10

15

16

19

Bet thuhte the drem' that he ? were
Of harpe and pipe, than he? nere,
Bet thuhte* that he were i-shote
Of harpe and pipe than of throte.

Thos stod on old stoc thar bi-side,
Thar tho ule song hire tide,?
And was mid ivi al bi-growe,
Hit was thare ule earding-stowe. 8

The nihtingale hii-seh.
And hio bi-heold and over-seh,1°

30 And thuhte wel vule 1 of thare ule, For me hi halt 12 lothlich 13 and fule. “Unwiht,"

,” “ heo sede, “awei thu leo!
Me is the wers that ich the seo;
I-wis 18 for thine yule lete 17
Wel oft ich mine song for-lete; 18
Min heorte at-flith,' and falt 20 mi tunge,
Wonne 21 thu art to me i-thrunge. 22
Me luste bet speten

23 thane singe, Of thine fule gogelinge." 25

Theos ule abod fort 20 hit was eve,
Heo ne mihte no leng bileve,27
Vor hire heorte was so gret,28
That wel neh 2o hire fnast at-schet;

a word thar-after longe:
“Hu thincthe 32 nu bi mine songe?
Wenst 33 thu that ich ne cunne singe,
Theh 36 ich ne cunne 30 of writelinge ? 37
I-lome 38 thu dest me game,...
And seist me bothe teone 41 and schame; 50
Gif - ich the heolde on mine vote,
So hit bi-tide 44 that ich mote!
And thu were ut of thine rise, 49
Thu scholdest singe an other wise."

10

That thine pipinge nis i-lich:1
Mi stefne ? is bold and noht un-orne,
Heo * is i-lich one grete horne,
And thin is i-lich 'one pipe
Of one smale weode un-ripe.

320
Ich singe bet than thu dest;
Thu chaterest so’ doth on Irish prest.
Ich singe an eve, a rihte time,
And seoththe 8 won hit is bed-time,
The thridde sithe 19 at middelnihte,
And so ich mine song adihte "l
Wone o ich i-seo arise veorre 12
Other 13 dai-rim 14 other 15 dai-sterre.
Ich do god mid mine throte,
And warni men to heore note;

330
Ac 17 thu singest alle longe niht,
From eve fort 18 hit is dai-liht,
And evre lesteth thin o

song
So ? longe so’ the niht is longe,
And evre croweth thi wrecche crei,20
That he ne swiketh 21 niht ne dai;
Mid thine pipinge thu adunest
Thas monnes earen thar 23 thu wunest, 24
And makest thine song so un-wiht 25
That me 28 ne telth of the nowiht.2

340
Evrich murhthe 20 mai so longe i-leste,
That heo shal liki 30 wel un-wreste;31
Vor harpe and pipe and fugeles 32 songe
Misliketh, gif hit is to longe.
Ne beo the song never so murie,
That he ne shal thinche 33 wel un-murie, 34
Gef he i-lesteth over un-wille. 35
So thu miht 38 thine song aspille;
Vor hit is soth,38 Alvred hit seide,
And me 28 hit mai in boke rede,
‘Evrich thing mai leosen 39 his godhede 40
Mid unmethe 41 and mid over-dede.'

7

40

22

30

And warp

31

27

28

34

39

40

43

45

46

1 the sound seemed rather ? it was not it seemed rather

5 then 6 where the 7 in her turn s the owl's home 9 her 10 despised 12 for everyone holds her 13 hateful 14 monster 16 I am the worse

appearance 19 Ries away

22 arrived 23 I feel more like spitting 24 because of 25

28 waited screeching

30 breath till 27 no longer wait 28 swollen choked 31 threw 32 how does it seem

33 thinkst cannot 36 though 36 know nothing 37 trilling 38 often 39 anger "1 injury 12 if

43 foot " so may it happen 16

may 46 bough47 but 18 voice 19 lamentation 50 terrible 61

true precisely 63 sound 64 thinkest 68 harsh

20 cry

29 nigh

I that is not like thy piping

2 voice

3 unpleasing green

8 afterwards 9 when 10 third time 11 ordain

13 either

14 dawn 15

or 16 benefit 17 but 18 till 19 lasteth thy one 21 it ceases not 22 dinnest

23 where 24 dwellest 25 horrible 26

one
27

28

accounts please

31
very badly 32 bird's 33

seem

34 unpleasant 35 if it lasts unto displeasure mayst

40 goodness

41 excess 42 over-doing 43 in winter 44 welaway 45 in the 46 woe

47 wrath grief

49 hatred

naught 29

every mirth

34

30

causest 10

37 ruin

38 true

39 lose

52

1

220

8

11

14

15

18

19

That thu ne miht' mid us beo blithe,
Vor thu forbernest : wel neh: for onde,
Wanes ure blisse cumeth to londe.

