Historia de Sancto Georgio |
St. George and the Dragon |
translated by D.S. Thorne
Georgius tribunus, genere Cappadocum, pervenit quadam vice in provinciam Libyae in civitatem, quae dicitur Silena. Iuxta quam civitatem erat stagnum instar maris, in quo draco pestifer latitabat, qui saepe populum contra se armatum in fugam converterat flatuque suo ad muros civitatis accedens omnes inficiebat. Quapropter compulsi cives duas oves quotidie sibi dabant, ut eius furorem sedarent, alioquin sic muros civitatis invadebat et aerem inficiebat, quod plurimi interibant.
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The tribune George of Cappadocia came to a city named Silena in the province of Libya. Next to that city was a body of water like a sea in which a pestilential dragon lurked, which often set in flight the people armed against him and poisoned all with his breath when he approached the city walls. Wherefore the citizens were compelled to give over to it two sheep every day in order to allay its wrath. Otherwise it would invade the city and poison the air such that many died.
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Cum ergo iam oves paene deficerent, maxime cum harum copiam habere non possent, inito consilio ovem cum adiuncto homine tribuebant. Cum igitur sorte omnium filii et filiae hominum darentur et sors neminem exciperet, et iam paene omnes filii et filiae essent consumpti, quadam vice filia regis unica sorte est deprehensa et draconi adiudicata. Tunc rex contristatus ait: "Tollite aurum et argentum et dimidium regni mei et filiam mihi dimittite, ne taliter moriatur." Cui populus cum furore respondit: "Tu, o rex, hoc edictum fecisti et nunc omnes pueri nostri mortui sunt et tu vis filiam tuam salvare! Nisi in filia tua compleveris, quod in aliis ordinasti, succendemus te et domum tuum." Quod rex videns coepit filiam suam flere dicens: "Heu me, filia mea dulcissima, quid de te faciam? Aut quid dicam? Quando plus videbo nuptias tuas?" Et conversus ad populum dixit: "Oro, ut indutias octo dierum lugendi mihi filiam tribuatis." Quod cum populus admisisset, in fine octo dierum reversus populus est cum furore dicens: "Quare perdis populum tuum propter filiam tuam! En omnes afflatu draconis morimur." Tunc rex videns, quod non posset filiam liberare, induit eam vestibus regalibus et amplexatus eam cum lacrimis dixit: "Heu me, filia mea dulcissima, de te filios in regali gremio nutrire credebam et nunc vadis, ut a dracone devoreris. Heu me, filia mea dulcissima, sperabam ad tuas nuptias principes invitare, palatium margaritis ornare, tympana et organa audire, et nunc vadis, ut a dracone devoreris. "Et deosculans dimisit eam dicens: "Utinam, filia mea, ego ante te mortuus essem, quam te sic amisissem." Tunc illa procidit ad pedes patris petens ab eo benedictionem suam. Quam cum pater cum lacrimis benedixisset, ad lacum processit.
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Now when the sheep were mostly gone, because they no longer had such abundance they decided to offer a sheep together with a human. Now all the sons and daughters of men were offered by lot. Fate sparing nobody, now almost all the sons and daughters were devoured, and the lot fell to the only daughter of the king to be taken away and given over tot he dragon. Then the saddened king said, “take gold and silver and half of my realm, but send my daughter back to me, that she not die such a death.” To whom the people furiously responded, “It was you, O king, who issued this edict. All of our children are now dead, and you wish to save your daughter! Unless you bring to finish in your daughter that which you ordained for the others, we shall burn you and your house down.” The king, seeing this, began to cry for his daughter saying, “Alas, my most sweet daughter, what shall I do with you? What shall I say? Shall I ever see you married?” And turning to the people he said, “I beseech that you grant me a stay of eight days of mourning.” When the people agreed to this, they returned eight days later in a state of fury saying, “Why on account of your daughter do you destroy your people? Behold, we all die in the breath of the dragon.” Then the king, seeing that he could not free his daughter, dressed her in royal clothing and embracing her with tears said, “O me, my most sweet daughter, I believed I would raise my children in the royal lap, but now you go to be devoured by a dragon. Alas, my most sweet daughter, I hoped to invite princes to your wedding, to adorn the palace with pearls, to hear drums and organs, but now you go to be devoured by a dragon.” And kissing her warmly he sent her off saying, “O, my daughter, that I would die before you, rather than you be thusly lost.” Then she fell at her father’s feet begging her father’s blessing. And when her father had blessed her with tears, she proceeded to the lake.
