 | Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century |  |
148. God Send Us Patience in Our Old Age
From þe tyme þat we were bore
Oure ȝouþe passeþ fro day to day,
And age encreseþ more and more;
And so doþ yt nowe, þe soþ to say.
At euery oure a poynte ys lore,
So fast goþ owre ȝouþ a-weye,
And ȝouþ wylle come aȝen no more,
But age wylle make vs boþ blake and graye.
þerfor takeþ hede, boþ nyȝte and day,
howe faste oure ȝouþ doþ aswage;
And, boþ ȝounge and olde, lete vs praye
þat god send pacyence in oure olde age.
Oure ȝouþe passeþ fro day to day,
And age encreseþ more and more;
And so doþ yt nowe, þe soþ to say.
At euery oure a poynte ys lore,
So fast goþ owre ȝouþ a-weye,
And ȝouþ wylle come aȝen no more,
But age wylle make vs boþ blake and graye.
þerfor takeþ hede, boþ nyȝte and day,
howe faste oure ȝouþ doþ aswage;
And, boþ ȝounge and olde, lete vs praye
þat god send pacyence in oure olde age.
Age wylle take from vs oure myȝte,
þat in oure ȝouþ to vs was lente,
And eke þe clernes of oure syȝte,
And oure herynge schal be feynte.
þan schul we be heuy, þat ere were lyȝte,
By-cause þat ȝoungþe ys from vs wente;
And þan wol men do vs no ryȝte,
But al contrarye to oure entente;
And sykenes wol do vs grete turment,
Whom deeþ wol send on hys message—
fforsoþ þe beste amendement
Is pacyence þan in oure olde age.
þat in oure ȝouþ to vs was lente,
And eke þe clernes of oure syȝte,
And oure herynge schal be feynte.
þan schul we be heuy, þat ere were lyȝte,
By-cause þat ȝoungþe ys from vs wente;
And þan wol men do vs no ryȝte,
But al contrarye to oure entente;
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Whom deeþ wol send on hys message—
fforsoþ þe beste amendement
Is pacyence þan in oure olde age.
Oure body wol yche, oure bonys wol ake,
Owre owne flesshe wol be oure foo,
Oure hede, oure handys, þan wol schake
Owre legges wol trymble whan we goo,
Oure bonys wol drye as doþ a stake,
And in oure body we schulle be woo,
Oure nose, oure chekes, wol wex al blake,
And oure glad chere wol vade vs fro;
And whan oure teeþ ben goon also,
Oure tunge schalle lese hys fayre langage.
Prey we for vs selfe and oþer moo,
þat god send vs pacyence in oure old age.
Owre owne flesshe wol be oure foo,
Oure hede, oure handys, þan wol schake
Owre legges wol trymble whan we goo,
Oure bonys wol drye as doþ a stake,
And in oure body we schulle be woo,
Oure nose, oure chekes, wol wex al blake,
And oure glad chere wol vade vs fro;
And whan oure teeþ ben goon also,
Oure tunge schalle lese hys fayre langage.
Prey we for vs selfe and oþer moo,
þat god send vs pacyence in oure old age.
Oure frendys þat schul loue vs beste,
Þan wol þei haue vs but in hate;
In frendschipes is noon oþer truste,
And þerfor ben we y-ware to late—
þan may we synge of had-y-wyste—
Oure feynte frendes han vs for-sake.
And also we schullen goo vnkyste,
Boþ at þe dore and at þe gate,
ffor al þe chere þat we can make.
þan ys no ioye of oure vysage,
Whanne oure bewte schal a-slake—
God send vs pes in oure old age!
Þan wol þei haue vs but in hate;
In frendschipes is noon oþer truste,
And þerfor ben we y-ware to late—
þan may we synge of had-y-wyste—
Oure feynte frendes han vs for-sake.
And also we schullen goo vnkyste,
Boþ at þe dore and at þe gate,
ffor al þe chere þat we can make.
