CXIV. Thys ys fulle tru, þis ys fulle tru
(Who can sey ‘Nay’ to thys?):
Mary ys modere of Ihesu,
And god hys fadere ys.
1
An angelle bright came downe with light
A message for to do
Vnto that meyde, and thus he seyde
Fulle mekely here vnto:
2
‘Haylle, Mary mylde ay vndefylde:
The lorde god ys wyth the,
And his owne chylde so meke and mylde
Of the nowe born wylle be.’
3
Also he seyde vnto thatte mayde,
Thatte was so meke and fre:
‘Of women alle bothe grete and smalle
Ay blessyd motte thou be!’
4
Off thatte tydyng, thatt he dydde bryng,
This meyden meruelde sore,
Hou thatte hyghe kyng, þatt made althyng,
Of here wombe wolde be bore.
5
Thatte angelle bright þan seide full right:
‘Drede not, Mary so fre:
Thou hast founde grace before the face
Of god in persons thre.
6
In thy wombe thow shalt conceyue now
A chylde and bere the same.
Of highe degre this childe shall be:
Ihesus shalle be his name.
7
The lord of alle to hym gyffe shalle
A sete of mageste
A-bove in blysse, as right itte ys,
Wheroff none ende shalle be.’
8
Sche answerd than: ‘Telle, if thou can,
Hou this dede shalle be wrought,
Sith I intende notte to offende
With man in dede ne thought.’
9
‘The holigost of myghtys most
Fro blysse shalle lyght in the;
By whoys vertu of Crist Ihesu
The moder thou shalt be.
10
Beholde alsoo: Elizabeth, loo,
Thatte barayn long hath gon,
In here old age by highe suffrage
Hath conceyuyd saynt Ihon.
11
Thatt kyng and lord, þat with a worde
Hath made althyng of nought,
This dede in the now do shalle he
Atte his wylle with a thought.’
12
‘Beholde,’ she seyde, ‘goddis handmeyde,’
To hym, thatt maydyn mylde:
‘Thy worde in me fulfyllyd be;’
And soo she was with chylde.
13
Thatte angelle bright þo went full right
A-yen to heuyn blys,
And, as he seyde, thatt blessyd meyde
The modere of god ys.
