Early English Alliterative Poems 21

Early English Alliterative Poems 21

[Headnote: THE RAIN DESCENDS.]

 

V.

 

[Sidenote: God asks Noah whether all is ready.]

“Now Noe,” q{uod} oure lorde, “art þ{o}u al redy?

Hatȝ þ{o}u closed þy kyst w{i}t{h} clay alle aboute?”

[Sidenote: Noah replies that all is fully prepared.]

“Ȝe lorde w{i}t{h} þy leue,” sayde þe lede þe{n}ne,

“Al is wroȝt at þi worde, as þ{o}u me wyt lanteȝ.” 348

[Sidenote: He is commanded to enter the ark, for God tells him

that he will send a rain to destroy all flesh.]

“Enter in þe{n}n,” q{uod} he, “& haf þi wyf w{i}t{h} þe,

Þy þre su{n}eȝ w{i}t{h}-outen þrep & her þre wyueȝ;

Besteȝ, as I bedene haue, bosk þ{er}-i{n}ne als,

& when ȝe arn staued, styfly stekeȝ yow þ{er}i{n}ne; 352

Fro seuen dayeȝ ben seyed I sende out by-lyue,

Such a rowtande ryge þat rayne schal swyþe,

Þat schal wasch alle þe worlde of werkeȝ of fylþe;

Schal no flesch vpon folde by fonden onlyue; 356

[Sidenote: Noah stows all safely in the ark.]

Out-taken yow aȝt i{n} þis ark staued,

& sed þat I wyl saue of þyse ser besteȝ.”

Now Noe neu{er} stysteȝ[17] (þat niyȝ[t] he bygy{n}neȝ),

Er al wer stawed & stoken, as þe steuen wolde. 360

[Sidenote: [Fol. 62a.]]

[Sidenote: Seven days are passed.]

The{n}ne sone com þe seuenþe day, when samned wern alle,

& alle woned i{n} þe whichche þe wylde & þe tame.

[Sidenote: The deep begins to swell, banks are broken down, and

the clouds burst.]

Þe{n} bolned þe abyme & bonkeȝ con ryse,

Walt{es} out vch walle-heued, i{n} ful wode stremeȝ, 364

Watȝ no bry{m}me þat abod vnbrosten bylyue,

Þe mukel lauande logh{e} to þe lyfte rered.

Mony clust{er}ed clowde clef alle i{n} clowteȝ,

To-rent vch a rayn-ryfte & rusched to þe vrþe; 368

[Sidenote: It rains for forty days, and the flood rises, and

flows over the woods and fields.]

Fon neu{er} i{n} forty dayeȝ, & þe{n} þe flod ryses,

Ou{er}-walteȝ vche a wod & þe wyde feldeȝ;

For when þe wat{er} of þe welkyn w{i}t{h} þe worlde mette,

Alle þat deth moȝt dryȝe drowned þer-i{n}ne; 372

Þer watȝ moon forto make when meschef was cnowen,

[Sidenote: All must drown.]

Þat noȝt dowed bot þe deth in þe depe stremeȝ.

Wat{er} wylger ay wax, woneȝ þat stryede,

Hurled i{n}-to vch ho{us}, hent þat þer dowelled. 376

[Sidenote: The water enters the houses.]

Fyrst feng to þe flyȝt alle þat fle myȝt,

Vuche burde w{i}t{h} her barne þe byggy{n}g þay leueȝ,

[Sidenote: Each woman with her bairns flees to the hills.]

& bowed to þe hyȝ bonk þer brentest hit wern,

& het{er}ly to þe hyȝe hylleȝ þay [h]aled on faste; 380

[Sidenote: The rain never ceases.]

Bot al watȝ nedleȝ her note, for neu{er} cowþe stynt

Þe roȝe raynande ryg [&] þe raykande waweȝ,

[Sidenote: The valleys are filled.]

Er vch boþom watȝ brurd-ful to þe bonkeȝ eggeȝ,

& vche a dale so depe þat de{m}med at þe brynkeȝ. 384

Þe moste mou{n}tay{n}eȝ on mor þe{n}ne watȝ no more dryȝe,

[Sidenote: People flock to the mountains.]

& þ{er}-on flokked þe folke, for ferde of þe wrake,

Syþen þe wylde of þe wode on þe wat{er} flette;

[Sidenote: Some swim for their lives.]

Su{m}me swy{m}med þ{er}-on þat saue hemself trawed, 388

Su{m}me styȝe to a stud & stared to þe heuen,

[Sidenote: Others roar for fear.]

