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28. The Eleven Pains of Hell

fol. 198rbIci comencent les unze peynes de enfern les queus Seynt Pool vist.

Plest vus oyer une demaundeKe li Deable fist estraungeDe un cheytif peccheur.Ke hors fu mys de grant tristur,line5De mort en vie resuscitePar la volunte de De.

“Unsely gost, hwat dostu here?Thu were in helle myne vere.Hwo haveth helle dure unloke,line10That thu ert of pyne ibroke?”

Dunke respund le mort a luEn le secle u il fu,Cunte en ordre, e cunte e distLes .xi. peynes ke seynt Pol vist,line15Des autres ke il an senty.Un sul mot ne menty.

“Wiltu ihere me, Sathan,Hw ich am of helle igan?Wrmes habbeth my fleys ifreten,line20And mine freond me habbeth foryeten.Ich mon wes, as thu wel wost,fol. 198vaAnd nu ich a wrecche gost.In helle ich habbe yare ibeo,That mon may on myn hewe iseo!line25Of me, mon may forbysne takenThat wile his sunnes forsaken —To wrothere hele he wes ibore,That for sunnes is forlore,For the mon that her wrcheth swoline30That his saule to helle go,In mo pyne he schal beoThan foweles under heovene fleo!

stanza1

Erest, ther beoth bernynde treonNo mon ne may herre iseon,line35Ther the saulen beoth anhonThat her habbeth sunnes idonAnd nolden never to chireche gon.Forthi, hi tholieth ther such won.Thickure hi hongeth her over alline40Than don been in wynter stal.

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Seththen, ther is on ouen ihat.Seove deovlen thar stondeth at,And the saulen underfoth,And heom into the fure doth.line45Thinges ther beoth al abutenThat mon auhte muchel duten:Snou and is, and lyvred blod;Snaken and neddren stingeth for wodOf that fur heo doth heom therline50And eft also hi weren er.Hwich saule the ther cumeth toNaveth heo never reste ne ro.Heo wolde deye ac heo ne may —fol. 198vbAc ther heom tyd beon alne way.line55Swich pyne heo tholie schalThat wes of his fleysse to galAnd nolde leten his fleysses wil,Ac folewede al that wes unskil;And ther heo tholyeth swich wondrawen,line60That her arereden unryhte lawen;Thider cumeth the saulen ilomeThat her demde false domes.Mo saulen tholieth ther swich woThene fysses swimme other fueles go!line65Heo gredeth lude and wepeth sore,Ac bote ne tyd heom never more.

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A hwel of stele is further mo,And berneth lihte and turneth o;A thusend spoken beoth theron,line70And pykes over al idon.Ther schule the saulen beo todraweThat her arereden unryhte lawe.Mo saulen tholieth ther sucche woweThane be flothre in the snowe.

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line75Further, ther is a water wallinde hot,That is deop and long and brod,Blakkure than the swarte pich,And stynketh so forholde lychOf uych a wrm that atter berethline80Other hit stingeth other hit tereth.Ifulled is that fule poolThat ever is hot and never cool.Bisydes stondeth an feondes trume,And wayteth hwenne the saules cume.line85Heo hire awarieth al athrepfol. 199raAl so wulves doth the scep.Hwenne the feondes heom forleteth,Snakes and neddren heom imetethAnd dreyeth heom into a welline90Ther heo tholyeth al unsel.Hwenne heo habbeth so idon,Eft hit beoth heom al fornon.Ne may he segge ‘waylawei’That so schule pynes nyht and day.line95Summe me may ther iseonThat stondeth up to heore kneon,And summe to heore mydtheyh,And summe to heore uvere breyh,And summe riht to heore theth,line100As he her his sunnes deth.Bakbiteres weren theoThat stondeth up to heore kneo;That wes heore other copynereStondeth up to heore swere;line105And heo that her wedlac breketh,To heore muthe the flod taketh;He that is glad of othres harmeStondeth up into than arme;That spek in chirche that nes no god,line110To his muthe taketh the flod;That wreyeth his sibbe other him fled,Abuven his eyen the flod geth;That doth his wil that nys noht ryht,Of him, ne may me iseo nowiht!line115Hwo is wis bi me, beo warThat his saule ne cume thar,For theyh the middenerd ago,fol. 199rbHeore pyne ilesteth o.

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Vurthur, is a ful deop fenline120Ful of wowares and of wymmen.The stude is thustrore thene the nyht,For ther ne cumeth never lyht,And stinketh fulre thane the hundFor brunston walleth at the grund.line125Ten thusend feondes and wel moThar freteth heore tunge a twoAnd dreyeth ut heore braynVor heo weren of gavele vayn;Such is heore pyne ther,line130Vor heo weren gavelers her.Thenne beoth the wymmen further idonThat nowiht nabbeth heom upon —Heom me drepeth myd the picheAs we brede with the spiche.line135Neddren heore breosten suketh,And snakes heore eyen luketh;Hellehundes gnaweth heore feet,And four feondes heom stondeth at,For heo heore maydenhod lureline140Er heo come to chireche dure,And furduden heore istreonThat hit ne moste ifulled beon.Heo hit wurpen hundes other swin.Forthi, hi tholieth thar such pyn.

