A lui les livrent, si achatent un cham.
Issi, cum dient uncore li paisant,
Cel altre apelent champ: “Achaté de sanc.”

Del Salveur des ore devum parler,
E sa dolur, ses peines acunter.
La croiz unt faite li felun bachiler
D’un mult bel fust, cyprés oi nomer.
Sur un halt munt l’unt fait aporter;
Munte Calvarie l’ai oi nomer.
Un home encontrent, dan Symon, a l’aler.
De Cyrenen veneit pur esculter.
A lui firent icele croiz porter.
Ne la baillast s’il l’osast veer.
Desuz le munt li unt fait lever.
Une corone aprés funt a prester,
Tute d’espine, s’il volent coroner.

Des ore, escultent qui en Deu unt amur:
Sa passiun orrent e sa dolur.
Desvestus tud l’unt e si li vunt entur.
Tut l’escharnissent, si li funt altre atur.
Un vestement li donent mult meillur —
Corone el chef ki li fait dolur.
Entur lui sunt li prince e li seignur,
Tuit li felun e tuit li traitur.
Fors de la cité amainent lur Seignur.
Trestut le siwent, li grant e li menur.
Asquant em plurent pur le grant deshonur.
Asquanz se peinent pur faire lui majur.

Cele corone dunt m’oez parler,
Sun chief li funt antur aviruner.
Tortice fud e fud d’un aiglenter,
E les espines li funt el chief entrer.
Tuit sun bel vis li funt ensanglenter.
Aval la face li curt le sanc, tut cler.
Un rosel tient icel li fait porter.
Seer le funt. Puis le funt saluer.
Mult se travaillent cum le pount gaber.
Quei qu’il facent, ne volt a els parler.
Cum uns aignels, ne volt un mot soner.
Plus li funt ke jo ne puisse penser!

Li culvert, li felun, mult par furent tyrant.
Il tenent lur Seignur. Ne li [funt] bel semblant.
Les oilz li unt covert. El col l’unt ferant
E devant en la face. Puis li vunt demandant:
“Ohi, Rais debonaire. Tant par as le sen grant.
Nus juwm od tai. Ne n’aiez maltalant.
Ore devineras cels ki te vunt ferant.”
Enmi sun vis escrachent. Mult le vunt laidisant.
Li Sires seet s’il soeffre, ne lur fait mal semblant.
Ainz atent la bone ure que li vait aprosmant.

Sun bel cheif covrent sil ferent el col.
Adeviner le revent. Sil tinent tut pur fol.
Ses membres li debatent ki tant par erent mol.
Sur le vis li escrakent, mes il n’en fait nul doel.
Tut le vunt saluant. Puis le ferent el col:
“Ave, Rex des Judeus, ki governes le sol!”

Mult par ert icele gent, seignurs, maluré.
Mult unt grant hardement quant il le donent colé
E corone d’espine li unt el chief posé.
E le fust d’aiglenter; en la char l’unt pressé
Si ke tute sa face li unt ensanglanté.
Quant veient ke sa croiz est sur le munt levé,
La gent de la cité veneit, tuit assemblé.
Mené l’unt cele part. Ne funt plus demuré.
La coste de sun dos cele li unt ostee.

La gent de la cité est venue curant.
Tuit i vieinent ensemble, li viel e li enfant.
Les dames de la cité vunt lur palmes batant.
Trestut veir i acurent, li petit e li grant,
Esguarder le prophete, u il le vont menant.
Sur le munt de Calvarie veient la croiz estant.
Envirun lur Seignur vont cil felun juuant.
A mult granz criz escrient: “Que faites nunsavant?
U merrez le Seignur, male gent mescreant?
Quar vus ad il mesfait, u en poi u en grant?”
Dames e meschines pur lui vunt plorant.

Li Sires se reguarde e sis veit plurer.
Une raisun lur dist que ore purrai mustrer:
“Files de Jerusalem,” fait il, “laissez cest dolocer.
Pur mai ne vus pri pas si faitement demener.
Sur vus memes e sur voz fiz, poez vus plurer,
Kar uncore vendrunt li jor — nel vus voil celer —
Ke les munz e les tertres voldreis apeler,
E prier mult volenters de vus a graventer,
Quar ja puis de iloec ne puissez echaper.
E boneurez dirrez cels que [ne] porrent enfanter
E les mamele que ne porrent laid doner.”

Cil felun Judeu, cil mal traitur,
Communement s’asemblent senz nul pour.
Vers sa mort amainent Nostre Seignur.
Quant vindrent al liu u suffri la dolur,
Dunc joie receurent tuit peccheur,
En croiz le leverent. Oez quel tendur:
Ses mains clouficherent al fust que mult fu dur,
Les piez, l’un sur l’altre. E puis li vunt entur.
Escharnisant le vunt, cil malveis lechur.
De une lance aovererunt les lez al Creatur.
Mult furent plain de Deble si firent grant folur.

Nostre Sire, la u il fud en la croiz posez,
Sus guarde e veit ester tut dreit a sun lez
Marie e sain Johan — nel vus seit pas celé.
Quant vit sa mere e le disciple plein de humilité,
Si lur ad dit le Fiz Deu od mult grant pité:
“Mullier, veez ci tun fiz, plein de virginité.
Frere, ci est ta mere que te voil comander.”
La gloriose Virgine deit virgines garder.
La dame vit sun fiz en croiz issi pener.
Vis li fud que dunc glaive eust le quer percié.
Conuist de Symeon qu’il dist veritez.

“Sey ai,” dist Nostre Sire el turment u il ert.
Ne fu mie de beivre, mes del pople saluer.
Li felun qui oirent li, corent, aporter
Un vasseil plein de beivre que mult esteit amer,
De fiel fud e de eisil, od ysope mellez.
A la bouche li mistrent, mes il ne volt guster.
Dunc met sa vertu suz la charnalité.
“Consummatum est,” çoe dist, le chef ad encliné.
Le senttime esperiz en est idunc alé
Entres les mains sun Pere, qu’il out comandé,
Si descent a enfern ses amis fors jeter.
Le cors fud desus l’aisel e de lance fered.
Sanc en issit e euue pur nus regenerer.
Un chevaler li ferist — Longis l’oï clamur.
Ne voleit de ces os qu’il fuissent entamez.

“Pecchiere!” dist Judas, “malement ai ereid
Quant sanc del juste home ai pur argent liveré.”
Arere vunt el temple. Cil ad dedenz jecté.
Deçout l’ot le Deble. N’osat merci crier.
Un laz mist en sun cor si s’en est estranglez.
Encore ert en la croiz le beneit Fiz Dé
Quant un prodom vint ke mult l’aveit amé,
Ab Aramathia, Joseph l’oi clamer.
Congéd quist a Pilate. Sil en fist porter.
Un noef sepulcre aveit en sun ort apresté,
Covert d’un vert sudarie, si ad Jhesum enz posé.
La tere contre lui comencet a trembler.
Li temple en fendist. Li drap est desiré
Ki pendit es musters dunt il fud cortiné.
Li sarciu aovrent. Li mort en sunt levé.
As plusurs apparurent en la sainte cité.
Centuriuns e li altre ki içoe unt esguardé
Distrent qu’il esteit veirement Fiz Dé.

Li felun Judeu li guaiterent, armé —
Ki oirent dire qu’il deut relever,
Mes quant li angles vint, si out si grant clarté
Ke, de pour, chairent li culvert tuit pasmé.
Marie Magdaleine nel volt mie ublier
Çoe qu’il en sa vie li aveit comandé.
Par matin al dimaine, li soleil ert levez,
Od dous altres Maries si l’ad revisitez.
Precius oignement out od eles porté.
Quant vindrent al sepulchre, ne l’unt mie trové.
Mes li angles lur dist qu’il ert resucité,
Si lur mustrat le lu u il fud posé.

Marie en out joie si començat a plorer,
Quant le Fiz Deu vint de devant lui ester:
“Femme, a quei plurez tuz?” çoe li ad demandé.
“Sire, pur mun Seignur que joe ne puis trover.
Pur amur Dé, di le mai si tu le n’as porté.”
Adecertes, quidout al curtiler parler.
Il ad apelé “Marie,” e cele l’ad avisé.
Mult tost la conuist e si l’ad “Meistre” clamé.
Sez piez voleit beiser quant il li dist suef:
“Amie, joe sui çoe. Nel t’estoed doter,
Mes ne me poez uncore par raisun adeser.
Ainz irras a mes freres mun message porter,
Si lur di que joe sui de mort resuscité
Al men Pere e a lur m’en voldrai aler.”
Del doel que Piers ad, sil vat conforter.
E le creit a dreiture, si l’ad auré.
Puis vait la volenters u il out comandé.
Les apostres trovat en un liu assemblé.
“Seignur,” çoe lur ad dit, “ki amez le Fiz Dé,
Il nus mande par mai qu’il est resuscité.
Alez en Galilee se veier le volez.”
Pieres e Johan courent al sepulcre garder;
Ki drains vint primer i c’est entré.
Le sudarie troverent ki esteit enz remez.
Dunc creirent le dame qu’ele dist veritez.

Mes quant icés desciples volt aler regarder,
A lei de pelerin eissit de la cité.
Dous de ces amis ad en la veie encontré.
Mult les vit des heitez, si lur ad demandé:
“Seignurs, ke avez vus qui tel tristur demené?”
Cil out nun Cleophas qui primes ad parlé:
“Tu es sul pelerin, si te avum si trové,
De Jerusalem novelement turné.
As oid des Judeus, cum il unt erré,
Ki trait unt a mort Jhesu Crist le Fiz Dé,
De ki nus esperames qu’il deust rechater
Le pople de Israel, ki esteit mes alez.”
Li bons pelerins dist: “Estultement parlez.
N’estes des prophecies encore endoctrinez?
Ja l’aveit enceis as apostres mustrez
Quar il serrait trai, liez, e flaelez.
Murir de veit en croiz e puis resusciter.
Issi le covent en sa glorie entrer.”
Pur ces beles paroles l’unt od elz menez.
Içoe qui l’orent, li unt abanduné.
Al pain qu’il fruissat le voldreint entrecer,
Mes devant lur oilz s’est d’elz esvanez.
Cil remistrent dolent quant il s’en fud turné.
Puis vait a Galilee les altres saluer
Dedenz une maisun u erent enfermez.
Parmi les closes portes vint enmi els ester.
De pais aver entr’els les ad amonesté,
Si lur mustrat les plaies des mains, e piez, e lez.
Mes Thomas l’apostre n’ad mie trové
Quant il fud repairé, sui ert cil Sire alez —
Ki la tristur lur fist en joie tres turnez.
Si compaignun demandent u avez demorez:
“Nus avum puis veu le benait Fiz Dé,
La sue grant merci qu’il vus vint reguarder.”
Thomas dist: “Nel pus craire ke said de mort levé,
Si joe ne vei les plaies des mains, des piez, des lez.”

Aprés uit jurz les vint altre feiz saluer.
Thomas esteit od eles dunc si l’ad apelez,
Si mustrat les plaies des mains, des piez, dé lez.
Thomas mist enz sun deit, si conoust veritez.
Dulcement le clamat sun Seignur e sun Dé:
“Veu m’as e cremud.” Çoe li dist le Fiz Deu.
“Qui crerrunt senz veier serrunt benurez.”
Quarante jurz tuz plains ad od els conversez,
E puis lur oilz veanz s’en est el ciel muntez.
Une raisun lur dist dunt sunt esleecez:
“Seignurs, li mien disciple, vus qui servid m’avez,
Ne vus guerperai mie en tel orphanitez.
Joe revendrai a vus, a seur. M’atendez.”
Ja s’abaisat la nue si reçut le Fiz Dé.
Dous seignurs blancs vestuz virent juste els ester,
Ke lur dient de bouche e od deiz l’unt mustree:
“Homes de Galilee ki el ciel esguardez,
Jhesus le vostre Sire, que de vus est severez,
Si veirement vendrat cum aler le veez.”
Puis repairat en tere sun pople conforter.
Sur els vint Sainz Esperiz, cum feu esbracez.
De sen e des langages les ad enluminez.
Dous e dous les en vait par tutes la citez.
Prechier volt en tere saint cristianitez.
Qui receivent le bapteme vendrunt a salvetez,
E li fol mescreant serrunt senz fui dampnez.

Seignurs, par tele mesure nus vint Deus rechater
Neient par vos desertes, mais par sa grant charité.
Del suen chier baptesme nus ad regeneré.
Par içoe sumes nus cristiens apelé.
Le suen beneit nun nus fait a tuz porter.
Del servage al Deable nus ad trestuz jetez.
Si par nos granz folies ni volum returner,
Tut tens le devum mes e servir e amer,
E large guerdun l’en doirium doner.
Jo vos di de sa part que vus nel retenez.
Si vus ne trovez lui, as povres le rendez,
Kar çoe est tuit del suen. Ne seiez mie avers.
Si vus faites pecché, ne vus en desperez.
Conuisiez vostre culpe. Penitence pernez.
Puis aiez esperance e fai e charité.
Par cestes treis vertuz poez a Deu aler.
Mes li Munz vus retent, ki vus volt esganer.
Nuls homs nel devereit ja ne servir ne amer,
Kar en lui n’out unkes nient d’estableté.
Ki quidet mielz tenir tost li est esculez:
Trestuz vos anceisurs ad cil pur fols mené
Ke rai ne dux ne princes ne li pout eschaper.
A Mort la larenesse les ad fait tuz embler,
La u quidoent estre mielz a lur seurté
Icel larrun deit l’um forement duter,
De qui turz ne dangons ne se poet hom garder.
Or ne argent, ne palies, ne coveite a embler,
Mes les aumes des cors, celes en volt porter!
A riches e a povres ad un ostal prestez.
Dunt les fenestres desuz sustenent a lur nez.
Puis resaisist li munz — e chastels e citez,
E tresurs e avers — que il out mustrez.
Tel s’en fud bel garde ki ja n’en saverunt grez —
A nul de ces chattis — qu’il ovrent amassez.
Cil que ben unt fait irrunt a seurtez,
E trestut li felun sunt en enfern donez.
A un tel jugement sumes tuz enviez:
Ki empartirat par mal ja n’iert acordez.
E li bon e li mal ierent asemblez.
Çoe ke chascuns ad fait li ert representez.
La receverunt corones tuit li bonurez,
E li serf al Deble serrunt el fu jetez.
Enz el pulent enfern ierent si obliez,
Jamés nule feid ne en remembra Deu.
Cel dolerus ostal deit hom mult echivver,
Dunt ja nuls n’en isterat puis qu’il ert entré.
De çoe devum requere la sue pité
Al nostre cher Saignur qui maint en Trinité.
Tant cum nus sumes el siecle, sil poum reclamer.
Qu’il tolget de nus tot içoe qu’il het,
E sez comandemens nus duinst issi garder,
Ke la sue amisté en puissum achater.
Içoe si nus otreit li parmanables Deus,
Qui home e femme, cel e tere e mer. Amen.