þan ys no ioye of oure vysage,
Whanne oure bewte schal a-slake—
God send vs pes in oure old age!
We schullen be so angrye, euermore
We wold be a-wreke of euery wronge;
þan sume wold scorne vs þerfore,
And sume wold sey we lyue to longe.
Oure sorowe wol sytte vs þan so sore,
Oure stomake wol no mete fonge.
And euery day, more and more,
Of sorowe and care schal be oure songe.
But whan we were boþ hole and stronge
We were to wylde and wold outerage.
And þerfor lete vs pray a-monge,
þat god send vs pacyence in oure old age.
We wold be a-wreke of euery wronge;
þan sume wold scorne vs þerfore,
And sume wold sey we lyue to longe.
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Oure stomake wol no mete fonge.
And euery day, more and more,
Of sorowe and care schal be oure songe.
But whan we were boþ hole and stronge
We were to wylde and wold outerage.
And þerfor lete vs pray a-monge,
þat god send vs pacyence in oure old age.
[For þan wole no þing us availe
but oure bedis and oure crucche,
for wordli welþe wole fade & faile,
And þerfore truste we it not to myche;
& þan wole sijknes us assaile
Til it haþ made us lijk a wrecche,
& þan may we do no greet traueile
But summtyme grone, & sumtyme grucche,
And sumtyme clawe for scabbe & icche
Whanne age haþ us at his auauntage:
Who-so lyueþ long schal be such;
God sende us paciens in oure olde age!]
but oure bedis and oure crucche,
for wordli welþe wole fade & faile,
And þerfore truste we it not to myche;
& þan wole sijknes us assaile
Til it haþ made us lijk a wrecche,
& þan may we do no greet traueile
But summtyme grone, & sumtyme grucche,
And sumtyme clawe for scabbe & icche
Whanne age haþ us at his auauntage:
Who-so lyueþ long schal be such;
God sende us paciens in oure olde age!]
Al þat we haue lyued here
It ys but a dreme y-mete,
ffor nowe yt ys, as yt neuer were.
And so ys yt þat ys to comynge ȝit—
And faste we drawen to oure beere—
In sorowe and drede we schullen be sette.
Of olde men þe ȝounge may leere,
And ȝit fewe þer ben þat don bet,
ffor þe fende haþ cauȝte hem in hys nette,
And hold hem faste in hys bondage
ffor þei schulden not dyspyse her wytte,
To haue pacyence in her old age.
It ys but a dreme y-mete,
ffor nowe yt ys, as yt neuer were.
And so ys yt þat ys to comynge ȝit—
And faste we drawen to oure beere—
In sorowe and drede we schullen be sette.
Of olde men þe ȝounge may leere,
And ȝit fewe þer ben þat don bet,
ffor þe fende haþ cauȝte hem in hys nette,
And hold hem faste in hys bondage
ffor þei schulden not dyspyse her wytte,
To haue pacyence in her old age.
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þan schul we se þat wordly blysse
Is but þinge of vanyte,
And yt makeþ men to do a-mys
þat ben in welþe and grete bewte;
And þerfor, lord, good ryȝt yt ys
Wiþ oure owne stafe chastysed to be.
Lord, ȝeue vs grace to þenke on þis,
As þou bouȝtteste vs alle vppon a tree;
And þat we may in charyte
Welle passe, ouer þis passage,
In-to the blysse þat euer schal be
Whan we ben passed oure old age.
Is but þinge of vanyte,
And yt makeþ men to do a-mys
þat ben in welþe and grete bewte;
And þerfor, lord, good ryȝt yt ys
Wiþ oure owne stafe chastysed to be.
Lord, ȝeue vs grace to þenke on þis,
As þou bouȝtteste vs alle vppon a tree;
And þat we may in charyte
Welle passe, ouer þis passage,
In-to the blysse þat euer schal be
Whan we ben passed oure old age.
A-m-e-n.
| Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century | |