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line145Vurther, ther beoth wimmen and wapmen boThat feondes dreyeth al a two;Hwenne hi beoth so todrawen,Gripes freteth heore mawen.Half heo doth in o fur,fol. 199vaAnd half into a froren mur;line151And heore ineward, uych del —Ne beo the tharm ne so smel —Eft heo werpeth, al in al,And wurcheth to that ilke gal.line155Uvele, heo beoth ipyned ynouh,That her duden with heom woh,Other reveden wrecches heore lond,And brohten heom to muchel scond,He ne funde fader ne freond hom by.line160Forthi, me drof hom of londe awy;Of heom hi token unriht mol!Forthi, hi drayeth myd such sol.

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Vurther, ther is o wateres flodThat is ymeynd al with blod;line165A thusen saulen ther beoth biSore ofthurst and ful hungri.In fure hi berneth al awey,And so doth that water, nyht and day.Ne moten heo biden never o sope,line170Nabben heo never so muche hope.Such pine hi habbeth imet,That breken the hesten that weren isetIn Holy Chirche over al.Forthi, hi pleyeth myd such bal.

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line175Vurther, ther beoth olde menThat among neddren habbeth heore den;Heom heo tostyngeth uychon,And freteth heore fleys to the bon,And neddren suketh heore braynfol. 199vbAnd creopeth ut and in ayeyn.181Summe beoth furbrend and summe ifrore,And alle the bones beoth todrore.Hwenne hi beoth ifrete uychon,Eft hi beoth al in on,line185Noht for to wenden heom from,Ac for eft tholie that wrecchedom.Heo woneth and groneth day and nyht,Ac hit ne helpeth heom nowiht,For heo nolden beon ischrivenline190The hwile that hi mosten lyven.Four deofle heom stondeth bi,That pyneth heom ful reuly.Unsely men, hwi neren hi warThe hwile that hi lyveden her?line195Hwi nolden heo don for him no godThat heom lesede wyth his blod,And yef us hus and lond and wif,And wit and wisdom and joye and lyf,And al that wes in worlde god?line200And non of heom hit ne understod;Heo nolden noht thenche theron,Ne povre wrecches no god don.Heo wenden hit scholde lesten o.Forthi heo beoth in suche wo!line205Preostes heste ne Godes layNe heolden hi noht bi heore day,Ac trichurs and lyeres, and lesThat weren her — wo is ham thes!Ne wenden heo nevermore beon ded,fol. 200raFor that wes thes feondes red,211Ac ever as heo lyveden lengur,So here pynen were strengur.Heo beoth iput in thilke trumeThat ne levede nouht in Godes Sone,line215Ne that Ihesuc wes iborenOf that mayde that wes icorenFor to nymen that holy streon.Wel wes him that hit moste iseon.

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In helle is a deop gayhol;line220Tharunder is a ful hot pol.Ten thusend deoflen and wel moTher doth the wrecche saulen wo,That nymeth eaules and heom totereth.Nis ther non that heom atdareth.line225Ho stondeth, thustrur thane the nyht,Theo that demde Jesu Crist;Nis non other pine so strongAs the stunch that heom is among.An heyh tofore than hevene King,line230Of heom ne speketh me nothing;Ne dar no seynt heom bidde foreForthi heo beoth ever furlore.

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Vurther, ther his onother putThat ne cumeth never undut;line235Seove duren ther beoth onThe saulen for to underfon.Lyhtliche me may cume therinne,Ac up never for none gynne;To so deop hit is wel neyhfol. 200rbAs heovene is, from the eorthe, heyh.line241Therinne goth soulen thikkure inouhThan leves fallen of the bouh.The put is hot at helle grunde.Tharinne, is mony on hungri hund —line245Mo hundes therinne beothThane foweles under heovene fleoth —And the lyun that wes so strong,That al the worlde underfongEr that he was ibrouht adunline250With Cristes holy passyun.

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Therunder, is of iren a walThat is of saulen ifuld al,On heom is mony yrene beond,That is hatture thene the brond.line255Therinne beoth the saulen idonThat weren biheaveded other anhon,Other that so hedden ispedThat leyen hedden in theovene bed,Other weren mansed bi nomeline260Forthi heo habbeth Godes grome.”

