ke,
Hottest of war-waves, and your corpses consume,
The lambent flame, so for you shall that lie 580
To leaving of life [surely] be turned.
Ye may not prove that word, which ye just now in wrong
Concealed 'neath heaps[1] of sins. Nor may ye hide that fate,
Obscure its deepest might." In thought of death they were
Of pyre and life's end, and delivered then one 585
Well-skilled in songs (to him the name Judas
Was given 'fore kinsmen);--him they gave to the queen,
Said of him very wise: "He may truth to thee tell,
Fate's secrets reveal, as thou askest in words,
The law from beginning forth to the end. 590
He is before earth of noble race,
Wise in word-craft and son of a prophet,
Bold in council. To him 'tis inborn
That he the answers clever may have,
Knowledge in heart. He to thee shall declare 595
'Fore the crowd of men the gift of wisdom
Through mickle might, as thy mind desires."
In peace she permitted each one to seek
His own [dear] home, and him alone took,
Judas, as hostage, and earnestly prayed 600
That he of the rood would rightly teach,
Which of old in its bed was long concealed,
And she himself apart to her called.
Helena spake to him alone,
Glory-rich queen: "For thee two are ready, 605
Or life or death, as liefer shall be,
To thee to choose. Now quickly declare
To which of the two thou wilt agree."
Judas to her spake again (he might not the sorrow avoid,
Avert the ire of the empress.[2] In the power of the queen was he): 610
"How may him befall who out on the waste,
Tired and foodless, treads the moorland,
Oppressed with hunger, and bread and stone
Both in his sight together[3] shall be,
The hard and the soft, that he take the stone 615
For hunger's defence, care not for the bread,
Return to want and reject the food,
Renounce the better, if both he enjoys?"

[1] Lit., 'under the lap (or bosom) of sins.'

[2] MS. _rex_ (Latin?), Z.; 'oppression of care' (_cearces_),
Gn.; 'of hunger' (_ceaces_), Gm.; 'of smoke' (_reces_),
Schubert; _rex_ = _cyninges_, Sievers and W.

[3] Z.

VIII.

To him then the blessed answer returned,
Helena 'fore earls without concealment: 620
"If thou in heaven willest to have
Dwelling with angels and life on earth,
Reward in the skies, tell me