Herman de Valenciennes, The Passion of Our Lord 


Very meaningful was this election
Wherein Magdalene received Simon’s true pardon.
She was chosen by him who sees everything.
To his servants he gives such fine rewards,
Know well, lords, that we may not express it;
In neither Scripture nor book do we find it.
If we all serve him, we’ll have such a reward
While alive that we won’t lose it to a robber
Or an outlaw, nor to thieves by night.
We’ll now cease discussing these two ladies,
And we’ll speak of their kinsman Lazarus.

Good Christians, if you wish to hear
About Lazarus, now hear me speak.
This was said by the Eagle who can fly so high,
That is, John — I’m able to name him for you —
Who drank knowledge when he slept at supper
On his Master’s breast. He spoke purest of anyone!
Now listen to a miracle so splendid to comprehend!
He made it in Latin — now you’ll hear it translated.
Pay attention and you’ll be able to learn from it.

Hear what John said, the wise and just man
Who was the most marvelous of his peers.
He said that in Bethania this Lazarus was born,
And the house belonged to him and his two sisters.
For generations it had belonged to his ancestors.
He never quarreled with his neighbors.
He often honored them greatly as a good neighbor.
Most of all, this worthy man cherished his sisters.

Truly, lords, he suffered for a long time —
The man who’s ill scarcely lives in delight!
He cherished and served his close neighbors.
He didn’t rob, nor did ever he condone it.
I know, lords, just as you’ve surely heard,
That Martha [was] his sister, as Scripture says,
And Mary likewise. As the text says,
God cast out and drove seven devils from her.
This Lazarus their brother was so gravely ill
That he couldn’t move or rise from his bed.

The sisters loved their brother very devotedly;
They were determined to give him tender care,
And day and night they gently attended him.
When they saw that his illness seriously harmed him,
The two sisters talked it over with each other,
And then between themselves they decided together
To send word to Jesus, who knew how to cure people,
That their brother was ill, he whom he loved so much.

In their message sent to him, they said
That he whom he loved so much was ill,
And so they hoped he might come heal him.
They said this to messengers educated to speak well.
They went forth, but they couldn’t find him in Judea.
Why? Because the Jews had wanted to kill him.
Nonetheless, if they found him, they were to tell him
That Lazarus was ill: he should come now to heal him.

The messengers found him beyond their country.
They told him the message as was assigned to them,
And they prayed him kindly that it not be rejected.
The Lord answered them with memorable words:
“Return, lords, to your own country,
And tell Mary that she may rest assured
That her brother's illness won’t lead to death,
And that my glory will become evident through him.”

They departed and Jesus stayed behind.
He called his apostles to him
And said to them: “All of you make ready,
For you will go with me to Judea.”
And they answered him as you’ll now hear:
“This plan doesn’t seem wise
Because the Jews might stone you.
Don’t go there, Master. There you’re not loved.”
Jesus answered this way: “Why do you say this?
There are hours in daylight: if counted properly,
As I understand it, you’ll find there two times six.
The one traveling by night is often hindered.

“Now all of you listen to what I’ll tell you:
Our friend Lazarus sleeps. I intend to go to him.
It’s true that I’ve loved him very much.
I want to go to him and wake him up.”
The disciples answered as I’ll tell you:

“Lord, if he’s sleeping, that’ll cure him;
If he’s ill, he’ll soon recover.”
Then the Lord answered: “Of this, you’re mistaken:
You’ll hear now such news as will make you quite sad,
For our friend’s been dead the past four days,
And he’s been buried. You’ll not find him alive.
Yet I’m happy for you because you’ll certainly witness
What’s never before happened anywhere. I am called there.
Prepare yourselves now — you’re coming with me.”

When the apostle Thomas Didymus heard this
From his Master's mouth — that Lazarus was dead —
He uttered a deep sigh; he’d never been more mournful.
He called to his companions; he wasn’t at all silent:
“Listen, lords, by God, to what Jesus has told you —
Our friend Lazarus of Bethania is dead!
We’re dying with him! I’ll never again know joy!
Everything grieves me because he’s taken from us.
We’re in terrible distress if Jesus doesn’t handle it now.”

Near Jerusalem the fair city,
Not fifteen furlongs away, truthfully,
There dwelled Mary Magdalene
Where she with her sister had buried their brother.
Jesus with his disciples returned to this place.
Lazarus who’d died came from a large family;
In the house in Bethania all were gathered together.
For their beloved Lazarus they expressed profound grief.
Along with Mary and Martha, there wept for four days
The Jews of the land (who were sent for and summoned),
Those of Jerusalem, of the fair city.
When God came to the house, they all were found there.

They had come to comfort Mary
Upon her brother’s death, for which she mourned.
Listen to the news heard throughout the town:
That Jesus has come, his companions with him!
Martha, quite amazed, went out to meet him.
At his feet she kneeled down. Loudly she cried:
“Dear Lord, good friend, I’ve no joy of my brother!
Alas, had you been here, he might’ve been healed!
Before he died, you brought help to my brother.
I believe that whatever petition you make won’t be refused.

“Lord, my brother is dead — this is the truth —
But I know and believe that whatever you ask of God,
He’ll give it wholly to you; you’ll not be refused.”
“Hush,” said the King, “now he’ll be revived.”
Martha answered him: “Master, this is the truth
When everyone’s gathered together at the Last Judgment.”
“Martha,” said Jesus, “do you know what’s the truth?
I’m named the Resurrection and the Life.
He who believes in me will never be harmed.
If he dies, then he’ll revive — such is my power.
Do you believe this?” “Yes, certainly, I know this is the truth,
And I believe you’re God’s Son, and you’re named Jesus,
And I believe that into this world, dear Lord, were you born.”

Martha was very distraught. Her speech was over.
She returned to the house like a frenzied woman.
She found her sister Mary Magdalene.
She spoke gently to her, uttering her words softly:
“The Master has come, and he’s asked for you.”
When Mary heard this, she didn’t delay;
She didn’t say a word but made haste —
She went running, all pale, toward her Master.
There were Jewish people who comforted her.
When they saw that she ran like a frenzied woman,
There were many tears wept among them!
And they said to each other: “She’s extremely upset —
She goes to the tomb, where now she’ll swoon.”

Not hesitating at all, Mary went to her Lord,
Who had sent for her by her sister Martha.
When she saw him, she fell at his feet with great love
And said to him, weeping and with great emotion:
“Lord, my brother is dead, and I feel deep sorrow.
Had you been here, he’d not have died, for you’re so powerful.”
And Jesus looked at her and felt tender compassion for her.
He saw the Jews weeping, crying around her.
In that place the Lord demonstrated great honor to Mary.

Know well, good Christians, there was neither jest nor laughter.
He loved the sisters dearly, was a good friend of Lazarus.
For that reason Jesus wept and was profoundly affected,
And he said, while weeping: “Come, where have you put him?”
Mary answered him thus: “Dear Lord, dear friend,
Step forward and see him — he loved you dearly when alive.
Dear friend, almighty God, listen to my words:
Lord, you’ve performed such miracles in this world!
Why do you allow the death of Lazarus, dearly beloved?”

Jesus listened to them and heard them well.
He went to the tomb where Lazarus lay.
The sepulcher was large and had a stone on top.
He spoke urgently and said when he arrived:
“Move this marble for me right away. I want it taken away.”
Immediately was Martha’s answer given to him:
“Lord, worms have eaten him — it’s been three days and more
Since he was set down here! He’ll never be recognized!”

“Martha,” said the Lord, “you’re being unwise.
You’ve completely forgotten the words I spoke.
By believing what I say you’ll be better off.
You’ll see now the glory that’ll bring great renown.”
With these words, the people gathered.
By his command, then, the stone was taken away.
The Lord raised his face toward heaven.
Sweetly to his Father he presented his prayer.
Lords, this prayer was very well heard.

“May you listen, Father, with your angels above.
Your Son sent by you down here renders you thanks,
He who’s known to the Holy Ghost and to you.
I know that I’m of you, and we three are one.
I took flesh on earth, and I have the name Jesus.
I’m among my people, but I’m not recognized here.
Therefore I desire, dear Father — respond only to this —
I desire that all might recognize why I’ve come here.
I know that by you I’ve been given great power
For which in this world I’m both loved and feared.
I desire that all those who’ve come might understand it.”
After he said this, he cried out: “Lazarus, arise!”

“Lazarus, come forth!” He responded instantly
To the Master’s words, he who’d been put in the grave.
His hands were bound, a cloth was upon his face.
“Now unbind him for me for I know he’s alive.”
And the Jews said this : “You were his friend!
Hearken to the tidings throughout the land:
Lazarus who died is [now] wholly well and alive!”
The Jews who saw this were completely amazed.
They remained with Jesus — they didn’t go away.

Lords, this miracle is well worth heeding.
Never before have you heard such a thing told!
Those who saw him perform these miracles —
Raise up the crippled, illumine the blind,
And give hearing to the deaf, make the mute speak —
Those who were there and saw this dead man disinterred,
Those who were there and saw this dead man disinterred,
They were moved deeply to fear, believe in, and honor him.
But the wicked Jews, when they heard it recounted —
How they ought to serve him and love him dearly —
They plotted how they might be able to condemn him!

When they saw the extraordinary miracles that he performed —
That he makes the mute speak and gives hearing to the deaf
And revives the dead — they were deeply disturbed.
They devised a plan that was extremely malicious,
And carrying it out was quite dangerous for them —
They were such devils, irrationally and insatiably bent on
Killing their Lord, who was so glorious,
So kind, comforting, and helpful,
So very wise, humble, and righteous.

Understand how it was that our ancestors wrote the Bible —
This book was made in ancient times.
Before God was born, a thousand years had passed.
God loved the Jews and showed them great love
When, from the hands of Pharaoh the powerful emperor,
He delivered them mightily and honored them highly
Through the Red Sea, so that they weren’t afraid there.
And he made Moses their leader and their lord.
In the desert he sustained them, who had no crops.
There he fed them with his manna of savor so sweet.

On Mount Sinai he spoke to Moses.
Before being born on this earth, he showed them deep love,
For he wrote their law for them and then sent it to them.
Although they didn’t deserve it, he gave them manna.
From the hands of the evil king who’d never loved them,
From Pharaoh, he protected them and drowned [the Egyptians] in the sea,
And he made blossom the staff that Aaron carried,
And from the dry branch he made almonds grow.
And then through the prophets he informed them and showed
That he would take flesh. He hid nothing from them.
When they asked for a king, he sent them Saul.

Then through meaningful election he gave them David
Who killed Goliath. He was a very wise man.
When King David died, Solomon was king.
He promised that he’d give them the Promised Land,
And, for this, when they died with no redemption at all,
They went to hell to great perdition.
Wishing to be born of their lineage, he came to be born.
Now listen, lords, how utterly evil they were:
They didn’t even want to believe the righteous Simeon,
Who held him with his hands very devoutly!

Indeed, hear about the wicked when he came among them,
How graciously he performed miracles in their midst:
At the wedding where they and the chief steward were present,
How from water he made wine, and how it was drunk;
How he healed ten lepers; how he made the mute speak.
He resurrected two dead; the third was Lazarus.
A man who had come from Siloam
Sought health for nearly thirty years and more;
He healed him. And when a noble ruler
Sought him on his son’s behalf, he was made all well.

Indeed, hear about the Jews, how wicked they were,
How they were hostile toward Scripture
(Their writings said this, as I know the truth):
That Christ would be born of them, both King and Emperor,
And he’d be born of the Virgin and have no father,
Just as John son of Zachary told them
And explained that God was their Savior.
But never might John draw them to the right path,
Nor Jesus by the miracles they saw him perform.
Now hear what envy! No greater was ever known!

Many times the scoundrels wanted to stone him
Because the sick came to him to be healed.
The deeds he did might no one else perform.
He made the crippled walk forth and the mute speak.
And because they saw him resurrect the dead,
Among themselves they began to talk of his death
And said to each other: “We need to find
Some plan among us by which we may condemn him.”

The richest gathered together in a house
And held a council about their plot to convict,
How in what manner they’d carry out the treachery:
“For it’s necessary that he die and not be redeemed.
Everyone follows him. He’s a man so very wise
That they’ll all believe in him if we let him live.
Then the Romans will come. We can’t defend ourselves from them.
They’ll take away our law; then we’ll be subject to them.”

Caiaphas answered thus: “Lords, listen to me!
I’m above you all, as you well know,
And I’m your high priest, and I know you love me.
You’ll heed my advice if you want to believe me.
You know little and understand nothing here.
It’s surely necessary that a single man be condemned
And captured, and for the people’s sake be delivered to death.
And this will be Jesus, about whom you speak here,
And, in exchange for him, all God’s children will be reunited.”
These wicked Jews swore among themselves
That he’d be killed if he could be met with.

Caiaphas was a prophet, as you hear me tell.
He said that Jesus should die to save the people.
From that day the Jews began to conspire
How they might kill and condemn him.
Our Lord didn’t want to dwell anymore among them.
He didn’t want them to see him come or go.
The Lord started to travel toward the city of Ephraim,
Which was far in the desert. He wished to live there.

