The poems of William of Shoreham ... Re-edited from the unique manuscript in the British Museum by M. Konrath |
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 | I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. | V. [The Five Joys of the Virgin Mary.] |
| VI. |
| VII. |
 | The poems of William of Shoreham |  |
115
V. [The Five Joys of the Virgin Mary.]
1
Meche hys þat me syngeþ and redeþ,Of hyre þat al mankende gledeþ
Ibore was here on erthe;
And þey alle speke, þat spekeþ wyd tonge,
Of hyre worschype, and murye sounge,
Ȝet more he were werthe.
2
Þyse aungeles heryeþ here wyþ steuene,Ase he hys hare quene of heue[ne],
And eke hare blysse;
Ouer al erþe leuedy hys here,
And þorȝ-out helle geþ here power,
Ase he hys emperysse.
3
Cause of alle þyse dignyte,Þorȝ clennesse and humylyte,
Was godes owene grace;
Wer-þorȝ he ber þan heuene kyng:
Worschype hys worþy ine alle þyng,
In euereche place.
4
Al þat hys boue and vnder molde,Hou myȝt hyt bote hyt bowe scholde
To hyre owene mede?
Wanne he þat al þys wordle schel welde
To hyre worschipe hys yhelde
For here moder-hede.
116
5
Al þyse maydenes, wyþ-out bost,Hy bereþ god in here goste,
In hare holy þouȝt[e];
Ac hy wyþ-oute mannes ymone
In body, and nauȝt in gost a-lone,
To manne hyne broute.
6
Of hyre þat hys þos dygne of take,Hou myȝte ich of hyre songes make,
Þat am so foul of lyue?
And þou me bede, soster, synge,
And alle in-to one songe brynge
Here swete ioyen fyue.
7
To segge þat ich hyt maky can,Þat am so one-connende a man,
Dar ich me nauȝt auanty;
Ac tryste ich wolle to oure leuedy,
And maky hyt ase hyt wyle by,
And ase hy hy[t] wole me granty.
8
As man ine hys by-leaue yseþ,Ioyen of hyre so fele þer beþ,
Ne may hys no man telle,
Ase hy haþ of hyre leue sone:
Hyt passeþ al mankendes wone,
And out of mannes spelle.
9
Four manere ioyen hy hedde hereOf hyre sone so lef an dere,
Wytnes opan þe godspelle;
117
Þat hye heþ nou, wyþ-oute mysse,
So stremes of þe welle.
10
Þe wylle þat hys in paradysFol wel by-tokneþ þys auys,
Wyþ here stremes foure,
Þet orneþ out ouer al þat londe,
Nys neuer erþlyche man þat fond
Hou fele come of þe stoure.
11
Þys wulle hys god self man by-come,Of hym þys ioyen beþ alle y-nome,
And alle ine uour manere:
Þe furste was wyþ concepcioun,
Þo þe angel gabryel come a-doun
Ine stede of messager[e],
12
To brynge þe tyþynge by-foreÞat cryst of hyre wolde by bore,
Mannes trespas to ȝelde,
For to brynge ous out of helle:
Wo mytte þenche oþer telle
Wat ioye þer y uelde!
13
In naȝareth, þe ryche toun,Aue maria was þat soun
Of gabrieles steuene;
Þo was þat mayde wel ygret,
And wyþ a present wel ageet
Fram vader oure of heuene.
14
So he was ine hyre ycome,For fleasch and blod of hyre to nome,
Ase þe angel hyre seyde;
118
Ne hy ne brek nauȝt hyre by-heste,
Ac euere clene a mayde.
15
Seynt johan þe baptyst on-bore,Þo hy spek hys moder by-fore,
Ine ioye he gan to asprynge.
Elyȝabet wel þat aspyde,
Hou a spylede onder hyre syde,
And made hys reioyynge.
16
More encheyson hadde oure leuedyIoyous and blyþe for to by,
Wyþ-oute prede and boste;
For in hyre selue hy hyne fredde,
Fol wel hy wyste hou [hy] hyne hedde
Þorȝ self þe holy goste.
17
Ioseph kedde þat he was mylde,Þo þat he wyste hy was wyþ chylde,
A-wey he wolde alone;
Ha nolde nauȝt he were a-slawe,
Ne forþe y-iuged by þe lawe
To by stend wyþ stone.
18
Ac ioseph was wel blyþe, aplyȝt,Þo to hym cam þe angel bryȝt,
To segge hym wat he scholde;
Wel blyþþere myȝte be þat may,
Þat was y-conforted al day
Wyþ aungeles wanne hy wolde.
19
In þyssere ioye we scholde by-loukenAl hyre ioyen of uourti woken
Þe wylest he ȝede wyþ chylde.
119
Þer-inne þet vnicorn weks tame
Þat er þan was so wylde.
