 | Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century |  |
151. Vanitas Vanitatum
Vanyte.
O vanyte off vanytes & all is vanite!
lo! how þis werld is turnyd vp & downe,
Now wele, now wo, now tranquilyte,
Now werre, now pese, & now rebilyoun.
Iff þu wole daly labour fore renowne,
ffore profete, plesure, astate, ore grete degre,
The best þer-of schall ende in vanyte.
lo! how þis werld is turnyd vp & downe,
Now wele, now wo, now tranquilyte,
Now werre, now pese, & now rebilyoun.
Iff þu wole daly labour fore renowne,
ffore profete, plesure, astate, ore grete degre,
The best þer-of schall ende in vanyte.
Ȝit beldis þu castellus, haulys, townys & towris,
Sytis & bourȝes, with wallis stoute & stronge,
With plesand herbours, of chambours & of bouris,
Hangyd with Arras stoutly depe & longe,
With rych presyus stones sete A-monge,
Ennewyd with gold, rych as it may be—
ȝit schall all waste & turne to vanyte.
Sytis & bourȝes, with wallis stoute & stronge,
With plesand herbours, of chambours & of bouris,
Hangyd with Arras stoutly depe & longe,
With rych presyus stones sete A-monge,
Ennewyd with gold, rych as it may be—
ȝit schall all waste & turne to vanyte.
Iff þu seke worschipe all þe werld a-boute,
ffore dede of Armys to Avaunse þi name,
So þat þer is not none fond so stoute,
Off ȝonge ne olde, þu toke neuer schame—
In euery place þu beris awey þe fame,
At euery Iustis þu berys awey þe gre,
Ȝit schall þi werke all end in vanyte.
ffore dede of Armys to Avaunse þi name,
So þat þer is not none fond so stoute,
Off ȝonge ne olde, þu toke neuer schame—
In euery place þu beris awey þe fame,
At euery Iustis þu berys awey þe gre,
Ȝit schall þi werke all end in vanyte.
239
Ȝe feyre ladis, apareld with plesance
To ȝo, both ȝouth & bewty ben Appendyng,
And many low labours doth ȝour obseruans,
And in ȝour courte deyly bene Atendyng.
They spare noþer fore labour ne fore spendyng,
To do ȝour plesure wer-so-euer ȝe be,
Ȝit schall þat myrthe All end in vanyte.
To ȝo, both ȝouth & bewty ben Appendyng,
And many low labours doth ȝour obseruans,
And in ȝour courte deyly bene Atendyng.
They spare noþer fore labour ne fore spendyng,
To do ȝour plesure wer-so-euer ȝe be,
Ȝit schall þat myrthe All end in vanyte.
Ȝiff þu off byrth here was þe worthyest,
And one þe erth was gretyst off astate,
Kyngis & popys so rych wer, At þe laste
Off þem Aȝene, þu durst do debate
Ȝit in a whyle þu schall be cheke-mate;
When deth wyll come & take hys propour fe,
Than schall þu knaw þi pride was vanyte.
And one þe erth was gretyst off astate,
Kyngis & popys so rych wer, At þe laste
Off þem Aȝene, þu durst do debate
Ȝit in a whyle þu schall be cheke-mate;
When deth wyll come & take hys propour fe,
Than schall þu knaw þi pride was vanyte.
Ȝiff þu be wedyde to thyne intente,
And haue a wyff full plesant & feyre,
Well borne & also obedyente,
And Also haue chylde forto be þin eyere,
Ȝit in a whyle þis plesans schall Apare;
When Age schall come, croke both hand & kne,
Than schall þu knaw þat was bot vanyte.
And haue a wyff full plesant & feyre,
Well borne & also obedyente,
And Also haue chylde forto be þin eyere,
Ȝit in a whyle þis plesans schall Apare;
When Age schall come, croke both hand & kne,
Than schall þu knaw þat was bot vanyte.
Ȝiff þu be stronge & ȝonge & fayre of face,
Als sembly of schap as any creatour,
louyd of pepull & gouernyd be grace,
lernyd in wysdom be wyse scryptour,
Preuyd in manhed passyd many a wynter,
And euer in wourschype, both be lond & se,
Ȝit schall [all pas] & end in vanyte.
Als sembly of schap as any creatour,
louyd of pepull & gouernyd be grace,
lernyd in wysdom be wyse scryptour,
Preuyd in manhed passyd many a wynter,
And euer in wourschype, both be lond & se,
Ȝit schall [all pas] & end in vanyte.
240
The well of fortone is so changeabull,
And deyly tournys vpon so slyper a pyne—
And ȝit some tyme it makis men abull
To cruell to ryne aȝen All þer ryall kyne—
Onone be vnfortone, þe state þat þei wer In
Oþer men happis, & þus ȝe may well se
That state ne reule is not bot vanyte.
And deyly tournys vpon so slyper a pyne—
And ȝit some tyme it makis men abull
To cruell to ryne aȝen All þer ryall kyne—
Onone be vnfortone, þe state þat þei wer In
Oþer men happis, & þus ȝe may well se
That state ne reule is not bot vanyte.
In ȝouth now styres mekyll wantonys,
And oft intendyth to lustys & pley,
And lytell remembyrs his awne febulnys;
ho ȝouth schall pas & departe a-wey,
And deth schall come, þat is none ney.
Thou blynd ȝouth, loke vp & se
Thy pride, þi pley—all is bot vanyte.
And oft intendyth to lustys & pley,
And lytell remembyrs his awne febulnys;
ho ȝouth schall pas & departe a-wey,
And deth schall come, þat is none ney.
Thou blynd ȝouth, loke vp & se
Thy pride, þi pley—all is bot vanyte.
lo! here comys ȝouth with myrth & plays Ioly,
With-outen thouȝt ore care, fader & moderles,
Bot medyll Age thinkis þat it was foly
And ner peynes hym-selue with werldly besynes,
Bot all his labour is to grete ryches—
Than commys Age & seys þat he must dyȝe,
Than he knaw ȝought & all was vanyte.
With-outen thouȝt ore care, fader & moderles,
Bot medyll Age thinkis þat it was foly
And ner peynes hym-selue with werldly besynes,
Bot all his labour is to grete ryches—
Than commys Age & seys þat he must dyȝe,
Than he knaw ȝought & all was vanyte.
We tyll þe erth, we tourne it to & fro,
We labour ryȝht deuly with grete besynes,
We dyge, we delue, we saw, we schere also,
We geder þe corne home fore oþer mens ryches,
We haue full seldome any restfull gladnes,
Bot labour in pouerte to þe tyme þat we dyȝe—
Ȝit is oure labour not bot vanyte.
We labour ryȝht deuly with grete besynes,
We dyge, we delue, we saw, we schere also,
We geder þe corne home fore oþer mens ryches,
We haue full seldome any restfull gladnes,
Bot labour in pouerte to þe tyme þat we dyȝe—
Ȝit is oure labour not bot vanyte.
Amen qd Rate.
| Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century | |