420
Thu farest so doth the ille; ?
Evrich blisse him is un-wille; 8
Grucching and luring him beoth rade, 10
Gif he i-seoth that men beoth glade;
He wolde that he i-seye 11
Teres in evrich monnes eye;
Ne rohte he 12 theh 13 flockes were
I-meind " bi toppes and bi here.16
Al-so thu dost on thire !7 side;
Vor wanne snou lith thicke and wide, 430
And alle wihtes 18 habbeth sorhe, 10
Thu singest from eve fort amorhe. 20
Ac 21 ich alle blisse mid me bringe;
Ech wiht” is glad for mine thinge,
And blisseth hit 24 wanne S ich cume,
And hihteth agen 2 mine kume. 28
The blostme ginneth springe and sprede
Bothe ine treo and ek on mede;
The lilie mid hire faire wlite 27
Wolcumeth me, that thu hit wite,28 440
Bit 20 me mid hire faire bleo 30
That ich schulle to hire fleo;
The rose also mide hire rude,"
That cumeth ut of the thorne wude,
Bit 20 me that ich shulle singe
Vor hire luve one skentinge." 32

30

Til that I eft' cum yow to warn."
Son ? was Joseph redi bun;'
Witnaghtertale S he went o' tun,
Wit* Maria mild and thair meine,?
A maiden and thair suanis & thre,
That servid tham in thair servis;
With thaim was nan bot war and wis.
Forth sco rad,' that moder mild,
And in hir barm sco ledd " hir child,
Til thai come at 13 a cove was " depe.
Thar 15 thai tham thoght to rest and slepe;
Thar did 10 thai Mari for to light,"? 231
Bot son thai sagh an ugli sight.
Als "' thai loked tham biside,
Ute o 20 this cove 21 than sagh 18 thai glide
Mani dragons wel 22 sodanli;
The suanis 23 than bi-gan to cri.
Quen 24 Jesus sagh tham glopnid 25 be,
He lighted of 20 his moder kne
And stod a-pon thaa ?? bestes grim,28
And thai tham luted 29 under him.

240
Than com the propheci al cler
To dede 31 that said es in Sauter: 32
“The dragons, wonand 33 in thair cove,
The Laverd 34 agh 38 yee worthli to lofe.” 30
Jesus he went befor tham than,
Forbed 37 tham harm do ani man.
Maria and Joseph ne-for-thi 38
For the child war ful dreri; 39
Bot Jesus ansuard “' thaim onan:
“For me drednes haf“ nu yee nan," 250
Ne haf yee for me na barn-site,“
For I am self “ man al parfite,
And al the bestes that ar wild
For me most *7 be tame and mild.”
Leon yode tham als imid; 48
And pardes,“' als to the dragons did,
Bifor Maria and Joseph yede, so
In right wai tham for to lede.
Quen Maria sagh thaa 27 bestes lute, si
First sco
was gretli in dute, 53

260 Til Jesus loked on hir blith And dridnes 54 bad hir nan to kith. “Moder,” he said, “haf thou na ward 56

35

31

*

43

46

19

34

30

From CURSOR MUNDI (c. 1300)

(Unknown Author)
THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
An angel thus til 33 him can
“Rise up, Joseph, and busk 35 and ga, 30
Maria and thi child al-sua; 37
For yow be-hoves nu al thre
In land of Egypt for to fle;
Rise up ar

it be dai,
And folus 40 forth the wildrin “I wai.
Herod, that es the child 42 fa,3
Fra nu 4 wil sek him for to sla.45
Thare sal 48

yee bide stil wit“ the barn,

2
soon prepared

4 with

nighttime from 7 household men-servants

9 none but was wary 10 she rode 11 bosom 12 carried came to 14

cave that was 18 there 16 caused 17 alight saw 19 as

20
out of 21

cave

22
very

23
men

24 when 25 terrified 23 off 27 those 28 fierce 29 bowed

30

came deed, to realization 32 the Psalter 83 dwelling 34 Lord ought praise

37 forbade

38 nevertheless 39 sad 40 answered

42 have

43
none

44 childsorrow

48
very
46 perfect

a lion went with them also 49 leopards

80 63 doubt, fear terror 56 show, feel regard

? mayst not ? burnest up I nigh envy

s when as ? wicked man 8 unpleasing louring 10 ready 11 saw 12 he would not care 13 though 14 mixed up 18 heads 16 hair 17 creatures 19 sorrow 20 till morning 21 but 22 creature on my account 24 rejoices

28 know hopeth for

20 coming 2 bids 30 visage 31 redness 32 pastime to as get ready

40 follow go 41 wilderness 42 child's

44 from now 46 shall

23

25

27 face

35

33

34 did

41 at once

37 also

39

now

39

ere

84

3

Quen the tre it boghed dune'