Ich wile segge eu a soth:Hwoso hit halt, god hit him doth.Hit is iwriten on the Bok,For witnesse therof ich tok.line265Theyh on hundred heveden isetenSeoththe Kaym wes biyeten,And nyht and day heveden iwaked,And teth and tunge of stel imaked,And tolden of helle pyne o,fol. 200vaYet ther beoth a thusend mo!line271Hwose is wis beo ywarThat his saule ne cume thar!Vor theyh hi greden evermoNe helph heom wurth o slo.line275Ac bidde we Crist that is us buve,For his swete moder luve,Leve us suche werkes wurcheAnd so anuren Holy ChirecheHwarthurh we beon iborewe,line280And ibrouht ut of kare and seorewe.

Ki ces .xi. peynes escryvera;Bon aventure ly avendra.

Hwoso wrot thes pynen ellevene,His soule mote cumme te heveneline285And pleye ther myd engles bryhte,Ther heo beoth in hevene lyhte;And nabbe he never Godes grome,For Hug’ is his rihte nome,And he is curteys and hendy.line290Thi, god him lete wel endy.Amen.

Expliciunt .xj. pene inferni quas vidit beatus Paulus.

fol. 198rbHere begin the eleven pains of hell that Saint Paul saw.

I ask that you please listenTo how the Devil had a disputeWith a miserable sinner.He was released from great sorrow,line5Raised from death into lifeBy the will of God.

“Miserable spirit, what are you doing here?You were my companion in hell.Who’s unlocked the door of hell,line10Releasing you from pain?”

Then responds the dead to himIn the world where he was,Recounts in order, describes and tellsThe eleven pains that Saint Paul saw,line15And others that he’d experienced.Not a single word lies.

“Will you listen to me, Satan,About how I’ve been freed from hell?Worms have gnawed my flesh,line20And my friends have forgotten me.I was a man, as you well know,fol. 198vaAnd now I’m a miserable spirit.I’ve been in hell a long time,As anyone can see by my hue!line25In me, one may learn a lessonSo that he may give up his sins —To destruction he will be borne,Lost because of sins,Because whoever behaves hereline30Such that his soul goes to hell,He’ll be in pains more numerousThan than the birds flying under heaven!

stanza1

First, there are burning treesLike none that one may see here,line35Whereon are hung the soulsWho here have committed sinsAnd refused to ever go to church.For that, they suffer there such woes.There they hang in greater thicknessline40Than do bees in their winter’s hive.

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Next, there is a hot furnace.Seven devils stand at it,With souls underfoot,Tossing them into the fire.line45There are things all aroundThat men fear greatly:Snow and ice, and clotted blood;Snakes and adders fiercely stingWhoever’s thrown in that fireline50And also those already there.Whichever soul they attack thereHas never any rest or relief.They want to die but can’t —fol. 198vbWhat they get there is something else.line55Such pain will they sufferWho were of their flesh too lasciviousAnd wouldn’t control their flesh’s desire,But followed all that was wrong;There they suffer such miseries,line60Who here enacted unjust laws;Thither come often the soulsWho here judged false judgments.More souls suffer there such woeThan fish swim or birds fly!line65They cry out loudly and weep hard,But remedy helps them nevermore.

stanza3

A wheel of steel is further along,And burns bright and turns perpetually;A thousand spokes are on it,line70And spikes set all over it.Thereon will the souls be torn apartWho here enacted unjust laws.More souls suffer there such woeThan are snowflakes in the snow.

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line75Further on, there’s a river boiling hot,Deep and long and broad,Blacker than swarthy pitch,And stinking like an overripe corpseWith poisonous worms thatline80Sting it or tear at it.Befouled is that foul poolThat’s always hot and never cool.Beside it stands a devil’s troop,Awaiting when the souls come.line85They strangle them in flocksfol. 199raJust as wolves do sheep.When the fiends let go of them,Snakes and adders come upon themAnd draw them into a wellline90Where they suffer terribly.After this has been done to them,It happens to them again and again.He cannot utter ‘waylaway’Who suffers such pains night and day.line95There are some seen thereWho stand up to their knees,And some to their thighs,And some to their upper brows,And some right to their teeth,line100Just as he committed his sins here.Backbiters were theyWho stand up to their knees;Those who were whores or paramoursStand up to their necks;line105And those who broke wedlock,To their mouths receive the river;He who’s glad of others’ harmStands up to his arms;He who speaks idly in church,line110To his mouth receives the river;He who accuses or abandons his brother,The river goes above his eyes;He who willfully does what’s not right,Of him, one sees nothing at all!line115Whoever seeks wisdom from me, bewareThat his soul never come there,For even if the world passes away,fol. 199rbTheir pain lasts forever.

