Early English Alliterative Poems 18

Early English Alliterative Poems 18

[Sidenote: [Fol. 54b.]]

[Sidenote: The “alder men” fell groveling at the feet of the

Lamb. All sang in praise of the Lamb.]

Delyt þ{a}t hys come encroched,

To much hit were of for to melle;

Þise alder men quen he aproched,

Grouely{n}g to his fete þay felle; 1120

Legyou{n}es of au{n}geleȝ togeder uoched,

Þer kesten ensens of swete smelle,

Þen glory & gle watȝ nwe abroched.

Al songe to loue þat gay Iuelle, 1124

Þe steuen moȝt stryke þurȝ þe vrþe to helle,

Þat þe v{er}tues of heuen of Ioye endyte,

To loue þe lombe his meyny in melle,

I-wysse I laȝt a gret delyt; 1128

 

[Sidenote 48: MS. _glode_.]

 

[Sidenote: The Lamb wore white weeds. A wide wound was seen

near his breast.]

Delit þe lo{m}be forto deuise,

W{i}t{h} much meruayle in mynde went.

Best watȝ he, blyþest & moste to pryse,

Þat eu{er} I herde of speche spent, 1132

So worþly whyt wern wedeȝ hys;

His lokeȝ symple, hy{m} self so gent,

Bot a wou{n}de ful wyde & weete con wyse

An-ende hys hert þurȝ hyde to-rente; 1136

Of his quyte syde his blod out-sprent,

A-las! þoȝt I, who did þat spyt?

Ani breste for bale aȝt haf for-brent,

Er he þer-to hade had delyt, 1140

 

[Sidenote: Joy was in his looks. The father perceives

his little queen.]

The lombe delyt non lyste to wene,

Þaȝ he were hurt & wou{n}de hade,

I{n} his sembelau{n}t watȝ neu{er} sene,

So wern his glenteȝ gloryo{us} glade. 1144

I loked amo{n}g his meyny schene,

How þay wyth lyf wern laste & lade,

Þe{n} saȝ I þer my lyttel quene,

Þat I wende had standen by me i{n} sclade; 1148

Lorde! much of mirþe watȝ þat ho made,

Amo{n}g her fereȝ þat watȝ so quyt!

Þat syȝt me gart to þenk to wade,

For luf longy{n}g i{n} gret delyt. 1152

 

 

[Headnote: HE WISHES TO CROSS THE STREAM.]

 

XXI.

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 55a.]]

[Sidenote: Great delight takes possession of his mind.

He attempts to cross the stream. It was not pleasing to the Lord.]

Delyt me drof i{n} yȝe & ere,

My maneȝ mynde to maddy{n}g malte;

Quen I seȝ my frely I wolde be þere,

Byȝonde þe water, þaȝ ho were walte, 1156

I þoȝt þat no þy{n}g myȝt me dere

To fech me bur & take me halte;

& to start in þe strem schulde non me stere,

To swy{m}me þe remnau{n}t, þaȝ I þer swalte, 1160

Bot of þat mu{n}t I watȝ bi-talt;

When I schulde start i{n} þe strem astraye,

Out of þat caste I watȝ by-calt;

Hit watȝ not at my prynceȝ paye, 1164

 

[Headnote: THE FATHER OF THE MAIDEN AWAKES.]

 

[Sidenote: The dreamer awakes, and is in great sorrow.]

Hit payed hym not þat I so flonc,

Ou{er} meruelo{us} mereȝ so mad arayde,

Of raas þaȝ I were rasch & ronk,

Ȝet rapely þer-i{n}ne I watȝ restayed; 1168

For ryȝt as I sparred vn-to þe bonc,

Þat brathe out of my drem me brayde;

Þen wakned I i{n} þat erber wlonk,

My hede vpon þat hylle watȝ layde, 1172

Þer as my perle to grou{n}de strayd;

I raxled & fel i{n} gret affray,

& syky{n}g to my self I sayd:

“Now al be to þat prynceȝ paye.” 1176

 

[Sidenote: He addresses his pearl; laments his rash curiosity.]

Me payed ful ille to be out-fleme,

So sodenly of þat fayre regiou{n},

Fro alle þo syȝteȝ so quykeȝ & queme.

