Ich was in one sumere dale,10 In one swithe digele hale,11 I-herede 12 ich holde grete tale 13 An ule and one nigtingale. That plait 14 was stif and starc and strong, Sum wile 15 softe, and lud among; And aither 17 agen other swal,18 And let that vule mod ut al.19 And either 17 seide of otheres custe 20 That alre-worste 21 that hi wuste; And hure and hure 23 of otheres songe Hi 24 heolde plaiding swithe 25 stronge. The nigtingale bi-gon the speche, In one hurne 26 of one beche;
And sat up one vaire bohe,2
1 besides 2 agreement 3 say 4pray 5 shall be paid grant success present 9 10
dale 11 a very secret corner 12 heard 13 talk 14 strife
15 while 16 at times 17 each 18 swelled 19 the foul
spirit all out qualities the very worst 22 knew 23 and indeed and indeed 24 they very corner
As I was in a summer dale, Within a very secret vale,
I heard of talking a great tale Betwixt an owl and a nightingale. The strife was stiff and stark and strong; Sometimes 'twas soft, then loud, their song. Either against the other swelled,
Let out the rage that in her dwelled. And each said of the other's ways
The worst she knew to her dispraise; And specially of cach other's song They had a quarrel very strong.
The nightingale began the speech,
Snug in a corner of a beech;
She sat upon a pretty bough,
There were about her blossoms enow,
All in a lonely, thickset hedge,
Tangled with shoots and green with sedge. She was the gladder for the sprays,
And sang in many kinds of ways.
It rather seemed the sound I heard
Was harp and pipe than song of bird;
Min heorte at-flith," and falt 12 mi tunge, Wonne 13 thu art to me i-thrunge.14, Me luste bet speten 15 thane singe, Of 16 thine fule gogelinge." 17
Theos ule abod fort 18 hit was eve, Heo ne mihte no leng bileve,19 Vor hire heorte was so gret,20 That wel neh 21 hire fnast at-schet; And warp 23 a word thar-after longe: "Hu thincthe 24 nu bi mine songe? Wenst 25 thu that ich ne cunne 26 Theh 27 ich ne cunne 28 of writelinge? 29 I-lome 30 thu dest 31 me grame,32 And seist me bothe teone 33 and schame; Gif 34 ich the heolde on min vote,35 So hit bi-tide 36 that ich mote! 37 And thu were ut of thine rise,3 Thu scholdest singe an other wise.
The nightingale her soon cspied, And looked at her with scornful pride. She thought but meanly of the owl, For men it loathly deem and foul.
"Monster," she said, "away with thee! The worse for me that thee I see! Verily for thy ugly look,
I oftentimes my song forsook.
My tongue is mute, my heart takes flight, When thou appearest in my sight.
I rather wish to spit than sing, At sound of thy foul sputtering." The owl abode till eventide,
No longer could she then abide, So swollen was her heart with wrath That she could scarcely get her breath; And still she made a speech full long: "How think'st thou now about my song? Think'st thou to sing I have no skill Merely because I cannot trill? Oft am I angered by thy blame, Thou speakest to my hurt and shame; If I once held thee in my claw, Would that I might here in this shaw! And thou wert down from off thy spray, Then should'st thou sing another way!
"And yet thou sayest another thing, And tellest me I cannot sing, That all my song is mourning drear, A fearsome sound for men to hear. That is not sooth; my voice is true, And full and loud, sonorous too. Thou thinkest ugly every note Unlike the thin ones from thy throat. My voice is bold and not forlorn, It soundeth like a mighty horn ; And thine is like a little pipe Made of a slender reed unripe. Better I sing than thou at least ; Thou chatterest like an Irish priest. I sing at eve, a proper time, And after, when it is bedtime, And once again at middle-night, And so ordain my song aright When I see rising from afar
1 her 2 despised 3 very foully for everyone holds her 5 hateful 6 monster 7I am the worse truly appearance 10 give up 11 flies away 12 fails 13 when 14 arrived 15 I feel more like spitting
16 because of 17 longer wait 20
threw 24 how does it seem 25 thinkest 26
Other 1 dai-rim 2 other 3 dai-sterre. Ich do god mid mine throte, And warni men to heore note; 4 Ac 5 thu singest alle longe niht, From eve fort hit is dai-liht, And evre lesteth thin o song So longe so 8 8 the niht is longe, And evre croweth thi wrecche crei, That he ne swiketh 10 niht ne dai. Mid thine pipinge thu adunest 11 Thas monnes earen thar 12 thu wunest,13 And makest thine song so un-wiht 14 That me 15 ne telth 16 of the nowiht.17 Evrich murhthe 18 mai so longe i-leste, That heo shal liki 19 wel un-wreste; Vor harpe and pipe and fugeles 21 songe Misliketh, gif hit is to longe.
Ne beo the song never so muric,
"Owl," she said, "why dost thou so? Thou singest in winter a song of woe; Thou singest as doth a hen in snow: All that she sings it is for woe;
In winter thou singest in wrath and gloom, In summer thou art ever dumb.
