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

Grounde take in vertu by patriarkys Olde,
From Abraham lyneally brought doun
In the Scripturys as prophetys tolde,
Shewyd to them by Revelacioun
On kyng and prophete, moost souereyn of Renoun,
Dauid fro Iesse for Royal excellence,
Frute of whoos wombe, by Iust successioun,
To al the Clausys songe in this sequence

2

May cleyme a title by lyneal discent,
How Letabundus to hym doth appartene,
By the Hooly Goost moost graciously doun sent
In a skye lyk gold dewh, bright and shene,
Tenlvmyne that gloryous hevenly queene
That bar Iesu, a verray clene mayde;
In whoos worshepe this sequence as I mene
In hire feestys is songen, as I seyde.

3

Ek in the queer above celestial
Querestres gadryd of euery Ierarchye,
Out of nyne Ordrys chose in Especial,
With ther moost hevenly melodyous Armonye,
Wher nubes lucida, the saphir hewyd skye
Be-syde Cherubyn, bright brennyng as þe glede,
To for themperesse, which is callyd Marye,
Synge Letabundus, and Seraphyn indede

4

With Principatus moost Imperial,
And Potestates, bright as the sonne beem,

To-for that lord, that with his blood bought al,
Wher as Chorus nove Ierusalem
For ioye of hym, that was born in Bedleem,
Sang in excelsis, whos refreyt, to conclude,
Was Letabundus, in that hevenly Reem
With al the noumbre, and glorious multitude

5

Of hevenly spiritis, with al the Ordrys nyne,
To Reioysshe Iuda and Israel,
By Royal frute born of Dauid-is lyne,
A form figuryd by feithful Samuel;—
First book of kynges can the processe tel,—
Chorus prophetarum graciously syngyng,
To plese the lord Callyd Emanuel
With Letabundus, to-for that myghty kyng

6

Which callyd is Kyng of Cristemasse,—
I take Record of Isaye,—
To glade Reemys, provyncys more and lasse,
In his worshepe this Court to magneffye,
Be assent of Danyel, Ioel and Ieremye;
This mydwyntir glad tydynges hoom to bryng,
Alle the prophetys with O voys to yow crye,
Letabundus devoutly that ye synge.

Regem regum intacte profu[n]dit chorus res miranda.

This goostly Chorus figured in the Byble,
As prophetys Remembre in ther writynges,
—Beheest of God may nat be inpossible,—
How Gabriel brought first Tydynges

Regem regum

That thilke lord, callyd kyng of kynges,
Born of a maide, moost souereyn of degre,
With Sceptre and Crowne, former of alle thynges,
Cleymyng of right to sitte in Dauid-is se,—

8

His fadir Dauid, of prophetys principal,
Wrot longe be-forn by goostly knowlechyng,—
That Crist Iesus, lord lastyng eternal,
Shal sitte, Crownyd as souereyn lord and kyng.

Sedebit rex dominus in eternum.

Isayas, his power Remembryng,
Seyde and wroot, with fervence set a-fyre,
Grace of our lord shal fortune his comyng;

Multiplicabitur eius imperium

With greet encrees multeplye his empyre.

9

Among alle Cristene prynces and monarkes,
Foure and twenty prop[h]etys accordyng,
First rekne in Ordre twelve patryarkes,
With glad reffreytys there consceytes out shewyng.
Was nevir seyn so merveyllous a thyng
As for to seen in Abraham-is lyne,
A yong Melchisedeck, bysshop, preest and kyng,
In Bedleem born of a pure virgyne.

10

Regem Regum this sequence doth hym calle,
Set a-syde, make no comparysoun,
Isaak, Iacob, Rekne vp kynredys alle,

generacionem quis enarrabit.

Whoo can Remembre his generacioun?
Mathew-is gospel makith mencioun,
And concludeth in his Genalogye,
Off Letabundus al the perfeccioun
Parformyd is in Ioseph and Marie.

