[Poems from the Vernon MS] | ||
Þe goode mon wel vnderstod
Þat he seide was not good.
“After þi red wol I not do,
ffor þe prest ne bad not so.
I wot of alle þing, be hit what-so hit be,
Boþe beter & wors, my lord sendeþ to me.
Þauh I oþur-while haue I-had wo,
Þorw god þat hit sende hit haþ ouer-go;
Hit was for my gode—þonked be he—
He wolde þat I scholde bi þat I-war be.
Þauȝ he me be-reue anon to my Ribbe,
Þat I haue vnneþe wher-wiþ to libbe,
Ne wol I not be wroþ þerfore, ne no riȝt hit nis:
ffor al þat I haue, al hit is of his;
Al þat I haue, he leneþ me, I-wis,
He mai taken hit aȝeyn, whon his wille is.
So he haþ don ful ofte—I-blessed mot he be—
And ȝaf me wel more þen he birafte me.
And þauȝ he of-pyne me in seknesse sore,
Hit is for my gode, I loue him þe more;
Þer-wiþ he me warneþ his comaundement to breke,
And sent me such teone him for to wreke;
I mai þen amende me of þat I haue don ille,
And beeten þat I haue agult aȝein godes wille.
Þat he seide was not good.
“After þi red wol I not do,
ffor þe prest ne bad not so.
I wot of alle þing, be hit what-so hit be,
Boþe beter & wors, my lord sendeþ to me.
Þauh I oþur-while haue I-had wo,
Þorw god þat hit sende hit haþ ouer-go;
Hit was for my gode—þonked be he—
332
Þauȝ he me be-reue anon to my Ribbe,
Þat I haue vnneþe wher-wiþ to libbe,
Ne wol I not be wroþ þerfore, ne no riȝt hit nis:
ffor al þat I haue, al hit is of his;
Al þat I haue, he leneþ me, I-wis,
He mai taken hit aȝeyn, whon his wille is.
So he haþ don ful ofte—I-blessed mot he be—
And ȝaf me wel more þen he birafte me.
And þauȝ he of-pyne me in seknesse sore,
Hit is for my gode, I loue him þe more;
Þer-wiþ he me warneþ his comaundement to breke,
And sent me such teone him for to wreke;
I mai þen amende me of þat I haue don ille,
And beeten þat I haue agult aȝein godes wille.
Þreo þinges þer beþ, as I haue herd telle,
Seide me þe prest in his lore-spelle,
ffor whom I ouȝte loue Ihesu ful of miȝte,
And worschipe him as I con, as me wel iȝte:
Þe furste þing of þe þre, is þat he me wrouȝte
After him-self, as hym best þouȝte;
Þat oþur, þat he bouȝte me on þe swete Rode
Wiþ his oune flesch & wiþ his oune blode;
Þe þridde, þat he cleped me to his oune feste
In to þe blisse of heuene, þat euer schal i-leste.
ffor on of þise I ouȝte to louen him wel apliȝt,
Betere I ouȝte for alle, & þat is good riȝt.”
Seide me þe prest in his lore-spelle,
ffor whom I ouȝte loue Ihesu ful of miȝte,
And worschipe him as I con, as me wel iȝte:
Þe furste þing of þe þre, is þat he me wrouȝte
After him-self, as hym best þouȝte;
Þat oþur, þat he bouȝte me on þe swete Rode
Wiþ his oune flesch & wiþ his oune blode;
Þe þridde, þat he cleped me to his oune feste
In to þe blisse of heuene, þat euer schal i-leste.
ffor on of þise I ouȝte to louen him wel apliȝt,
Betere I ouȝte for alle, & þat is good riȝt.”
[Poems from the Vernon MS] | ||