 | Cambridge Middle English Lyrics |  |
Love Songs and Complaints
40. Alas, Alas, and Alas Why
Alas alas and alas why
hath fortune done so creweley
ffro me to take awey þe seyte
Of þat þat gewit my hert lyte
hath fortune done so creweley
ffro me to take awey þe seyte
Of þat þat gewit my hert lyte
Of all þyng þat in erth yse
To me hyt was þe most blyse
Whan þat y was in presense
To wham my hert doth reuerense
To me hyt was þe most blyse
Whan þat y was in presense
To wham my hert doth reuerense
And euer schal for well or woo
Or drede of frende or lyf all soo
Hit schal me neuer oþer a sterte
But ye to haue my hole hert
Or drede of frende or lyf all soo
Hit schal me neuer oþer a sterte
But ye to haue my hole hert
Saue whan I come to þe deth
That nedes oute mouste þe brethe
þat kepyth þe lyfe me with inne
And þan fro yow most I twyne
That nedes oute mouste þe brethe
þat kepyth þe lyfe me with inne
And þan fro yow most I twyne
And tyll þe day hit me owre
Ryȝt feythfully I yow ensure
þat þer schal no erly þyng
On my part make departyng
Ryȝt feythfully I yow ensure
þat þer schal no erly þyng
On my part make departyng
Thus ame I sett. yn stable wyse
To lefe and dure in yowre seruyce
Wyt oute faynyng of my hert
Thow I fele neuer soo grete smert
To lefe and dure in yowre seruyce
Wyt oute faynyng of my hert
Thow I fele neuer soo grete smert
32
41. Alas What Planet Was I Born Vndir
Alas what planet was y born vndir
My hert ys set thus veray feythfully
Thow y be heuy hit ys no wondir
That in youre grace y stand not perfetely
Than for to change yet had me leuer dy
Thes paynes stronge whiche y by force endure
As to loue long y wote y am not sure
My hert ys set thus veray feythfully
Thow y be heuy hit ys no wondir
That in youre grace y stand not perfetely
Than for to change yet had me leuer dy
Thes paynes stronge whiche y by force endure
As to loue long y wote y am not sure
And yeff′ my dethe come to me hasty
God cnowt hit ys by your cruelte
Hit lith in you al myght ye remedy
Of sorow y haue but to grete plente
I fayne no thyng as euer y sauid be
My ioy ys fled′ my wittes done apeire
I lyue as yet but only in dispeyre
God cnowt hit ys by your cruelte
Hit lith in you al myght ye remedy
Of sorow y haue but to grete plente
I fayne no thyng as euer y sauid be
My ioy ys fled′ my wittes done apeire
I lyue as yet but only in dispeyre
Where for y pray as hertly as y can
In this grete nede that ye wil me comfort
And thencke y am your seruaunt & your man
Els most y for sake al my disport
Where to bicome or whethir to resort
Ther ys in me for wo no certaynte
ffor lacke of grace thes parties shal y flee
In this grete nede that ye wil me comfort
And thencke y am your seruaunt & your man
Els most y for sake al my disport
Where to bicome or whethir to resort
Ther ys in me for wo no certaynte
ffor lacke of grace thes parties shal y flee
42. The Lover Wishes His Lady Recovery
As in yow resstyth my Ioy and comfortYoure dissese ys my mortal payne
Sone god send me seche reporte
þat may comfort myn hert in every vayne
ho but ȝe may me sustayne
Ar of my gref be þe remedy
but ye sone amendement of youre maledy
33
þat euer can be þouth in any creature
Myne hert hanggyng þus in balaunce
Tyl I haue knowlege & verely sure
þat god in yow hath lyst done thys cure
Of yowre dyssese to haue allygaunce
And to be releuyd of all yowre grevaunce
43. Lament
I may well sygh for greuous ys my payne
Now to departe fram yow thys sodenly
My fayre swete hert ye cause me to compleyn
ffor lacke of yow y stande full pytously
Alle yn dyscomfort withowten remedy
Most yn my mynde my lady souerayn
Alas for woo departynge hath me slayn
Now to departe fram yow thys sodenly
My fayre swete hert ye cause me to compleyn
ffor lacke of yow y stande full pytously
Alle yn dyscomfort withowten remedy
Most yn my mynde my lady souerayn
Alas for woo departynge hath me slayn
ffare well my myrthe & chefe of my comfort
My Ioy ys turnyd ynto heuynesse
Tyll y agayn to yow may resort
As for the tyme y am but recules
lyke to a fygure wyche that ys hertlees
With yow hyt ys god wote y may not fayne
Alas for woo departynge hath me slayne
My Ioy ys turnyd ynto heuynesse
Tyll y agayn to yow may resort
As for the tyme y am but recules
