 | Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century |  |
78. Verbum Caro Factum Est
Verbum caro factum est.
I passud þoru a garden grene,
I fond a hebere made full newe—
A semelyour syght I haff noght sene,
O ylke treo sange a tyrtull trew—
There-yn a mayden bryȝt off hew,
And euer sche sange, & neuer sche sest:
Thies were þe notus þat sche can schew,
Verbum caro factum est.
I fond a hebere made full newe—
A semelyour syght I haff noght sene,
O ylke treo sange a tyrtull trew—
There-yn a mayden bryȝt off hew,
And euer sche sange, & neuer sche sest:
Thies were þe notus þat sche can schew,
Verbum caro factum est.
I askud þat mayden what sche mentt,
Sche bad me byde & I schuld here;
What sche sayd I toke gude tent,
yn hyr songe had sche voice full clere:
Sche said, ‘a prynce withouten pere
Ys borne & layd betwene to best;
Therefore I synge as ȝe mey here
Verbum caro factum est.’
Sche bad me byde & I schuld here;
What sche sayd I toke gude tent,
yn hyr songe had sche voice full clere:
Sche said, ‘a prynce withouten pere
Ys borne & layd betwene to best;
Therefore I synge as ȝe mey here
Verbum caro factum est.’
And þoroght þat frythe as I can wend,
A blestfull [song] ȝit hard I mo;
And þat was of threo scheperdus hend,
‘Gloria in excelsis deo.’
I wold noght they had faren me fro,
And eft-hyr þem full fast I prest;
Then told þei me þat þei sange ssoo
ffor verbum caro factum est.
A blestfull [song] ȝit hard I mo;
And þat was of threo scheperdus hend,
‘Gloria in excelsis deo.’
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And eft-hyr þem full fast I prest;
Then told þei me þat þei sange ssoo
ffor verbum caro factum est.
They said þat songe was þis to sey:
‘To god a-bouun be joy & blysse!
ffor pece yn erth also we pray,
Tyll allmen þat yn goodnesse ys.
þe may þat is withouten mysse
hasse borne a child be-twene to best;
Sche is þe cause þer-off Iwysse
That verbum caro factum est.’
‘To god a-bouun be joy & blysse!
ffor pece yn erth also we pray,
Tyll allmen þat yn goodnesse ys.
þe may þat is withouten mysse
hasse borne a child be-twene to best;
Sche is þe cause þer-off Iwysse
That verbum caro factum est.’
I fared me furthe yn þat frythe
I mett threo commely kyngis with crone;
I spod me furth to speke þem with,
& on my knees I kneled done.
þe ryalest of home to me con rone
And said, ‘we farred wele at þe fest,
ffro bethleem now ar we bone
ffor verbum caro factum est.
I mett threo commely kyngis with crone;
I spod me furth to speke þem with,
& on my knees I kneled done.
þe ryalest of home to me con rone
And said, ‘we farred wele at þe fest,
ffro bethleem now ar we bone
ffor verbum caro factum est.
‘ffor we seo god be-comun yn mannus flech,
þat bote hasse broght off all oure bale,
A-wey oure synnus forto wesche;
A mey hym harburd yn hur hall,
Sche socourd hym sothly yn hur sale,
& held þat hend yn hur a-rest;
ffoll trewly mey sche tell þat tale
That verbum caro factum est.’
þat bote hasse broght off all oure bale,
A-wey oure synnus forto wesche;
A mey hym harburd yn hur hall,
Sche socourd hym sothly yn hur sale,
& held þat hend yn hur a-rest;
ffoll trewly mey sche tell þat tale
That verbum caro factum est.’
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Vntyll þat prences wyll we pray,
Als sche is bothe moder & mayd,
Sche be oure helpe als sche wele mey
To hyme þat yn hur lappe was layd;
To serue hyme we be prest & payd,
And þer-to make we oure behest,
ffor I hard when sche sange & said
‘Verbum caro factum est.’
Als sche is bothe moder & mayd,
Sche be oure helpe als sche wele mey
To hyme þat yn hur lappe was layd;
To serue hyme we be prest & payd,
And þer-to make we oure behest,
ffor I hard when sche sange & said
‘Verbum caro factum est.’
Explicit pro John hawghton.
| Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century | |