20.ii
Þet oþer ioye of hyre ycoreWas of ihesus, of hyre ybore
A crystemasse nyȝte,
Wyþ-oute sorȝe, wyþ-oute sore;
And so ne schal þer neuer more
Wymman wyþ childe dyȝte.
21
For so hy hyne scholde ferst auonge,Þer nes no senne þer amonge,
Ne noe flesches lykynge;
Þer-fore of hyre y-bore he was,
Ase þe sonne passeȝt þorȝ þe glas
Wyþ-outen on openynge.
22
In suaþebendes hy hyne dyȝte,Ase hyt hys þe chyldes ryȝte,
And ȝef hym melk to souke;
Þaȝ hyt were þustre of nyȝt,
Þer nas wane of no lyȝt,
Þe heuene gan onlouke.
23
Out com an aungel wyþ great leemIn-to þe feld of bedleem,
Amonges þe schepherden,
Te telle þat cryst was ybore;
Þer come singinde þer-fore
Of angeles manye verden.
24
Þanne sede he swyþe welGracia plena, gabryel,
And þat hys “fol of grace”;
120
And pays igrad for hyre loue
Of angeles in place.
25
Þe oxe and asse in hare manyour,Þo þat hy seȝen hare creatour
Lyggynde in hare forage,
Al one-knowynge þaȝ hy were,
Hy makede ioye in hare manere,
And eke in hare langage.
26
Ope þe heȝe eȝtynde dayHe onder-ȝede þe gywen lay,
And was ycircumcysed.
Iesus me clepede hyne þer-uore,
Ase aungeles, er he were ybore,
Hys eldren hadde y-wysed.
27
Mochele ioye hy aspyde,Þe kynges þre þat come ryde
Fram be easte wel iverre;
Gold, myrre, stor, were here offrynges,
Þat he was lord and kyng of kynges
Wel by-toknede þe sterre.
28
Þo þat he scholde y-offred byIn þe templo domini,
Ase laȝe ȝef þe termes,
Symeon, þe olde man, gan crye,
And spek of hym fur prophecye,
And tok hym ine hys earmes.
29
Þo he was bote twelf wynter ald,And heȝ ine þe temple he seat wel bald,
And þaȝ he speke smale,
121
For to alle clerkes þat þer were
He ȝaf answere and tale.
30
Alyue uertu was hys childe-hode,And so he com to hys manhode;
Ine flom iordanes syche
He was ycrystned, þe heuene onleake,
Þe fader of heuene doun to hym spake,
Þe gost com coluere ylyche.
31
To þyssere ioye longye scholleAlle þe ioyen þat hyre folle
Of hyre chylde god,
Fram þan tyme he was ybore
For al mankende þat was for-lore,
For[t] he deyde one þe roude.
32.iii
Þe þrydde ioye þat com of crysteHadde oure leuedy of hys opryste
Fram deaþes harde bende,
Out of þe sepulcre þer he laye,
Ase hyt fel þane þrydde daye
After hys lyues ende.
33
Wet ioye of hym myȝte be moreAfter suiche sorȝynge and swyche sore,
Ase hye yseye hine feye,
Þanne isiȝe hyne come to lyue aȝen,
And euereft more alyue to ben,
And neuere eft to deyȝe?
34
Þat he was lyf and strengþe and myȝte,And þat he kedde on Estre nyȝtte,
Al ine þe dawyynge:
122
And heuene aboue vnder-toke
Hys holy vppe-rysynge.
35
Þar doun come aungeles whyte ine wede,And þat he was aryse hy sede,
And hare sawe was trewe;
Þat he ne laye nauȝt vnder molde
For to a-saye, ho so wolde,
Þane stone hye ouer-þrewe.
36
Þaȝ þat he ine hys manhoþ deyde,Dominus tecum þat a seyde,
Þo þe aungel here by-redde,
(Þat hys to seggene “god es myȝtte”),
Ine ryȝte soþe hyt moste sitte
Þet god-hoþ wel hyt kedde.
37
Nedde oure leuedy þyse blysse a-lone,Ac al hyre frendes in hyre mone,
So meche was here þe more;
For more hijs blysse god and clene
Among frendes to habbe ymene,
After sorȝynge and sore.
38
O þat hy were blyþe, þo hye (here) seȝenSo glorious alyue, wyþ here eȝen,
Þet hy yseye er ine paygne!
Furste a schewed hym wyþ a fayre chaunce
To here þet hys ensample of repentaunce,
Marye magdaleyne.
39
And so hyseye hyne peter, and seþenes hy alle,And þer thomas of ynde, a k[n]owes yfalle,
Groped hys holy wounde;
123
An nou he gan to crye loude for þe nones:
“My lord ich abbe y-founde.”
40
Houre lord hym answerde in þet cas:“Þou leuedest, for þou seȝe me, thomas,
Þat þou me haddest y-founde;
Ac, thomas, ich þe telle, yblessed hy beþ,
Þo þat on me by-leueþ and nauȝt me seþ,
Ne gropyeþ none wounde.”