Understand that Our Lord departed from that land
Because the Jews hated him, and he wished not to be taken yet.
He took himself far into the desert to the city of Ephraim.
With him went his apostles, who were truly his friends.
It distressed them that their Master was so vilely hated
By those who ought to have respected and served him.
Our Lord said this to them: “I chose you twelve.
One of you is a devil and will be our enemy
He said this of Judas son of Simon Iscariot.

He didn’t stay long in Ephraim;
As soon as he could, he departed from that land.
He went with his apostles to Galilee,
And he avoided Judea, which had ordered his death.
The Jews held a festival that they call Scenopegia:
“Leave this town, and come to Judea.
It’s proper that your reign be made manifest.
You’ll never have renown for what you do here.

“Come to Jerusalem, and put yourself forward.
All your kinsmen are there, the small and the great.
The Jews hold a festival, magnificent and large,
And all are gathered together, the old and the young.
It’s foolish that you run away in flight.
Come along with us and speak to the listening crowd,
And then perform marvels before their attentive eyes.
You want to gain praise yet you turn away —
It’s never been heard of that any living man
Dares not to step forward when he hopes to be praised.”
Our Lord answered: “You mistake my intent.”

“The world doesn’t hate you, I’m sure of it.”
“I know that they deeply hate me, my works, and my people.”
“They don’t hate you.” “They fiercely hate me —
It’s no wonder, for they don’t know me:
I speak ill of them, and they speak likewise of me.
Go on to the festival — I’ve no pleasure in it.
Why should I go when they don’t love me at all?”
They all left him and went away together.

They left him and went away. Jesus remained alone.
They all went ahead. He followed them.
He followed them secretly. He didn’t wish to be seen,
Nor did he wish that his disciples or he be known
By the wicked Jews, whom he’d caught sight of.
They wanted to kill him. They no longer cared to love him.
These evil Jews have utterly lost their senses.
They question the prophets, shouting: “Where is Jesus?
Why doesn’t he come forth? What’s become of him?
He ought to come now and display his power.”

The Lord entered the Portico of Solomon.
He was met there by the wicked Jews.
He’d barely stopped when they surrounded him.
Our Lord was violently called by them:
“You’re summoned here to this our festival!”
“Why?” “We’ll tell you why: because you’re much feared.
You say that you’re the Son of God, and so are you called.
In truth, you claim it. Stop being secretive!”
“Yes, truly, I’m he. You speak with the Son of God.
I know in truth that you will not believe it.
The works I perform, which you see every day,
No man’s able to perform, as you well know.

“I know that you won’t believe it. I’m not your friend.
I’m not your shepherd. You’re not my sheep.
So that you might be my flocks, I apply myself diligently.
You don’t care to love me, to believe any of my words.
My sheep who love me will gain my paradise,
And on the day when the dead and the living will be judged,
Then they’ll be at my right side and see my bright visage.
Eternal life with me they’ll have forever.
I’ll give them this gift; it won’t be denied.

“I don’t fear you at all — I won’t hide this from you —
Now listen fully to what I say to you:
God in heaven is my Father — I’ll not hide it from you —
And I’m Jesus his Son. I bring him as witness.
Into this world I’ve come; I’ll be here but a little while.
Nonetheless, I’ll protect his flocks very well for him.
Know well I’ll care for those he’s commended to me.
From the pains of hell I’ll surely deliver them.
I possess very great power, and much greater shall I have.
Because we’re one, we shall never be separated.

“Between me and my Father, we’re one, that’s the truth.
Nor can we — he and I — be divided.”
When the Jews hear this, they almost lose their minds:
“He fully deserves to be stoned!”
“Why?” said Our Lord. “Because you think yourself the Son of God!”
“Many good works I’ve performed, as you well know.
Now tell me why, indeed, you would stone me.”

“It’s not for the good work you do that we’ll stone you.”
“Then tell me why.” “So we’ll explain it for you:
You say that you’re the Son of God as well as a man.
God made you and you’re a man, and in truth we know this.”
“That’s true. I’m God and man. We’ll never be separated.
In the law it’s written — we bring it as witness.
I and God are [one].” “That’s true, we find it.”
“You don’t know what it signifies, but we’ll tell you:
Your law demonstrates to us that you’re wicked,
And it supports us as God’s Son in that we do his works.
Scripture doesn’t lie, nor do we lie.

“Into this world I am come, and God has sent me.
From him I am, this is true. He sanctifies me.
The Scripture doesn’t lie, nor has it ever lied.
The works that I do: who will reproach me?
They who believe in me will have many rewards,
And they who don’t wish to believe will have torment.
In hell will they take lodging, from whence they’ll never leave.
My Father is in me and always shall be,
[And] I in him. Very wise are they who will believe in me.”

Rich in intelligence, the Lord had vanquished them.
He showed them the Scripture, which was a thousand years old.
The Lord had defeated them. He showed them all to be cowardly.
Now they didn’t know what to do and were very upset.
They [Jesus and disciples] went to the city where the festival was big,
And Jesus entered the temple. He found merchants there,
Selling their oxen, their cows, and their sheep.
There he found moneylenders and moneychangers seated.
Before them they had their tables, changing their money.
The Lord drove them all outside with a rod.

He took two cords and tied them together.
The traders he found were among the leaders.
He drove out the sheep. He didn’t leave the oxen there.
He grew so terribly angry toward the moneylenders
That he threw down their tables and scattered their coins.
The chairs where they sat, he threw down at their feet.
He didn’t pause till everything had been cleared out.
He found a group of men. He questioned them.
They sold doves. He’d frightened them greatly.
“Get yourselves out of here! No foot may remain!
I want you to get out of my Father’s house!

“Do you imagine that the house was built for you?
It was built for my Father, and Solomon built it.
This is my Father’s temple and a house of prayer,
But you’ve made it a den of thieves!”
The Jews looked back at him, their faces all lowered.
“By my faith, Lord Master, we’re astonished,
And we don’t know why we allow you such license.
What sign can you make that we should obey you?”
Now hear about the Lord, how he returned a fine answer:
“Now throw down this temple, and we shall rebuild it.
In three days it’ll be rebuilt. We’ll spend no more time here!”

“Go away!” they all answered. “Who can listen to him?
We can’t fathom these marvels he speaks of!
When Solomon was king and had his great empire,
It took sixty years to build, and those were whole years.
He never wanted to cease till it was completed.
He’s dead — it’s a great pity — already a hundred full years.
On this account, we can’t ever believe or hear
That you’d be able to accomplish this in three days!

“Solomon was an extremely rich and renowned king.
A wiser king has never been found nor will be.
By all the seven arts, we know this full well,
This temple was built. It was fashioned expertly.
His father wished to build it, but he was too old.
Forty-six years Solomon, the old man, put into it.
In forty years it won’t be demolished by us.
[Yet] you say that it shall be entirely restored in three days!”
When the Jews had said this, they all turned away.
Jesus with his apostles remained alone there.

They’ve left him all alone. He’s not their friend.
They go away cursing him. They’re very hostile toward him.
Some say to the others: “Never heard we such words!
Unless this man is a prophet, truly he is Christ!
But there’s one thing by which we’re all taken aback:
We know Joseph. Jesus is his son.
They’re from Galilee, where Christ ought not be born.
Rather he should be born in a town where King David was born.
Which one? Bethlehem! So say the Scriptures!
This is true. It’s quite right that this thief be taken.
He’s not from Bethlehem. Let him be killed at once!

“It’s well known that he’s from this country,
And his father and mother were born in Galilee.
This man calls himself God’s Son. He doesn’t say it secretly.
People are led astray falsely. High is his renown.
He has extraordinary power. Many gifts are given to him.
Even King Solomon didn’t have such a destiny.
Because Solomon learned, the law was shown to him
And to all the prophets. That’s a proven truth.
This man has come to us, surpassing the people.
The word he says is neither contradicted nor rejected,
The law was not established by the foolish or wise.
All its meaning was formed entirely by the heart.

“Let’s depart from him. Never may he be taken by us,
Even if he doesn’t have the rich, the poor are his friends.”
Then all the Jews came before the Pharisees.
They asked them: “Where’s this enemy of God?
Why haven’t you done what you were sent for?”
“Why? Because he’s fully conquered and confounded us!
Never was such a man seen or heard.
He may not be arrested for anything he said.”
Thus said the Jews. “You’re entirely deceived!
Tell us if any of your people have turned toward him.”
“Alas, what can we do? How utterly humiliated we are!”
“You don’t know the law. Look at the Scripture.”
Thus said Nicodemus, who was very much his friend:
“I certainly believe it’s true, and I have here the Scripture,
That a man must be [tried] before he is killed.”

Thus said Nicodemus: “If you seek out the law,
Certainly, to my knowledge, you’ll find in it
That when a man is arrested he must be brought
Before the judge and tried on the basis of his own word.
And if he can justify himself, he must not be convicted.”
Thus said the Jews: “You’ll have to defend him
Because, reportedly, he was born in Galilee.
Look in Scripture where Christ ought to be born.
In the Scripture we possess, nowhere that you read
Can you find Galilee, but you’ll find Bethlehem.
From David’s line will his parents spring.”

They were very wicked and of poor sense.
They eagerly served the Devil and didn’t hold back.
They were more venomous than a serpent.
They pursued evil aims and very villainous plots.
This was their heritage, as it shall be for their kin.
To the deaf he gave hearing, to the mad their senses.
One day he healed foul-smelling bones of the leprous,
And from water he made wine better than spices.
Three dead he revived. He taught well the people.
He didn’t take gold or silver from any whom he healed.
They turned their eyes away from him and gnashed their teeth.
They couldn’t abide that he was among them.

The princes of the Jews drove him from their country.
In this they committed sin, for he was wholly their friend.
It was true. He’d shown this long ago to their ancestors,
When for many years they were captives under Pharaoh,
When they’d been utterly destroyed and almost all killed.
Then he established Moses, very young and small,
As their leader, and delivered [them] from the country,
Despite the wishes of Pharaoh and all their enemies.
Amid the Red Sea not a single one perished,
But in that sea he drowned their enemies.
In the desert where everyone lacked food,
For forty years theirs came to them from the sky.

They continued to be fully villainous and evil
After they’d been delivered from their captivity.
Pharaoh had been drowned in the Red Sea,
And with him his great host, by great destruction.
And their nourishment was given them from the sky —
Never did anyone taste a thing of such sweetness!
Moses was their leader. They approached him.
He asked what they wanted. “We want to have the law.”
Lords, why make a long sermon of this request?
God gave it to Moses without holding back.
On Mount Sinai the worthy man wrote it down for them.
Then they asked for more, these evil sinners:
“We want to have the Promised Land.”
Thus answered Moses: “That won’t happen in our lifetime.
After my death, Joshua the son of Nun will lead you.”

The evildoers fully owed love to Our Lord
For before he was born, they only needed to ask
And he’d give them everything and deny them nothing.
None of them was so strong as to dare approach him.
They were freemen till the day they decided to request
A lord who could reign above them.
Then he gave them Saul, a handsome young man.
[God] had them anoint and elevate him to king.
When he was king, Lord Saul wasn’t able to govern.
Many were killed — I won’t hide it from you —
By a villainous Goliath who wanted to devour all.
Then old men and babies began to weep,
Old and young women, to plead for mercy.

Then they all said together: “Evil be the day
When we asked for a lord other than
He who protected us once from Pharaoh’s hands.
Moses told us that we were traitors,
And said we’d suffer evil times after his death.
Now it’s come upon us, alas, lamentable sinners!”
Then Our Lord on high heard this lament,
And he sent them the son of a shepherd:
David, a child, was not of high reputation,
Yet he slew him with his sling, and did only one sin.
After the death of Saul, David was their lord,
Who ruled them well and with very great honor.

But the wretches remained of very poor sense.
The thoughts in their hearts were always dark.
From them came the prophets who lived a long time.
There were twelve, as it’s told, virtuous and faithful.
They still have the books they made at that time.
They said the people’s Savior would be born from them;
From the line of David would come his birth.
When he came, the villains didn’t even want to believe.
They saw the Three Kings from the eastern lands,
Who, in Bethlehem, inside a cradle,
Found him lying with scarcely any adornments.
And they saw the three gifts they gave him as presents —
They described it themselves: gold, myrrh, and incense.

They were miscreants and of the Devil’s lineage.
They never deigned to believe in God, the spiritual King.
And they found in books — this isn’t a fable —
From the mouth of the prophet whose word speaks truth,
That when God was to be born miraculously of David’s line,
There’d be for them a time of everlasting anointment.
And when he was born in that poor stable,
There appeared the angel visible to the shepherds.
And he said to them: “Don’t be afraid. I’m a prophetic angel.
I announce to you the joy everlasting for all.
Born to you is the Savior who’s a miracle for all,
And tomorrow, when daylight is visible to all,
You’ll seek him in Bethlehem, and you’ll find him in a stable.”
They sought him and found these words to be true.

These misguided people were deeply perturbed
When a star revealed to them his birth.
Never had such a thing happened openly.
Never afterwards have they viewed such a star!
And Herod, who was in that region, saw it.
Because of the star and the Kings, he perused the law
That said Bethlehem would be highly renowned.
Herod was utterly wicked. He disguised his words.
To the Kings he opened his entire country
To gain the child — it’s a proven truth,
As the unfortunate people could see
When the Kings returned by a foreign country.
While the king and his people grew mad with fury,
Their children’s flesh was sorely sought out —
Never were so many heads cut off for a child!

Lords, how much did this lineage experience grief!
They knew that for him their children were dead.
Never was so much blood shed for a child!
And how Simeon, who waited for him so many years,
He who always yearned to be delivered by him,
Held him in his hands before their very eyes
In Solomon’s temple, within their hearing:
“Now release in peace this weary servant!”
And how [the Jews] turned livid when John spoke to them,
He who in the desert was baptizing the people:
“You’ve come to me in the desert asking
If I’m the Messiah, but I’m only announcing him.”
He told them he wasn’t, yet he dwelled among them.

The Lord was come among them to save them.
He showed them profound love, but they cared not to love him.
He followed them. They fled from him. They didn’t care to meet him.
He dearly wanted to draw them in. They wanted to condemn him.
When he found them sick, he didn’t hesitate to heal them.
When he found them crooked, then he made them walk straight.
And when he found them deaf, then he made them hear clearly.
And when he found them dead, then he made them revive.
The sinners ought to wholly love such a Lord.
They ought to draw him to them and certainly not kill him.
But given that he could unquestionably dominate them,
He no longer cared to flee; he wanted to dwell among them.