lyke to a fygure wyche that ys hertlees
With yow hyt ys god wote y may not fayne
Alas for woo departynge hath me slayne
ȝyt not wythstondynge for all my greuaunce
Hyt shall be taken ryght pacyently
And thenke hit ys to me but a plesaunce
ffor yow to suffre a grete dele more truly
Wyll neuer change but kepe vnfeyny[n]gly
With alle my myght to be bothe true & playn
Alas for woo departynge hath me slayn
Hyt shall be taken ryght pacyently
And thenke hit ys to me but a plesaunce
ffor yow to suffre a grete dele more truly
Wyll neuer change but kepe vnfeyny[n]gly
With alle my myght to be bothe true & playn
Alas for woo departynge hath me slayn
34
44. Without Variance
Margery Hungerford With owte variance
Where y haue chosyn stedefast woll y be
Newyre to repente in wyll thowth ne dede
Yow to serue watt ȝe commaund′ me
neuer hyt withdrawe for no maner drede
Thus am y bownd by yowre godelyhede
Wych haþ me causyd and þat in euery wyse
Wyle I in lyfe endure to do yow my seruyse
Where y haue chosyn stedefast woll y be
Newyre to repente in wyll thowth ne dede
Yow to serue watt ȝe commaund′ me
neuer hyt withdrawe for no maner drede
Thus am y bownd by yowre godelyhede
Wych haþ me causyd and þat in euery wyse
Wyle I in lyfe endure to do yow my seruyse
Yowre desertt can none odere deserue
Wych ys in my remembrauns both day & nyȝt
Afore al creaturus I yow loue & serue
Wyle in thys world I haue strength and mytt
Wych ys in dewte of very dewe ryȝt
By promes made with feythful assuraunce
Euer yow to sarue with owtyn varyaunce
Wych ys in my remembrauns both day & nyȝt
Afore al creaturus I yow loue & serue
Wyle in thys world I haue strength and mytt
Wych ys in dewte of very dewe ryȝt
By promes made with feythful assuraunce
Euer yow to sarue with owtyn varyaunce
Ye are to blame to sett yowre hert so sore
Seþyn þat ye wote that hyt [ys] rekeurles
To encrece yowre payne more & more
Syn þat ye wote þat sche ys merceles
Seþyn þat ye wote that hyt [ys] rekeurles
To encrece yowre payne more & more
Syn þat ye wote þat sche ys merceles
45. A Troubled Lover's Apostrophe to Death
O Dethe whylum dysplesant to natureWhere duellyst þow wylte thou þin man forsake
Com on and se thow wofull creature
That haþe his herte vnto a lady take
That woll his deþe & lyst no pese to make
Cum & helpe the petuys man to ende
In the lythe all here ys non odere ffrende
35
46. A Compleint vn to Dame Fortune Capitulo xxviii
O þou fortune why art þou so inconstaunt
To make þis land so to meeve
Thou hast a dominacioun traversaunt
Wyth owte numbre doyst þou greeue
Vnstedefast art þou for to be leve
He þat yn þe settyth hys confidence
He holdyth ryght naught of clene consciennce
To make þis land so to meeve
Thou hast a dominacioun traversaunt
Wyth owte numbre doyst þou greeue
Vnstedefast art þou for to be leve
He þat yn þe settyth hys confidence
He holdyth ryght naught of clene consciennce
Radix omnium malorum est cupiditas
I whoot weel what causyth oure necligenncefful fewe now þer be content of sufficisaunce
Wherfore þe coveytous doth greet offennce
Heygh to surmounte þe worldis bobaunce
Wordely men often tymes hem a vaunce
Be fortune and þat ys here confidennce
he holdyth ryght nawt of clene consciennce
Qui cupiunt diuites fieri incidunt in laqueos diaboli
Many men byn brought from poverteOn to rychesse and þat in dyvers wyse
Whanne þey haue y nough þey cannot se
Poverte þanne doun þey dyspyse
Resoun with hem may not aryse
He þat yn fortune settyth his confidence
He kepyth ryght naught of clene conscience
Multis mortem generauerunt diuitie
Mysure ys tresour as men doon seyeTherto euery man schold take heed
And yn alle his warkes to god obeye
Hym ful hertely loue and dreed
And ellys fortune so hym may leed
Puttynge in here al his confidence
A doun to falle in here presence
36
Si diuitie vobis affluant nolite cor apponere
ffor whanne rychesse doth a bounde
In greet mesure þat ys ful casual
fful often tymes yt ys weel founde
þat ful lyghtely . he getyth . a . fal .
Hys wynnyng at þe last may be smal
In fortune was set hys confidence
He kepte ryght nawȝt of clene conscience
In greet mesure þat ys ful casual
fful often tymes yt ys weel founde
þat ful lyghtely . he getyth . a . fal .
