33. Now synge we with angelis:
Gloria in excelsis!
I
A babe is born, to blys vs brynge.
I hard a mayd lulley & synge;
She said: “Dere son, leve thy wepyng,
Thy fader is þe kyng of blis.”
Now sy[n]g we [with angelis:
Gloria in excelcis!]
2
“Lulley,” she said & songe also,
“Myn own dere son, whi art þou wo?
Haue I not do as I shuld do?
Thy grevance, tell me what it is!”
Nowe syng [we with angelis:
Gloria in excelcis!]
3
“Nay, dere moder, for þe wepe I nowght,
But for þe wo þat shall be wrowght
To me, or I mankynd haue bowght:
Was neuer sorow lik it, ywis.”
Now [synge we with angelis:
Gloria in excelcis!]
4
“Pesse, dere son, tell me not soo,
Þou art my child, I haue no moo;
Shuld I se men myn own son sloo?
Alas, my dere son! what menys þis?”
Now [synge we with angelis:
Gloria in excelcis!]
5
“My hondis, moder, þat ye may see,
Shall be nayled vnto a tree;
My fete all so fast shall be;
Men shall wepe þat shall se this.”
Now syng [we with angelis:
Gloria in excelcis!]
6
“A, dere son! hard is my happe,
To see my child þat sokid my pappe,
His hondis, his fete, þat I dide wrappe,
Be so naylid, þat neuer dide amysse.”
Now [synge we with angelis:
Gloria in excelcis!]
7
“A dere moder! yet shall a spere
My hart in sonder all to-tere;
No wondre, yf I carefull were,
& wepe full sore to thynk on this.”
Now [synge we with angelis:
Gloria in excelcis!]
8
“A dere son! shall I se this?
Þou art my child, & I thy moder ywis,
Whan Gabryell called me ‘full of grace,’
He told me no thyng of this.”
[Now synge we with angelis:
Gloria in excelcis!]
9
“A, dere moder! thorow myn here,
To thrust in thornes, they will not spare;
Alas, moder! I am full of care,
That ye shall see this hevynes.”
Now [synge we with angelis:
Gloria in excelcis!]
10
“A dere son, leve thy wepyng!
Þou bryngyst my hart in gret mornyng;
A carefull songe now may I syng;
This tydyngis, hard to me it is.”
Now [synge we with angelis:
Gloria in excelcis!]
11
“A! pece, dere moder, I the pray,
comforte me all þat ye may,
& syng, ‘by, by, lulley, lulley,’
To put a-way all hevynes.”
Now syng we [with angelis:
Gloria in excelcis!]