The gracious Lord summoned the apostles.
On the Mount of Olives he told them his situation:
“I’ll tell you why I’ve decided to return.
These people of the Jews are very malicious.
They don’t care to love me despite all I might do;
Nor may I win them over by the miracles I perform.
Go into this village opposite to me here.
The festival is very big. They’ll want to make their Passover.
You will see a she-ass tied up in a yard.
Her young ass is with her for the milk it may suck.
No one has ridden it, neither count nor emperor.
I wish to ride on it, to go mounted to the city.”

“Go,” said the Lord, “into this village.
You’ll see a she-ass tied to a post.
Near her you’ll also see her young ass tied.
If someone should resist or call out,
Say that I need it, indeed, most urgently.”
The disciples left. They entered the village,
And they found tied the she-ass and the young ass.
When it had been brought, then he handsomely mounted.
Know truly that it had neither saddle nor cloth.
Just as the Lord wished, he rode most handsomely,
And he had donned on his neck a good cloak
With silk pins. The buckle was of gold.

Lords, I don’t want this to be forgotten,
For you don’t know the whole truth:
When the disciples were gathered around him
Before he had entered the city,
And before the young ass was led with the she-ass,
He said to them: “Don’t be troubled at all.
I’d like to tell you here my private intent.
I’ll explain why we go into this city.
Now the time has come that I’ve yearned for so much,
When the woman’s son will be seized and delivered,
Judged through treason and tortured on a cross.
He’ll be dead and buried and on the third day arise.”
When this had been said to them, they led forth the young ass.

“Are you the tidings? Are you the renowned one?
Are you the great joy throughout the land?”
Never after nor before has there been such a display!
From the entire city the people gathered,
When they heard that he who’d save the people had come.
They all issued from the city at the blast of a horn.
With harps and with fiddles the joy is sounded,
With horns and with trumpets from every side blown!
Old and young cry to him like buzzing bees:
“You’re welcome, Savior, in this country —
You were abandoned and forgotten for too long!”

At home there remained the rich and the powerful,
But the common folk and all the children
Take off their cloaks and toss them before him
As they go, tossing such garments before him,
And with leafy branches they cover the ground.
Now I’ll tell you, lords, what the children said,
Those who knew how to talk, not the unknowing.
They all climbed on the city gate, keeping watch,
As they saw the crowd — so big in every direction!
At the wall’s windows everyone is standing,
Looking at their Lord, for whom they were yearning.
And when they saw him approaching the gate,
All in one voice they began a chant:

“Gloria, praise be with you, good Lord, and honor!
Christ King, who came to this world for our love,
Redeemer and Savior who’s so very worthy,
Receive today with good will this childish honor.
‘Hosanna!’ we say to you with great adoration,
‘In excelsis.’ We offer much praise, none on earth humbler.
Of Israel you’re King, many understand this,
Of David’s lineage we know of none nobler.
Come, King, be blessed in the name of Our Lord!
The Hebrew folk receive you, good Lord, with much honor.
With their palm leaves they honor you and call you Lord.
This day receive hymns and prayers from us,
And then listen to us who are sinners.

“Come inside, good Savior, so greatly yearned for!
You’re King of Israel, this is the truth!
The prophets said before you were born
That born from David’s line would be God’s Son.
Hosanna! Come forward inside this city.
We’re all yours, good Lord. Much you’ve forgotten us.
Blessed be you and the hour you were born!
Never did a king come with such humility!
Well have you come to the celebration!”
The crowd was enormous. All have surrounded him.
All singing, they entered Jerusalem.
In the princes’ sight, they led him to the temple.
Placed at windows, they call out for him.
Into this city thus is he brought.
They all spoke this way — it won’t be hidden from you:

“This is Our Lord who is come here within,
Of the line of David, and he has the name Jesus.
He raised the dead and made the mute speak.
Of the three dead he raised, one was Lazarus.
Then many days passed when he was never seen.
When we knew of his coming and it was perceived,
Before he entered in, we all issued out!
He summoned an ass, and he mounted upon it.
In here he brought with him twelve lords or more,
And they’re not shod; instead their feet are all bare.
On this account, we’ve spread cloaks on the streets.
We cry ‘Hosanna,’ both young and old.
The children as well, high up at the windows,
Cry with a loud voice: ‘Welcome is the Savior!
Son of good King David, well are you come!’

“We were sorrowful that he had forgotten us,
But now we’re elated that he has visited us,
And we receive him with great humility.
To the Lord’s temple thus have we brought him,
With loud chants and hymns, for he’s greatly yearned for,
Because he’s delivered many people from great evil.”
All those of this city have brought him to the king.
“Hosanna” they cry, strangers and friends.
Lords, know well that this is true:
“Hosanna” must a man say to a crowned king.
The Jews who heard it there felt their blood change color.
They had such distress among themselves, they almost went mad.
At Caiaphas’s house they all gathered.
Some said to the others: “We’re in big trouble!
If we permit that he not be killed,
All will believe in him. This is the truth!”

“Lords,” said Caiaphas, “I’m greatly worried by this.
This Jesus is very wise, worthy, and courageous.
Nearly everyone is devoted to him.
There’s never been such in this world since Adam was made!
When he was in this world where he suffered such hardships,
By his wife Lady Eve he engendered two children;
After their births when they were grown, horribly,
Cain killed Abel. Nothing is secure anywhere!
The high Lord of heaven, who dwells up there,
Didn’t return him to the father, who grieved so.
And when, in the time of Noah, nonbelievers were drowned,
He protected only those whom he saw led into the ark.
When Noah died, then came Lord Abraham
And Isaac and Jacob and Joseph the worthy.

“All these are dead; not one of them remains.
They were very fruitful and dearly beloved.
And after they died, they may not be revived
Till the Day of Judgment, when the world has ended.
Now a man has come. We know well who he’s born from.
He’s as mortal as we are. He performs many miracles.
Before our very selves, he healed ten lepers.
Lord Lazarus of Bethania was raised to life recently.
Stinking putrefaction he emitted from the earth.
On this account, everyone has turned to this man.
Now listen to my advice, and well may it be heeded:
Surely everyone will be damned through this one!
So have him killed and all the world saved!

“It’s better that one man die than all perish,
And Jesus knows this — have him seized immediately!
Now it mustn’t be today that he be defeated,
For the festival is big, and a huge outcry would ensue,
This seizure would quickly be known by all.
All are gathered, the great and the small;
They’ve received him inside and set him in the temple.
So it’s fitting that this trial be postponed
Until they all may return to their lands.
Afterwards we can discuss how he’ll be betrayed,
And tortured on the cross and all his body destroyed.
Let us therefore leave this pomp and these cries.”

Lords who love God, listen well,
That God who dwells in heaven and is here in the east
May pardon your sins, every one entirely.
Know well that I’m not of very deep learning.
At one time I’ve heard and know very well
That God spreads his grace in many diverse ways.
About this book, which I’ve composed from the beginning,
Know well that I didn’t make it for gold or silver.
I made it for the love of God to correct the people,
And so that they who don’t know Latin may read in French
About the death of the Lord who encompasses the whole world.
I’ll tell you briefly in this book what I know about it.
And he who suffered death so as to redeem the people,
May he grant me that I relate it here intelligently,
So that I not be upbraided in any discussion!

Lords, for God’s love, listen to what I’ll tell you:
I’m a profound sinner — I won’t hide it from you.
I pray it’ll be better for me when I’ve told you.
I’m unable to tell you how long I will live,
And I’m unable to say what death I will die.
May you pray to God about this when I pass from the earth,
So that they whom I’ll name here may take up my soul:
Saint Michael, good angel, I’ll have in my presence;
And Saint Peter and Saint Paul, in their safe conduct I’ll be
Till I see Almighty God with his mother;
And the good Nicholas I’ll not forget.
If I am able to have them, I’ll be well protected.
I’ll have no fear of the Devil’s snare.

Lords, this mortal life is extremely feeble.
As soon as man is born, first he weeps and cries out.
He’ll never move from a spot if he doesn’t have help.
From a weak thing much develops. I don’t know how else to say it.
Take heed of King Henry and his estate:
He was King of England and Count of Normandy,
And Wales and Scotland he had entirely in his control.
He was fierce as a lion; he had a very great domain.
He had princes and barons with a big army.
Where is now this worthy man? Where is his dwelling?
And his great power? I see that it’s come to an end.
God took from him his reign so that he hasn’t a bit of it.
In an evil hour do we exercise pride. We bear envy for nought.

Man’s a very feeble thing and of a feeble nature.
When he’s inside his mother, he has a most poor enclosure.
He’s not able to move. He falls on the hard earth.
Then he cries and howls. Such is his destiny.
Man’s a feebler thing than any other creature,
For when the beast is born, then it goes to its pasture,
And the fish through the water, where it’s clean and pure,
And the worm in the earth, there where it’s hardest.
But the wretched man needs much nourishment,
First at the breast, such is his nature.
When he’s large and grown and of handsome shape,
Before he knows a word, he turns to rottenness.

Greatly ought a creature love his Creator
When he fashions him from earth, then makes him live and speak.
He grants him the capacity to know good from evil.
He knows well that he’ll die. He’s not able to last long.
If he serves him, he promises to protect him well.
But we sorrowful wretches don’t want to think about it.
We ought to love perfectly Our Lord,
Who from his Father’s throne came here to save us.
First in the Virgin’s heart he allowed himself to be conceived;
From the Virgin’s flesh he allowed himself to be incarnated.
Through the ear of the lovely one he deigned to enter.
He didn’t permit the day he must be born to pass by.
No man can say or hear or think>
Any more of his exit than he knows of his entry.
Indeed, I’ve heard it related here before
That the Lord allowed himself to be baptized and raised,
And, in order to redeem the world, first tortured on the cross.

Lords, you who love God, listen well.
What God did for us, no man ever did for a kinsman.
First, he descended down here from heaven,
From the royal Virgin, arrived at his birth.
When he was thirty years old, the Lord, in beginning,
First, from the river Jordan made for us a cleansing,
By which we are cleansed of great stinking sin.
On earth he walked for thirty years and always truthfully.
From many infirmities he healed his people.
Then he humbly came to Jerusalem with his followers.
He came on an ass; he did not come nobly.
He was received by the children graciously.
They led him to the temple very honorably.
But those who didn’t love him were quite upset by it.
Among themselves they decided that he should be tortured.

So much was he King that they came at his pleasure.
He cared not to go away. He cared not to depart.
Often from his heart there came sighs.
His flesh deceived Death, who had to come to him.
And he knew very well that he had to die.
And when three whole days had fully passed,
And the apostles saw him — he who had one day left —
They feared to approach their Lord.
Their Lord didn’t want to be distanced from them.
Nonetheless, they said to him: “The Passover must come.
Where do you wish, Master, to hold your feast?
Listen well to what we tell you,
For we’re fully ready to perform your pleasure.

“Therefore, tell us, dear Master, where you wish to eat?
Do you want us to go ahead to prepare it?”
The Lord looked at them mildly without sternness.
The Lord didn’t want at all to be angry.
In a kind manner, he instructed them:
“You shall go ahead in this city.
You’ll meet a man with a full pitcher,
And he’ll lead us to where we ought to lodge.
When you see this nobleman, speak to him first.
He’ll show you the refectory where I’ll be able to eat.
He’ll prepare you a supper quite large and sumptuous.
Go, don’t be afraid. You’ll not be hindered there.
Prepare there my most splendid Passover.”

“Go,” thus said the Lord. “Don’t delay at all.”
They took their leave and departed gladly.
They walked through the city without hindrance.
The good man whom they met gave them guidance.
They feared for the Lord, so they spoke to him quickly:
“Our Lord wishes to come inside privately,
And he brought with him many of his people.
Show us a good place where there can be secrecy.”
The good man answered: “You’ll have it, gladly.
Accept this dinner in all charity.”
They’ve prepared in a proper manner.
Jesus came there together with his apostles.

Lords, the gathering that night was quite fine.
It was very honorable even though it was secret.
The wicked betrayal was conceived that night
By Judas the wretch, as Jesus had foretold.
Now I wish that my account could be averted —
Never before or after was such an act committed!
Evil greater than any other occurred that night,
For the flesh of God’s Son was delivered to the Jews,
Beaten, dried up, and paraded heinously,
Struck, displayed, and trampled on vilely,
And for no cause imprisoned that night!
Nonetheless, that night was extremely fortunate —
Lords, that night many souls were saved!

Among his company was Our Lord seated,
The food placed atop the table before him.
With his right hand the Lord signed and blessed.
The Lord took the bread placed before him,
And he filled the chalice from which he had drunk.
He shared it with everyone. And when it’d been shared,
He spoke to them lovingly, as a father to his children:
“This bread is my body, which is shared with you.
Eat it gladly, and may you all be friends.
This bread is my body, of which you’re all children,
Which shall be betrayed this night for your sake.”
He extended his hand and took up the chalice.
He shared it with everyone, and then he blessed it:
“Drink,” he said, “everyone, for this isn’t wine,
But instead my blood, which shall be shed for you tonight.”
When John heard this, with sorrow he fell asleep.
The Lord took his head and placed it on his breast.

“Listen well to what I say to you:
Receive gladly what I’ve given you,
And eat and drink as I’ve commanded.
I’ll not eat food nor drink beverage
Of wine that comes from vine until my realm will be
Together with my Father, where I’ll lead you all.
I will eat with you then of my new food,
And I will drink together with you of my new drink.
Don’t be dismayed now by what I say to you.
The hand of the traitor by whom I’ll be betrayed,
He extends it together with you, but I’ll not name him.

“Good brethren, good friends, don’t be afraid.
I see and recognize him here as the traitor
By whom I’ll be betrayed before the day comes.
Why has he shown me, together with you, his love,
When now he wishes to do me so much shame here?”
When the apostles heard the Lord say this,
They were very upset and filled with deep sorrow.
Each looked at the other with profound alarm.
They didn’t know what to say, as if it were a vast error.
They had an argument there in front of the Lord,
About who was most masterly or highest of worth,
Who had the most power or the greatest honor.
Our Lord looked at the confusion in their hearts.
He told them he wanted there to be no lord among them.