Rwly wyth a loud rurd rored for drede.

[Sidenote: Animals of all kinds run to the hills.]

Hareȝ, hertteȝ also, to þe hyȝe ru{n}nen,

Bukkeȝ, bauseneȝ & buleȝ to þe bonkkeȝ hyȝed, 392

[Sidenote: All pray for mercy.]

& alle cryed for care to þe ky{n}g of heuen,

Re-cou{er}er of þe creator, þay cryed vchone,

[Sidenote: God’s mercy is passed from them.]

Þat amou{n}ted þe masse, þe mase his mercy watȝ passed,

& alle his pyte departed fro peple þat he hated. 396

[Sidenote: [Fol. 62b.]]

Bi þat þe flod to her fete floȝed & waxed,

[Sidenote: Each sees that he must sink.]

Þen vche a segge seȝ wel þat synk hy{m} byhoued;

Frendeȝ fellen i{n} fere & faþmed togeder

To dryȝ her delful deystyné & dyȝen alle samen; 400

[Sidenote: Friends take leave of one another.]

Luf lokeȝ to luf & his leue takeȝ,

For to ende alle at oneȝ & for eu{er} twy{n}ne.

[Sidenote: Forty days have gone by, and all are destroyed.]

By forty dayeȝ wern faren, on folde no flesch styryed,

Þat þe flod nade al freten w{i}t{h} feȝtande waȝeȝ[18], 404

For hit clam vche a clyffe cubit{es} fyftene,

Ou{er} þe hyȝest hylle þat hurkled on erþe.

 

[Headnote: ALL ROT IN THE MUD.]

 

[Sidenote: All rot in the mud, except Noah and his family, who

are safe in the ark.]

Þe{n}ne mo{ur}kne i{n} þe mudde most ful nede

Alle þat spyrakle i{n}-spranc,[19] no sprawly{n}g awayled, 408

Saue þe haþel vnder hach & his here strau{n}ge,

Noe þat ofte neuened þe name of oure lorde,

Hy{m} aȝt-su{m} i{n} þat ark as aþel god lyked,

Þer alle ledeȝ i{n} lome lenged druye, 412

[Sidenote: The ark is lifted as high as the clouds, and is

driven about, without mast, bowline, cables, anchors, or sail to

guide its course.]

Þe arc houen watȝ on hyȝe w{i}t{h} hurlande goteȝ,

Kest to kytheȝ vncouþe þe clowdeȝ ful nere.

Hit walt{er}ed on þe wylde flod, went as hit lyste,

Drof vpon þe depe dam, i{n} dau{n}g{er} hit semed, 416

With-oute{n} mast, oþ{er} myke, oþ{er} myry bawelyne,

Kable, oþ{er} capstan to clyppe to he{r} ankreȝ,

Hurrok, oþ{er} hande-helme hasped on roþ{er},

Oþ{er} any sweande sayl to seche aft{er} hauen, 420

[Sidenote: At the mercy of the winds.]

Bot flote forthe w{i}t{h} þe flyt of þe felle wyndeȝ;

Wheder-warde so þe wat{er} wafte, hit rebou{n}de.

[Sidenote: Oft it rolled around and reared on end.]

Ofte hit roled on-rou{n}de & rered on ende,

Nyf oure lorde hade ben her lodeȝ-mon he{m} had lu{m}pen harde. 424

[Sidenote: The age of the patriarch Noah.]

Of þe lenþe of noe lyf to lay a lel date,

Þe sex hundreth of his age & none odde ȝereȝ,

Of seco{n}de monyth, þe seue{n}þe day ryȝteȝ,

[Sidenote: Duration of the flood.]

To-walten alle þyse welle-hedeȝ & þe wat{er} flowed, 428

& þryeȝ fyfty þe flod of folwande dayeȝ,

Vche hille watȝ þer hidde w{i}t{h} yreȝ[20] ful graye;

[Sidenote: The completeness of the destruction.]

Al watȝ wasted þat þer wonyed þe worlde w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne,

Þer eu{er} flote, oþ{er} flwe, oþ{er} on fote ȝede, 432

[Sidenote: [Fol. 63a.]]

That roȝly watȝ þe remnau{n}t þat þe rac dryueȝ,

Þat alle gendreȝ so ioyst wern ioyned wyth-i{n}ne.

[Sidenote: God remembers those in the ark.]

