Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- History -- 14th century -- Sources

'"Þat date of ȝere wel knawe þys hyne.            145
      Þe lorde ful erly vp he ros,
      To hyre werkmen to hys vyne,
      And fyndeȝ þer summe to hys porpos.
      Into acorde þay con declyne
      For a pené on a day, and forth þay gotȝ,            150
      Wryþen and worchen and don gret pyne,
      Keruen and caggen and man hit clos.
      Aboute vnder, þe lorde to marked totȝ,
      And ydel men stande he fyndeȝ þerate.
      'Why stande ȝe ydel?' he sayde to þos;              155
      'Ne knawe ȝe of þis day no date?'

        '"'Er date of daye hider arn we wonne;'
      So watȝ al samen her answar soȝt;
      'We haf standen her syn ros þe sunne,
      And no mon byddeȝ vus do ryȝt noȝt.'                160
      'Gos into my vyne, dotȝ þat ȝe conne,'
      So sayde þe lorde, and made hit toȝt;
      'What resonabele hyre be naȝt be runne
      I yow pay in dede and þoȝte.'
      Þay wente into þe vyne and wroȝte,                  165
      And al day þe lorde þus ȝede his gate,
      And nw men to hys vyne he broȝte,
      Welneȝ wyl day watȝ passed date.

        '"At þe date of day of euensonge,
      On oure byfore þe sonne go doun,                    170
      He seȝ þer ydel men ful stronge,
      And sa<y>de to he_m_ wyth sobre soun:
      'Wy stonde ȝe ydel þise dayeȝ longe?'
      Þay sayden her hyre watȝ nawhere boun.
      'Gotȝ to my vyne, ȝemen ȝonge,                      175
      And wyrkeȝ and dotȝ þat at ȝe moun.'
      Sone þe worlde bycom wel broun,
      Þe sunne watȝ doun, and hit wex late;
      To take her hyre he mad sumoun;
      Þe day watȝ al apassed date.                        180

        '"The date of þe daye þe lorde con knaw,
      Called to þe reue: 'Lede, pay þe meyny;
      Gyf hem þe hyre þat I hem owe;
      And fyrre, þat non me may reprené,
      Set hem alle vpon a rawe,                           185
      And gyf vchon ilyche a peny;
      Bygyn at þe laste þat standeȝ lowe,
      Tyl to þe fyrste þat þou atteny.'
      And þenne þe fyrst bygonne to pleny,
      And sayden þat þay hade trauayled sore:             190
      'Þese bot on oure hem con streny;
      Vus þynk vus oȝe to take more.

        '"'More haf we serued, vus þynk so,
      Þat suffred han þe dayeȝ hete,
      Þenn þyse þat wroȝt not houreȝ two,                 195
      And þou dotȝ hem vus to counterfete.'
      Þenne sayde þe lorde to on of þo:
      'Frende no waning I wyl þe ȝete;
      Take þat is þyn owne and go.
      And I hyred þe for a peny agrete,                   200
      Quy bygynneȝ þou now to þrete?
      Watȝ not a pené þy couenaunt þore?
      Fyrre þen couenaunde is noȝt to plete.
      Wy schalte þou þenne ask more?

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

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Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- History -- 14th century -- Sources

'"Þat date of ȝere wel knawe þys hyne.            145
      Þe lorde ful erly vp he ros,
      To hyre werkmen to hys vyne,
      And fyndeȝ þer summe to hys porpos.
      Into acorde þay con declyne
      For a pené on a day, and forth þay gotȝ,            150
      Wryþen and worchen and don gret pyne,
      Keruen and caggen and man hit clos.
      Aboute vnder, þe lorde to marked totȝ,
      And ydel men stande he fyndeȝ þerate.
      'Why stande ȝe ydel?' he sayde to þos;              155
      'Ne knawe ȝe of þis day no date?'

        '"'Er date of daye hider arn we wonne;'
      So watȝ al samen her answar soȝt;
      'We haf standen her syn ros þe sunne,
      And no mon byddeȝ vus do ryȝt noȝt.'                160
      'Gos into my vyne, dotȝ þat ȝe conne,'
      So sayde þe lorde, and made hit toȝt;
      'What resonabele hyre be naȝt be runne
      I yow pay in dede and þoȝte.'
      Þay wente into þe vyne and wroȝte,                  165
      And al day þe lorde þus ȝede his gate,
      And nw men to hys vyne he broȝte,
      Welneȝ wyl day watȝ passed date.

        '"At þe date of day of euensonge,
      On oure byfore þe sonne go doun,                    170
      He seȝ þer ydel men ful stronge,
      And sa<y>de to he_m_ wyth sobre soun:
      'Wy stonde ȝe ydel þise dayeȝ longe?'
      Þay sayden her hyre watȝ nawhere boun.
      'Gotȝ to my vyne, ȝemen ȝonge,                      175
      And wyrkeȝ and dotȝ þat at ȝe moun.'
      Sone þe worlde bycom wel broun,
      Þe sunne watȝ doun, and hit wex late;
      To take her hyre he mad sumoun;
      Þe day watȝ al apassed date.                        180

        '"The date of þe daye þe lorde con knaw,
      Called to þe reue: 'Lede, pay þe meyny;
      Gyf hem þe hyre þat I hem owe;
      And fyrre, þat non me may reprené,
      Set hem alle vpon a rawe,                           185
      And gyf vchon ilyche a peny;
      Bygyn at þe laste þat standeȝ lowe,
      Tyl to þe fyrste þat þou atteny.'
      And þenne þe fyrst bygonne to pleny,
      And sayden þat þay hade trauayled sore:             190
      'Þese bot on oure hem con streny;
      Vus þynk vus oȝe to take more.

        '"'More haf we serued, vus þynk so,
      Þat suffred han þe dayeȝ hete,
      Þenn þyse þat wroȝt not houreȝ two,                 195
      And þou dotȝ hem vus to counterfete.'
      Þenne sayde þe lorde to on of þo:
      'Frende no waning I wyl þe ȝete;
      Take þat is þyn owne and go.
      And I hyred þe for a peny agrete,                   200
      Quy bygynneȝ þou now to þrete?
      Watȝ not a pené þy couenaunt þore?
      Fyrre þen couenaunde is noȝt to plete.
      Wy schalte þou þenne ask more?

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

Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

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