A longey{n}g heuy me strok i{n} swone, 1180

& rewfully þe{n}ne I con to reme;

“O perle,” q{uod} I, “of rych renou{n},

So watȝ hit me dere þ{a}t þ{o}u con deme,

I{n} þys v{er}ay avysyou{n}; 1184

If[49] hit be ueray & soth sermou{n},

Þat þ{o}u so stykeȝ i{n} garlande gay,

So wel is me i{n} þys doel dou{n}gou{n},

Þat þ{o}u art to þat prynseȝ paye.” 1188

 

[Sidenote 49: MS. _inf_.]

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 55b.]]

[Sidenote: Men desire more than they have any right to expect.]

To þat prynceȝ paye hade I ay bente,

& ȝerned no more þen watȝ me geuen,

& halden me þer in trwe entent,

As þe perle me prayed þat watȝ so þryuen, 1192

As helde drawen to goddeȝ p{re}sent,

To mo of his mysterys I hade ben dryuen.

Bot ay wolde man of happe more hente

Þen moȝten by ryȝt vpon hem clyuen; 1196

Þer-fore my ioye watȝ sone to-riuen,

& I kaste of kytheȝ þat lasteȝ aye.

Lorde! mad hit arn þat agayn þe stryuen,

Oþ{er} proferen þe oȝt agayn þy paye; 1200

 

[Headnote: GOD GIVE US GRACE TO SERVE HIM.]

 

[Sidenote: The good Christian knows how to make peace

with God. God give us grace to be his servants!]

To pay þe p{r}ince oþ{er} sete saȝte,

Hit is ful eþe to þe god krystyin;

For I haf fou{n}den hym boþe day & naȝte,

A god, a lorde, a frende ful fyin. 1204

Ou{er} þis hyl[50] þis lote I laȝte,

For pyty of my perle enclyin,

& syþen to god I hit by-taȝte,

In krysteȝ dere blessy{n}g & myn, 1208

Þat in þe forme of bred & wyn,

Þe preste v{us} scheweȝ vch a daye;

He gef v{us} to be his homly hyne,

Ande precio{us} perleȝ vnto his pay. Amen. Amen. 1212

 

[Sidenote 50: MS. _hyiıl_.]

 

 

 

 

NOTES: _The Pearl_.

 

 

Page 1.

 

l. 2, _to_, very.

8 _sengeley in synglure_, ever in singleness (uniqueness).

Now is Susan in sale _sengeliche_ arayed.

Pistel of Susan, Vernon MS., fol. 317.

11 _dewyne_, pine; _for-dolked_, for-wounded (severely hurt).

16 _heuen my happe_, increase my happiness.

17 _þrych my hert þrange_, through my heart pierce.

20 _stylle stounde_, a secret sorrow.

23

_O moul þou marreȝ a myry mele_,

O mould (earth) thou spoilest a merry discourse.

 

P. 2.

 

l. 27

_Blomeȝ blayke & blwe & rede_,

Flowers yellow, blue, and red.

49 _spenned_, wrung.

51, 52

A secret grief in my heart dinned (resounded),

Though reason set myself at peace.

53 _spenned_, allured, enticed away.

54

_Wyth fyrte skylleȝ þat faste faȝt_,

With trembling doubts that fast fought (struggled).

 

P. 3.

 

l. 76 bolleȝ = _boleȝ_, trunks of trees.

78 _on vch a tynde_, on each branch.

92 _reken myrþe_, pleasant, joyous mirth.

 

P. 4.

 

l. 99 _Þe derþe þer-of_, the value (preciousness) thereof.

101 _in wely wyse_, in joyful mood.

102 _dereȝ_, injuries, harms.

103 _fyrre_, farther.

105 _raweȝ & randeȝ_, borders and paths.

107 _I wan to_, I reached. _Winne_ in O.E. was used much in the same

way as we now employ the word _get_.

112

_Wyth a rownande rourde raykande aryȝt_,

With a murmuring (whispering) sound flowing aright.

113 _founce_, bottom; _stepe_, bright.

114 _glente_, shone; _glyȝt_, glistened.

115 _A[s] stremande sterneȝ_, as glittering stars; _stroþe_, stout,

brave.

119 _loȝe_, deep.

125 _dryȝly haleȝ_, strongly (_or_ deeply) flows.

126 _bred ful_ = _bred-ful_ = _bretful_ (?), full to the brim.