Then out of that place a vapor arose
Like smoke ’neath the heavens.  There was rejoiced
The mind of the man.  With both his hands, 805
Happy and law-clever, upward he clapped. 
Judas exclaimed, clever in thought: 
“Now I in truth myself have known
In my hardened heart that thou art the Saviour
Of [this] mid-earth.  To thee, God of might, 810
Sitting in glory, be thanks without end,
That to me so sad and so full of sin
Thou revealed’st in glory the secrets of fate. 
Now, Son of God, to thee will I pray,
Will-giver of peoples, now I know that thou art 815
Declared and born of all kings the Glory,
That thou no longer be of my sins,
Those which I committed by no means seldom,
O Maker, mindful.  Let me, God of might,
Amid the number of thine own kingdom 820
With the army of saints my dwelling have
In that bright city, where is my brother
Honored in glory, for that faith with thee
He, Stephen, kept, though with handfuls of stones
He was pelted to death.  War’s meed he has, 825
Fame without end.  There are in books
The wonders he wrought, in writings, made known.” 
Then gan he glad for the tree of glory,
Constant in zeal, delve in the earth
Beneath the turf, so that at twenty 830
Feet by measure he found far concealed,
Down in the depths hidden in the earth
’Neath cover of darkness,—­there found he three
Of roods together within the sad house
Buried in sand, as in days of old 835
The host of the wicked covered with earth,
The folk of the Jews.  ’Gainst the child of God
Hatred they raised, although they should not,
If the lore they’d not heard of the father of lies. 
Then was his mind greatly rejoiced, 840
His heart was strengthened by that holy tree,
His spirit inspired, when the beacon he saw
Holy ’neath earth.  With his hands he clasped
The cross[1] of glory, and it raised ’mid the crowd
From its grave in the earth.  The guests on foot, 845
The aethelings, went on into the city. 
They set there in sight three victor-trees
The firm-minded earls ’fore Helena’s feet,[2]
Courageous in heart.  The queen rejoiced
In the depth of her soul, and then gan ask 850
On which of those trees the Son of the Ruler,
Joy-giver of heroes, hanged had been. 
“Lo! that we have heard through holy books
By tokens declared, that two with-him
[Also] suffered, and himself was the third 855
On the tree of the rood.  All heaven was dark
On that terrible day.  Say, if thou canst,
On which of these three the Prince of the angels
Suffered [his doom], the Shepherd of glory.”