 | Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century |  |
SONGS AGAINST FORTUNE.
165. Fortune Will Have Her Way
O Ihū, mercy! what world is thys!
frendys be feer and feynte at nede;
Wo is hym hath don a-mys
and lyeth in peyne and may not spede!
frendys be feer and feynte at nede;
Wo is hym hath don a-mys
and lyeth in peyne and may not spede!
What fortune will haue, it schal be had
Who-so-euer will say nay;
therfor lete it passe, and be not sad;
and thynk vpon hym þat alle amende may.
Who-so-euer will say nay;
therfor lete it passe, and be not sad;
and thynk vpon hym þat alle amende may.
166. Fortune Rules Both High and Low
When fortune list yewe here assent,
What is too deme þat may be doo?
What is too deme þat may be doo?
There schapeth nought from her entent,
ffor as sche will it goth ther-to;
All passith by her iugement,
The hy astate, the pore all-so.
When ffortune.
ffor as sche will it goth ther-to;
All passith by her iugement,
The hy astate, the pore all-so.
When ffortune.
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To lyve in ioy out of turment,
Seyng the worlde goth too and fro—
Thus is my schort aviseament,
As hyt comyth so lete it go!
When ffortune.
Seyng the worlde goth too and fro—
Thus is my schort aviseament,
As hyt comyth so lete it go!
When ffortune.
167. Worldly Joy is only Fantasy
This warldly Ioy Is onely fantasy,of quhich none erdly wicht can be content.
Quho most has wit, leste suld In It affy,
Quho taistis It most, most sall him repent.
Quhat valis all this richess and this rent,
Sin no man wate quho sall his tresour haue?
Presume nocht gevin þat god has done bot lent—
Within schort tyme the quhiche he thinkis to craue.
Leaulte vault richess.
168. Who Trusteth Fortune Will Have a Fall
What is this worlde but oonly vanyte?Who trustith fortune sonnest hath a falle.
Ech man tak heed of prodigalite,
Welth that is past no man agayn may calle.
The grenowst wounde þat euer man had or schalle
Is to thynk on welth þat is gon and past,
And in olde age in mysery to be cast.
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169. Fortune Has Cast Me from Weal to Woe
A god whene
My-self walkyng all allone,
ffull of thoght, of Ioy desperat,
To my hert makyng my moone,
How I am the most Infortunat,
And how ffortune his cruell hate
Hath to me caste, & broght hit soo
That I am kome fro wele to woo.
ffull of thoght, of Ioy desperat,
To my hert makyng my moone,
How I am the most Infortunat,
And how ffortune his cruell hate
Hath to me caste, & broght hit soo
That I am kome fro wele to woo.
ffro al gladnesse & comfort
Y am now broght in-to distres;
‘ffye one myrth & on disport!’
Thus seyth my hert for heuynes,
Seyng þer is no sekyrnesse
Of worldly welth, ho takyth hede—
Which ofte causyth myne hert to blede.
Y am now broght in-to distres;
‘ffye one myrth & on disport!’
Thus seyth my hert for heuynes,
Seyng þer is no sekyrnesse
Of worldly welth, ho takyth hede—
Which ofte causyth myne hert to blede.
And thus I stond, ffulfylde with sorow
With-in my mynd to my gret payne,
Wepyng both even & morow
With swollyne hert, when I refrayne
With woofull teris which can nat ffayne:
Soo haue I lost my Countenaunce
Of all the world to my plesance.
With-in my mynd to my gret payne,
Wepyng both even & morow
With swollyne hert, when I refrayne
With woofull teris which can nat ffayne:
Soo haue I lost my Countenaunce
Of all the world to my plesance.
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170. Fortune, Be My Friend Again
A! mercy, fortune, haue pitee on me,
And thynke that þu hast done gretely amysse
To parte asondre them whiche ought to be
Alwey in on; why hast þu doo thus?
Haue I offendyd the? I, nay ywysse!
Then torne thy whele and be my frende agayn,
And sende me Ioy where I am nowe in payn.
And thynke that þu hast done gretely amysse
To parte asondre them whiche ought to be
Alwey in on; why hast þu doo thus?
Haue I offendyd the? I, nay ywysse!
Then torne thy whele and be my frende agayn,
And sende me Ioy where I am nowe in payn.
And thynke what sorowe is the departyng
Of ij. trewe hertis louyng feithfully,
ffor partyng is the most soroughfull thynge,
To myn entent, that euer yet knewe I.
Therfore, I pray to the Right hertely
To turne thy whele & be my frende agayn,
And sende me Ioy where I am nowe in payn.
Of ij. trewe hertis louyng feithfully,
ffor partyng is the most soroughfull thynge,
To myn entent, that euer yet knewe I.
Therfore, I pray to the Right hertely
To turne thy whele & be my frende agayn,
And sende me Ioy where I am nowe in payn.
ffor tyll we mete, I dare wel say for trouth
That I shall neuer be in ease of herte.
Wherfor, I pray you to haue of me sume Routh,
And release me of all my paynes smerte,
Now sith þu woste hit is nat my deserte.
Then torne thy whele and be my frynde agayn,
And sende me Ioy where I am nowe in payn.
That I shall neuer be in ease of herte.
Wherfor, I pray you to haue of me sume Routh,
And release me of all my paynes smerte,
Now sith þu woste hit is nat my deserte.
Then torne thy whele and be my frynde agayn,
And sende me Ioy where I am nowe in payn.
| Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century | |