Early English Alliterative Poems 10

Early English Alliterative Poems 10

I.

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 39a.]]

[Sidenote: Description of a lost pearl (_i.e._ a beloved child).

The father laments the loss of his pearl.]

Perle plesau{n}te to prynces paye,

To clanly clos in golde so clere,

Oute of oryent I hardyly saye,

Ne proued I neu{er} her precios pere, 4

So rou{n}de, so reken in vche araye,

So smal, so smoþe her sydeȝ were.

Quere-so-eu{er} I Iugged ge{m}meȝ gaye,

I sette hyr sengeley i{n} synglure; 8

Allas! I leste hyr i{n} on erbere,

Þurȝ gresse to grou{n}de hit fro me yot;[1]

I dewyne for-dolked of luf daungere,

Of þat pryuy perle w{i}t{h}-outen spot. 12

 

[Sidenote 1: ? _got._]

 

[Sidenote: He often visits the spot where his pearl disappeared,

and hears a sweet song.]

Syþen i{n} þat spote hit fro me sprange,

Ofte haf I wayted wyschande þat wele,

Þat wont watȝ whyle deuoyde my wrange,

& heuen my happe & al my hele, 16

Þ{a}t dotȝ bot þrych my hert þrange,

My breste in bale bot bolne & bele.

Ȝet þoȝt me neu{er} so swete a sange,

As stylle stou{n}de let to me stele, 20

For-soþe þ{er} fleten to me fele,

To þenke hir color so clad i{n} clot;

O moul[2] þ{o}u marreȝ a myry mele.

My p{r}iuy perle w{i}t{h}-outen spotte, 24

 

[Sidenote 2: ? _mould._]

 

[Sidenote: Where the pearl was buried there he found lovely

flowers. Each blade of grass springs from a dead grain.]

Þat spot of spyseȝ myȝt nedeȝ sprede,

Þer such rycheȝ to rot[3] is ru{n}nen;

Blomeȝ blayke & blwe & rede,

Þer schyneȝ ful schyr agayn þe su{n}ne. 28

Flor & fryte may not be fede,

Þer hit dou{n} drof i{n} moldeȝ du{n}ne,

For vch gresse mot grow of grayneȝ dede,

No whete were elleȝ to woneȝ wo{n}ne; 32

Of goud vche goude is ay by-go{n}ne.

So semly a sede moȝt fayly not,

Þ{a}t spry{n}gande[4] spyceȝ vp ne spo{n}ne,

Of þat p{re}cios perle wyth-outen spotte. 36

 

[Sidenote 3: ? _rote._]

[Sidenote 4: The MS. reads _sprygande_.]

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 39b.]]

[Sidenote: In the high season of August the parent visits the

grave of his lost child. Beautiful flowers covered the grave.

From them came a delicious odour.]

To þat spot þat I in speche expou{n}

I entred in þat erber grene,

In augoste in a hyȝ seysou{n},

Quen corne is coruen wyth crokeȝ kene. 40

On huyle þer perle hit trendeled dou{n},

Schadowed þis worteȝ ful schyre & schene

Gilofre, gyngure & gromylyou{n},

& pyonys powdered ay by-twene. 44

Ȝif hit watȝ semly on to sene,

A fayr reflayr ȝet fro hit flot,

Þer wonys þat worþyly I wot & wene,

My p{re}cio{us} perle, wyth-outen spot. 48

 

[Sidenote: The bereaved father wrings his hands for sorrow,

falls asleep upon the flowery plot, and dreams.]

Bifore þat spot my honde I spe{n}n[e]d,

For care ful colde þat to me caȝt[e];

A denely dele in my hert de{n}ned,

Þaȝ resou{n} sette my seluen saȝt[e]. 52

I playned my perle þ{a}t þ{er} watȝ spe{n}ned

Wyth fyrte skylleȝ þat faste faȝt[e],

Þaȝ kynde of kryst me comfort ke{n}ned,

My wreched wylle i{n} wo ay wraȝte. 56

I felle vpon þat flo{ur}y flaȝt[e],

Suche odo{ur} to my herneȝ schot;

I slode vpon a slepy{n}g slaȝte,

On þat p{re}c[i]os perle w{i}t{h}-outen spot. 60

 

 

[Headnote: HE SEES A BEAUTIFUL FOREST, WHICH CAUSES HIS GRIEF

TO ABATE.]

 

II.

 

[Sidenote: In spirit he is carried to an unknown region,

where the rocks and cliffs gleamed gloriously.]

Fro spot my spyryt þer sprang i{n} space,

My body on balke þer bod i{n} sweuen,

My goste is gon in godeȝ grace,

In auenture þ{er} meruayleȝ meuen; 64

I ne wyste in þis worlde quere þ{a}t hit wace,

Bot I knew me keste þ{er} klyfeȝ cleuen;

Towarde a foreste I bere þe face,

Where rych rokkeȝ wer to dyscreuen; 68

Þe lyȝt of hem myȝt no mon leuen,

Þe glemande glory þat of hem gle{n}t;

For wern neu{er} webbeȝ þat wyȝeȝ weuen,

Of half so dere adubmente. 72

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 40a.]]

[Sidenote: The hill sides were decked with crystal cliffs.

The leaves of the trees were like burnished silver. The gravel

consisted of precious pearls.]

