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A Sarmun

EARLY ENGLISH POEMS.

I. A SARMUN.

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EARLY ENGLISH POEMS.

I. A SARMUN.

Þe grace of godde and holi chirche
þroȝ uertu of þe trinite:
ȝif ous grace soch workes to wirche;
þat helplich to ure sowles be.

þes wordes þat ich speke nou last
in latin hit is iwritte in boke:
wel mow we drede and be agast;
þe dede beþ so lolich to loke.

Þer for he seiith a: man hab munde
þat of þis lif þer commiþ ende:
of erþe and axen is ure kunde
and in to duste we schulliþ wende

So seiþ seint bernard in his boke
and techiþ vs ofte and lome:
to be hend if we wold loke
wel file hit is þat of us come

Man loke þin ein and þi nosse
þi mouþ þin eris al aboute
fram þi girdil to þi hosse
hit is wel vile þat commiþ vte

Man of þi schuldres and of þi side
þou miȝte hunti luse and flee
of such a park i ne hold no pride
þe dere nis nauȝte þat þou mighte sle

If þou ert prute man of þi fleisse
oþir of þi velle þat is wiþ-oute
þi fleisse nis naȝte bot worme-is meisse
of such a þing whi ert þou prute.

Wormis of þi fleisse schul spring
þi felle wiþ-oute nis bot a sakke
ipudrid ful wiþ drit and ding
þat stinkiþ lolich and is blakke

Sire whar of is þe gentil man
of eni oþer þan of þis:
him silf mei se if gode he can
for he sal find þat so hit is

Þat hit be soþ and noȝt les
þou loke þi neȝbor whare and how
þou loke in his biriles
he was prute as ert þou

Whate prude sastou se þar
bot stench and wormis i-crop in dritte
of such a siȝt we aȝt be ware
and in vre hert hit hab i-writte

Silk no sendale nis þer none
no bise no no meniuer
þer nis no þing a-boute þe bone
to ȝeme þat was ihuddid here

Þe wiked wede þat was abute
þe wormis þat hit habbiþ al for-soȝt
Alas whar of is man so prute
whan al is pride sal turne to noȝte

If man is prute of world-is welle
ihc hold a fole þat he be
hit commiþ hit goþ hit nis bot dwelle
bot dritte gile and wanite

Lo þat catel nis bot gile
trewlich ȝe mov isee
he nel be felaw bot awhile
þou salt him leue oþer he sal þe

Hit is mi rede while þou him hast
þou spen it wel þat helplich be

for god but þou nelt at þe last
oþer men sulle aftir þe

Nouþe oþer mister men þer beþ
þroȝ coueitise hi beþ iblend
þat wer leuer wend to þere deþ
þen spene þe gode þat god ham send

Þoȝ man hit hab hit nis noȝt his
hit nis ilend him bot alone
fort to libbe is lif i-wisse
and help þe nedful þat naþ non

Nou mani wrecche be-commiþ þralle
hi nul noȝt spene bot ȝime in store
be-com hi beþ þe deuil-is þralle
niȝt and dai hi libbeþ in sore.

for niȝt and dai is al har þoȝte
how hi hit mow hab and winne
fast to hold and spene riȝt noȝte
and lediþ euer har lif in pinne

Þe wrecchis wringit þe mok so fast
up ham silf hi nul noȝt spened
ȝit hi sul dei at þe last
and to þe deuil hi sul wend

Siþ such a wringer goþ to helle
for litil gode þat nis noȝt his
whate mai ich bi þe riche man telle
þat lediþ al is lif in blisse

Hit is as eþe forto bring
a camel in to þe neld-is ei
as a rich man to bring
in to þe blisse þat is an hei

Þeiȝ man be rich of lond and lede
and holdiþ festis ofte and lome
hit nis no doute he sal be dede
to ȝelde recning at þe dome

ȝe: sulle we ȝiue a-cuntis
of al þat we habbiþ ibe here
ȝe: of a verþing soþ i-wisse
of al þi time fram ȝer to ȝere

And bot þou hit hab ispend ariȝte
þe gode þat god þe haþ ilend
of ihsu criste þou lesist þe siȝt
to helle pine þou worþe isend

Of helle pine we aȝt be ware
and euer more hit hab in þoȝt
ac non nel be oþer i-ware
for ham silf be in i-broȝt

Þeiȝ freris prech of heuen and helle
of ioi and pine to mani man
al þat him þenchit bot dwelle:
as men telliþ of wlonchargan

Ak ȝite þat ilk dai sal be
þer nis non þat nold him hide
so sore we sul drede to se
þe wondis of ihsu crist-is side

