Early English Alliterative Poems 11

Early English Alliterative Poems 11

 [Sidenote: He sees a crystal cliff, at the foot of which, sits

a maiden clothed in glistening white. He knows that he has seen

her before.]

More meruayle con my dom adau{n}t;

I seȝ by-ȝonde þat myry mere,

A crystal clyffe ful relusau{n}t,

Mony ryal ray con fro hit rere; 160

At þe fote þ{er}-of þ{er} sete a fau{n}t,

A mayden of menske, ful debonere;

Blysnande whyt watȝ hyr bleau{n}t,

(I knew hyr wel, I hade sen hyr ere) 164

As glysnande golde þat man con schere,

So schon þat schene an vnder schore;

On lengh{e} I loked to hyr þere,

Þe lenger I knew hyr more & more 168

 

[Sidenote: He desires to call her but is afraid, at finding her

in such a strange place.]

The more I frayste hyr fayre face.

Her fygure fyn, quen I had fonte,

Suche gladande glory con to me glace,

As lyttel byfore þerto watȝ wonte; 172

To calle hyr lyste con me enchace,

Bot baysme{n}t gef myn hert a bru{n}t,

I seȝ hyr in so strange a place,

Such a burre myȝt make my{n} herte blu{n}t 176

Þe{n}ne vereȝ ho vp her fayre frou{n}t,

Hyr vysayge whyt as playn yuore,

Þat stonge my{n} hert ful stray atou{n}t,

& eu{er} þe lenger, þe more & more. 180

 

 

IV.

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 41b.]]

[Sidenote: So he stands still, like a well trained hawk.

He fears lest she should escape before he could speak to her.

His long lost one is dressed in royal array--decked with

precious pearls.]

More þen me lyste my drede aros,

I stod ful stylle & dorste not calle,

Wyth yȝen open & mouth ful clos,

I stod as hende as hawk i{n} halle; 184

I hope þ{a}t gostly watȝ þ{a}t porpose,

I dred on ende quat schulde byfalle,

Lest ho me eschaped þat I þ{er} chos,

Er I at steuen hir moȝt stalle. 188

Þat gracios gay w{i}t{h}-outen galle,

So smoþe, so smal, so seme slyȝt,

Ryseȝ vp i{n} hir araye ryalle,

A p{re}c[i]os pyece[7] i{n} perleȝ pyȝt. 192

 

[Sidenote 7: MS. looks like _pyete_.]

 

[Sidenote: She comes along the stream towards him.

Her kirtle is composed of ‘sute,’ ornamented with pearls.]

Perleȝ pyȝte of ryal prys,

Þere moȝt mon by grace haf sene,

Quen þat frech as flor-de-lys,

Dou{n} þe bonke con boȝe by-dene. 196

Al blysnande whyt watȝ hir beau uiys,

Vpon at sydeȝ & bou{n}den bene

Wyth þe myryeste margarys at my deuyse,

Þat eu{er} I seȝ ȝet with myn yȝen; 200

Wyth lappeȝ large I wot & I wene,

Dubbed with double perle & dyȝte,

Her cortel of self sute schene,

W{i}t{h} p{re}cios perleȝ al vmbe-pyȝte. 204

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 42a.]]

[Sidenote: She wore a crown of pearls. Her hair hung down

about her. Her colour was whiter than whalebone. Her hair

shone as gold.]

A pyȝt coroune ȝet wer þat gyrle,

Of mariorys & non oþ{er} ston,

Hiȝe pynakled of cler quyt perle,

Wyth flurted flowreȝ perfet vpon; 208

To hed hade ho non oþ{er} werle,

Her here heke[8] al hyr vmbe-gon;

Her semblau{n}t sade, for doc oþ{er} erle,

Her ble more blaȝt þen whalleȝ bon; 212

As schorne golde schyr her fax þe{n}ne schon,

On schyldereȝ þat legh{e} vnlapped lyȝte;

Her depe colo{ur} ȝet wonted non,

Of p{re}cios perle i{n} porfyl pyȝte, 216

 

[Sidenote 8: In the MS. it is _lere leke_.]

 

[Sidenote: The trimming of her robe consisted of precious

pearls. A wonderful pearl was set in her breast.]

