Copy Book Archive

High Beneath Heaven’s Roof The Cross of Christ speaks, and tells of the amazing transformation from sign of shame to sign of redemption.
AD 800
Anglo-Saxon Britain 410-1066
Music: George Frideric Handel

© Olaf Tausch, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0. Source

About this picture …

The cross atop the icon-screen in the Byzantine church of the Panagia Ekatontapyliani on the island of Paros, Greece.

High Beneath Heaven’s Roof
‘The Dream of the Rood’ is an Anglo-Saxon poem, possibly composed by the 8th century bishop Cynewulf of Lindisfarne, in the Kingdom of Northumbria. The poet imagines what the Cross of Christ might say of that momentous Friday, when he who hung the earth upon the waters hung upon the cross.
Freely translated from the Old English

“NOW the time has come for men far and wide upon this earth to have me in veneration, and for the whole, wonderful creation to make its prayers to this Standard.

“It was on me that the Son of God suffered for a time, so now I am lifted up on high beneath heaven’s roof, and may save the life of any man that stands in awe of me.* It was I who was the harshest of tortures and the most hateful of things to every nation, until I made the right Way of Life open to those who have the power of speech.

“And it was I whom the Prince of Glory, heaven’s Guardian, honoured above all the trees upon the hill,** just as he honoured his mother, Mary herself, above all women, for the sake of all the human race.”

‘hælan’ means heal or save the life of. In John 3:14-15 Jesus likens his crucifixion to Moses lifting up the brazen serpent in the wilderness to heal snake bites.

** ‘the hill’ could be any hill, or it could be Calvary, where three crosses stood on that day.

Source

Based on the Old English of ‘The Dream of the Rood’, by Cynewulf.

Suggested Music

Messiah

Worthy is the Lamb / Amen

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

Performed by The Brandenburg Consort and The Choir of King’s College Cambridge, conducted by Stephen Cleobury.

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Transcript / Notes

WORTHY is the Lamb that was slain,
and hath redeemed us to God by His blood,
to receive power, and riches, and wisdom,
and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Blessing and honour, glory and power,
be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 5:12-14

How To Use This Passage

You can use this passage to help improve your command of English.

IRead it aloud, twice or more. IISummarise it in one sentence of up to 30 words. IIISummarise it in one paragraph of 40-80 words. IVMake notes on the passage, and reconstruct the original from them later on. VJot down any unfamiliar words, and make your own sentences with them later. VIMake a note of any words that surprise or impress you, and ask yourself what meaning they add to the words you would have expected to see. VIITurn any old-fashioned English into modern English. VIIITurn prose into verse, and verse into prose. IXAsk yourself what the author is trying to get you to feel or think. XHow would an artist or a photographer capture the scene? XIHow would a movie director shoot it, or a composer write incidental music for it?

For these and more ideas, see How to Use The Copy Book.

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