Commodian — Carmen de Duobus Populis 1001–1053

Then another and another bolt is cast from the stars; a fiery storm flees, reserved so many years; pestilent disaster roars, the stirred earth trembles, nor does every human race foresee where it may turn itself. Stars of heaven fall, the stars are judged with us: the heaven-dwellers are troubled while the age’s ruin is driven. No help then will there be and empty cry; no ship will take a human, nor any hiding-place; nor do those help them whom before they cultivated for a great one: each busies himself for himself, but nothing profits him; for these only will it profit, who have been marked for Christ; dew will be for them, for the rest lethal punishment. A part of the unbelieving is kept softly burned, that their race again at the last may wail. Wherever humans turn, fiery force boils; the air itself of the world, which pleased before, is burned. What shall I say of heaven’s crashes pressing with bolt, when all wrath collected for so many years is poured? From here fire, from here thunders, from here whirlwinds, so many evils, boil, and the pole is snatched by sudden force of death into shade. Partly the trembling earth loosens foundations… partly thunders burst firm walls; and walls are scattered like dust into the airs; rocks fly, roofs of houses tremble with winds. Homelands are laid waste, every city is cast down … that heaven may hand over by a footstep. So many crashes, so many breakings and so many ruins — who will be able to bear or flee such shipwrecks? What will a wretched mother do then for a sweet little one? But if a father pities a son, what profits him? Woe to the Lord’s runaways, woe also to the Christless wicked, whose even glad ones are judged while the pious weep! Meanwhile all nature wails with bellowings until at last the completed heavenly fury ceases. Then for seven months the earth will be cleaned through fire and he who was humble coming from heaven is seen. With him angels of eternal brightness descend; tombs too are burst, just bodies rise; which clouds snatch and carry to meet Christ in the air; the living holy receive the Lord. He raises those also, that they may see his glory, whom they fixed on a cross; but again he will return them in the depths. Woe to those miserable ones! The witness is the one killed by them. … These things we sing not from envy, but we see them fixed. When the just rejoice, those burn in hell; David said to them: Lord, return unjust things to them! And if they will not have believed, they will have in the shadow of death. … From two peoples flees the Highest’s … this greater will make them be changed for him quickly. Amen. ****** Stars fall with us; only the Christ-marked get dew. Seven months’ fire; the humble comes; tombs burst to meet him — cross-fixers see, then sink.