310 Right to Maria, his moder, fote, The crop was evening to the rote.” Quen all had eten frut i-nogh, Yeit it boghud' dun ilk bogh,“ Til he wald comand it to rise, That gert it lutes in his servis. To that tre than spak Jesu : “Rise up," he said, “and right the nu, I wil ? thou fra nu forward Be planted in min orcherd

320 Amang mi tres o paradise, That thou and thai be of a prise; 8 Under thi rote thar es a spring, I wil that ute the water wring; Mak us a well, for mine sake, That all mai plente o water take." Wit this stert up the tre stedfast; Under the rote a well" ute-brast, Wit strand 2 suete,13 and clere, and cald. All dranc i-nogh, ilkan " that wald, 330 Wit all the bestes in that place; Thai loved ai Drightin of 10 his grace.

9

11

10

10

11

12

Nother o' leon ne o lepard,
For thai com noght us harm to do,
Bot thair servis at ? serve us to."

:
Bath ass and ox that wit' tham wars
And bestes that thair harnais bar
Ute o Jerusalem, thair kyth,%
The leons mekli yod ’ tham wit," 270
Wit-uten harm of ox or ass,
Or ani best that wit tham was.
Than was fulfild the propheci,
That said was thoru Jeremi,
“Wolf and wether, leon and ox,
Salcomen samen,' and lamb and fox."
A wain 10 thai had thair gere wit-in,
That draun was wit oxen tuin. 12
Forth thair wai thai went fra than 13
Wit-uten kithing " of ani man; 280
Maria forth tham foluand l rade.
Gret hete in wildernes it made; "7
O'gret travail sco was weri;
A palme-tre sco sagh hir bi;
“Joseph,” sco said, “fain wald I rest,
Under this tre me-thinc 18 wer best."
“Gladli,” said he, “that wil resun;"
Son 20 he stert 21 and tok hir dun.
Quen sco had sitten thar a wei, 22
Sco bihild a tre was hei, 23

290 And sagh a frut thar-on hingand, Man clepes palmes 25 in that land. “Joseph,” sco said, “fain wald I ete O this fruit, if I moght gete.” “Maria, me-thinc ferli That se the gret heght o this tre; The frut hu suld 27 man reche unto That man his hand mai to nan do? 28 Bot I site 20 for an other thing, That we o water has nu wanting; 300 Ur water purveance es gan, And in this wildernes es nan, Nather for us ne for ur fee 31 Ne for nan of ur meiné." 32 Jesus satt on his moder kne, Wit a ful blith cher *3 said he, “Bogh 34 thou til? us suith,36 thou tre, And of thi fruit thou give us plenté." Unnethe 38 had he said the sune, 37

15

." 19

THOMAS DE HALES (bef. 1300)

A LUVE RON 17

10

21

24

20

26

o the

28

A mayde Cristes 18 me bit yorne
That ich hire 20 wurche

a luve ron; For hwan heo 22 myhte best ileorne 23

To taken on other soth 25 lefmon
That treowest were of alle berne, 27

And best wyte cuthe a freo wymmon.
Ich hire nule 20 nowiht 30 werne, 31
Ich hire wule 32 teche as ic con.

8 Mayde, her 33 thu myht 34 biholde

This worldes luve nys bute o res And is byset so fele-volde, 97

Vikel, 38 and frakel,39 and wok, and les.“ Theos theines “ that her weren bolde Beoth aglyden

wyndes bles; 45 Under molde 48 hi liggerh ^? colde

47 And faleweth doth medewe gres. 16

i down

2 the top was even with the root 3 bowed • every bough 6 who made it bow 6 straighten thyself now ? I will that 8 of one value, of equal dignity

sprang spring 12 stream 13 sweet 14 each one 15 would

16 praised ever the Lord for a love rune (or letter) 18 of Christ's 10 begs me eagerly 20 her

true

26 lover 21 make 22 whereby she 23 learn 24 27 men 28 could protect

29 will not

30 not at all 31 refuse 32 will 33 here 34 mayst 37 in so many ways

38 fickle 39 ugly 40 weak 11 false 42 these nobles are passed away

44 as 45 breath 16 the earth 47 they lie

22

7 1 of 2 to 3 both with 5 were country went 8 shall together wagon 11 drawn 12 two 14 knowledge 15 following 16 rode 17 it became very hot in the wilderness 18 me-thinks 10 reason wills that 20 immediately 21 came up

a short while 24 hanging 25 which they call palms

28 strange 27 should

28 to none of which one may put his hand 20 sorrow

our provision of water 31 cattle 32 household countenance

quickly

36 scarcely 87 sound

23 tall

30

33

34 bow 36

43

3

Theyh' he were so riche mon?

As Henry ure : kyng,
And al so veyro as Absalon

That nevedes on eorthe non evenyng, Al were sone his prute ? agon,

Hit nere on ende 8 wurth on heryng." Mayde, if thu wilnest 10 after leofmon 11

Ich teche the enne 12 treowe king.

