Modred wes heore ælder.1
Tha thiderward gon3 ride
Arthur the riche

Mid unimete folke,
Væie thah hit weore."
Uppe there Tambre
Heo tuhte to-somne,7
Heven here-marken,"
Halden to-gadere;
Luken sweord longe,10
Leiden o "the helmen,

Fur ut sprengen,12
Speren brastlien; 13

Sceldes gonnen scanen,14
Scaftes to-breken.15

Ther faht 16 al to-somne

Folc unimete.

Tambre wes on flode 18

Mid unimete 19 blode.

Mon i than fihte

17

Non 20 ther ne mihte

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Ich the bitache here 20

To Argante there 30 quene,
Alven swithe sceone; 31

And heo 32 scal mine wunden
Makien alle isunde,33

Al hal 34 me makien

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That wes an sceort bat lithen,12

fey

3 did + great though they were ⚫ they came 7 together 8 raised

battle-standards 9 rushed 10 locked long swords I laid on, struck upon 12 made fire leap out 13 rattled spears 14 shields did shiver 15 shafts broke to pieces 16 fought 17 together 18 a-flood 19 measureless 20 no man in the fight 21 recognize no warrior 22

nor

23 did

24 better 25 conflict 26 confused 27 each 28 struck

29 swain 20 knight 31 slain 32 and 33 A line or more is missing here. tainers 36 high and low

re

put from life-days 34 the brave 35 37 the Britons 38 table many kingdoms 41 with broad slaughter42 dreadful wounds 43 in the least

39 wards 40

spear

5 who lay 7 hewed to pieces 8 but alone
11 wondrously much
young man
15 was named 16 to the 17 the ground
words
dom

19 thou wert 20 I commit to thee here 21 king22 defend 23 ever during thy life 24 keep for them 25 customs, laws 26 that have stood in my days 27 I will go 28 fairest 29 of all 30 the 31 elf very beautiful 32 she 33 well 34 whole 35 with healing draughts 36 afterwards 37 kingdom 38 dwell 39 with great joy 40 even with these words 41 from the sea moving 42 that was a short boat gliding

1 swooning

6

11 I

pray 7 shall be

23 the

14 heard 15 talk 16 strife 17 while 18 at times 19 each 20 swelled 21 the foul spirit all out 22 qualities very worst 24 knew 25 and indeed and 28 corner 29 a fair bough

27 they very

26

indeed 30 about a solitary 33 mixed with sprouts 34 she spray 37 and sang in many kinds of ways

32

NICHOLAS DE GUILDFORD (?) (fl. 1250)

THE OWL AND THE NIGHTINGALE

Ich 11

was in one sumere dale,12 In one swithe digele hale,13

I-herede ich holde grete tale 15

An ule and one nigtingale.

16

That plait was stif and starc and strong, Sum wile 17 softe, and lud among; 18

And aither 19

agen other swal,20 And let that vule mod ut al.21 And either 19 seide of otheres custe 22 That alre-worste 23 that hi wuste; 24 And hure and hure 25 of otheres songe Hi 26 heolde plaiding swithe 27 stronge.

The nigtingale bi-gon the speche, In one hurne 28 of one beche;

And sat up one vaire bohe,20

Thar were abute 30 blosme i-nohe,3
In ore waste 32 thicke hegge,
I-meind mid spire 33 and grene segge.
Heo 34
was the gladur vor the rise,36
And song a vele cunne wise; 37

35

5 agreement say

2 ere

3 besides 4

› paid

9 grant success

10 present

12 a summer dale

13 a very secret corner

ΙΟ

20