From the supper where he was, the Lord rose up.
He clothed himself as one such as he should be clothed.
He girded himself with a linen cord; finely was he dressed.
Afterwards he took a basin and filled it with water.
When Our Lord had done this, he knelt very courteously.
He washed very humbly the feet of his disciples.
When he had run out of cloth, then he knelt down.
He dried the feet of them all with his hair.
But when he came to Peter and then approached
His feet, may you know that he was deeply abashed.
Very quickly he spoke. He didn’t hold back anything:
“Now, truly, your hand should not wash my foot,
Nor should your hair ever come near my foot.”

Then our Lord answered very gently:
“If you don’t permit me to wash you, know truly
You won’t possess a portion of me permanently.”
Then said Peter: “Good Lord, [wash] not only my feet,
But my feet and my head together with my body.”
Then Jesus answered, and he said this reverently:
“He who’s entirely washed will have no need
To wash his body, except for his feet alone.”
This [answer] weighed on them all; it disturbed them greatly.
They dared not object. They were very obedient.
Now they hear a fine sermon and fine teaching.

“Listen, my good friends,” he said, “to what I tell you:
You call me your Master. I am and so will I be.
You speak well: I am he, it’s true — I’ll not deny it.
I’ll tell you, friends, why I washed your feet
Now, just as I humbled myself before all of you,
And dried your feet with my hair:
That each of you may do to another just as I’ve done.
This example I give you all and bequeath to you.
Little time remains before I must go from you.
Let there be no pride among you before I return.
I’ve nurtured all twelve of you. I’ll not hide it from you.
And tonight by one of you twelve I’ll be betrayed.
Tomorrow I’ll be judged and die on the cross.
In the earth I’ll be placed. On the third day I’ll rise up.
Have no doubt, I’ll comfort you well.”

When they heard that he would die by their treason,
And that his body would be condemned,
And that on the cross he’d suffer pain,
Before he spoke of his resurrection,
They viewed each other with great suspicion.
They were deeply distraught by this murder.
The most upset was Peter who didn’t know what to say.
He spoke first and exposed his thoughts.
He answered Saint Peter: “Peter, I’ll hide nothing.
The traitor’s here by whom I’ll be betrayed.”

He looked at them gently and said: “Have no fear.
He who’ll condemn me is among you.
Know well that he was finer than anyone else born,
And you want me to say how you can know him?
It’s he to whom the moistened bread shall be given.”
Judas opened his mouth before he was called.
The morsel is next to him, and it’s well soaked.
His big jaws gape. It’s thrust inside.
The Devil entered along with this morsel.
With venom and envy he was fully ablaze.
He didn’t want to stay there and left very quickly.
He abandoned his Lord like a proven thief.
He abandoned his brethren. He left like a madman.
The Devil to whom he is given led him away.

Judas received the bread from the Lord’s right hand.
He opened his big throat, and Satan entered.
The scoundrel suddenly left running.
Ah, from what a Lord has the scoundrel severed himself!
Like a thief he went to Caiaphas’s lodging.
He found the Jews there, the wicked gathered together.
On how Jesus might be taken and condemned
They were holding their council, when Judas appeared there.
They asked him what he wanted and that he not conceal it.
“In faith,” he said, “I’ve just parted company from Jesus.
He came to his hostel, and today he’s lodged there,
And you can rest assured that I’m trustworthy.
I’ll betray him to you, have no fear.”
They all answered him: “You’re very wise, Judas.
For this betrayal you’ll earn a very large profit.”

In such merchandise they were skilled tradesmen.
He was much encumbered by those who were there.
Brazen Judas sold them the righteous blood.
Now they asked him what the payment would be.
Judas answered this: “Only thirty deniers.”
“If you do this, indeed you’ll have it, gladly.”
Thus answered Judas: “I am not a liar.”
The wretch held out his hand and received the deniers.
Judas was among them like a demented thief.
“And now, friend Judas, this is a great piece of work,
May no obstacle come to you by this covenant.”

“What’re you doing?” said Judas. “Why delay?
I want to speak to those to whom he’ll be delivered.”
He waited hardly at all till they were brought to him,
Before him in the courtyard, entirely armed.
The traitor said this to them: “You’ll come along with me.
Do you know the one who’ll be delivered to you?”
“Not at all,” they answered, “unless he’s pointed out to us.”
“In faith,” said the traitor, “if you pay attention
To the signs I make, you’ll know him soon.
While I’m in front of him, you’ll be behind him.
When I greet him, don’t make a move.
And when I kiss him, then seize him.
He has men with him, but they’re not armed.
If they try to help him, kill them all for my sake.”

Judas grew terribly wicked and detestable.
It would’ve been better for him to be dead and at rest
Than to have betrayed his Lord by a kiss of peace.
He acted as a scoundrel and a wicked thief,
To kill his Lord, when he set the trap.
Wickedly was his advice accepted and enacted,
By which his own Lord was betrayed into harm.
Never before had anyone committed such an act
Leading others to such a disastrous loss!
Ah, Judas, wretch! Why won’t you hold back?
Send the deniers back! Truly, unless you do,
You’ll never lose the name of traitor!

Lords, I don’t want to make of Judas a long speech.
While Judas dispensed his wicked counsel,
And plotted his monumental betrayal
Of his Lord, whom he sold to his condemnation,
The Lord and his apostles remained in the house.
Saint Peter said to him very softly: “What should we do?”
“I’ll be betrayed tonight by our companion.”
“We’re still eleven. We’ll be together with you.
We’re well armed. We don’t fear anything!
If they come here to arrest you, we’ll defend you well!
We’re all brave. We have two swords.”
“That’s enough,” said the Lord, “for I forbid that.”
He asked them all to be still and explained his reason:

“I don’t wish, my good friends, to keep it from you.
Long have I yearned for this supper.
Judas will come to me soon, whereby I’ll be condemned.
One thing I’ll tell you before I’m led off —
Before you reunite with me, you’ll be utterly scandalized.”
With this, he had a wondrously mild bearing.
He then addressed Peter again and explained this to him:
“Peter, friend, the Devil has asked for you all.
Tonight on this night, you’ll be fully separated.
The Evil One wishes to sift you as one sifts wheat.
Bring comfort to your brethren when you’ve returned.”
“Dear Lord,” said Peter, “may all go according to your will.
I love you and therefore I believe we won’t be separated.
We’ll be imprisoned together and led to our deaths.”

Then the Lord looked upon his sweet face.
It became very anxious and sorely perturbed.
He revealed his word, attentively listened to:
“Ah, good followers, I see how scandalized you are
That tonight you’ll be divided and made separate.
But don’t be dismayed; you’ll be reunited.
I’ve long yearned to have this Passover
Wherein my flesh is delivered to the Jews.
Tomorrow it’ll be judged and then tortured on the cross.
But soon it will rise up on the third day.
I’ll visit you straightaway in Galilee.
The sadness that’s now made manifest among you
Will be forgotten when you’ve seen me again.
Meanwhile, Peter, friend, may you be comforted.

Come now, Simon, friend, don’t be afraid.
I’ll be betrayed tonight by this wicked Judas.
I’ll be taken alone, and you’ll escape.
I know well, good friend, the sorrow you’ll feel thereof.
Wicked Satan wishes to sift you all.
I want you to reassemble when you return.
Don’t be too afraid. You’ll go to Galilee.
With those who’re here, you’ll wait there for me,
There shall I come to you, and there shall you see me.”
Answered Simon this: “I won’t be there!
I’ll be taken with you when you’re taken!
I’ll die together with you when you die on the cross.”
“Dear friend, good companion, instead you’ll deny me.

“Truly, Peter, friend, I don’t wish to hide it from you
Tonight you’ll see me treated most shamefully.
And before you hear the cock crow three times,
You’ll say by mouth that you don’t know how to name me,
That you never heard anyone speak of me.
But when you return and gather your assembly,
You’ll be together with them to lead them ably.”
Then all the apostles started to weep.
Then the Lord rose up. He didn’t want to delay longer.
He began to go straight to the Mount of Olives.
Because they felt sad, he didn’t wish to delay longer.
He left them all except three whom he had accompany him.

The good Lord called the good sons of Zebedee,
Saint James and Saint John, who loved him dearly,
And Peter his friend. He left behind all the others.
He privately brought these together with him
To the Mount of Olives. He showed them his thoughts.
Like a good father to his sons, he taught them very well.
Then he spoke to them seriously — he hid nothing from them:
“My soul is in sorrow, has felt nothing else so profound,
On account of the great pain it shall endure.
Stay with me.” When he had said this, he went away.
He left the three lords in grief and in tears.

As far as a man’s able to throw a stone,
Thus did he leave all three and withdraw himself.
I’m not able to tell you the sorrow he displayed,
Only that the Lord wished to speak with his Father.
Lords, by God, hear what I’ll try to explain to you,
If you care to hear and pay heed to this grief:
Throw off your pride! Learn to weep!
Indeed, you’ve never heard words of such sorrow!
For when he knelt on the earth and started to pray,
He had such trepidation that he began to sweat.
His entire body began to drip with pure blood:
“Father, your Son calls you. Do you wish to hear him?
Will he drink this chalice? Might he be able to avoid it?
You’re my Father, I your Son. Now let your will be done.

“Father, I shall drink of this chalice,
As there can be no other course by your will.”
Lords, for God’s love, listen to me closely:
Indeed, you’ll never hear such sorrow uttered!
The Lord was profoundly sad and troubled.
He feared death deeply. So completely was he afraid
That throughout his noble body he profusely sweated blood,
And the spot where he lay was covered in blood.
After that sweating, the Lord raised himself up.
He came to his companions and found them sleeping.
Their eyes were much swollen with tears.
They were quite troubled by their Lord’s sadness.
When he saw them sleeping, he called to them kindly.
Then he said very gently: “Simon, why are you sleeping?
Wake up! Come now! Beware lest you be tempted.”

They were stricken with grief as they slept.
The Lord came to them, a great friend to them.
He was kind, so humble and so compassionate.
And he said to Simon: “Are you asleep?” And he woke up.
“Now do you remember what you said to me?
That you’ll die with me? Now you’ve forgotten it,
Unable to keep watch for even an hour!
Wake up, come now, and pray that you not be overtaken.
The flesh is quite feeble. It’s quickly awakened.”
When he’d said this kindly, then he departed from them.
He left them very sad and crying and pensive,
And he returned to the place where he’d been earlier.
He feared greatly the death whereby we are saved.
He humbled himself utterly. Down on ground he knelt,
And he continued his prayer by means of these very words:
“I know well that this chalice will pass to me.
Now thy will be done, Father. Unto your hands I deliver myself.”

When the Lord had said this, he graciously rose up.
He returned to his apostles. He found them asleep.
He didn’t care to awaken them but let them sleep.
They were weary with grief. That’s why he didn’t wake them.
He felt deep compassion for them. He returned again
To the spot where earlier he’d lain on the ground.
The prayer that he’d uttered earlier, he began again.
He spoke to his Father about the death he feared.
I can’t express to you the sorrow that he showed there.
When he had said what he wanted, the Lord rose up.
He returned to his disciples just as he’d left them.
He found them sleeping but woke them up.
He spoke to them gently, concealed nothing from them:
“Now sleep, for here comes the one who’s already betrayed me.

“Sleep, friends, for you’re easily able to do so.
Behold Judas, who wants to betray me to death.
I was very good to him. Now he’s extremely wicked,
Along with the many people who shall be against me.
They have lanterns for the bright light they shine.
They have clubs by which they expect to harm me.
Worst among them is Judas, who’s so very wicked,
For his equal’s never been engendered in flesh,
For he was dead before he left his mother’s womb.

“Sleep, friends,” he said, “and rest yourselves here.
For he shall come by whom I’ll be condemned.”
Black is the night and profound the darkness.
They were disturbed by their Master’s words.
When they looked about, they saw a bright light
By which they were utterly frightened.
They saw where Judas came with no cloak.
Together with him were many armed men
With large clubs, spears at their sides.
The princes of the Jews had ordered it,
For their Master had been handed over to them.
He’ll be guarded by them all night,
And presented to others in the morning,
Condemned to death, and tortured on cross.
When the Lord was seen by Judas,
In a wicked manner was he greeted by him.
As though he loved him, he kissed and embraced him.

Judas saw him and said to him loudly:
“God save you, Master. Accept this greeting!”
Jesus looked at him and said to him gently:
“Judas, who are you seeking? Tell me. Hide nothing.”
At this word, Judas trembled violently.
He fell to the ground. He couldn’t stand at all.
Because he fell among all his people,
They all fell together as one.
Judas jumped to his feet, filled with evil purpose.
Then he greeted him again, as he’d first done.
The pious, good Lord answered him briefly:
“Whatever you must do, do it quickly.”
Judas approached the one he loved not at all.
Greatly did the villain show boldness of heart.
He secretly faked the appearance of love.
He wished to kiss him. The Lord allowed it.
When he’d kissed him, with both hands he held him.
Whatever he wished to do, he allowed it graciously.

“Judas,” he said, “you were formerly my friend.
Now I see well I’m betrayed by you.
By means of a kiss, you’ve captured the Son of man.”
At this word, they all rushed forward.
From every side, they all knew and seized him,
Beat him with their clubs and their feet.
Watching this was Peter, steadfastly his friend.
He drew his steel sword from its sheath.
He struck a soldier, almost mutilated him.
Very gladly would Peter have killed him.
On the right side he cut him thoroughly enough.
He made his whole ear fly, bloody, from his face.
Very gladly would he have intervened,
Because his own Lord was surrounded by villains.
He glanced at him to see whether he’d acted properly:
“Put down the sword,” he said, “Peter, friend.
He who takes up the sword shall perish by the sword.”

