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 singe an eue ariȝte time
⁊ soþþe won hit is bedtime. 240
þe þridde siþe ad middelniȝte.
⁊ so ich mine song adiȝte.
wone ich i{}so arise vorre.
Oþer dairim oþer daisterre.
Ich do god mid mine þrote. 245
⁊ warni men to hore note.
Ac þu singest alle longe niȝt.
From eue fort hit is dailiȝt.
[Linenote:
247. _allelonge_ MS.]
⁊ euer lesteþ þin o song,
so longe so þe nyht is long. 250
⁊ eu{er} croweþ þi wrecche crey.
Þat he ne swikeþ nyht ne day. |
Mid þine pipinge þu adunest. [f. 231v¹
þas mo{n}nes eren. þar þu wunest.
⁊ makest þi song, so vnwiht. 255
þat me ne telleþ. of þe nowiht.
⁊ eure seist þin o song.
So longe so þe niȝt is long. 250
⁊ eure croweþ þi wrecche crei.
þat he ne swikeþ niȝt ne dai.
Mid þine pipinge þu a{}dunest.
þas monnes earen þar þu wunest.
⁊ makest þine song so unwrþ. 255
þa`t´ me ne telþ of þar noȝt wrþ.
Eurych mureþe may so lo{n}ge leste.
þat heo schal liki wel vnwreste.
for harpe. ⁊ pipe. ⁊ foweles song.
Mislikeþ. if hit is to long. 260
Ne beo þe song ne so murie.
þat he ne sal þinche vnmurie.
If he i{}lesteþ ouer vnwille.
So þu myht þi song aspille.
for hit is soþ Alured hit seyde. 265
⁊ me hit. may i{n} boke rede.
Eurich þing may lesen his godhed{e}.
Mid vnmeþe and ouerdede.
. . . . . .
+E+urich murȝþe mai so longe ileste.
þat ho shal liki wel unwreste. [f. 235v¹
vor harpe ⁊ pipe ⁊ fuȝeles songe.
Mislikeþ ȝif hit is to long. 260
Ne bo þe song neu{er} so murie.
þat he ne shal þinche wel unmurie.
ȝef he ilesteþ ouer unwille.
So þu miȝt þine song aspille.
vor hit is soþ alured hit seide. 265
⁊ me hit mai ine boke rede.
Eurich þing mai losen his godhede
Mid unmeþe ⁊ mid ouerdede.
. . . . . .
[Linenote:
265. _seiḍde_ MS.]
++Þe nyhtegale i{n} hire þouhte. [f. 231v²
At{}heold al þis. ⁊ longe þouhte. 270
hwat heo þar after myhte segge,
vor heo ne myhte noht a{}legge.
þat þe vle hedde hire i{}seyd.
vor ho spak boþe riht ⁊ red.
⁊ hire of þuhte þat heo hadde. 275
þe speche so feor{}uorþ iladde.
⁊ wes aferd þat hire answare
Ne wrþe nouht a riht ivare.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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