8

11

88

13

That 14

14

17

Nis non' so riche, ne non so freo,?

That he ne schal heonne : 'sone away.
Ne may hit never his waraunt beo,

Gold ne seolver, vouho ne gray;'
Ne beo he no the swift, ne may he fleo,

8
Ne weren' his lif enne : day.
Thus is thes world, as thu mayhtseo,

Al so 10 the schadewe that glyt” away. 32 This world fareth hwilynde." Hwenne on cumeth, an other goth;

wes bi-fore nu is bihynde, That was leof 10 nu hit is loth; For-thi 18 he doth as the blynde

That in this world his luve doth.19 Ye mowen iseo 20 the world aswynde; 21

That wouh” goth forth, abak that soth.” Theo 2 luve that ne may her abyde,

Thu treowest * hire 2 myd muchel wouh,27 Al so 28 hwenne hit schal to-glide, 29

Hit is fals, and mereuh,so and frouh, And fromward 32 in uychon tide. 33

Hwile hit lesteth, is seorewe inouh; * An ende,3ne werie mon (robe) so syde, 38

He schal to-dreosen 30 so lef on bouh.40

er 15

39 23

20

22

96

25

48

104

Hwer is Paris and Heleyne,

That weren so bryht and feyre on bleo; *1
Amadas, Tristram, and Dideyne,“

Yseude and alle theo; 43
Ector, with his scharpe meyne,

And Cesar, riche of worldes feo ? 45
Heo beoth iglyden * ut of the reyne

So 18 the schef 49 is of the cleo.50
Hit is of heom 51 al so hit nere; 52

Of heom si me haveth 63 wunder itold,
Nere hit reuthe 64 for to heren

Hw hi 55 were with pyne aquold, 56
And hwat hi tholeden 57 alyve here.

Al is heore 68 hot iturnd to cold.
Thus is thes world of false fere; 59

Fol he is the 61 on hire is bold. 80 " there is none ? free, generous 3 hence «ermine s vair be he never so swift protect 8 a single

mayst 10 just as 11 glides 12 swiftly 13 when 14 what 16 formerly 10 dear 17 hated 18 therefore 19 places 20 may see 21 vanish 2 the wrong 23 the true 24 the 25 trusteth very wrongly

pass away delicate capricious 32 hasting away

33 at every time enough 30

38 wide 39 fall 40 bough 41 of face 42 Idoyne

13 those 4 strength 15 wealth 46 they have slipped away

47 land 48 as 19 sheaf 50 from the hillsides them 82 as if they had not existed b3 people have 4 were it not pity they 16 killed with torture

67 suffered 19 validity 60 foolish a who

Hit stont“ uppon a treowe mote,

Thar hit never truke ne schal; Ne may no mynur hire underwrote,“

Ne never false 45 thene grundwal.46 Thar-inne is uich balewes bote, 47

Blisse and joye, and gleo and gal.48 This bold, mayde, is the bihote,

And uych o blisse * thar-wyth-al.

128

1 though ? man our beautiful, fair had not 6 equal pride

8

at last 'a herring 10 longest 11a lover 12 I will teach thee a 13 didst know ! qualities 15 hue, appearance

16 countenance lovable desire

19 able

20 thou wouldst never necd to repent 21 might'st thou put thyself grace 24 they 26

29 are 26 holds 27 bows 28 sends messenger 30 desires 31 known to thee

32 building

33 wrought 34 refined 38 fairer by many fold you

37 to thee 38 promised 39 art 40 beloved 41 stands 12 moat 13 fail 14 undermine 16 make false 46 the foundation 47 each bale's remedy 18 singing

Hwenne thu sittest in longynge,

Drauh the 31 forth this ilke 32 wryt, Mid swete stephne 33 thu hit singe,

And do al so hit the byt.34 To the he haveth send one gretynge,

God al-myhti the beo myd ! 35 And leve cumen 36 to his brudthinge 37

Heye in heovene ther 38 he sit ! 39

208

8

8

our

11

just as

12 sees

19 will

1 filee ? lose 8 right 4 neither pride envy 7 together and at peace 8 are not they

13 were not Lord

10 him see 14 blessed 16 dwell 16 since 17 puttest

1 March ? little bird 3 in her language "I live 8 most beautiful she 7 I am power

sa pleasant fortune I have got

10 I know 11 departed 12 alighted 13 in color 14 with loving look 15 laughed 16 waist 17 made 18 unless

20 (for) to be 21 mate

22 I will 23 ready to die 24 at night time I turn 25 therefore 20 cheeks lady

28 descended 20 there is no So wise man 30 goodness 33 maid 34 I am for wooing all worn with

36 take away watching weary as water in weir from 37 I have heard long ago

27

31

can

32 neck

35