“Peter,” he said, “put your sword in its sheath.
I don’t now desire that it be engaged.
Know truly that that man is sinfully born
Who for evil intent takes his sword from its sheath,
For by the sword he shall be wicked and damned.
Have you thus now forgotten my words?
If help from my Father is called for,
A multitude shall be led before me.
No one’s ever held out against my Father’s army.
The army lent to me will be composed of angels.
The prophecy must be wholly fulfilled,
Which the prophets have uttered concerning me.”
With these words, he asked for the ear.
It was given to him straightaway into his hand.
He received it from the one from whom it’d been severed.
He healed the flesh together with the ear.

He took the ear from where it had fallen,
In his hand, the good physician Jesus.
He called to the servant named Malchus.
Then he healed him so that it was just as before.
Then Peter was taken and detained there
On account of the crime. He no longer wished to stay.
They led his Master away and beat him with sticks.
They tied his hands when he’d been thoroughly beaten.
They dragged him by the hair. They held him by the clothes.
Now they struck him to the ground. Now they dragged him upward.
They handled him quite cruelly. They could do nothing worse.
When he saw how they’d injured him, Jesus called to them:
“Ah, good people,” he said, “Why are you unmerciful?
Why have you grabbed and beaten me?
You’ve come to me like a thief
By night with your lanterns. I wasn’t hiding.

“Never did I deserve this, by night or by day,
Neither by the acts that I did — you weren’t the worst for it —
Nor by the words that I said — you uttered worse.
In the synagogue where I was each day,
When the princes and the lords were assembled,
There wasn’t a single one there, of whatever worth,
Who had reason to reprove me, nor did I fear it.
You’ve come to me in this darkness.
You’ve taken me shamefully, and you’ve shown no love.
I see well that you feel no kindness toward me.
I know that you’ll remain hardened sinners.
In an evil hour did you believe Judas that evil traitor.
You’ll be in great pain, but he’ll be in greater.”
To Caiaphas’s lodging, the high priest and their lords
Led him all tied up, and they guarded him till daylight.

Then they’d held him for so long that they were exhausted,
But they didn’t know why; they were all dismayed,
For very many had brought him, step by step,
To the lodging of the high priest they call Caiaphas,
Along with them they led this wicked Judas.
There they deliver his Master tied firmly with cords.
In front of him they joke and behind him they mock.
When Peter no longer had his Master, he couldn’t forget him.
The good man ran after him, growing thereby exhausted.
He found the door closed. He was much dismayed by that.
He had a man inside among those [who] loved Caiaphas.
He allowed him to enter the doorway secretly.

One of his companions inside allowed him to enter.
I don’t know how to express the grief Peter felt.
Had he been able, he wouldn’t have been separated from him.
He wandered long in secret. He didn’t care to show himself.
He didn’t know anyone to whom he dared speak.
If he hoped to find out, then he had to dare ask
What they’d done with his Master and where they planned to bring him.
They had a fire in the courtyard. He saw people gather together.
He went there to hear the news and get warm.
A soldier saw him and looked him over.
“I saw this one in the garden!” he began to cry out.
“I’m not he, truly, nor am I with him. You never saw me go.
I don’t know who he is. I never heard him speak.”

“Take this old man, this white-hair, this bearded one!
I recognize him well, and I’ve looked him over!”
Thus said one to another: “You’ve spoken the truth!”
One shouted in a loud voice:
“You’re his companion! You’ve ventured too far!
You were in the garden where I saw you fully armed,
Where the one who’s imprisoned was seized.”
“Be quiet!” said Peter. “You don’t speak the truth.
I don’t know the man, nor do I know where he was born.”
At this word, Peter made great haste.
He hurried to escape, but he was met
By a girl whom he’d addressed:
“Stay, master,” she said. “Don’t go away.

“Stay, Sir Old! You’re well known.
You were with him, and you were seen,
And you’ve been observed by them too.
Why do you keep quiet? Why are you so silent?
By your voice I knew you, Sir White-Hair.
How, Sir Old? Are you not Galilean?”
“No, in faith,” answered Peter.
“I’ve never seen him, nor was I seen in the garden.”
With these words, he issued from the courtyard,
The cock crowing then, he understood.
Thereupon he was upset. He couldn’t be more so.

The girl said: “So is the truth proven:
You know well you’re from Galilee,
And your word’s revealed openly.
By means of your speech, and it’s been well recorded.”
“Be quiet, girl! You won’t be listened to.
I’ve never seen him, nor do I know his homeland.”
This speech had hardly been finished
When half the night had passed.
The cock crowed at the customary hour.
When Peter heard it, his face changed.
The water came running down from his eyes.
That night he cried many tears.
The words of his Master had come true.

Peter wept, as the Scripture says.
This adventure of his weighed heavily on him.
He cried bitterly. He knew no measure.
The night felt heavy on him and quite dark.
He hid himself away under a hard rock.
He awaited the day. The dawn was bright and clear.
God judged whether he had acted righteously.
Now let’s return to the perjuring people
Who hold the Lord in their enclosure.
The wicked have committed grave offenses,
Men who are born with an evil nature.

The day was bright, and the dawn had broken.
Peter wept a great deal and lamented his fate.
When he had carried his sorrow for a long time,
Peter visited his companions,
As his own Lord had commanded him.
And the Jews, that evil people,
Who at no time wanted to be healed,
Gathered together in the city.
Caiaphas went inside the courtyard.
They’ve agreed on the death of the Master,
By which many souls were saved that day.
The court of hell was destroyed that day;
That of heaven was highly honored.

They gathered together in Caiaphas’s lodging.
Great and small came in, step by step.
They said among themselves: “What will Caiaphas do?
He wants to kill him so that he’ll live no more.
May Pilate be asked for quickly.
May he be brought; then you may judge.”
Pilate came amid their talk and their mockery.
They all were like false perjurers.
“Where’s your King?” he said. “Now bring him to me.”
“They’ve brought him,” they all shouted like a trumpet.
“In faith, Pilate, you must not love him,
For he calls himself King and bows not to Caesar.”
They also said: “Listen and you’ll hear him.
In faith, Pilate, you’ll marvel greatly.”

Caiaphas, their high priest, was a very rich man.
They were all gathered that day at his house.
Jesus was in prison in a secure cell.
Now the wicked villains have released him.
They brought him before Pilate tied like a thief.
At that time they agreed on the accusation,
How they’d kill him to cause his destruction.
Pilate, a very wise man, considered them.
He listened to the scoundrels, heard their reasoning.
He understood that they held him through treachery.
He didn’t like them at all, for they were despicable.
Pilate sat down, with all the princes about him.

As soon as he sat down, he was led in.
He stood before Pilate like a tame lamb.
He inclined his head but didn’t look at him.
This one is accused by many liars.
Pilate commanded order, and he listened attentively.
He heard and saw nothing for which he should be sentenced.
In the midst of deliberation, two false men rose up.
They cried out loudly: “Now listen to us!
This man calls himself God’s Son. You mustn’t believe this.
He says that God’s his Father. This isn’t truthful,
For we know him well, and we know of whom he was born.

“Now everyone listen to what we say to you,
And what we heard and hold against him:
We were in the temple. We heard his speech.
He urged us to tear down the temple of Solomon.
He said it clearly. Know truly that we don’t lie.”
When Pilate heard this, he called for Jesus.
Together with him, he left the pretorium.
He sat beside him, offered him his thoughts:
“Haven’t you heard how these wicked Jews accuse you?
Why don’t you answer? You’re too guileless a man!

“These Jews hate you mortally.
They’ll kill you if they can, very basely.
From all sides they accuse you quite violently.
I marvel greatly that you answer nothing.
And you are very wise, as the people say.
What do you say to that? Speak briefly.”
At these words, a soldier was seen.
He came running on behalf of his wife.
He hastily spoke a message to him:
“Your wife sends you greetings, truly.
When she went to bed alone last night,
She slept well without any disturbance.
A man was taken by this Jewish people.
At night she saw it all vividly.
She dreamed that he was in incredible pain.

“Pilate, sire, listen to my thoughts:
Your wife lies ill in your house.
She’s quite pensive because of her vision,
And she sends word to you that he’s a just man,
Whom the Jews have seized through great treachery.
She saw it last night. She wouldn’t lie to you.
She still feels bodily agony because of him.
If you can, grant him pardon, sire,
So that his body not suffer destruction.”
When Pilate heard this speech,
He ordered Jesus to be sent out before him.
He went straight to the Jews in the pretorium.
“In faith,” he said, “I don’t find anything there,
But it seems to me that he’s a truly just man.
He’ll be well beaten unless we free him from it.

“Be quiet, Pilate, we don’t care to hear you.
We won’t allow you to let him go.
It behooves you to speak in a different manner.
He calls himself King, and he won’t conceal it.
Everywhere he goes, he has himself called King.
He was born in Galilee and makes people believe falsely.”
He yearned very much to freely release him,
But when he heard them name Galilee,
He began to grow terribly afraid
All on account of Herod, who had the land in governance.
He approached him [Jesus] and had him brought in.

When Pilate heard that [Jesus] was under [Herod’s] lordship,
He feared Herod and didn’t wish to anger him.
He ordered his soldiers to get ready quickly.
Using them, he wished to convey [Jesus] formally.
In no way did he want to anger [Herod] more.
He had obtained [Jesus], so he hoped to make use of him.
When Herod heard about it, he began to rejoice.
He eagerly wanted to see [Jesus].
With his knights he went to meet up with him.
He yearned to discover the mystery of his miracles.
[Jesus] was handed over [to Herod]. [Pilate] didn’t pay tribute,
But he kept silent because he didn’t have jurisdiction.

At this time, [Pilate and Herod] were enemies,
But on this day they became friends
On account of the Lord whom he’d turned over to him.
Herod had sought him for many reasons.
He had never turned his face from the Lord.
The Jews were very hostile.
They didn’t ask anything of Herod,
Nor did he help one who’d been mistreated.
Herod heard all their accusations.
He took away [Jesus’] clothes. He had him dressed in others.
They were of purple, as the Scriptures say.
He returned him to the hands of the wicked,
And he sent him back to Pilate.

Herod received [Jesus] graciously —
Not only he alone, but all his people —
Because he had long yearned for him.
He spoke then, but [Jesus] didn’t answer anything.
Herod and Pilate greatly hated each other.
On that day they made an amicable accord.
If he had performed just one miracle,
He wouldn’t have come to torture by any man’s word.
The man was a heavy burden on Herod.
He asked him: “Tell me, first,
For what crime have these men arrested you?
Speak to me. It will cost you nothing.
Why did they bring you to prison so shamefully?”
He reclothed him in a purple garment.
Then he sent him back quite honorably.

Then they returned to where he’d been handed over.
They found Pilate and greeted him well.
Pilate said this: “You’ve brought him back.
What did Herod say? Take care you hide nothing.”
“He sends you greetings. Henceforth you’ll be friends.
He knows well you love him for you’ve shown it clearly.
You’ve presented this worthy man to him.
He’s questioned him and asked
Why he was seized. He answered the truth.
He’s never seen such a man imprisoned.
He didn’t answer when he was accused.
He always held his head inclined just so.
He didn’t answer, but looked at the ground.
Then [Herod] commanded that we bring him back.”

Pilate said this: “I’m very glad about this,
That Herod loved me because he is enlightened.
By God, lords, henceforth you’ll advise me
What I ought to do with him, for he’s a very great Master.
This worthy man’s been a fine teacher.
You’ve always reconciled with other men,
But he has, in my opinion, opposed all of you.
It’s been recommended that he be chastised.
Tell me fully how you’d judge him.”
They all answered: “Let him be crucified!”
Thus said Pilate: “You should speak better:
In God’s name, change your advice!”
Pilate was extremely angry,
And he rolled his eyes fiercely.
“Now then,” he said, “why are you so proud
That you don’t answer your adversaries?

“I know why you answer so unwillingly.
You’ve been brought to me by these high priests.
I know that they’re all your enemies.
None there has ever been your friend.
They’ve not undertaken to help you.
Tell me whether you’re indeed God’s Son,
So that I may hear it and know for sure.”
Then the Lord answered, his face raised:
“I am his Son, and what I say is true.
Hear what I tell you, and then you’ll be sure of it.
He’ll show it in the clouds. Soon he’ll not be opposed,
And then he’ll come down and rescue his friends.”
These words of his were heard very well,
And they all shouted together with a loud cry:
“Now may he be judged by his own words!
Don’t release him! Instead put him on the cross!”

When this was said, his speech was over.
A soldier had listened to him with hostility,
And he raised his right hand very high.
He struck him in the neck. He gave him a great blow.
Afterwards he spoke poorly chosen words:
“In faith,” he said, “you’ll never be forgiven.
He’s a high priest. The honor is given to him!
Your speech here has ended badly.”
Then Jesus lifted up his face,
And he said to him memorable words:
“Come now, friend. Why have you given me this
Before I myself had amended my speech?

“Come now, friend. Why have you done me such harm
When there’s no transgression in either speech or action?
It is not right that a man strike another man in court
Before he’s been known to be convicted.
He had no right, I don’t know what caused him
To strike a man when he hadn’t committed a crime.”
Lord Pilate went out of the pretorium,
And the villains dragged Jesus after him.
Thus said Pilate: “Don’t do him any harm,
For you know not how the action comes or goes.”

Into the chamber entered Pilate,
And Jesus went together with him.
He was questioned well by Lord Pilate:
“Friend,” he said, “you were imprisoned
By high priests and delivered to me.
You know from what lineage you’re born,
And from whom all your kinsmen issued.
Are you God’s Son? Tell me if it’s true.”
“Truly, I’ve told you. Why do you ask it?”
“I hear of wondrous things. How is it, if you know,
That power over you is given to me?

“Tell me why you’re so hated.
I know and see that you’re not their friend.
They’ll not stop, truly, till they’ve killed you.
I have the power to let you escape fully alive.”
Jesus said: “This isn’t at all my opinion.
You’ll not always have this power.
You have it from God, and I’m his Son.”
When Pilate saw he wouldn’t be won over by words,
He took his clothes, had him dressed in others,
And sent him back among his enemies.
“You shall be harmed, but worse shall be given that one
By whom I was brought into your hands.”