Pyȝt watȝ poyned & vche a he{m}me,

At honde, at sydeȝ, at ouerture,

Wyth whyte perle & non oþ{er} ge{m}me,

& bornyste quyte watȝ hyr uesture. 220

Bot a wonder perle w{i}t{h}-outen we{m}me,

In myddeȝ hyr breste watȝ sette so sure;

A ma{n}neȝ dom moȝt dryȝly de{m}me,

Er mynde moȝt malte i{n} hit mesure; 224

I hope no tong moȝt endure

No sau{er}ly saghe say of þ{a}t syȝt,

So watȝ hit clene & cler & pure,

Þat p{re}cios perle þ{er} hit watȝ pyȝt, 228

 

[Sidenote: No man from here to Greece, was so glad as the father,

when he saw his pearl on the bank of the stream. The maiden

salutes him.]

Pyȝt in perle þat p{re}cios p[r]yse.

On wyþ{er} half wat{er} com dou{n} þe schore,

No gladder gome heþen i{n} to grece,

Þe{n} I, quen ho on bry{m}me wore; 232

Ho watȝ me nerre þen au{n}te or nece,

My Ioy for-þy watȝ much þe more.

Ho p{ro}fered me speche þ{a}t special spyce,

Enclynande lowe i{n} wo{m}mon lore, 236

Caȝte of her corou{n} of grete tresore,

& haylsed me wyth a lote lyȝte.

Wel watȝ me þ{a}t eu{er} I watȝ bore,

To sware þat swete i{n} perleȝ pyȝte! 240

 

 

[Headnote: THE MAIDEN ADDRESSES HER FATHER.]

 

V.

 

[Sidenote: The father enquires of the maiden whether she is his

long-lost pearl, and longs to know who has deprived him of his

treasure.]

“O perle,” q{uod} I, “in perleȝ pyȝt,

Art þ{o}u my perle þat I haf playned,

Regretted by my{n} one, on nyȝte?

Much longey{n}g haf I for þe layned, 244

Syþen into gresse þ{o}u me aglyȝte;

Pensyf, payred, I am for-payned,

& þ{o}u i{n} a lyf of lyky{n}g lyȝte

In paradys erde, of stryf vnstrayned. 248

What wyrde hatȝ hyder my iuel vayned,

& don me in þys del & gret dau{n}ger?

Fro we i{n} twy{n}ne wern towen & twayned,

I haf ben a Ioyleȝ Iuelere.” 252

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 42b.]]

[Sidenote: The maiden tells him that his pearl is not really

lost. She is in a garden of delight, where sin and mourning

are unknown.]

That Iuel þe{n}ne in ge{m}myȝ gente,

Vered vp her vyse w{i}t{h} yȝen graye,

Set on hyr corou{n} of perle orie{n}t,

& soberly after þe{n}ne con ho say: 256

“Si{r} ȝe haf yo{ur} tale myse-tente,

To say yo{ur} perle is al awaye,

Þat is i{n} cofer, so comly clente,

As i{n} þis gardyn gracios gaye, 260

Here-i{n}ne to lenge for eu{er} & play.

Þer mys nee morny{n}g com neu{er} here,

Her were a forser for þe i{n} faye,

If þ{o}u were a gentyl Iueler. 264

 

[Headnote: SHE TELLS HIM OF HER BLISS.]

 

[Sidenote: The rose that he had lost is become a pearl of price.

The pearl blames his rash speech.]

Bot Iueler gente if þ{o}u schal lose

Þy ioy for a ge{m}me þat þe watȝ lef,

Me þynk þe put i{n} a mad porpose,

& busyeȝ[9] þe aboute a raysou{n} bref, 268

For þat þ{o}u lesteȝ watȝ bot a rose,

Þat flowred & fayled as kynde hyt gef;

Now þurȝ kynde of þe kyste þ{a}t hyt con close,

To a perle of prys hit is put i{n} pref; 272

& þ{o}u hatȝ called þy wyrde a þef,

Þat oȝt of noȝt hatȝ mad þe cler;

Þ{o}u blameȝ þe bote of þy meschef,

Þ{o}u art no kynde Iueler.” 276

 

[Sidenote 9: Looks like _husyeȝ_ in MS.]