41
To þyssere ioyen scholle by yleydAlle þe ioyen þat moȝe be yseyd,
Ine wyttes oþer in mende,
Fram crystes resurreccioun,
Wat comeþ hys ascensioun
At fourty daȝen ende.
42.iv
Þe ferþe ioye telle ich may,Þat fel opon þe holy þoresday,
Opone a mounteyne heȝe;
Hi seȝ ihesus, and oþre some,
Of flesch and blod of hyre ynome,
Op in-to heuene steȝe.
43
Al ine ioye was hyre mende,Þo hy seȝe here and oure kende,
Ihesus, hyre leue sone,
In-to þe blysse of heuene sty,
To agredy worþy scholde hy be
At hyre assumpcioun[e].
44
And ȝet ne were hyt noȝt y-noȝOne to agredy hyre looȝ
And heȝ ine heuene blysse,
124
For he hys oure kende broþer,
Þat leue we to wysse.
45
Ine hym ne schal hyt nauȝt lang beÞat we to hym ne scholle te,
Wanne we scholle wende hennes;
Ac schel on ous, þat beþ onkende,
Ne draȝeþ nauȝt hys loue to mende,
And wreþeþ hyne wyþ sennes.
46
And ȝet he hys milde and sparyeþ some,And ase he wente op, he wole come
A domesday wel bryȝte,
For te trye manne dede,
And after dede ȝiue mede
And iugement to ryȝtte.
47
Betere red nys þer non hereFor to be crystes yuere,
And hyȝ ine heuene blysse,
Bote felþe of senne to by-vly,
And bydde god and oure leuedy
Þat hy ous helpe and wysse.
48
For hyre poer nys nouȝt y-lessed,Ac toup alle oþren hys y-blessed,
Soþe wyf and mayde;
Ase þat godspel telleþ ous,
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
Eliȝabeth hyt sayde.
49
Al here ioyen a lok-sounday,And alle þe þät me aspye may,
Þat hyre and erþe felle,
Al fram crystes ascencioun,
Al wat comþe hyre assumpcioun,
To þyssere loungy schelle.
125
50.v
Þe fyfte ioye of oure leuedyNot er[þ]lych man hou hyt may by,
Ne þer-of [may] more aspye,
Bote þat þe gloriouse beerde
Out of þyse world (þe) gloriouse ferde,
Wyþ greate melodye.
51
One-couþ to þe, man, hys þes figure,For þe offyce of hyre sepulture
Was al an heuene gyse;
And toller hys man to heuene speche
Þanne be a best, þaȝ man hym teche
Reyson and mannes wyse.
52
Þer-fore nys þer-of naut y-wryte,For man ne mot nouȝt her y-wyte
Wat hys so heȝ a steuene;
Ac holy cherche der wel by-knowe
Þat hy ne þolede none deaþes þrowe,
Þat loweþ þat lyf of heuene.
53
Hyt hys y-wryte þat angeles brytteTo holy manne deaþe alyȝte
[Þet] her an erþe leye;
In holy bok hys hyt inome
Þat god hym self a wolde come,
Wanne hy scholde deye.
54
Þer-bye we mowe wel y-wyte,Þaȝ þer be nauȝt of y-wryte,
Þat cryst hym self was þere;
Myd hym of heuene þe ferede,
Þe eadi leuedy for to lede,
Most here no fend offere.
126
55
Hy wente vppe, my leue broþer,In body and soule, hyt nys non oþer,
For cryst hys god and kende:
Þat body þat he tok of hys oȝen,
Hou mytte hyt ligge a-mang þe loȝen,
Wyþ-oute honour and mende?
56
Þanne ich dar segge mid gode ryȝteÞat alle þe court of heuene alyȝtte
Attare departynge;
And cryst hym self aȝeins hyre com,
And body and saule op wyþ hym nom
In-to hys wonyynge.
57
Þat hy hys quen, ase ich er mende,Here grace hy may doun to ous sende,
Hire ioye to fol-uelle.
Ich hopye hy nele nauȝt let ous spylle,
For he hys al to hyre wylle
Of ioye þat hijs þe welle.
58
For of hyre wombe he hys þat frut,Were-of þes angeles habbeþ hare dut,
And men hare holy fode;
Eliȝabeth, hy sede þys:
“Et benedictus fructus ventris
Tui, iesus þe gode.”
59
Of songe hys to þen ende y-brout,Ase þou hest, soster, me by-soȝt,
Ase ich hene myȝtte frede.
Nou syng and byde þe heuene quene
Þet hy ous brynge al out of tene
At oure mest[e] nede.
AmeN.
Oretis pro anima Willelmi de Schorham, quondam vicarii de chart iuxta Ledes.
| The poems of William of Shoreham | |