Pilate had other clothes prepared for him,
[And] a crown on his head, crowned with mockery.
He entered before him into the pretorium.
It was most shameful when all saw him,
For he wasn’t accustomed to be garbed in such clothes.
His face bowed, in the hearing of all, someone cried out:
“Behold the man whom they’ve led to you!”
Pilate called out: “Listen to me now:
Behold your King whom I’ve led here!”
Loudly they all cried out: “Seize him!”
And then they said: “Let him be crucified!”
Thus said Pilate: “I don’t do this willingly.
He shouldn’t die for anything that I’ve found.”
They all cried out: “If he’s not convicted,
You’ll never be beloved by Caesar.”

Pilate said this: “You have a custom.
You know this. You’ll not lose it on my account.
It was a custom you once maintained
That if there are imprisoned thieves
And one is asked for during this festival,
That he be pardoned for his crimes.
Behold your King whom you have at hand.
I’ll release him to you if you’d like to have him.”
They all said: “Don’t ever mention him!
We’ve chosen! Grant this one to us:
Barabbas who’s imprisoned!”

“Listen, Pilate! Hear what we’re telling you.
We ask for the homicide Barabbas.
You have him inside, for he’s held in prison,
And deliver Our Lord to suffering!”

Pilate said: “Never has he committed a crime.
Never has the good man injured anyone.”
They all said: “We’ve never heard such an idea!
We’ll take Lord Barabbas right now!
Jesus shall hang! It can’t be revoked!”
At this word all the people stood up.
All started to cry out around Pilate.
There’s nothing else to say: he gave them Lord Barabbas.
He released Jesus to them, beaten and torn.

When Pilate saw that he couldn’t win them over,
He performed their will whether he liked it or not.
Right away he asked for water.
In the people’s sight he washed his hands there.
He made them be still, then spoke in everyone’s hearing:
“Jesus won’t die on my account, nor should he die.
This worthy blood shouldn’t be shed.”
The heinous people spoke very loudly:
“His blood shall never be upon you.
It shall be upon us and our children.”

“For this have I washed myself in front of you:
Because his blood’s not been convicted by me.”
They all say: “You won’t ever have sinned here.
May all the sin be turned on us,
And may it not be turned from our children.”
Pilate jumped up. He cried out loudly:
“Be quiet, all of you, and listen!
It’s your Lord who’ll be released to you now,
[Yet] you say this: that you’ll crucify him.”
“By God, Pilate, you speak to no purpose.
We have law, and by this he’ll be convicted.”
Pilate wanted to be loved by the Jews.
In front of him, Jesus is scourged,
Beaten, tied, crowned with thorns,
And delivered up to be taken by the soldiers.

The homicide is released from prison.
The villains lead away Our Lord.
They’ve ejected the thief from prison,
And they’ll hang the worthy man on the cross.
These wicked villains have made an evil exchange:
They abandon gold and ask for lead.
They’ll have damnation by this exchange,
Through which all the world receives salvation.
They returned to Barabbas all his belongings,
While they lead their Lord to suffering.

Judas was all alone among the people.
He saw that they treated his Lord shamefully.
When the traitor saw him go toward torture,
With his eyes he gazed upon him very compassionately.
Now he apprehends well and comprehends perfectly
How they’ve treated him most painfully.
He sees him beaten and led to torture.
He becomes very distressed of heart.
He rushes forth without restraint.
He returns the thirty deniers he took from them.
“There are among you,” he says, “wicked people.
You don’t treat him respectfully.”

Judas says this: “I’ll not hide it from you:
When I betrayed him, I sinned very grievously.
The deniers I’ve taken for the righteous blood,
Know this: I won’t keep them!
Behold the deniers that I’ve gained foully —
You can have them back, for I won’t keep a single one!
Ah, wretch! I woke up on an evil day
When I forsook my Lord in this manner!
I’ll render to myself the judgment for it.
If he dies by my doing, I’ll die for him.
If they kill him, I’ll kill myself.
If he dies on the cross, I’ll strangle myself with rope.”

Alas!” he says. “How wretched I am!
Wickedly did I live on the day I was deprived of him!
Wicked was the hour wherein I was born!
This seed from which I was born on earth,
When from my mother it was vilely given me —
Better that it’d been absorbed in the earth!
Alas, wretch! How foully were you born
When for greed you were proclaimed a traitor!
Wicked Jews, take these back, your deniers!
Have what’s yours! Return to me what’s mine!”
With these words he threw the deniers
At their feet. Afterwards he went away.

“I’ve sold to you,” he says, “the righteous blood.
I’ve become a horrific merchant!
I see you making preparations for his death.
Take what’s yours, as I ask you for mine.”
He sees that the tyrants lead his Lord away.
He threw the deniers at their feet.
Now heed the wretched Judas.
He sees his Lord. He goes fleeing before him.
He spies a place neither beautiful nor pleasing at all.
Around his neck he sets a loop of rope.
He climbs up, fastening the rope.
The felon jumps down, then remains hanging.

Dead is Judas with the name of traitor.
For thirty deniers he sold his good Lord.
Judas hung himself with the name of deceiver
Because he showed no love for his Master.
Judas the felon didn’t want to stay alive.
He had no remedy for the deed nor any advocate.
He executed his harshest justice.
I’ve heard it said, and most people say it:
Such a death’s never been heard of since that day!
By this action Judas became a servant
Who for no reason betrayed his good Lord.
For such service he earned such an honor:
In hanging himself, he hung in dishonor.

Now is Judas hung and strangled,
And he’s given himself entirely to the Devil.
He was once very intimate with his Lord.
He severed himself from him very foully.
He took for him thirty deniers, all minted.
Now he repents and has thrown them all back,
But the Jews were not humiliated.
With these deniers they purchased a field.
To a porter were the deniers handed over.
Foreign and impoverished pilgrims
Have been buried in it since that day.
The peasants have given it a name:
“Field of Blood” it’s still called.

The Jews, those ignorant villains,
Take the deniers that lie before them.
They all say, the great and the small:
“We won’t promise anything at all,
Since they are given by us as the blood price.”
They hand them over to him, buying a field.
Thus, as the peasants still say,
Some call the field “Bought with Blood.”

We ought to speak now of the Savior,
And of his suffering, to recount his pain.
Villainous young men built the cross
Of beautiful wood I’ve heard called cypress.
Atop a high hill they had him carry it;
I’ve heard it called Mount Calvary.
They meet a man, Lord Simon, on the way there.
He came from Cyrene in order to listen.
They made this one carry the cross for him.
He might support him if he dared to see to it.
They made him raise it up atop the mountain.
Afterwards they have a crown prepared,
Entirely of thorns, and they want to crown him.

Listen now, those who have love for God:
You’ll hear of his Passion and his suffering.
They’ve entirely stripped him and surrounded him.
All mock him, and they make him other clothes.
They give him a much finer garment —
A crown on his head that greatly injures him.
Surrounding him are the princes and the lords,
All the villains and all the traitors.
They lead their Lord outside the city.
All follow him, the great and the small.
Some of them weep for the great dishonor.
Others exert themselves to make it greater for him.

This crown of which you’ve heard me speak,
They make it wholly encircle his head.
It was twisted and made from a briar,
And they make the thorns penetrate his head.
They make it cover his lovely face all in blood.
Down his face runs his blood, all bright.
He holds a reed someone makes him carry.
They make him sit. Then they pretend to salute him.
They work as hard as they might to mock him.
Whatever they do, he doesn’t wish to speak to them.
Like a lamb, he chooses not to utter a word.
They do more to him than I can imagine!

The wretches, the villains, they were excessively cruel.
They restrained their Lord. They didn’t treat him kindly.
They covered his eyes. They struck him on the neck
And in his face. Then they went about asking him:
“Oh, handsome King! You’ve got so much good sense.
We merely play with you. Don’t be angry.
Now you may figure out what we mean to do with you.”
They spit in his face. They abuse him greatly.
The Lord sits and allows it, nor does he look upset.
Instead he always awaits the good hour that approaches him.

They cover his lovely head and strike him on the neck.
They ask him to prophesy. Then they all take him for a fool.
They discuss his limbs that had become so very slack.
They spit on his face, but he doesn’t complain at all.
They all go about saluting him. Then they strike him on the neck:
“Hail, King of the Jews, who rules the sun!”

This people, lords, were extremely wicked.
Many felt very brave when they gave him blows.
And they placed a crown of thorns on his head.
And they’ve pressed the branch of briars into his flesh
Until they’ve bloodied his entire face.
When they saw that his cross had been raised on the mount,
The people of the city came, all gathered together.
They’ve led him to that place. They’ll not wait longer.
They’ve removed the cloak from his back.

The people of the city have come running.
All come there together, the old and the young.
The ladies of the city come waving their palm branches.
They run there to see everything, the small and the great,
To gaze upon where they go, leading the prophet.
On the Mount of Calvary they see the cross standing.
Around their Lord go the villains playing.
Very loudly they shout out: “What are you fools doing?
Where are you leading the Lord, you evil, wayward men?
How has he harmed you, in ways small or large?”
Ladies and girls go weeping for him.

The Lord looks around and sees them weeping.
He tells them a reason that he’s now able to divulge:
“Daughters of Jerusalem,” he says, “quit this sorrow.
I pray you not to act so on my behalf.
For yourselves and your children, you may weep,
For the day’s not yet come — I won’t hide it from you —
That you’ll want to call to the mountains and the hills,
And pray earnestly that they knock you down,
Because in no manner can you escape from here.
And you’ll call blessed those who weren’t able to give birth
And [blessed] the breasts that weren’t able to give milk.”

These wicked Jews, these evil traitors,
Gather all together fearlessly.
They lead Our Lord to his death.
When they come to the place where he’d suffer pain,
From which all sinners will receive joy.
They raised him on the cross. Hear how tenderly:
They nailed his hands to the wood most hard,
His feet, one on the other. And then they surrounded him.
They continued to mock him, these evil sinners.
With a lance they opened the Creator’s side.
They were full of the Devil and acted very foolishly.

Our Lord, there where he was put on the cross,
Looked down and saw standing right by his side
Mary and Saint John — I don’t want to hide it from you.
When he saw his mother and his disciple filled with humility,
Then God’s Son said to them with great compassion:
“Woman, see here your son, full of virginity.
Brother, here is your mother whom I choose to entrust to you.”
The glorious Virgin ought to be cared for by a virgin.
The lady saw her Son thus suffering on the cross.
Her face looked as if a sword had pierced her heart.
She understood that Simeon had spoken the truth.

“I am thirsty,” said Our Lord from within his torment.
There was no drink at all, but the people mocked.
The villains who heard it brought to him, running,
A vessel filled with a very bitter drink,
Containing a mixture of gall, vinegar, and hyssop.
They set it in his mouth, but he didn’t want to taste it.
Then he placed his might beneath his flesh.
“It is consummated,” he said, and he bowed his head.
His holy spirit then departed from him
Into the hands of his Father, as he had commanded.
Then he descended into hell to haul out his friends.
His body was beyond misery and the iron lance.
Blood and water issued down to regenerate us.
A knight struck him — Longinus was he called.
He didn’t want them to injure those bones.

“Sinner!” said Judas, “I behaved wickedly
When for silver I handed over the righteous man’s blood.”
They went back to the temple. That one threw himself down.
The Devil had deceived him. He hadn’t dared beg for forgiveness.
He’d placed a rope on his neck and strangled himself with it.
Remaining on the cross was the blessed God’s Son
When along came a worthy man who’d loved him deeply,
From Arimathea, Joseph was he called.
He asked permission of Pilate. Then he carried him away.
He’d prepared a new sepulcher in his garden,
And he placed Jesus inside, covered with a green shroud.
The ground against him began to tremble.
The temple split on account of it. Torn is the cloth
Hung in churches as curtains.
The coffins open. The dead rise up from them.
They appeared to many in the holy city.
The centurion and the others who had guarded him
Said that he was truly God’s Son.

The wicked Jews, armed, watched over him —
They’d heard it said that he should rise up,
But when the angel came, he had such great brightness
That, from fear, all the wretches fainted and fell down.
Mary Magdalene didn’t want to forget anything
That he had commanded her during his life.
In the morning on Sunday, the sun was risen,
And she visited him with the two other Marys.
They brought precious ointment with them.
When they came to the sepulcher, they didn’t find him.
But the angel told them that he had arisen,
And he showed them the place where he had lain.

Mary then began to weep joyfully for this,
Whereupon God’s Son came to stand before her:
“Woman, why do you weep?” he asked her.
“Sire, for my Lord whom I cannot find.
For God’s love, tell me if you’ve carried him away.”
Certainly, she thought she spoke to the gardener.
He called “Mary,” and she looked at him.
At once she knew him and then called him “Master.”
She wanted to kiss his feet, when he said to her softly:
“Friend, I am he. You need not be frightened,
But you’re not yet able to approach me properly.
Go carry my message to my brethren,
And tell them that I am arisen from death.
I wish to go to my Father and to them.”
Because of the grief felt by Peter, he wanted to comfort him.
And she believed in him wholly, and she worshiped him.
Then she went gladly to where he had commanded.
She found the apostles gathered in one place.
“Lords,” she said to them, “who love God’s Son,
He sends to tell you by me that he has arisen.
Go to Galilee if you wish to see him.”
Peter and John ran to the sepulcher to see;
He who arrived last entered there first.
They found the shroud where it’d been placed earlier.
Then they believed that the lady had spoken the truth.

But when he wanted to go see his disciples,
In the guise of a pilgrim he went forth from the city.
Two of his friends met him in the street.
He saw they were very sad, and he asked them:
“Lords, what’s caused you such sorrow?”
The one named Cleophas spoke first:
“You’re a solitary pilgrim, and thus have we found you,
Newly come from Jerusalem.
You’ve heard of the Jews, how they’ve gone astray,
Who’ve betrayed unto death Jesus Christ Son of God,
Who we had hoped might redeem
The people of Israel, who have sinned.”
The good pilgrim said: “You speak foolishly.
Haven’t you learned about the prophecies yet?
Earlier he had signified to the apostles
That he’d be betrayed, tied, and flagellated.
He had to die on the cross and then be resurrected.
This was required for him to enter his glory.”
For these good words they brought him with them.
Whatever they had, they gave to him.
They wanted to share the bread that he broke,
But before their eyes he vanished from them.
They were again sorrowful when he left them.
Then he went to Galilee to greet the others
Inside a house where they were enclosed.
He came through the closed doors to be among them.
He admonished them to have peace among themselves,
And he showed them the wounds in his hands, feet, and side.
But the apostle Thomas found nothing at all
Because when he returned, the Lord had departed —
He who’d made their sorrow turn to joy.
His companions asked [Thomas] where he had been:
“We’ve just seen the blessed Son of God,
Let there be much grace that he came to see us.”
Thomas said: “I cannot believe he’s arisen from death,
And I didn’t see the wounds in his hands, feet, and side.”

