Pearl Poet

“ On arme oþer fynger þaȝ þou ber byȝe.
So fare we alle wyth luf and lyste
To kyng and quene by cortaysye.'
'Cortaysé', quod I, 'I leue,
And charyté grete, be yow among,
Bot my speche þat yow ne greue,
. . . . . . . ”

“ Lorde, mad hit arn þat agayn þe stryuen,
Oþer proferen þe oȝt agayn þy paye.
To pay þe Prince oþer sete saȝte
Hit is ful eþe to þe god Krystyin;
For I haf founden hym, boþe day and naȝte,
A God, a Lorde, a frende ful fyin. ”

“ In þe founce þer stonden stoneȝ stepe,
As glente þurȝ glas þat glowed and glyȝt,
As stremande sterneȝ, quen stroþe-men slepe,
Staren in welkyn in wynter nyȝt; ”

“ Vchon in scrypture a name con plye
Of Israel barneȝ, folewande her dateȝ,
Þat is to say, as her byrþ-whateȝ:
Þe aldest ay fyrst þeron watȝ done.
Such lyȝt þer lemed in alle þe strateȝ
Hem nedde nawþer sunne ne mone. ”

“ More and more, and ȝet wel mare,
Me lyste to se þe broke byȝonde;
For if hit watȝ fayr þer I con fare,
Wel loueloker watȝ þe fyrre londe.
Abowte me con I stote and stare;
To fynde a forþe faste con I fonde. ”

“ A reuer of þe trone þer ran outryȝte
Watȝ bryȝter þen boþe þe sunne and mo
Sunne ne mone schon neuer so swete
As þat foysoun flode out of þat flet;
Swyþe hit swange þurȝ vch a strete
Wythouten fylþe oþer galle oþer glet. ”

“ To suche is heuenryche arayed":
Þe innocent is ay saf by ryȝt.
'Iesus con calle to hym hys mylde,
And sayde hys ryche no wyȝ myȝt wynne
Bot he com þyder ryȝt as a chylde,
Oþer elleȝ neuermore com þerinne. ”

“ Þow wost wel when þy perle con schede
I watȝ ful ȝong and tender of age;
Bot my Lorde þe Lombe þurȝ hys godhede,
He toke myself to hys maryage,
Corounde me quene in blysse to brede
In lenghe of dayeȝ þat euer schal wage ”

“ Wyth crystal klyffeȝ so cler of kynde.
Holtewodeȝ bryȝt aboute hem bydeȝ
Of bolleȝ as blwe as ble of Ynde;
As bornyst syluer þe lef on slydeȝ,
Þat þike con trylle on vch a tynde.
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Quen glem of glodeȝ agaynȝ hem glydeȝ,
Wyth schymeryng schene ful schrylle þay schynde. ”

“ Bot euermore vpen at vche a lone;
Þer entreȝ non to take reset
Þat bereȝ any spot an-vnder mone.
The mone may þerof acroche no myȝte;
To spotty ho is, of body to grym,
And also þer ne is neuer nyȝt. ”

“ When I am partleȝ of perle myne,
Bot durande doel what may men deme?'
'Thow demeȝ noȝt bot doel-dystresse',
Þenne sayde þat wyȝt. 'Why dotȝ þou so
For dyne of doel of lureȝ lesse
Ofte mony mon forgos þe mo. ”

“ Alþaȝ oure corses in clotteȝ clynge,
And ȝe remen for rauþe wythouten reste,
We þurȝoutly hauen cnawyng;
Of on dethe ful oure hope is drest.
Þe Lombe vus gladeȝ, oure care is kest;
He myrþeȝ vus alle at vch a mes. ”

“ Two men to saue is god by skylle:
Þe ryȝtwys man schal se hys face,
Þe harmleȝ haþel schal com hym tylle.
Þe Sauter hyt satȝ þus in a pace:
"Lorde, quo schal klymbe þy hyȝ hylle,
Oþer rest wythinne þy holy place?" ”

“ Lest ho me eschaped þat I þer chos,
Er I at steuen hir moȝt stalle.
Þat gracios gay wythouten galle,
So smoþe, so smal, so seme slyȝt,
Ryseȝ vp in hir araye ryalle,
A precios pyece in perleȝ pyȝt. ”

“ Ne proued I neuer her precios pere.
O rounde, so reken in vche araye,
So smal, so smoþe her sydeȝ were,
Quere-so-euer I jugged gemmeȝ gaye,
I sette hyr sengeley in synglere.
Allas! I leste hyr in on erbere ”

“ Þe day watȝ al apassed date.
'"The date of þe daye þe lorde con knaw,
Called to þe reue: 'Lede, pay þe meyny.
Gyf hem þe hyre þat I hem owe,
And fyrre, þat non me may reprené,
Set hem alle vpon a rawe
And gyf vchon inlyche a peny. ”

“ And quen mad on þe fyrst day!
I may not traw, so God me spede,
Þat God wolde wryþe so wrange away.
Of countes, damysel, par ma fay,
Wer fayr in heuen to halde asstate,
Oþer elleȝ a lady of lasse aray ”

“ Stynt of þy strot and fyne to flyte,
And sech hys blyþe ful swefte and swyþe.
Þy prayer may hys pyté byte,
Þat mercy schal hyr crafteȝ kyþe.
Hys comforte may þy langour lyþe
And þy lureȝ of lyȝtly fleme ”

“ And þat is a poynt o sorquydryȝe,
Þat vche god mon may euel byseme,
To leue no tale be true to tryȝe
Bot þat hys one skyl may dem.
'Deme now þyself if þou con dayly
As man to God wordeȝ schulde heue. ”

“ Of tyme of ȝere þe terme watȝ tyȝt,
To labor vyne watȝ dere þe date.
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'"Þat date of ȝere wel knawe þys hyne.
Þe lorde ful erly vp he ros
To hyre werkmen to hys vyne,
And fyndeȝ þer summe to hys porpos. ”