The Minor Poems of John Lydgate :: :: University of Virginia Library

Queen of heuene, of helle eeke emperesse,
Lady of this world, O verray loodsterre!
To maryners geyn al mortal distresse
In ther passage that they nat ne erre,

285

Thy look of mercy cast doun from so ferre,
On all thy seruantes by chast compassioun,
Graunte hem good pes, saue hem fro mortal werre,
To thy .v. joyes that haue deuocioun.

2

Celestial cipresse set vpon Syon,
Hiest Cidre of perfit holynesse,
Charboncle of charite and grene emerawd ston,
Hool & vnbroken by virgynal clennesse,
O Saphir loup al swellyng to represse,
Off cankred sores & venymous feloun,
In gostly woundes be ther gouerneresse
To thy .v. Ioies þat haue deuocioun.

3

Yerde of Aaron, gracious and benigne,
Welle of all grace and merciful pite,
Wher the Hooly Gost list to close and signe,
The cristal cloistre of thy virginyte,
Bawme of Engaddy geyn al Infirmite,
Of folk þat languissh in tribulacioun,
Preserue and keep from al aduersitee
To thy .v. Ioies þat haue deuocioun.

4

Glad Aurora, kalendis of cleer day,
Of Phebus vprist, massageer most enteer,
Rose of Iherico, groweth noon so fressh in May,
Gracious Lucifer, dirk morwenynges for to cleer,
And siluer deuh, which that did Appeer
Vpon the flees shynyng of Gedeoun,
Shew vpon all thy liht, thyn heuenly cheer,
To thy .v. Ioies þat haue deuocioun.

286

5

O bussh vnbrent, shewed to Moyses,
Iudith the secounde, þat saued al Israel,
Assenek off Egipt, of beute pereles,
Souereyn Sara of refut cheeff Rachel,
For our Sauacioun salued bi Gabriel,
Reclinatorye throne of kyng Salamoun,
For thy seruauntes al mescheeff do repelle,
To thy .v. Ioies that haue deuocioun.

6

Of al dirknesse thou dist awey the clips,
This wrechchede world tenlumyne with gladnesse,
Shewed to Seyn Iohn in thapocalips,
Clad in a Sonne surmountyng of brihtnesse,
Crownyd with sterrys of excellent cleernesse,
The stremys strechchyng to the heuenly mansioun,
Thy grace, thy pite, to alle tho folkes dresse,
To thy .v. Ioies þat haue deuocioun.

7

Palme of our conquest, grene olyue of our pes,
Of hope our Anker, at the hauene of lyff taryue,
Of feith our sheld, pauys of our encres,
No clerk hath konnyng thy bountes to descryue;
Thy Sonys passioun, knet with hys woundes fyue,
Of moodirly pite by mediacioun,
Help and supporte hem geyn Sathan for to stryue,
To thy .v. Ioies that haue deuocioun.

lenuoye.

8

Go, litel bille, pray to this pur virgine,
On vs to caste hir confortable siht,

287

Onys a day our dulnesse tenlumine,
On soule and spirit to make vs glad & liht,
Withoute slouthe, as we be bounde of riht,
Al the while þat we ben here alyue,
At morowe, at mydday, at eue toward nyht,
Ever to remembre vpon hir Ioies fyue.

9

In hir stant hoolly our grace and our counfort,
Our hope, our helthe, o[u]r trust most pryncipal,
Of our welfare the ryvall and the port,
Geyn feendes power our castel and our wal,
In worldly trouble and daungers infernal,
Geyn al the malys that feendes kan contryue
Shall vs diffende with hir mylk virgynal,
Whan we remembre vpon hir Ioies fyve.

10

Callyng to mynde hir salutacioun,
Cristis birthe, and hys natyuyte,
Hys meeke suffraunce, hys resurreccioun,
And hys ascencioun vp to the heuenly Se,
With hir Assumpcioun, grettest solemnyte
Of al hir festys, as clerkes kan descryue,
Our Salue, our socour, geyn al aduersite,
When we remembre vpon hir Ioies fyue.

11

Lat nat this mateer appallen in your thouht,
In eche temptacioun to remembre blyue
On Cristys passyoun, and on hir Ioyes fyve,
To make yow strong, bewar, forget hem nouht.