Eight days later he came again to greet them.
Thomas was with them because he had called for him,
And he showed him the wounds in his hands, feet, and side.
Thomas placed his finger inside, and he knew the truth.
His Lord and his God called to him gently:
“You’ve seen me and believed.” Thus spoke God’s Son to him.
“Those who believe without seeing shall be blessed.”
He dwelt with them for forty whole days,
And then before their eyes he ascended to heaven.
He gave them a teaching that made them quite joyful:
“Lords, my disciples, you who’ve served me,
I’ll not abandon you at all to an orphaned state.
I’ll return to you, certainly. Wait for me.”
Now a cloud came down and received God’s Son.
They saw two lords dressed in white stand near them,
Who spoke to them by mouth and gestured by finger:
“Men of Galilee who look toward heaven,
Jesus your Lord, who’s separated from you,
You’ll see him truly when he shall come to be seen.”
Then he returned to earth to comfort his people.
They saw the Holy Sprit descend on them, burning with fire.
It illumined them with knowledge and with languages.
Two by two they traveled throughout all the cities.
They wished to preach sacred Christianity on earth.
Those who receive baptism shall come to salvation,
And foolish evildoers shall be damned without end.

Lords, by such means God came to redeem us
Not for our merits, but through his great charity.
He birthed us again by means of his dear baptism.
For this are we called Christians.
He created us to carry his blessed name.
He released us all from servitude to the Devil.
If we don’t want to return there for our sins,
We must always serve and love him the more,
And we must show great gratitude to him for it.
I advise you on his behalf that you not hold back.
If you cannot find him, give to the poor,
For that is all his. Don’t be at all contrary.
Should you sin, don’t despair over it.
Acknowledge your fault. Accept penance.
Then you may have hope and faith and charity.
With these three virtues you can come to God.
But holding you back is the World, which wishes to trick you.
No man should ever serve it or love it,
For in it there’s never been anything stable.
He who thinks to possess more will soon be taught this:
The World has treated all your ancestors so much like fools
That neither king nor duke nor prince can escape it.
The thief has had them all stolen away by Death,
No matter where they think to be the more secure.
A man ought to greatly fear this thief,
From whose towers and dungeons a man can’t protect himself.
He doesn’t want to steal gold, silver, or rich vestment,
But he wants to carry off souls from bodies!
For rich and poor he has prepared a dwelling,
For which the windows below are in store for them.
He then steals back the worldly good — castles and cities,
Treasures and wealth — that he showed them.
He takes care that they never know pleasure —
None of those wretches — from what they’ve striven to gain.
Those who’ve done well shall head to safety,
And all evildoers shall be dispatched to hell.
To such a judgment all of us shall be sent:
One who’s sent off for evil shall never be at peace.
And the good and the evil will assemble together.
What each has done will be apportioned to him.
There shall all good people receive crowns,
And servants of the Devil shall be thrown into fire.
In stinking hell shall they thus be forgotten,
Never at any time shall God remember them.
This sorrowful lodging should men wholly shun,
From whence none shall escape after he’s entered.
For this reason we ought to seek out mercy
From our dear Lord who dwells in Trinity.
As long as we’re in the world, he can redeem us.
May he remove from us all that he hates,
And may it be given to us to keep his commandments,
So that we may thereby purchase his friendship.
May this be granted to us by everlasting God,
Who [created] man and woman, heaven and earth and sea. Amen.

[quire 3] [art. 2]

(t-note); [S528/K534]






(t-note)




[S529/K535]









[S530/K536]
[John 11:1]







[S531/K537]



(t-note)



[Mark 16:9;
Luke 8:2]

[S532/K538]
[John 11:3]
(t-note)






[S533/K539]








[S534/K540]
[John 11:4–5]







[S535/K541]
[John 11:6–10]











[S536/K542]
[John 11:11]




[S537/K543]
[John 11:12–15]
(t-note)
(t-note)






[S538/K544]
[John 11:16]





(t-note)


[S539/K545]
(t-note); [John 11:17–18]











[S540/K546]
[John 11:19–22]








(t-note)
[S541/K547]
[John 11:23–27]












[S542/K548]
[John 11:28–31]












[S543/K549]
[John 11:32–33]








[S544/K550]
[John 11:34–37]







(t-note)
[S545/K551]
[John 11:38–39]; (see note)

(see note)





[S546/K552]
[John 11:40]
(t-note)







[S547/K553]
[John 11:41–43]











[S548/K554]
[John 11:44–45]








[S549/K555]
[John 11:46]










[S550/K556]
[John 11:47]








[S551/K557]










[S552/K558]
(see note)










[S553/K559]







(t-note)


[S554/K560]


[John 2:6–10]

[Luke 17:12–19;
Matthew 8:2–3]

[John 9:1–41]
[John 9:1–41]

[S555/K561]





(see note)




[S556/K562]








[S557/K563]
[John 11:48]







[S558/K564]
[John 11:49–52]










[S559/K565]
[John 11:53–54]







[S560/K566]
[John 6:67–72]








[S561/K567]
[John 7:1–4, 11:55]
(t-note)


[Matthew 26:17]; (see note)
(see note)


[S562/K568]
[John 7:5–6]









(t-note)
[S563/K569]
[John 7:7–9]; (see note)







[S564/K570]
[John 7:10–11]









[S565/K571]
[John 10:23–25]











[S566/K572]
[John 10:26–28]








[S567/K573]
[John 10:29]









[S568/K574]
[John 10:30–32]






[S569/K575]
[John 10:30, 33–35]





(see note); (t-note)




[S570/K576]
[John 10:36–38]








[S571/K577]
[John 10:39]



[Matthew 21:12;
Mark 11:15;
John 2:13–14]



[S572/K578]
[John 2:15–16]










[S573/K579]


[Matthew 21:13;
Mark 11:17]; (t-note)
[John 2:18–19]






[S574/K580]
[John 2:20]


(see note)




[S575/K581]




(t-note)
(see note)




[S576/K582]
[John 7:39–44]










[S577/K583]












[S578/K584]
[John 7:45–50]











(see note)

(see note); (t-note)
[S579/K585]
[John 7:51–52]










[S580/K586]


(t-note)


[Matthew 11:5]




(t-note)

[S581/K587]
(see note)











[S582/K588]















[S583/K589]













[S584/K590]












[S585/K591]








[Matthew 2:1, 11]




[S586/K592]






[Luke 2:8–20]







[S587/K593]
[Matthew 2:7–8, 16]













[S588/K594]



[Luke 2:25–29]





[John 1:30]; (see note)




[S589/K595]












[S590/K596]
[Matthew 21:1–2;
Mark 11:1–2;
Luke 19:28–30]






(t-note)


[S591/K597]
[Matthew 21:3–7;
Mark 11:3–7;
Luke 19:31–35]









[S592/M598]
[Matthew 26:1–2]












[S593/M599]
(see note); [Matthew 21:8–11;
Mark 11:8–10;
Luke 19:36–38;
John 12:12–13]







[S594/M600]













[S595/M601]













[S596/M602]















[S597/M603]















[S598/M604]












[Matthew 26:3–4]



[S599/M605]














[S600/M606]













[S601/M607]
[John 11:49–50,
18:14]
[Matthew 26:5;
Mark 14:1–2]








[S602/M608]
(see note)





(t-note)



(t-note)




[S604/M609]













[S605/M610]




(see note)








[S606/M611]












[S607/M612]

















[S608/M613]






(t-note)



(see note); (t-note)

(t-note)


[S609/M614]









[Mark 14:12]



[S610/M615]
[Matthew 26:16–19;
Mark 14:13–15;
Luke 22:9–12]










[S611/M616]
[Mark 14:16–17;
Luke 22:13–14]










[S612/M617]













[S613/M618]
[Matthew 26:20, 26–28;
Mark 14:21–25;
Luke 22:16–21]












[John 13:23]

[S614/M619]
[Matthew 26:29]
(t-note)









[S615/M620]
[Matthew 26:21–22;
Mark 14:18–19;
Luke 22:22–27]











[S616/M621]
[John 13:4–6]; (t-note)


(t-note)
(t-note)


(see note)





[S617/M622]
[John 13:7–10]










[S618/M623]
[John 13:12–17, 21]














[S619/M624]




[John 13:22, 24]; (t-note)





[S620/M625]
[John 13:26–27]













[S621/M626]
[John 13:30]



[Matthew 26:14–15]










[S622/M627]

(t-note)









[S623/M628]














[S624/M629]












[S625/M630]










[Luke 22:38]


[S626/M631]
[Matthew 26:31–35;
Luke 22:31–33]; (t-note)


(see note)









[S627/M632]













(t-note)
[S628/M633]









[John 13:36–38]



[S629/M634]
[Matthew 26:30, 34;
Luke 22:34, 39]








(t-note)

[S630/M635]
[Matthew 26:37–38]










[S631/M636]
[Matthew 26:39]


(t-note)










[S632/M637]
[Matthew 26:40–47;
Luke 22:41–46]
(t-note)












[S633/M638]







(t-note)









[S634/M639]














[M640]









[S635/M641]

















[S636/M642]
[Matthew 26:48–49;
Luke 22:47–48]
















[S637/M643]
[Matthew 26:50–52;
Luke 22:49–50;
John 18:3–10]














[S638/M644]
[Matthew 26:53–54;
Luke 22:51;
John 18:11]













[S639/M645]
[Matthew 26:55;
Luke 22:52–53]
[John 18:10]













[S640/M646]
[Matthew 26:56–57]

(t-note)



(t-note)








[S641/M647]
[Matthew 26:58;
Luke 22:54]








[John 18:15–16]

[S642/M648]
[John 18:17]
Luke 22:55–57]








[John 18:17]
(see note)

[S643/M649]
[Matthew 26:71–72;
Luke: 22:58;
John 18:25–26]










[S644/M650]
[Matthew 26:73–75;
(t-note); Mark 14:66–73;
(t-note); Luke 22:59–62;
John 18:27]



(t-note)



[S645/M651]













[S646/M652]






(t-note)




[S647/M653]













[S648/M654]
[Matthew 27:1–2;
Luke 23:1–2]












[S649/M655]












[S650/M656]






[Matthew 26:60]




[S651/M657]
[Matthew 26:61–62;
Luke 23:3]; (t-note)



(see note); [Mark 15:1–5;
John 18:33–34]



[S652/M658]






(see note)





(t-note)


[S653/M659]
[Matthew 27:19]



(t-note)




(see note)

[Luke 23:4]



[S654/M660]
[Luke 23:5–6]





(see note)



(see note)
[S655/M661]

(t-note)










[S656/M662]
[Luke 23:11–12]












[S657/M663]







(t-note)







[S658/M664]














[S659/M665]
[Luke 23:13–15]















[S660/M666]
[Matthew 26:63–66]















[S661/M667]
[Luke 22:63–65;
John 18:22–23]










[S662/M668]










[S663/M669]
[Matthew 27:11–14;
Luke 22:66–71, 23:1–3;
John 18:33–35]








[S664/M670]
[John 19:10–11]











[S665/M671]
[John 19:2–6,
12, 14–15]













[S667/M672]
(see note); [Matthew 27:15–17, 21;
Mark 15:6–11;
Luke 23:16–20;
John 18:39–40]







[S668/M673]
[Matthew 27:22;
Luke 23:21]


[S669/M674]
[Matthew 27:23, 26;
Mark 15:12–15;
Luke 23:22–25]




(t-note)

[S670/M675]
[Matthew 27:24–25]









[S671/M676]
[Matthew 27:27–29]














[S672/M677]










[S673/M678]
[Matthew 27:3–5]











[S674/M679]












[S675/M680]












[S676/M681]












[S677/M682]



(t-note)
(see note)








[S678/M683]
[Matthew 27:6–10]










[Acts 1:19–20]
(see note)
[S679/M684]



(t-note)




[S680/M685]
[Matthew 27:32;
Mark 15:21;
Luke 23:26]










[S681/M686]
[Matthew 27:28–31]




(t-note)






[S682/M687]
[Mark 15:17–19]









(see note)

[S683/M688]
[Matthew 27:41–43]
(t-note)








[S684/M689]






[S685/M690]









[S686/M691]
[Luke 23:27]










[Not in S or M]
[Luke 23:28–30]








(t-note)

[Not in S or M]











[M694/695]
(see note); [John 19:26–27]








Luke 2:35]

[M695/696]
(see note); [Matthew 27:34, 48;
Luke 23:36;
John 19:28–30, 34, 36]












[M696]





[Matthew 27:57–60;
Mark 15:43–46;
Luke 23:50–53;
John 19:38, 41]


(see note); [Matthew 27:51–53;
Mark 15:38;
Luke 23:45]


[Matthew 27:54;
Mark 15:39; Luke 23:47]
[M696]
[Matthew 27:55–66;
Luke 23:55–56]




[Mark 16:1–6;
Luke 24:1–6;
John 20:1]



[M697]
[Mark 16:9–10;
Luke 24:9–12;
John 20:11–18]






















[M698]
[Mark 16:12–14;
Luke 24:15–52;
John 20:19–25]

































[M698]
[John 20:26–30]













(t-note)





[Acts 2:2–4]





[M698]

(t-note)












[1 Thessalonians 5:8]














(see note)


























Go To Art. 3, De la Passioun Jhesu [L’Évangile de Nicodème, La Tradition A], Introduction
Go To Art. 3, De la Passioun Jhesu [L’Évangile de Nicodème, La Tradition A], Text