'Tis thy foul malice that hinders thee, That blithe with us thou may'st not be; For envy 'tis that in thee burns, When in the spring our bliss returns. Thou farest as doth the wicked ever, Whom joy of others pleases never; For grudging and louring is he mad Whene'er he sees that men are glad. Rather would such a one espy Tears in every person's eye;
Never a whit would that man care
Though flocks were mixed, both head and hair. So dost thou fare, upon thy side;
I-meind 5 bi toppes 62 and bi here. 53
Al-so thu dost on thire 4 side;
Vor wanne 43 snou lith thicke and wide, And alle wihtes 55 habbeth sorhe, 56
For when the snow lies thick and wide, And every creature lives in sorrow,
Thu singest from eve fort amorhe.1 Ac 2 ich alle blisse mid me bringe; Ech wiht is glad for mine thinge, And blisseth hit 5 wanne 6 ich cume, And hihteth agen 7 mine kume.8 The blostme ginneth springe and sprede Bothe ine treo and ek on mede; The lilie mid hire faire wlite9 Wolcumeth me, that thu hit wite,10 Bit me mid hire faire bleo 12 That ich schulle to hire fleo; The rose also mide hire rude,13 That cumeth ut of the thorne wude, Bit 11 me that ich shulle singe Vor hire luve one skentinge." 14
Then singest thou from eve till morrow. But I all gladness with me bring, All men are happy when I sing; They all rejoice, when I appear, And hope for me another year. Blossoms begin to spring and grow, On tree, in mead, and in hedge-row; The lily with her fair white hue Doth welcome me, I would thou knew; With her sweet face she biddeth me That I to her shall quickly flee; Likewise the rose with ruddy hood, That cometh from the thorny wood, Biddeth me ever that I shall sing For her dear love in carolling.'
FROM CURSOR MUNDI (C. 1300)
(Unknown Author)
THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
An angel thus to him did say: "Rise up, Joseph, and busk and go, Maria and thy child also; For it behooves you now all three To the land of Egypt for to flee; Rise up, then, ere it be day, And follow forth the desert way. Herod, that is the infant's foe, Henceforth will seek to lay him low. There with the bairn shall ye remain Till I come back to warn you plain."
Now soon was Joseph ready dight; He left the town at fall of night, With Mary mild and their company: A maiden and their servants three, That served them well in servants' guise; With them was none but wary and wise.
Forth she rode, that mother mild, And in her bosom bore her child, Till they came to a cave full deep; There they had thought to rest and sleep; There helped they Mary to alight, But soon they saw an ugly sight. As they were looking them beside,
30 child night-time from housenone but was wary 40 10 she
on my account coming pastime
shall 29 with slay 33 9 face prepared with 35 hold 38 men-servants rode bosom
1 till morning 2 but creature 5 rejoices when hopeth for 10 know 11 bids 12 visage 13 redness 14 16 did 17 19 also get ready go 22 follow 23 wilderness 24 child's 25 foe 26 from now
carried came to cave that
Ute o1 this cove 2 than sagh3 thai glide Mani dragons wel + sodanli;
The suanis 5 than bi-gan to cri.
Quen Jesus sagh tham glopnid 7 be, He lighted of his moder kne And stod a-pon thaa9 bestes grim,10 And thai tham luted " under him. Than com 12 the propheci al cler To dede 13 that said es in Sauter: 14 "The dragons, wonand 15 in thair cove, The Laverd 16 agh 17 yee worthli to lofe." 18 Jesus he went befor tham than, Forbed 19 tham harm do ani man. Maria and Joseph ne-for-thi 20 For the child war ful dreri; 21 Bot Jesus ansuard 2 thaim onan: "For me drednes haf 24 nu yee nan,2 Ne haf yee for me na barn-site,26 For I am self man al parfite,27 And al the bestes that ar wild For me most 28 be tame and mild.” Leon yode tham als imid;
And pardes, als 31 the dragons did, Bifor Maria and Joseph yede,32 In right wai tham for to lede.
Quen Maria sagh thaa bestes lute,33 First sco 34 was gretli in dute,35 Til Jesus loked on hir blith And dridnes 36 bad hir nan to kith.37 "Moder," he said, "haf thou na ward 38 Nother o 39 leon ne o lepard,
For thai com noght us harm to do, Bot thair servis at 40 serve us to." Bath 41 ass and ox that wit 42 tham war And bestes that thair harnais bar Ute o Jerusalem, thair kyth," The leons mekli yod 32 tham wit,42 Wit-uten harm of ox or ass, Or ani best that wit tham was. Than was fulfild the propheci, That said was thoru Jeremi: "Wolf and wether, leon and ox, Sal 45
comen samen,46 and lamb and fox."
Out of this cave then saw they glide Many dragons full suddenly; The servants then began to cry. When Jesus saw them frightened be, He lighted from his mother's knee, And stood upon those beasts so grim, And low they bowed them under him. Then came the prophecy all clear As in the Psalter ye may hear: 'Dragons that in their cavern dwell The praises of the Lord shall tell." Jesus, he went before them then, Forbade their harming any men. Maria and Joseph, none the less, For the child were in distress; But Jesus answered them and said: "For me have ye no manner dread; For me as child have ye no fright, A perfect man am I by right; And all the beasts that are so wild, For me must be both tame and mild." A lion went them then amid; And leopards, as the dragons did, Before Maria and Joseph lay, Ready to lead them on their way. When Mary saw the beasts all lout, Greatly, at first, she was in doubt, Till Jesus blithely drew anear, And bade her not at all to fear. "Mother," said he, "have no regard For lion or for fierce leopard;
For they come not us harm to do; But us their service to give unto."
Both ass and ox were with them there, And other beasts that baggage bare Out of their home, Jerusalem; The lions meekly went with them, And did no harm to ox or ass, Or any beast that with them was. Then was fulfilled the prophecy That spoken was by Jeremy: "Wolf and wether, lion and ox, Shall come together, and lamb and fox."
26 child-sorrow 27 perfect must a lion went with them also 30 leopards 34 she
doubt, fear terror show, feel 38 regard 39 of 40 to 41 both 42 with 43 45 shall 46 together
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