Bot quen þe lorde of þe lyfte lyked hymseluen

For to my{n}ne on his mon his meth þat abydeȝ, 436

[Sidenote: He causes a wind to blow, and closes the lakes and

wells, and the great deep.]

Þe{n} he wakened a wynde on watt{er}eȝ to blowe;

Þe{n}ne lasned þe llak[21] þat large watȝ are,

Þen he stac vp þe stangeȝ, stoped þo welleȝ,

Bed bly{n}ne of þe rayn, hit batede as fast, 440

Þe{n}ne lasned þe loȝ lowkande to-geder.

Aft{er} harde dayeȝ wern out an hundreth & fyfté,

As þat lyftande lome luged aboute,

Where þe wynde & þe weder warpen hit wolde, 444

Hit saȝtled on a softe day synkande to grou{n}de.

 

[Headnote: THE ARK RESTS ON MOUNT ARARAT.]

 

[Sidenote: The ark settles on Mount Ararat.]

On a rasse of a rok, hit rest at þe laste,

On þe mou{n}te of mararach of armene hilles,

Þat oþ{er}-wayeȝ on ebrv hit hat þe thanes. 448

Bot þaȝ þe kyste in þe crageȝ wern closed to byde,

Ȝet fyned not þe flod ne fel to þe boþemeȝ,

[Sidenote: Noah beholds the bare earth.]

Bot þe hyȝest of þe eggeȝ vnhuled wern a lyttel,

Þat þe burne by{n}ne borde byhelde þe bare erþe; 452

[Sidenote: He opens his window and sends out the raven to seek

dry land.]

Þe{n}ne wafte he vpon his wyndowe, & wysed þ{er}-oute

A message fro þat meyny hem moldeȝ to seche,

Þat watȝ þe rauen so ronk þat rebel watȝ eu{er};

He watȝ colored as þe cole, corbyal vn-trwe. 456

& he fongeȝ to þe flyȝt, & fa{n}neȝ on þe wyndeȝ,

Houeȝ hyȝe upon hyȝt to herken tyþy{n}ges.

[Sidenote: The raven “croaks for comfort” on finding carrion.]

He croukeȝ for comfort when carayne he fyndeȝ;

Kast vp on a clyffe þer costese lay drye, 460

He hade þe smelle of þe smach & smolt{es} þeder sone,

[Sidenote: He fills his belly with the foul flesh.]

Falleȝ on þe foule flesch & fylleȝ his wombe,

& sone ȝederly for-ȝete ȝister-day steuen,

How þe cheuetayn hy{m} charged þ{a}t þe kyst ȝemed. 464

Þe rauen raykeȝ hy{m} forth þat reches ful lyttel

How alle fodeȝ þer fare, elleȝ he fynde mete;

 

[Headnote: NOAH SENDS FORTH A DOVE.]

 

[Sidenote: The lord of the ark curses the raven, and sends out

the dove.]

Bot þe burne by{n}ne borde[22] þat bod to hys come,

Ba{n}ned hy{m} ful bytt{er}ly w{i}t{h} best{es} alle samen, 468

[Sidenote: [Fol. 63b.]]

He secheȝ an oþ{er} sondeȝmon & setteȝ on þe dou{n}e;[23]

Bry{n}geȝ þat bryȝt vpon borde blessed & sayde,

“Wende worþelych wyȝt v{us} woneȝ to seche,

Dryf ou{er} þis dy{m}me wat{er}; if þ{o}u druye fyndeȝ 472

Bry{n}g bodworde to bot blysse to v{us} alle;

Þaȝ þat fowle be false, fre be þ{o}u euer.”

[Sidenote: The bird wanders about the whole day.]

Ho wyrl{e} out on þe weder o{n} wy{n}geȝ ful scharpe,

Dreȝly alle a longe day þ{a}t dorst neu{er} lyȝt; 476

[Sidenote: Finding no rest, she returns about eventide to Noah.]

& when ho fyndeȝ no folde her fote on to pyche,

Ho vmbe-kesteȝ þe coste & þe kyst secheȝ,

Ho hitteȝ on þe euentyde & on þe ark sitteȝ;

Noe ny{m}mes hir anon & naytly hir staueȝ. 480

[Sidenote: Noah again sends out the dove.]

Noe on anoþ{er} day ny{m}meȝ efte þe dovene,

& byddeȝ hir bowe ou{er} þe borne efte bonkeȝ to seche;

& ho skyrmeȝ vnder skwe & skowteȝ aboute,

Tyl hit watȝ nyȝe at þe naȝt & noe þe{n} secheȝ. 484