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Quam beatus Georgius casu inde transiens ut plorantem vidit, eam, quid haberet, interrogavit. Et illa: "Bone iuvenis, velociter equum adscende et fuge, ne mecum pariter moriaris." Cui Georgius: "Noli timere, filia, sed dic mihi, quid hic praestolaris omni plebe spectante!" Et illa: "Ut video, bone iuvenis, magnifici cordis es tu, sed mecum mori desideras! Fuge velociter." Cui Georgius: "Hinc ego non discedam, donec mihi, quid habeas, intimabis." Cum ergo totum sibi exposuisset, ait Georgius: "Filia noli timere, quia in Christi nomine te iuvabo. "Et illa: "Bone miles, sed te ipsum salvare festines, mecum non pereas. Sufficit enim, si sola peream. Nam me liberare non posses et tu mecum perires."
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Now when the blessed George, who by chance was passing through, saw him weeping, he questioned her for whom the king wept. She said, “Good youth, quickly mount your horse and flee, lest you also die with me. To which George replied, “Do not fear, daughter, but tell me in front of everybody what you wish!” And she said, “I see, good youth, that you are of a great heart, that you would desire to die with me! Escape quickly!” And George said, “Hence shall I not depart, until you tell me what you would have.” Now when she had explained everything to him, George said, “Daughter, fear not, because I will help you in Christ’s name.” And she replied, “Good soldier, if you hurry to save yourself, you shall not die with me. It is enough that I alone should die. For you cannot free me and you would die with me.”
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Dum haec loquerentur, ecce draco veniens caput de lacu levavit. Tunc puella tremefacta dixit: "Fuge, bone domine, fuge velociter." Tunc Georgius equum ascendens et cruce se muniens draconem contra se advenientem audaciter aggreditur et lanceam fortiter vibrans et se Deo commendans ipsum graviter vulneravit et ad terram deiecit dixitque puellae: "Proice zonam tuam in collum draconis nihil dubitans, filia."
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As she said these things, lo, the approaching dragon lifted his head from the lake. Then the girl, struck with fear, said, “Flee, good lord, flee quickly!” Then mounting his horse George strengthened himself with the sign of the cross and boldly set against the approaching dragon. He violently shook his lance and, commending himself to God, gravely wounded the dragon and brought it down. Then he said to the girl, “throw your belt about the dragon’s neck, daughter, without tarrying.”
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Quod cum fecisset, sequebatur eam velut mansuetissima canis. Cum ergo eum in civitatem duceret, populi hoc videntes per montes et colles fugere coeperunt dicentes: "Vae nobis, quia iam omnes peribimus!" Tunc beatus Georgius innuit iis dicens: "Nolite timere, ad hoc enim me misit Dominus ad vos, ut a poenis vos liberarem draconis. Tantummodo in Christum credite et unusquisque vestrum baptizetur et draconem istum occidam." Tunc rex et omnes populi baptizati sunt, beatus Georgius evaginato gladio draconem occidit et ipsum extra civitatem efferri praecepit. Tunc quattuor paria boum ipsum in magnum campum foras duxerunt. Baptizati autem sunt in illa die XX milia exceptis parvulis et mulieribus. Rex autem in honorem beatae Mariae et beati Georgi ecclesiam mirae magnitudinis construxit. De cuius altari fons vivus emanat, cuius potus omnes languidos sanat. Rex vero infinitam pecuniam beato Georgio obtulit, quam ille recipere nolens pauperibus eam dari praecepit. Tunc Georgius de quatuor regem breviter instruxit, scilicet ut ecclesiarum dei curam haberet, sacerdotes honoraret, divinum officium diligenter audiret et semper pauperum memor esset; et sic osculato rege inde recessit. In aliquibus tamen libris legitur quod dum draco ad devorandum puellam pergeret, Georgius se cruce muniuit et draconem aggrediens interfecit.
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When she had done this, the followed her like the tamest of dogs. When she led it into the city, the people who saw it began to run through the hills and valleys saying, “Wo to us, for now we all shall die!” Then blessed George signaled them saying, “Fear not, for this the Lord sent me to you, to free you from the dragon’s scourge. Believe only in Christ and each of you be baptized and I shall slay the dragon.” Then the king and all the people were baptized and blessed George slew the dragon with unsheathed sword and ordered them to carry it out of the city. Then four oxen lead it out into a great field. On that day 20 thousand souls were baptized, not counting women and children. The king built a church of wondrous size in honor of blessed Mary and blessed George. From its altar a spring of living water flowed forth that healed all the sick. The king truly did offer blessed George boundless wealth, but he did not want it and said it ought to be given to the poor. Then he enjoined the king four things, that he take care of the churches of God, the he honor the priests, that he diligently hear the divine office and always be mindful of the poor; and then having given the king a kiss he departed. Now in some books you read that when the dragon came forth to devour the girl, George strengthened himself with the sign of the cross, attacked the dragon and killed it.
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