Dialogues of Gregory the Great (Old Icelandic)

sinni til eilífrar dýrðar engla ok menn. Tíu kingur átti sjá kona, þvíat níu eru englasveitir, en

of his own, for eternal glory, angels and men. This woman had ten coins because there are nine orders of angels, and

maðr. var skapaðr enn tíundi at fylla algǫrva tǫlu. En es hann misgerði, þá vitjaði hans

man was created as the tenth, to complete the full number. And when he did wrong, he was visited by

himnesk speki ok sýndisk í líkam ok endrbǿtti hann á kveykðu ljósi. Þat er at sýndum guðdómsjarteinum

heavenly wisdom, which appeared in a body and restored him by a kindled light, that is, by signs of godhead shown

fyr mennskan líkam. Níu eru englasveitir, þǽr er helgar ritningar nefna.

through a human body. There are nine orders of angels, which the holy scriptures name.

Þat eru ǽrir ok hǫfuðǽrir, kraftar ok veldisenglar, hǫfðingjar, dróttnar ok stólar, cherubim

They are messengers and chief messengers, Virtues and Powers, Principalities, Dominions and Thrones, cherubim,

, þat er fylling speki, ok seraphim, þat eru brennendr eða logendr. Allra bóka

that is, the fullness of wisdom, and seraphim, that is, the burning or blazing ones. All books'

nǫfnum nefndir, at þeir merki í nǫfnum, hvat þeir megu í verkum. Eigi hafa englar af því

names for this reason, that they signify in their names what they can do in deeds. Angels do not have

eiginlig nǫfn, at eigi megi hverr þeirra vita annars vilja ǫ́n nǫfn. En er þeir koma

proper names for this reason, that each of them could not know another's will without names. But when they come

til vár, þá taka þeir hér nǫfn af þjónustu sinni. Michael þýðisk svá: Hverr er sem Guð.

to us, they take names here from their ministry. Michael is interpreted thus: Who is like God.

Gabriel kallask styrkð Guðs, en Raphael lǽkning Guðs. Michael er til þess sendr

Gabriel is called the strength of God, and Raphael the healing of God. Michael is sent for this,

at gera ágǽtliga krafta, at þat megi sýnask í nafni hans ok í verki, at einn. Guð má

to do glorious mighty works, so that it may be shown in his name and in deed that God alone can

gera þat, er engi má annarr. Af því er sagt í Himnasjón Johannis, at enn forni fjándi møndi

do what no other can. Therefore it is said in John's Vision of Heaven that the ancient fiend would

drepinn verða í enda heims af Michaeli yfirengli. Sjá fjándi es fyr metnuð sinn vildi

be slain at the end of the world by Michael the archangel. Since this fiend in his pride wished

glíkjask Guði ok setja sǽti sitt yfir ský himins ok setja stól sinn í gegn Guði, þat es

to make himself like God and set his seat above the clouds of heaven and set his throne against God, it is

makligt, at sá engill brjóti kraft hans, er þat sýnir í nafni sínu, at engi es slíkr

fitting that that angel should break his might who shows in his name that none is such

sem Guð. Þvíat engi má glíkjask Guði fyr ofmetnuð. En Gabriel var sendr

as God. For no one can make himself like God through pride. And Gabriel was sent

til Mariam, es kallask styrkð Guðs, þvíat hann kom þann at boða, er sterkliga barðisk

to Mary, he who is called the strength of God, because he came to announce him who fought mightily

í gegn fjándanum ok sté yfir hann í lítillǽti, svá sem sálmaskáld. mǽlir: Dróttinn er styrkr ok

against the fiend and overcame him in humility, as the psalmist says: The Lord is strong and

mǫ́ttugr í orrustu, sjálfr Dróttinn krafta. Hann es Dróttinn krafta ok styrkr at berjask

mighty in battle, the Lord of powers himself. He is the Lord of powers and strong to fight

í gegn andligri illsku. Raphael þýðisk lǽkning Guðs, þvíat hann tók blindimyrkr

against spiritual wickedness. Raphael is interpreted the healing of God, because he took the darkness of blindness

af augum Tobie fyr lǽkningarembǽtti. Þat var makligt, at Guðs lǽkning kallaðisk

from the eyes of Tobias by his office of healing. It was fitting that he should be called God's healing

sá, es sendr var at grǿða sjúkan. En nú hǫfum vér þýdd nǫfn engla. Af því skulum

who was sent to heal the sick. And now we have interpreted the names of the angels. Therefore we shall

vér ok nakkvat rǿða of þjónustu þeirra. Þeir andar kallask kraftar, er oftast sýna

also say something about their ministries. Those spirits are called Virtues who most often show

hingat jarteinir. Veldisenglar kallask þeir, er þat hafa í mǽtti sínum at stǫðva djǫfla

miracles here. Those are called Powers who have it in their might to restrain devils,

, svá at eigi megi þeir freista manna, sem þeir vilja. Hǫfðingjar kallask þeir, es aðra góða

so that they cannot tempt men as they wish. Those are called Principalities who [send] other good

þeir þar skurðgoð ór eiri gǫrt ok kǫstuðu því í eldhús of aftaninn. En þá nótt sýndisk munkum eldr

they [found] there an idol made of bronze, and threw it into the kitchen in the evening. And that night fire seemed to the monks

brenna af skurðgoðinu. Ok þótti þeim ǫllum, sem eldhúsit logaði allt. En es þeir bǫ́ru til vatn at

to burn from the idol. And it seemed to all of them as if the whole kitchen were ablaze. And when they carried water to

sløkkva eldinn, þá vaknaði Benedictus við glaum þeirra ok kom til ok sagði þeim, at sjónhverfingareldr

quench the fire, Benedict woke at their din and came over and told them that an illusory fire

vǽri í augum þeirra, þvíat hann sá eigi eldinn. Þá gekk hann til bǿnar ok bað munka gøra krossmark

was in their eyes, because he did not see the fire. Then he went to prayer and told the monks to make the sign of the cross

fyr augum sér. En es þeir gørðu svá, þá sǫ́ þeir eigi eldinn ok sǫ́ eldhúsit heilt ok fundu þá, at sjónhverfing

before their eyes. And when they did so, they did not see the fire and saw the kitchen whole, and found then that an illusion