Selections from Early Middle English, 1130-1250. Part 1: Texts
General
Selections from Early Middle English, 1130-1250. Part 1: Texts
English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500
wel owe we þe luuien mi swete lefdi. [f. 121r
wel owen we uor þine luue ure heorte beien.
þu ert briht ⁊ blisful ouer alle wu{m}men.
and god ðu ert ⁊ gode leof ouer alle wepmen. 20
alle meidene were wurðeð þe one.
vor þu ert hore blostme biuoren godes trone.
nis no wu{m}mon iboren þet ðe beo iliche.
ne non þer nis þin eming wið{}i{n}ne heoueriche.
heih is þi kinestol onuppe cherubine. 25
biuoren ðine leoue sune wid{}i{n}nen seraphine.
Murie dreameð engles biuoren þin onsene.
pleieð ⁊ sw`e´ieð ⁊ singeð. bitweonen.
Swuðe wel ham likeð biuoren þe to beonne.
vor heo neu{er} ne beoð sead þi ueir to iseonne. 30
þine blisse ne mei no wiht understonden.
vor al is godes riche an{}under þine honden.
alle þine ureondes þu makest riche kinges.
þu ham ȝiuest kinescrud beies ⁊ gold ringes.
þu ȝiuest eche reste ful of swete blisse. 35
þer ðe neure deað ne com{;} ne herm ne sorinesse.
þer bloweð i{n}ne blisse blostmen. hwite ⁊ reade.
þer ham neu{er} ne mei. snou. ne uorst iureden,
þer ne mei non ualuwen. uor þer is eche sumer.
ne non liuiinde þing woc þer nis ne ȝeomer 40
þer heo schulen resten þe her ðe doð wurschipe.
ȝif heo ȝemeð hore lif cleane urom alle queadschipe.
þer ne schulen heo neu{er} karien ne swi`n´ken.
ne weopen ne murnen ne helle stenches stinken.
þer me schal ham steoren mid guldene chelle. | 45
and schenchen ham eche lif mid englene wille. [f. 121v
ne mei non heorte þenchen ne no wiht arechen.
ne no muð imelen ne no tunge te{ch}en
hu muchel god ðu ȝeirkest wið{}inne paradise.
[Linenote:
48. _techen_] _tegen_ MS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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