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 | [Poems from the Vernon MS] |  |
Þe þridde þing is þat I þenke, þat I schal wende henne
Out of þis world, but wot I neuer whenne,
Ne wot I whodur mi soule schal. þerfore sore i drede:
ffor aftur mi werkes are, schal hit haue mede;
Riht as I haue deseruet, þe weole or þe wo
Certeinliche schal I haue, i mai not fle þer-fro.
Beo I in mi put leid, þer wormus schul eten me,
Worþe to nouȝt schal I þenne, as neuer hedde I be;
Þe her of myn hed, ȝeleuȝ so þe wex,
Schal dwynen a-wey so doþ þe drex,
Mi feire eȝen schulen out renne,
Mi white teþ schulen foule grenne,
Mi feire hondes and fingres longe
Schul rote & stynke swiþe stronge.
Men wol for mi good make striuyng
And puyte me out of al my þing.
Þulke þat weren I-wont ofte me to grete,
Þei wol not her þonkes wiþ me meete.
Alle þe frendes þat I now haue,
ffor me gladliche wol þei don al þat I craue;
Weore I in mi graue, out of heore siht,
Luite wolde þei for me do, be dai or be niȝt.
Nedde I neuere so muche good, al hit wolde go,
Whon mi soule & mi bodi ar parted a-two.
Mi bodi schal leuen her, mi soule faren henne,
Al þe worldes pride luitel helpeþ þenne.
Out of þis world, but wot I neuer whenne,
Ne wot I whodur mi soule schal. þerfore sore i drede:
ffor aftur mi werkes are, schal hit haue mede;
Riht as I haue deseruet, þe weole or þe wo
Certeinliche schal I haue, i mai not fle þer-fro.
Beo I in mi put leid, þer wormus schul eten me,
Worþe to nouȝt schal I þenne, as neuer hedde I be;
Þe her of myn hed, ȝeleuȝ so þe wex,
Schal dwynen a-wey so doþ þe drex,
Mi feire eȝen schulen out renne,
Mi white teþ schulen foule grenne,
Mi feire hondes and fingres longe
Schul rote & stynke swiþe stronge.
Men wol for mi good make striuyng
And puyte me out of al my þing.
Þulke þat weren I-wont ofte me to grete,
Þei wol not her þonkes wiþ me meete.
Alle þe frendes þat I now haue,
ffor me gladliche wol þei don al þat I craue;
Weore I in mi graue, out of heore siht,
Luite wolde þei for me do, be dai or be niȝt.
Nedde I neuere so muche good, al hit wolde go,
Whon mi soule & mi bodi ar parted a-two.
Mi bodi schal leuen her, mi soule faren henne,
Al þe worldes pride luitel helpeþ þenne.
Viterde hodes and Clokes also,
Al þat vile pride schal don hem ful wo;
Þei struye godes good þer-wiþ : And torne hit to fen,
Þat muche mihte helpe : Sely pore men.
Now is non worþ a fart,
But he bere a baselart
I-honget bi his syde,
And a swynes Mawe, & al is for pride.
Godus grame, stirap on his cappe is knit,
Þat an vnche haþ he not on for to sit;
Muche meschef and gret colde : On his hers he has,
Men miȝte, ȝif his brech weore to-tore : Seon his genitras.
Al þat vile pride schal don hem ful wo;
336
Þat muche mihte helpe : Sely pore men.
Now is non worþ a fart,
But he bere a baselart
I-honget bi his syde,
And a swynes Mawe, & al is for pride.
Godus grame, stirap on his cappe is knit,
Þat an vnche haþ he not on for to sit;
Muche meschef and gret colde : On his hers he has,
Men miȝte, ȝif his brech weore to-tore : Seon his genitras.
And also þis wymmen : Þat muchel haunteþ pride,
Wiþ hornes on heore hed : Pinned on vch a syde,
Maad of an old hat : And of a luytel tre,
Wiþ selk scleyres I-set aboue : Apparisaunt to be;
Heore Reuersede gydes : On hem are streyt drawe—
But al be of þe newe aget : Hit is not worþ an hawe.
Þei wenen a ben ful feire : And wonder foul þei be;
And a wolden be-þenken hem : Of heore priuete
And hou foule þei are : In soule and in bodi,
Þei ouȝte wiþ heore wepyng : Make heore chekes rodi.
But þei leue pride, & oþur synnes mo,
Schortly to telle, to helle schul þei go.
Whon I þenke her-vppon : Mi care is wel þe more;
Luytel wonder is hit : Þauh I sike sore.
Hou scholde I be proud or elles modi?
Alle ouȝte we to be for synne sori.—
Wiþ hornes on heore hed : Pinned on vch a syde,
Maad of an old hat : And of a luytel tre,
Wiþ selk scleyres I-set aboue : Apparisaunt to be;
Heore Reuersede gydes : On hem are streyt drawe—
But al be of þe newe aget : Hit is not worþ an hawe.
Þei wenen a ben ful feire : And wonder foul þei be;
And a wolden be-þenken hem : Of heore priuete
And hou foule þei are : In soule and in bodi,
Þei ouȝte wiþ heore wepyng : Make heore chekes rodi.
But þei leue pride, & oþur synnes mo,
Schortly to telle, to helle schul þei go.
Whon I þenke her-vppon : Mi care is wel þe more;
Luytel wonder is hit : Þauh I sike sore.
Hou scholde I be proud or elles modi?
Alle ouȝte we to be for synne sori.—
Ȝit þou counseildest me a luytel while ere
Þat I scholde not be pore mennes fere;
Þou seidest I scholde ben holden an vn-mon.
No-mon wol sigge so þat eny good con.
Þauȝ I & a pore Mon, þat beggeþ his fode,
Be not I-liche riche of þe worldes gode,
Men mai seo þe soþe & þe skile riȝt
Hou we schule bitwene vs vre loue diȝt:
Ȝif I do mi cloþus of anon to my liche
Þat I am icloþed in, þat beþ gode & riche,
And a pore beggere, þat haþ muche wo,
Wiþ cloutede cloþes dude also,
And we stode naked boþen I-fere:
Boþe miȝte we þenne ben oþures pere;
Hose vs seȝe and knewe vs neyþer,
Þenne miȝt þei wene þat we were breþer.
Þenne most I louen him, and he louen me,
Whon vre kynde robes beþ of o ble:
Þo are þe Robes we were wiþ I-bore—
Ar we liggen & rote, ne worþ þei to-tore;
Let us be lyk in sum þing, as wel I wot we are,
Al-þauȝ I be riche, & he pore & bare.”
Þat I scholde not be pore mennes fere;
Þou seidest I scholde ben holden an vn-mon.
No-mon wol sigge so þat eny good con.
Þauȝ I & a pore Mon, þat beggeþ his fode,
Be not I-liche riche of þe worldes gode,
Men mai seo þe soþe & þe skile riȝt
Hou we schule bitwene vs vre loue diȝt:
Ȝif I do mi cloþus of anon to my liche
Þat I am icloþed in, þat beþ gode & riche,
And a pore beggere, þat haþ muche wo,
Wiþ cloutede cloþes dude also,
And we stode naked boþen I-fere:
337
Hose vs seȝe and knewe vs neyþer,
Þenne miȝt þei wene þat we were breþer.
Þenne most I louen him, and he louen me,
Whon vre kynde robes beþ of o ble:
Þo are þe Robes we were wiþ I-bore—
Ar we liggen & rote, ne worþ þei to-tore;
Let us be lyk in sum þing, as wel I wot we are,
Al-þauȝ I be riche, & he pore & bare.”
| [Poems from the Vernon MS] | |