Hys wynnyng at þe last may be smal
In fortune was set hys confidence
He kepte ryght nawȝt of clene conscience
Manhood in þys reame hath regnyd lange
But now þerfayleth ordynaunce
Covetyse and meede ben had in hand
Sustrys þey be of oon a lyaunce
Euery day to gedere þey do daunce
ȝyf men wolde sette in god here confidence
ffare weel þanne large conscience
But now þerfayleth ordynaunce
Covetyse and meede ben had in hand
Sustrys þey be of oon a lyaunce
Euery day to gedere þey do daunce
ȝyf men wolde sette in god here confidence
ffare weel þanne large conscience
Coveytyse spredyth now ful wyde
Wherfore worschepe ys set be hynd
Dyscrecioun faylyth now in many a syde
Cawsyng rychemen to be blynde
Nyghtes reste can þey noon fynde
In wordely muk ys al here confidence
Therfore absentyth ys clene conscience
Wherfore worschepe ys set be hynd
Dyscrecioun faylyth now in many a syde
Cawsyng rychemen to be blynde
Nyghtes reste can þey noon fynde
In wordely muk ys al here confidence
Therfore absentyth ys clene conscience
ffalseheed ys suster vn to meede
Euere þey ben of oon acordaunce
Manye to hem taken good heed
Al þat cawsyth a greet variaunce
Large conscience makyth a dysturbelaunce
In wordely muk ys here confidence
ffor þey sette at nawt clene consciennce
Euere þey ben of oon acordaunce
Manye to hem taken good heed
Al þat cawsyth a greet variaunce
Large conscience makyth a dysturbelaunce
In wordely muk ys here confidence
ffor þey sette at nawt clene consciennce
That ynfortunat false coveytyse
of gold and syluer falsely gote
Wher þrough many men doon aryse
And kepyn gold in coferys stoke
Day houre and tyme þey ne wote
How long schal endure here confidence
ffor þey sette at nawȝt clene conscience
of gold and syluer falsely gote
37
And kepyn gold in coferys stoke
Day houre and tyme þey ne wote
How long schal endure here confidence
ffor þey sette at nawȝt clene conscience
fful often tymes yt ys y seye
That vntrowthe supportyth tresoun
Wher þrought a man may lyghtely deye
ffor falseheed and tresoun ben the enchesoun
In thys land þys mateyr ys not gesoun
Inworldely muk ys his confidence
And al þat causyth . large conscience
That vntrowthe supportyth tresoun
Wher þrought a man may lyghtely deye
ffor falseheed and tresoun ben the enchesoun
In thys land þys mateyr ys not gesoun
Inworldely muk ys his confidence
And al þat causyth . large conscience
Holy doctouris thus doon þey seye
That worldely . good gotyn wyth wrong
To resoun þei moste nedys a beye
In helle pette ellys schall þey hong
But restitucioun be mayd among
And trewe repentaunce here defennce
ffor þat wele charyte & clene conscience
That worldely . good gotyn wyth wrong
To resoun þei moste nedys a beye
In helle pette ellys schall þey hong
But restitucioun be mayd among
And trewe repentaunce here defennce
ffor þat wele charyte & clene conscience
Duplex est restitucio scire actualis et mentalis
Restitucion ys weel to vndyrstande
In two wyses as thenkyth me
On . ys þe good þat he hath in hande
To ȝeelde yt ageyn to hys powste
That other ys þe good spendyd in vanyte
Good wyl to ȝeelde yt with owte vyolence
ffor þat wele charyte and conscience
In two wyses as thenkyth me
On . ys þe good þat he hath in hande
To ȝeelde yt ageyn to hys powste
That other ys þe good spendyd in vanyte
Good wyl to ȝeelde yt with owte vyolence
ffor þat wele charyte and conscience
Coveytyse dooth often ful greet schame
Vnto manhood and þat ys greet pyte
ffalseheed þerof beryth þe name
And þat ys for lak of charyte
Thus many men faren of euery degre
In worldely muk lyeth here confidence
And al þis causyth large conscience
Vnto manhood and þat ys greet pyte
ffalseheed þerof beryth þe name
And þat ys for lak of charyte
Thus many men faren of euery degre
38
And al þis causyth large conscience
Nemo potest duobus dominis seruire contrarijs
He þat ys servaunt vn to greet rychesseAnd wyl not governe yt to goddys intent
That may lette hym from goddys presence
And so par aventure he may be schent
47. A Pure Balade of Love
Knyȝtes in travayle for to serveWherof the may thanke deserve
Where as thes men of Armes be
Some most ouer the gret see
So that by lande and by ship
The most travayle for wurship
And make many hasty rodes
Somtyme Vnto ynde sumtyme to þe Rodes
And somtyme in to tartary
So that the herialte on theym crye
Viallant viallant Lo where he goith
And then he gyvith hym gold & cloth
| Cambridge Middle English Lyrics | |