A Stanzaic Life of Christ Compiled from Higden's Polychronicon and the Legenda Aurea |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quarto ratione teneritudinis corporis.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 | A Stanzaic Life of Christ |  |
Quarto ratione teneritudinis corporis.
The furth cause is, in gode fay,
qvy that his passioun greuet more
then any oþer monnus may,—
And I shal say ȝou skil qverfore.
qvy that his passioun greuet more
then any oþer monnus may,—
And I shal say ȝou skil qverfore.
ffor, as we reden in holi writte,
Boke of Kynges þat calde is,
In liknes as to monnus witt
bi Crist to Dauid was saide þis:
Boke of Kynges þat calde is,
In liknes as to monnus witt
bi Crist to Dauid was saide þis:
Regum penultimo: Ipse est quasi tenerimus ligni vermiculus.
‘Most tender worm,’ he sais, ‘is he’;
for more tendre thing ther nys
thenne worme that bredes in a tre,
therfore he likenet hym so i-wys.
for more tendre thing ther nys
thenne worme that bredes in a tre,
therfore he likenet hym so i-wys.
And Crist most nedely tendre be
that was not geten by monnes seed,
but of a wommon flesche toke he,
therfor tendre he most be nede.
that was not geten by monnes seed,
but of a wommon flesche toke he,
therfor tendre he most be nede.
The[r]-fore to Iewes whit hert fre
spekes the gode clerk sayn Bede
these Latyn wordes, that ȝe schun se,
good ys to hom ȝe take hede.
spekes the gode clerk sayn Bede
these Latyn wordes, that ȝe schun se,
good ys to hom ȝe take hede.
Beda: O Iudei, lapides estis, set lapidem percutitis molliorem, de quo resonat tynnitus pietatis & ebullit oleum caritatis.
‘Ȝe Iewes,’ says sayn Bede the clerke,
‘stones ȝe ben, I may wel say,
as wel is sene by our werke,
for harde hertes ȝe han to-day,
‘stones ȝe ben, I may wel say,
as wel is sene by our werke,
for harde hertes ȝe han to-day,
189
‘ffor a softer stone thenne ȝe
ȝe beten opon ful bytterly,
of whiche sounes soune of pite
and oyle of charite largely.’
ȝe beten opon ful bytterly,
of whiche sounes soune of pite
and oyle of charite largely.’
[Quint]o ex eo, quod fuit eius penav niuersalis, quia per omnes partes & per omnes sensus, primo per visum.
The fift maner hit greuet sore,
for his pyne was in vche place
from hede to hele, bihinde, bifore,
and alle his wittes he pynet was.
for his pyne was in vche place
from hede to hele, bihinde, bifore,
and alle his wittes he pynet was.
ffurst sorow he had as in his sight,
Thurgh teres that of hys eghen went,
and Poule epistel speke oright
to the Ebrues that he sent.
Thurgh teres that of hys eghen went,
and Poule epistel speke oright
to the Ebrues that he sent.
Ther-to acordes Bede i-wys,
that teres opon the croice sched he,
for mon, that muche hade done amys,
might haue compassion hym to se.
that teres opon the croice sched he,
for mon, that muche hade done amys,
might haue compassion hym to se.
Beda: Ascendit in altum, vt longius audiretur, fortiter clamauit, vt nullus excuseretur, clamor lacrimas addidit, vt homo compateretur.
Bede says that he went on hegh
opon the harde rode tre,
forto be herd bothe fer and neght
wordes that ther-on speke he.
opon the harde rode tre,
forto be herd bothe fer and neght
wordes that ther-on speke he.
Stifly he cryet that no mon tho
schuld fynde an excusacion,
wihit crye sched teres bothe two
of hym to haue compassioun.
schuld fynde an excusacion,
wihit crye sched teres bothe two
of hym to haue compassioun.
Other teres I fynde also
he sched twye, as men rede moun,
to Ierusalem pronouncyng wo,
an Laȝeres resureccioun.
he sched twye, as men rede moun,
to Ierusalem pronouncyng wo,
an Laȝeres resureccioun.
190
So that I may wel say that [þ]rye
God sched teres her lyuyng;
the furst for loue sched tendre-ly
to se Laȝere ther deed lyyng;
God sched teres her lyuyng;
the furst for loue sched tendre-ly
to se Laȝere ther deed lyyng;
The secunde teres, leue ȝe me,
wheren sched for grete compasion
that he had for that fayre cite
that he wyste schulde be dr[i]uen don;
wheren sched for grete compasion
that he had for that fayre cite
that he wyste schulde be dr[i]uen don;
The thriddes teres as this day
for sorow weren sched, men may wel se,
when tha[t] he opon Good Friday
sched teres opon the rode tre.
for sorow weren sched, men may wel se,
when tha[t] he opon Good Friday
sched teres opon the rode tre.
That the furst teres of loue wer,
I may preue by autorite,
by mennes wordes that wer ner,
and sayden, ‘he louet hym, ȝe moun se.’
I may preue by autorite,
by mennes wordes that wer ner,
and sayden, ‘he louet hym, ȝe moun se.’
Ecce qualiter amabat eum.
The secunde teres, as sayde I,
wheren for grete compasioun
that he had for the muche any
that was comyng toward that toun;
wheren for grete compasioun
that he had for the muche any
that was comyng toward that toun;
ffor he told ther in prophecy
that hyt schuld be driuen doun,
for thay kenewe not God al-mighty
and tyme of hor saluacioun.
that hyt schuld be driuen doun,
for thay kenewe not God al-mighty
and tyme of hor saluacioun.
Cum apropinquasset Ihesus Ierusalem, fleuit super illam &c. Et infra in eodem capitulo: Non relinquetur lapis super lapidem, eo quod non cognoueris tempus visitacionis tue.
But teres that he sched thys day
weren for sorowe that had he
and penaunce, no tung telle may,
so henging opon rode tre.
weren for sorowe that had he
and penaunce, no tung telle may,
so henging opon rode tre.
| A Stanzaic Life of Christ | |