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Early English Alliterative Poems: in the West-Midland Dialect of the Fourteenth Century

Religion

Early English Alliterative Poems: in the West-Midland Dialect of the Fourteenth Century

English poetry -- Middle English, 1100-1500

[Sidenote: [Fol. 55b.]]
    [Sidenote: Men desire more than they have any right to expect.]
    To þat prynceȝ paye hade I ay bente,
  & ȝerned no more þen watȝ me geuen,
  & halden me þer in trwe entent,
  As þe perle me prayed þat watȝ so þryuen,                         1192
  As helde drawen to goddeȝ p{re}sent,
  To mo of his mysterys I hade ben dryuen.
  Bot ay wolde man of happe more hente
  Þen moȝten by ryȝt vpon hem clyuen;                               1196
  Þer-fore my ioye watȝ sone to-riuen,
  & I kaste of kytheȝ þat lasteȝ aye.
  Lorde! mad hit arn þat agayn þe stryuen,
  Oþ{er} proferen þe oȝt agayn þy paye;                             1200

[Headnote: GOD GIVE US GRACE TO SERVE HIM.]

    [Sidenote: The good Christian knows how to make peace
    with God. God give us grace to be his servants!]
    To pay þe p{r}ince oþ{er} sete saȝte,
  Hit is ful eþe to þe god krystyin;
  For I haf fou{n}den hym boþe day & naȝte,
  A god, a lorde, a frende ful fyin.                                1204
  Ou{er} þis hyl[50] þis lote I laȝte,
  For pyty of my perle enclyin,
  & syþen to god I hit by-taȝte,
  In krysteȝ dere blessy{n}g & myn,                                 1208
  Þat in þe forme of bred & wyn,
  Þe preste v{us} scheweȝ vch a daye;
  He gef v{us} to be his homly hyne,
  Ande precio{us} perleȝ vnto his pay. Amen. Amen.                  1212

    [Sidenote 50: MS. _hyiıl_.]




NOTES: _The Pearl_.


Page 1.

  l. 2, _to_, very.
  8 _sengeley in synglure_, ever in singleness (uniqueness).
    Now is Susan in sale _sengeliche_ arayed.
      Pistel of Susan, Vernon MS., fol. 317.
  11 _dewyne_, pine; _for-dolked_, for-wounded (severely hurt).
  16 _heuen my happe_, increase my happiness.
  17 _þrych my hert þrange_, through my heart pierce.
  20 _stylle stounde_, a secret sorrow.
  23
    _O moul þou marreȝ a myry mele_,
    O mould (earth) thou spoilest a merry discourse.

P. 2.

  l. 27
    _Blomeȝ blayke & blwe & rede_,
    Flowers yellow, blue, and red.
  49 _spenned_, wrung.
  51, 52
    A secret grief in my heart dinned (resounded),
    Though reason set myself at peace.
  53 _spenned_, allured, enticed away.
  54
    _Wyth fyrte skylleȝ þat faste faȝt_,
    With trembling doubts that fast fought (struggled).

P. 3.

  l. 76 bolleȝ = _boleȝ_, trunks of trees.
  78 _on vch a tynde_, on each branch.
  92 _reken myrþe_, pleasant, joyous mirth.

P. 4.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Religion

Early English Alliterative Poems: in the West-Midland Dialect of the Fourteenth Century

English poetry -- Middle English, 1100-1500

[Sidenote: [Fol. 55b.]]
    [Sidenote: Men desire more than they have any right to expect.]
    To þat prynceȝ paye hade I ay bente,
  & ȝerned no more þen watȝ me geuen,
  & halden me þer in trwe entent,
  As þe perle me prayed þat watȝ so þryuen,                         1192
  As helde drawen to goddeȝ p{re}sent,
  To mo of his mysterys I hade ben dryuen.
  Bot ay wolde man of happe more hente
  Þen moȝten by ryȝt vpon hem clyuen;                               1196
  Þer-fore my ioye watȝ sone to-riuen,
  & I kaste of kytheȝ þat lasteȝ aye.
  Lorde! mad hit arn þat agayn þe stryuen,
  Oþ{er} proferen þe oȝt agayn þy paye;                             1200

[Headnote: GOD GIVE US GRACE TO SERVE HIM.]

    [Sidenote: The good Christian knows how to make peace
    with God. God give us grace to be his servants!]
    To pay þe p{r}ince oþ{er} sete saȝte,
  Hit is ful eþe to þe god krystyin;
  For I haf fou{n}den hym boþe day & naȝte,
  A god, a lorde, a frende ful fyin.                                1204
  Ou{er} þis hyl[50] þis lote I laȝte,
  For pyty of my perle enclyin,
  & syþen to god I hit by-taȝte,
  In krysteȝ dere blessy{n}g & myn,                                 1208
  Þat in þe forme of bred & wyn,
  Þe preste v{us} scheweȝ vch a daye;
  He gef v{us} to be his homly hyne,
  Ande precio{us} perleȝ vnto his pay. Amen. Amen.                  1212

    [Sidenote 50: MS. _hyiıl_.]




NOTES: _The Pearl_.


Page 1.

  l. 2, _to_, very.
  8 _sengeley in synglure_, ever in singleness (uniqueness).
    Now is Susan in sale _sengeliche_ arayed.
      Pistel of Susan, Vernon MS., fol. 317.
  11 _dewyne_, pine; _for-dolked_, for-wounded (severely hurt).
  16 _heuen my happe_, increase my happiness.
  17 _þrych my hert þrange_, through my heart pierce.
  20 _stylle stounde_, a secret sorrow.
  23
    _O moul þou marreȝ a myry mele_,
    O mould (earth) thou spoilest a merry discourse.

P. 2.

  l. 27
    _Blomeȝ blayke & blwe & rede_,
    Flowers yellow, blue, and red.
  49 _spenned_, wrung.
  51, 52
    A secret grief in my heart dinned (resounded),
    Though reason set myself at peace.
  53 _spenned_, allured, enticed away.
  54
    _Wyth fyrte skylleȝ þat faste faȝt_,
    With trembling doubts that fast fought (struggled).

P. 3.

  l. 76 bolleȝ = _boleȝ_, trunks of trees.
  78 _on vch a tynde_, on each branch.
  92 _reken myrþe_, pleasant, joyous mirth.

P. 4.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Early English Alliterative Poems: in the West-Midland Dialect of the Fourteenth Century

Early English Alliterative Poems: in the West-Midland Dialect of the Fourteenth Century

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