His hondes is fete sul ren of blode
þou woldist fle þou ne miȝt noȝ þan
þe sper þe nailes and þe rode
sal crie tak wrech of sinful man

Þe erþe þe watir þan sal sprede
route and driue al for-wode
nov ihsu crist we sul þe wrekke
of sinful man þat sadde þi blode

Boþe fire and wind lude sal crie
louerd nov let vs go to
for ich wl blow þe fire sal berne
vp sinful man þat haþ misdo

heuen and erþe sal crie and grede
and helle sal berne þou salt ise
o: sinful man wo worþ þi rede
whan al þis wrech sal be for þe

hit is so grisful forto loke
and forto hir þe bittir dome
angles sul quake so seiþ þe boke
and þat þou hirist of and lome

Sei sinful man whi neltou leue
þat al þing sal com to hepe
wel aȝt þi hert þroȝ ute cleue
þin eiine blodi teris wepe

Hit is to late whan þou ert þare
to crie ihsu þin ore
while þou ert here be wel iware
vn-do þin hert and liue is lore

Vn-do þin hert þat is iloke
wiþ couetise and prvde þer an
and þench þos wordis her ispoke
for-ȝite ham noȝt ac þench apan

and bot þou nelt þench her apan
fort vnderfonge gode lore
i-wis for soþ as þou ert man
þou salt hit rew bitter and sore

Man-is lif nis bot a schade
nov he is and nov he nis.
loke hou he mei be glade
þoȝ al þis world miȝt be his

Wold he þench þe vnseli man
in to þis world whate he broȝte
a stinkind felle i-lappid þer an
wel litil bettir þan riȝt noȝt

What is þe gode þat he sal hab
oute of þis world whan he sal go
a wikid wede whi sold i gab
for he ne broȝt wiþ him no mo

Riȝt as he com he sal wend
in wo and pine and pouerte
takiþ gode hede men to ȝur end
for as i sigge so hit sal be

I note whar of is man so prute
of erþe axin fel and bone
for be þe soule enis oute
a uilir caraing nis þer non

mani man þenchit on is þoȝt
he nel noȝt leue his eir al bare

his eir sal fail and ber riȝt noȝte
and wast þe gode wel wide whare

Ich warne þe for i-sold hit sal
al þat þou wan here wiþ pine
a broþin eir sal wast it al
and be al oþeris þat was þine

Nouþ siþ þat þe world nis noȝt
and catel nis bot vanite
haue god in ur þoȝt
and of þe catel be we fre

Anouriþ god and holi chirch
and helpiþ þai þat habiþ nede
so god-is wil we sul wirch
þe ioi of heuen hab to mede

What is þe ioi þat man sal hab
if his lif he speniþ wel
soþ to sigge and noȝt to gab
þer nis no tunge þat hit mai tel

if i sal tel al þat i can
in holi boke as we can rede
hit is a ioi þat fallit to man
of hel pine he ne dar drede

Þe man þat mai to heuen com
þe swete solas forto se
heuesiþ is briȝtir þan þe sun
in heuen sal man-is soule be

his bodi sal þer be al so
so fair and strang ȝe mou wel leue
iuil is euer fur him fro
þer nis no þing þat him sal greue

to met no drink þer nis no nede
no for no hungir he no sal kar
þe siȝte of god him sal fede
hit is wel miri to woni þar

Þer beþ woningis mani and fale
gode and betir tak god hede
þe last word bint þe tale
wo best mai do: best is his mede

heuen is heiȝ boþe lange and wide
mani angles þer beþ an
boþe ioi and blis in euch side
þer in sal woni gode cristin man

Þe lest ioi þat þer is in
a man sal know is owin frend
is wif is fader and al is kin
of al þis ioi þer nis non end

we sul se oure leuedi briȝte
so fulle of loue ioi and blisse
þat of hir neb sal spring þe liȝte
in to oure hert þat ioi iwisse

Þe siȝte of þe trinite
þe mest ioi þat mai be-falle
boþe god and man in mageste
þe heiȝ king aboue vs alle

Þe siȝt of him is ure vode
þe siȝt of him is ure virst
al ure iois beþ ful gode
þe siȝt of him is alir best

Be-seche we him mek of mode
þat soke þe milk of maid-is brest
þat boȝt us wiþ is dere blode
ȝiue us þe ioi þat euer sal lest.

Alle þat beþ icommin here
fort to hire þis sarmun
loke þat ȝe nab no were
for seue ȝer ȝe habbiþ to pardoun.