English poetry -- Translations from German; German poetry -- Translations into English
They fayne myracles where none were euer done
And all for lucre: some other range about
To gather and begge with some fayned pardon
And at the alehows at nyght all drynkyth out
So ren these beggers in company rowt
By stretis tauernes townes and vyllagys
No place can well be fre of theyr outragys
Some begge for byldynges, some for relyques newe
Of holy sayntis of countreys farre and strange
And with theyr wordes faynyd and vntrewe
For cause of Lucre, about they ren and range
But in a sympyll vyllage, ferme or grange
Where as these beggers moste sympyll men may fynde
With theyr fals bonys as relykes they them blynde
Other beynge stronge and full of lustynes
And yonge ynoughe to labour for theyr fode
Gyuyth theyr bodyes fully to slewthfulnes
The beggers craft thynkynge to them moost good
Some ray theyr legges and armys ouer with blood
With leuys and plasters though they be hole and sounde
Some halt as crypyls, theyr legge falsely vp bounde
Some other beggers falsly for the nonys
Disfygure theyr children god wot vnhappely
Manglynge theyr facys, and brekynge theyr bonys
To stere the people to pety that passe by
There stande they beggynge with tedyous shout and cry
There owne bodyes tournynge to a strange fassion
To moue suche as passe to pyte and compassyon
Suche yonge laddys as lusty ar of age
Myghty and stronge, and wymen in lyke wyse
Wanton and yonge and lusty of cowrage
Gyueth them selfe vtterly to this gyse
The cause is that they labour do despyse
For theyr mynde is in ydylnes to be styll
Or els in vyce to wander at theyr wyll
They paciently theyr prouertye abyde
Nat for deuocion of herte or of mynde
But to the intent that at euery tyde
Other mennys godes sholde them fede and fynde.
But if they a whyle haue ron in the wynde
And in theyr hande the staf some hete hath caught
They neuer after shall leue the beggers craft
Amonge these beggers also is comonly
Braulynge debate hatered and chydynge
Great othes, mockes falshode and enuy
And one with other euer more fyghtynge
As for theyr dronkennes and vnsure abydynge
Theyr rebaudry both in dede and communycacion
These ar chefe poyntis of theyr occupation
If the begger haue his staf and his hode
One bagge behynde and another before
Than thynkes he hym in the myddes of his goode
Thoughe that his clothes be raggyd and to tore
His body nere bare he hath no thought therfore
And if some man cloth them well to day
To morowe it shall agayne be solde away
And if these caytyfes fortune to begge or cry
For mete or money, on woman or on man
If one to them that, that they aske deny
And so depart: anone these beggers than
Whan he is gone, doth wary curse and ban
And if another gyue them ought of pyte
At the next alestake dronken shall it be
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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