 | [Poems from the Vernon MS] |  |
735
27. A Prayer to the Virgin Mary.
1
Heil, sterre of þe Séé so briht!Þow graunt vs to ben vr gyde;
Godes holi Moder riht,
Þi worschipe walkeþ wyde;
Al-wey Mayden þorw his miht,
Þow sittest bi his syde;
Blesset ȝate of heuene liht,
Þow rede vs riht to ryde!
Ladi, we ben maked al glad:
ffor þou weore meoke I-founde,
736
I-Blesset beo þat stounde!
2
Liknet artou to sterre of séé,To lihten vs, grete and smale;
Godes Moder ay to be,
ffor vs þou telle vr tale;
ffor þi Maydenhod so fre,
Þou bring vs out of bale;
Help us in-to heuene fle
Out of þis wopes dale.
Ladi, bring vs out of wo!
ffrom Bales þou vs borwe!
Godes Moder and Mayden also,
Þou saue vs out of sorwe!
3
Takyng þat word Aue—Þat sonde sat þe seete—
Of Gabriels mouþ so fre,
Þorw God he gon þe grete.
Prei for us in pes to be,
Wiþ murþes mo to meete;
Eues name i-tornd for þe
Þat sit us softe and swete.
Ladi blisful, Meoke and Mylde,
Þat word in Ioye us pultus;
Godes Moder, prei þi childe
Þat he for-ȝiue vr gultus.
4
Aue worþily þe fel,Þat was þe ȝarked ȝore
Of þat Angel Gabriel,
Þorw ȝift of Godes lore.
Prey us pes, þer to be snel,
Þou salue us of vr sore;
Siþ þat Eue is tornd so wel,
vr blisse is wel þe more.
737
To þe we schullen calle,
Godes Moder, wommon wys,
And Mekest most of alle.
5
Gulti bondes here vnbynd,Vr gultes ben to fele;
Seend hem siht þat here aren blynd,
Þou bring vs to þi wele;
Put a-wey vr wikked wynt,
Vr synful lyf þou heele;
Alle goodes aske and grynt,
And sent vs of þat Meole.
Ladi, nou þat hit is þus,
Help we weore vnbounde;
Godes Moder, prei for vs
To him wiþ blodi wounde!
6
We han agult, vnbynd us here,Wiþ Merci fond vs fede;
Send þe blynde, lokyng clere,
To hele us here tak hede;
Put a-wei vr wik in weere,
Þat doþ us driȝe and drede;
Aske us God wiþ-outen peere,
Þat holliche heuene meede.
Laydi, nou þin help a-non,
Þer of þat we ne fayle;
Godes Moder, a-ȝein vr fon
Þou most be Countur tayle.
7
Scheuh þat Moder art, enclynTo him þat dyȝed on Roode;
He, þorwȝ þe, tak preyer myn,
Þat bouȝt us wiþ his bloode;
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Hit com al vs to goode;
He bi-com heere sone þyn,
Þi Milk þen was his foode.
Godus Modur, þou him beere,
Þi Milk nas non Ilyche,
Ladi, him to fostren heere;
Þat Burþe was ful riche.
8
Modur, scheuh þat þou art fre;Þe may no murþe misse;
Do þat we ben herd þorw þe,
Þou bring us to þi blisse.
I-boren for us forsoþe was he,
Þe synful men to wisse,
He þat tok þi child to be,
Þi Mouþ wiþ his to kisse.
Ladi briht, wiþ eiȝen gray,
Such cos þou geete with winne;
Godus Modur, Niht and day
Þou help vs out of sinne.
9
One, peereles Maide now,Þin help adoun þou seende;
A-mong vchone, Meoke artou,
Aȝeyn þe we ben vn-heende;
Sinne bond vs, þow wost hou,
Þis world vs wol a-bleende;
Make vs meoke, cast in a vou
In-to vr lyues ende.
Ladi, bring vs out of strif,
Vs geyneþ nouht to ȝelpe;
Godus Modur, al vr lyf
We spillen, bote þou helpe.
10
Mayden al-one, buyrde briht,Wel brihtor þen þe Sonne;
739
Vr gatus þou bi-gonne;
Sinne bond vs day and niht,
We spillen þat we sponne:
Mak vs meke and clene in siht,
Þen is vr game I-wonne.
Ladi, lene vs of þi liht,
ffor ȝit we ben to blynde;
Godes modur, send vs miht,
Þe rihte wei to wende.
11
And leen vs clene lyf also,Þis lyf is serwe and sake;
Diht vs siker wei to go,
Þis sunful lyf þou slake;
Get vs Ihesus to seo þer-to,
Þorw siht of him to a-wake,
vs to gladschupe euer-mo,
Þin help vs þou by-take.
Ladi louelich, feir and fre,
Þou lilye whyt of face,
Godus Moder briht of ble,
We tristen to þi grace.
12
Clene lyf ȝif vs to-dayAnd forþward euer-more,
Greiþ vs here a syker way;
We stomble ofte and sore;
Siht of Ihesu, wel þou may,
Ȝif hit þi wille wore,
Þorw þat siht to glade vs ay,
So lyking is þi lore.
Ladi al in liht I-schrud,
Þeos wordes ben ful soþe;
Godus Modur, Qween I-kud,
Tak þi seruauns to þe.
| [Poems from the Vernon MS] | |