11

Doth your deveer in al your best entent,
Off verray right, lyk as ye ar bounde,
Chorus prophetarum beeyng her present,
Goostly considered mysteryes that be founde;
Which that doth moost vertuously habounde,

Of moralyte conceyved the menyng,
On Letabundus your consceyt for to grounde,
Regem Regum ffresshly that ye synge.

Angelus concilij natus est de virgine sol de stella.

This Aungel, callyd the Aungeil of counsayl,
Born of a maide be spirit of prophecye,
Clenly concevyed, and for our greet avayl
By the Hooly Goost to governe vs and guye;
This same Aungel, the byble may nat lye,
To Tobye sent, whan he was falle in age
To lede his sone, callyd also Tobye,
Oonly by grace to conduyte his passage.

Angelus qui portat claues abissi.

Off Abyssi this Aungel bar the keyes,
Callid Clauis Dauid to shettyn and vnshette,
Whom hevene and helle and al the world obeyes.
This same Aungel cam doun to paye our dette;
In a pure mayde his Royal throne he sette,
Mawgre Sathan and al his mortal werre,
Out of whoos dongoun prysonnerys he fette,
Lyk a bright sonne that sprang out of a sterre,

14

Out of which sterre our helthe was first gonne,
Off the Hooly Goost the Chosen habitacle;
Sterre of the se that brought forth a sonne,

stella maris

Was nevir in erthe noon so greet myracle;
Of Salamon aureat tabernacle,
Flees of Gedeon, with sylvir dewh moost shene,

vellus gedeonis.

To all virgines merour and spectacle
Off hire merites, of hevene crownyd queene.

15

Off Isaak seed, of Iacob our day sterre,

Orietur stella ex iacob

Geyn worldly trouble our governeresse,
On lond and se, bothe in pees and werre,
Our Sauffconduit to kepe vs fro distresse.
Now to this sonne and sterre of moost brightnesse.
Lefft vp your voys in this solempnite,
And ffresshly syngeth this Reffreyt with gladness,
Sol de stella natus de virgine.

Sol occasum nesciens semper clara. Stella semp[er] Rutilans semper clara.

Off this bright sonne Iohn in his Apocalyps
Seyth nevir Phebus was so cleer shynyng,
Weestest nat nor suffryth noon eclyps,
Callyd Esperus at Eve the nyght gladyng,
Al cloudy skyes dirk mystes avoydyng,
Malachias can bern herof witnesse,
Cause his bryghtnesse is alwey abydyng
He Callyth hym sonne of Ryghtwysnesse,

17

His rightwysnesse abydyng and Eterne,

iusticia tua iusticia iusticia in eternum

With his moost fervent hevenly bryght beemys,
Ther is no torche laumpe nor lanterne
May be comparyd to his Celestial streemys,
For thorugh the world he launchith out his beemys,
Specially his bryghtnesse he doth sprede
This hih feeste to alle Crystene Reemys
By a prerogatyff that love the lord and drede.

18

Afftir Aurora in the morowe gray
Tytan ascendyng out of the Oryent,
The Amerous larke massageer of day
Hath tydynges brouht froom Est tyl Occident,
That alle querestrys of Cristes hool Covent

Off Letabundus, lyk as ye haue gonne
Sol occasum nesciens in al your best entent
This vers tencountre in worshepe of this sonne.

Sicut sidus Radum profert Virgo filium pari Forma.

So as a sterre shedith out his beemys,
Hool and nat lassyd, conservith euere his light,
So Maria, queen of alle Reemys,
Modir to Iesu, and mayde of verray ryght,
Whoos virginite, Euere y-lych bryght,
Eclypseth nat, so cleer his beemys sprede,
In scripture was nevir so glad a sight
As a pure modir to floure in maydenhede.

20

Rekne in Ordre alle sesouns of the yeer,
Wynter frostys, snowes whyte and shene,
March with his buddys at comyng in of veer,
Fressh aprylle, with prymerolles grene,
Al stant on chaunge; but this hevenly queene
With-oute appallyng conservith hire clernesse;
Callyd Stella celi, this pryncesse that I meene,
Off hevene and erthe lady and Emperesse.

