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
ich ðe bidde lefdi uor þere gretunge. 85
þet Gabriel ðe brouhte urom ure heouen kinge.
and ek ich ðe biseche uor ih{es}u cristes blode
þet for ure note was i{}sched oðere rode.
vor ðe muchele seoruwe ðet was oðine mode.
þo þu et ðe deaðe him bi{}uore stode 90
þet tu me makie cleane wiðuten ⁊ eke wið{}i{n}nen.
So þet me ne schende none kunnes sunne.
þene loðe deouel ⁊ alle kunnes dweoluhðe.
aulem urom me ueor awei mid hore fule fulðe.
Mi leoue lif urom þine luue ne schal me no þing to{}dealen 95
vor oðe is al ilong mi lif ⁊ eke min heale.
vor þine luue i swinke ⁊ sike wel ilome
vor þine luue ich ham ibrouht i{n} to þeoudome,
vor þine luue ich uorsoc al þet me leof was.
and ȝef ðe al mi suluen. looue lif iþench þu þes. 100
þet ich ðe wreðede sume siðe hit me reoweð sore.
vor cristes fif wunden ðu ȝif me milce ⁊ ore.
ȝif þu milce nauest of me þet ich wot wel ȝeorne |
þet ine helle pine swelten ich schal ⁊ beornen. [f. 122v
ful wel þu me iseie þauh þu stille were. 105
hwar ich was ⁊ hwat i dude þauh þu me uorbere.
ȝif þu heuedest wreche inumen of mine luðernesse.
iwis ich heuede al uorloren paradises blisse.
þu hauest ȝet forboren me uor þine godnesse.
and nu ich hopie habben fulle uorȝiuenesse. 110
ne wene ich neure uallen in{}to helle pine.
hwon ich am to ðe ikumen ⁊ am ðin owune hine
þin ich am ⁊ wule beon nu ⁊ eu{er} more.
vor oðe is al mi lif ilong ⁊ o godes ore.
Mi leoue swete lefdi to þe me longeð swuðe. 115
bute ich habbe þine help ne beo ich neu{er} bliðe.
ich þe bidde þet tu kume to mine uorð{}siðe.
and nomeliche þeonne þine luue kuðe.
auouh mine soule hwon ich of þisse liue uare
and i{}schild me urom seoruwe ⁊ from eche deaðes kare. 120
ȝif þu wult ðet ich iðeo gode ȝeme nim to me.
vor wel ne wurð me neu{er} bute hit beo þuruh ðe.
Mid swuþe luðere lasten mi soule is þuruh{}bunden.
ne mei no þing so wel so þu healen mine wunden.
to þe one is al mi trust efter þine leoue sune 125
vor is holie nome of mine liue ȝif me lu{n}e.
ne þole þu þene unwine þet he me arine
ne þet he me dra`w´e in to helle pine.
nim nu ȝeme to me so me best a beo ðe beo.
vor þin is þe wurchipe ȝif ich wre{c}che wel iþeo. 130
[Linenotes:
126. _lune_] _luue_ MS. || 127. _arine_ on an erasure. ||
128. _drawe_] _w_ over _ị_ MS. || 130. _wreeche_ MS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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