Dubbed wern alle þo downeȝ sydeȝ

W{i}t{h} crystal klyffeȝ so cler of kynde,

Holte-wodeȝ bryȝt aboute hem bydeȝ;

Of bolleȝ as blwe as ble of ynde, 76

As bornyst syluer þe lef onslydeȝ,

Þat þike con trylle on vch a tynde,

Quen glem of glodeȝ agaynȝ hem glydeȝ,

Wyth schym{er}y{n}g schene ful schrylle þay schynde. 80

Þe grauayl þat on grou{n}de con grynde

Wern p{re}cio{us} perleȝ of oryente;

Þe su{n}ne bemeȝ bot blo & blynde,

In respecte of þat adubbement. 84

 

[Sidenote: The father forgets his sorrow. He sees birds of the

most beautiful hues, and hears their sweet melody.]

The adubbemente of þo downeȝ dere

Garten my goste al greffe for-ȝete

So frech flauoreȝ of fryteȝ were,

As fode hit con me fayre refete. 88

Fowleȝ þ{er} flowen i{n} fryth i{n} fere,

Of flau{m}bande hweȝ,[5] boþe smale & grete,

Bot sytole stry{n}g & gyt{er}nere,

Her reken myrþe moȝt not retrete, 92

For quen þose bryddeȝ her wyngeȝ bete

Þay songen wyth a swete asent;

So grac[i]os gle couþe no mon gete

As here & se her adubbement. 96

 

[Sidenote 5: Or _hiweȝ_.]

 

[Sidenote: No tongue could describe the beauty of the forest.

All shone like gold. The dreamer arrives at the bank of a river,

which gave forth sweet sounds.]

So al watȝ dubbet on dere asyse;

Þat fryth þer fortwne forth me fereȝ,

Þe derþe þer-of for to deuyse

Nis no wyȝ worþe þat tonge bereȝ. 100

I welke ay forth i{n} wely wyse,

No bonk so byg þ{a}t did me dereȝ,

Þe fyrre i{n} þe fryth þe feier con ryse,

Þe playn, þe plontteȝ, þe spyse, þe pereȝ, 104

& raweȝ & randeȝ & rych reuereȝ,

As fyldor fyn her b[o]nkes brent.

I wan to a water by schore þat schereȝ,

Lorde! dere watȝ hit adubbement! 108

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 40b.]]

[Sidenote: In it, stones glittered like stars in the welkin on a

winter night.]

The dubbemente of þo derworth depe

Wern bonkeȝ bene of beryl bryȝt;

Swangeande swete þe water con swepe

Wyth a rownande rourde raykande aryȝt; 112

I{n} þe fou{n}ce þ{er} stonden stoneȝ stepe,

As glente þurȝ glas þat glowed & glyȝt,

A[6] stremande sterneȝ quen stroþe me{n} slepe,

Staren i{n} welkyn i{n} wynt{er} nyȝt; 116

For vche a pobbel i{n} pole þer pyȝt

Watȝ Emerad, saffer, oþ{er} ge{m}me gente,

Þat alle þe loȝe lemed of lyȝt,

So dere watȝ hit adubbeme{n}t. 120

 

[Sidenote 6: ? _As._]

 

 

III.

 

[Sidenote: His grief abates, and he follows the course of the

stream.]

The dubbeme{n}t dere of dou{n} & daleȝ,

Of wod & wat{er} & wlonk playneȝ,

Bylde in me blys, abated my baleȝ,

For-didden my [dis]tresse, dystryed my payneȝ. 124

Dou{n} after a strem þat dryȝly haleȝ,

I bowed in blys, bred ful my brayneȝ;

Þe fyrre I folȝed þose floty valeȝ,

Þe more strenghþe of ioye myn herte strayneȝ, 128

As fortune fares þ{er} as ho frayneȝ,

Wheþ{er} solace ho sende oþ{er} elleȝ sore,

Þe wyȝ, to wham her wylle ho wayneȝ,

Hytteȝ to haue ay more & more. 132

 

[Sidenote: No one could describe his great joy. He thought that

Paradise was on the opposite bank. The stream was not fordable.]

More of wele watȝ i{n} þat wyse

Þe{n} I cowþe telle þaȝ I tom hade,

For vrþely herte myȝt not suffyse

To þe tenþe dole of þo gladneȝ glade; 136

For-þy I þoȝt þ{a}t paradyse

Watȝ þer oþ{er} gayn þo bonkeȝ brade;

I hoped þe water were a deuyse

By-twene myrþeȝ by mereȝ made, 140

By-ȝonde þe broke by slente oþ{er} slade,

I hope[de] þ{a}t mote merked wore.

Bot þe water watȝ depe I dorst not wade

& eu{er} me longed a more & more. 144

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 41a.]]

[Sidenote: More and more he desires to see what is beyond the

brook. But the way seemed difficult. The dreamer finds new

marvels.]

More & more, & ȝet wel mare,

Me lyste to se þe broke by-ȝonde,

For if hit watȝ fayr þ{er} I con fare,

Wel loueloker watȝ þe fyrre londe. 148

Abowte me con I stote & stare

To fynde a forþe, faste con I fonde,

Bot woþeȝ mo i-wysse þ{er} ware,

Þe fyrre I stalked by þe stronde, 152

& euer me þoȝt I schulde not wonde

For wo, þer weleȝ so wy{n}ne wore.

Þe{n}ne nwe note me com on honde

Þat meued my mynde ay more & more, 156