Neque sidus radio.

Anothir vers accordyng well her-to,
Bothe tweyne to-gidre to Conbyne,
That neque sidus ffulgens suo Radio,
Lefft nat his light, so this pure virgine
Doth Letabundus with gladnesse enlvmyne,
On Crystes birthe, as writeth Isaye,
O blissed queen! thy light lat on vs shyne,
Off worldly trouble voyde euery troubly skye.

22

A sterre is nat voyded of cleernesse
Though hys stremys ferre abrood do sprede,
Nor Maria of virginal clennesse
Though she bar Iesu, flouryng in maydenhede,
Abacuk of this matere took hede,
Seyde opynly in lawde of his memorye,
Hevene and erthe Enlumyned wern in dede,
And al the hevenly gloryous consistorye

23

Sang in his laude, by Recoord of scripture,
Splendor eius lyk lyght this world shal glade.

Splendor eius ut lux erit

Bedleem heerdys with sheep in ther pasture
Toward mydnyght abraydyng in the shade,
Among hem sylf greet Ioye and myrthe made,
In Reioysshyng of this sterrys streem,
More bright of shynyng, nevir lyk to ffade,
Brought out of Calde three kynges to Bedleem.

24

Gloria in excelsis was nat songe in veyn,
Song of Aungellys was so delicious,
The wyntrys nyght was nat spent in veyn
Whoos refreyt was pax in hominibus;
And Letabundus, this sequence gloryous,
To this feeste accordyng wel also,
In whoos worshepe, ye querestrys vertuous,
Syng with hool herte neque sidus Radio!

Cedrus alta libani.

Royal Cedrys, growyng on hih mounteyns,
And Cipressys vpon the mount Syon,
Knet with Isope In gardynes that be pleyns,—
Out of Danyel take out the Angle stoon,

Ibid testamenta lapis Angula

Two testamentys for to Ioyne in Oon,
Of Cedre and Isope tak the morallyte,

Lyk as prophetys wrot of yoore agoon,
The godheed Ioyned with oure humanyte.

26

The hih Cedre his braunchis lyst enclyne
To Recounforte our Infirmyte,
Whan the Hooly Goost sent to a pure virgine,
Callyd Clennest Ysope that sprang out of Iesse,
That al oold figurys of Antiquyte
In Letabundus acomplysshed been in dede,
Engrossyd vp in the natiuite
Off Crist Iesu, this sequence whan ye Rede.

27

Somyr flours, that did in wyntir dare,
Lowe in the Roote shewyng no fresshnesse,
Braunche, bough and tree & medewes Rude & bare,
Whan Marche approcheth, put out ther grennesse.
And semblably prophetys ber witnesse,
Al that they wrot was curteyned in scripture,
Of Cristes comyng was but a lyknesse,
The light was cloos, hyd vndir ffigure.

28

Oold shadwes wer torneyd to bryghtnesse,
Dyrkyd fygurys Recuryd haue ther lyght,
Moyses lawe, veyled with dirknesse,
Haue drawe ther curtyn, shewyd a sonne bright.
Foure Gospeleerys clareffyed our sight
With Letabundus, and the foure doctours
Haue maad cleer day, that afforn was nyght,
In stede of wyntir shewyd somyr flours.

29

Cedre and Isope be Ioyned in the vale,
Cristes birthe hath voyded Oold ffigurys.
The husk is falle, brokyn is the shale,
The noote kernel, Closyd in scripturys,

In Reioysshyng of alle Creaturys,
Al openly shewith his swetnesse.
Was nevir seyn be wrytyng nor picturys
Suych a Restoratyff to save vs fro syknesse.

30

In Levitico, whoo so lyst take heed,

leuitici .co.iijo.

