 | Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century |  |
13. High Empress and Queen Celestial
O hie Emperice and quene celestiall,
Princes eterne and flour Immaculate,
Oure souerane help quhen we vnto the call,
Haile! ros Intact, virgyne Inuiolate,
That with the fader was predestinate
To bere the floure and makar of vs all,
And with no spue of crime coinquinate,
Bot virgyne pure, clerare than Cristall.
Princes eterne and flour Immaculate,
Oure souerane help quhen we vnto the call,
Haile! ros Intact, virgyne Inuiolate,
That with the fader was predestinate
To bere the floure and makar of vs all,
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Bot virgyne pure, clerare than Cristall.
O blissit ros, o gemme of chastitee,
O well of beautee, rute of all gudenace,
O way of bliss, flour of virginitee,
O hede of treuth, o sterr without dirknace,
Graunt me synfull, lyuing In vnclennace,
To sew the path of parfyte cheritee,
And to forsake my synnis more and less,
Ay serving him þat sched his blud for me.
O well of beautee, rute of all gudenace,
O way of bliss, flour of virginitee,
O hede of treuth, o sterr without dirknace,
Graunt me synfull, lyuing In vnclennace,
To sew the path of parfyte cheritee,
And to forsake my synnis more and less,
Ay serving him þat sched his blud for me.
O blissit lady, fillit of all gudenace,
Sen all my hope and traist is in ȝour grace,
Beseke ȝour sone for ȝour hie gentilnace
To grant me laisar or I dee, and space,
All vicious lyf out of my saule to race;
And euer to lyve in vertew and clenace.
Out of the fendis bandis and his brace,
Now, glorious lady, help of ȝour gudenace.
Sen all my hope and traist is in ȝour grace,
Beseke ȝour sone for ȝour hie gentilnace
To grant me laisar or I dee, and space,
All vicious lyf out of my saule to race;
And euer to lyve in vertew and clenace.
Out of the fendis bandis and his brace,
Now, glorious lady, help of ȝour gudenace.
ffor rycht as phebus with his bemys brycht
Illuminate all this erd In longitude,
Rycht so ȝour grace, ȝour beautee, and ȝour mycht
Anournyt all this warld in latitude:
Tharfore to me now schaw ȝour gratitude,
Off ȝour magnificence, þat day and nycht
ȝour benigne grace be to me lyvis fud;
And me to saue from euery maligne wicht.
Illuminate all this erd In longitude,
Rycht so ȝour grace, ȝour beautee, and ȝour mycht
Anournyt all this warld in latitude:
Tharfore to me now schaw ȝour gratitude,
Off ȝour magnificence, þat day and nycht
ȝour benigne grace be to me lyvis fud;
And me to saue from euery maligne wicht.
ffor though Leuiathan, the ald serpent,
Dissauit had oure parenes prothoplaust,
That In this warld doune has, Indigent,
Maid him to be put till at the last
Eternale deth, quhilk euer suld haue last.
Knawing ȝour pure and Incorrupt entent
Incomparable, the holy gaste als fast
Into ȝour Innocence doune has sent,
Dissauit had oure parenes prothoplaust,
That In this warld doune has, Indigent,
Maid him to be put till at the last
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Knawing ȝour pure and Incorrupt entent
Incomparable, the holy gaste als fast
Into ȝour Innocence doune has sent,
And ȝow Illumynit with that blisful lycht
I mene the sone of the hie deitee
That on a croce suspendit was on hicht
ffor the redemption of humanite.
Quharfor throu ȝow, my souerane lady free,
Mankynde redempt was; tharefore day & nycht
In euery place blissit mote ȝe be
Eternaly, abufe all erdly wicht.
I mene the sone of the hie deitee
That on a croce suspendit was on hicht
ffor the redemption of humanite.
Quharfor throu ȝow, my souerane lady free,
Mankynde redempt was; tharefore day & nycht
In euery place blissit mote ȝe be
Eternaly, abufe all erdly wicht.
Qd Chaucere.
| Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century | |