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Further on, is a very deep swampline120Full of wooers and women.The place is darker than night,For light never comes there,And stinks fouler than a mongrelBecause brimstone wells from the ground.line125Ten thousand fiends and even moreThere chew their tongues in twoAnd draw out their brainsFor they were desirous of tribute;Such is their pain there,line130For they were usurers here.The women are placed further onHaving nothing at all on them —They baste them with pitchAs we roast meat with grease.line135Adders suck their breasts,And snakes close up their eyes;Hellhounds gnaw their feet,And four fiends stand near them,Because they lost their virginityline140Before they came to the church door,And destroyed their offspringSo that it couldn’t be baptized.They cast it out to hounds or swine.For that, they suffer there such pain.

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line145Further on, there are women and menBeing split in two by fiends;As they are drawn in such a manner,Vultures devour their stomachs.They throw half into a fire,fol. 199vaAnd half into a frozen marsh;line151And their innards, every bit —No matter how small is their gut —They cast out likewise, all in all,And similarly treat the gall bladder.line155Vilely, they’re made to suffer plenty,Whoever here caused woe with them,Or stole from poor wretches their land,And brought them to great disgrace,Those who were fatherless and friendless.line160For that, they drove them off their land;From them they took an unjust tribute!For that, they are gutted so filthily.

stanza7

Further on, there’s a watery streamThat’s all mixed with blood;line165Therein are a thousand soulsDesperately thirsty and very hungry.All of them always in fire burn,And so does that water, night and day.They may never expect a sip,line170Nor do they ever have any hope.Such pain are they in,Who broke the commandments setIn Holy Church over everyone.For that, they play with so much sorrow.

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line175Further on, there are old menWho dwell among adders;They sting every one of them,And gnaw their flesh to the bone,And adders suck their brainsfol. 199vbAnd crawl out and in again.line181Some are burning, some freezing,And all the bones have fallen apart.When they’ve been all consumed,Again they join all into one,line185Not in order to leave them,But to suffer again that wretchedness.They lament and groan day and night,But it doesn’t help them at all,For they wouldn’t be shrivenline190When they were alive.Four devils stand near them,Torturing them grievously.Wretched men, why weren’t they waryWhile they lived here?line195Why wouldn’t they do good for himWho delivered them with his blood,And gave us house and land and wife,And wit and wisdom and joy and life,And all that was good in the world?line200Yet none of them understood it;They wouldn’t consider that,Or do good for poor wretches.They thought it’d last forever.For that, they’re in such woe!line205Neither priests’ words nor God’s lawRestrained them in their day,But these traitors and liars, whoWere false here — woe to them!They never thought about being dead,fol. 200raFor so did these fiends advise them,line211But the longer they lived here,The stronger were their pains.They’re put in that same troopThat didn’t believe in God’s Son,line215Nor that Jesus was bornOf that maid who was chosenTo bear that holy offspring.Fortunate was he who understood that.

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In hell there’s a deep dungeon;line220Under it is a very hot pool.Ten thousand devils and even moreTorture there the wretched souls,Taking awls and tearing them to pieces.No one there escapes their notice.line225There stand, darker than night,Those who judged Jesus Christ;There’s no other pain so strongAs the stench that’s among them.On high before heaven’s King,line230They never speak of them;No saint dares intercede for themBecause they’re forever lost.

stanza10

Further on, there’s another pitThat never becomes unshut;line235Seven doors are on itTo receive the souls.Easily may they come therein,But never go back up, by any trick;It’s well nigh as deepfol. 200rbAs, from the earth, heaven is high.line241Therein go souls much more thicklyThan leaves fall off the branch.The pit is hot at hell’s floor.In it, there are many hungry hounds —line245There are in it more houndsThan are birds flying under heaven —And the lion that was so strong,That appropriated all the worldBefore he was conqueredline250By Christ’s holy passion.

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Down below, there’s an iron-walled enclosureEntirely full of souls,With many iron bands on them,Hotter than a branding-iron.line255In there are consigned the soulsWho were beheaded or hung,Or who’d gone aboutLying in a bed of thieves,Or were excommunicated by nameline260For they received God’s anger.”

I’ll tell you the truth:Whoever obeys, it does him good.It’s written in the Bible,Of which I give witness.line265Even if a hundred men had satSince the birth of Cain,And stayed awake night and day,With teeth and tongues of steel,And spoke always of hell’s pains,fol. 200vaThere’d still be a thousand more!line271Whoever’s wise should bewareThat his soul not come there!Even if they were to cry out foreverIt wouldn’t help them even a bit.line275So let’s pray to Christ above us,For love of his blessed mother,To allow us to perform such worksAnd thus honor Holy ChurchSo that we may be saved,line280And brought out of care and sorrow.

Here are written the eleven pains;Have good fortune by it.

He who wrote these eleven pains,May his soul come to heavenline285And play there with bright angels,Where they’re in heaven’s light;And may he never have God’s anger,For Hugh is his true name,And he is courteous and kind.line290For that, may his ending be good.Amen.

Here end the eleven pains of hell that Saint Paul saw.