Cedre and Isope, of Syon the Cipresse,
To-gidre bounde with a litel threed
Of colour Reed, which colour doth expresse
Cristes hooly blood, lycour of moost clennesse
To wasshe away al Oold infeccioun
Of Corrupt leprys, contagious of syknesse
Watir of baptem with Crystes passioun.

31

Nyght is passyd, dirknesse is forth went,
Fressh Aurora and a glad morwenyng;
The sonne of lyff to Bedleem is doun sent
Thorugh Ierusaleem and al this world shynyng.
Cedrus, Cipresse and ysope conbynynge
With Letabundus in Ysrael and Syon,
In Reioysshyng of Crystes glad comynge;
Two testamentys that day wer maad bothe Oon.

Verbum eius Altissimi.

The beeyng woord of hym that is hyhest,
Sone of the Fadir, as seyn Iohn vndirstood
Whan he seide verbum caro factum est;
Circumcised first he shadde his blood,
Next at the Pyleer bounden whan he stood,
Vpon the Cros afftir nayled soore,
Last, for our sake starff vpon the Rood
To Paradys mankynde to Restore.

Ysaias Cecinit sinagoga.

Ysaias song of this matere,
The Synagoge put in Remembraunce,
Ay contrarye froward of look and chere,
Wilfully blynded with ygnoraunce.
Prophetys wrote they gaff noon attendaunce,
To ther wrytyng they wer so Indurat,
Crystes doctryne was to them displesaunce,
In ther malys they wer so obstynat.

Si non suis vatibus credat vel gentilibus.

To ther prophetys, for they gaff no Credence,
De Vetula, lat hem Rede Ovyde
Cibilys vers, ful notable in sentence,

Credat vel gentilibus cibilinis versibus

The Capitallys let hem clerly devyde,
In Ordre sett as Austyn doth provide,
Wher they shal fynde a processe vertuous,
Mawgre Iewes and al ther froward pryde,
This name wryte in Ordre Cryst Iesus.

Infelix propera Crede vel vetera.

[A! frowarde peple; vnhappy and vnstable,
Inueterat in þin opinion
Come nere, yeue feith, take counsail, be tretable,—
Why wilt þu be contrary to Reson?]
To be dampnyd to thy confusioun
Lyk a wrecche, allas! why wyltow so?
Cryst was now born for thy savacyoun,
And thow of malyce takest noon heed therto.

Natum considera. Quem Docet littera. Ipsum genuit puerpera.

Considre his comyng and his natiuitie
As thow art taught by al Oold prophecie,
And as the lettre pleynly techith the
Bothe of scripture, Cybile, and Poetrye;
Al thyng concludyng vpon Isaye,
And fulfilled, tyme of Octavyan,
Whan a pure maide, which is callid Marye
In Bedleem bar our lord bothe God and man.

37

Thus in worshepe of this hevenly queen
That bar Iesu is songyn this sequence,
Porely brought forth, his loggyng set a [twene]
Asse, Oxe, and Rakke, no costful greet dyspence;
Kynges cam doun, did hym Reuerence,
Bedleem, be glad, grace is to the falle,
Prynce of Iuda of moost magnificence
Born in thy boundys besyde an Oxes stalle.

38

O Royal Bedleem! Cite of our Reffuge!
In al our worldly desolacioun
Our havene of lyff, Ryoaylle in this deluge
Geyn al tempest of trybulacioun,
Cite of Citees, moost souereyn of Renoun,
Berthe of our lord grauntyd vnto the;
And to Ierus eem thy gloryous passioun;
Al this was doon to make man go free.

39

Now al ye peple that be present heer,
Berith Letabundus in your Remembraunce
At the begynnyng of this newe yeer,
Tokne of Ioye, figure of al plesaunce,

Of gladnesse plentevous habundaunce,
Lyght of that sonne that Roos vp in decembre,
Which in Ienyveer shal voyde al old grevaunce,
This newe yeer doth theron Remembre.

Explicit quoþ Lidgate.