1 than

4

35

2 most gracious one alive (in clothing)

3 secret spring whisper these 7 sweet

sings a song

WOO

5

6

each bird

12 these 13 wonderfully many

16 puts on 17 redness 18 vigorously 19 mends

25

11 woodrow 15 weal 20 complexion 21 beautiful 22 thyme 23 these wild drakes 24 beasts gladden their mates runs 26 the moody man laments, -so do others 27 I know I am one of those 28 pleases ill 29 mends, increases 30 loud 31 dews wet 32 hills 33 lovers with their secret whispers [come] cases [of love] to judge under clod 36 if 37 want 38 one 39 wealth of joy 41 and be a banished wight in the forest

40 will

34

35

worms wOO

THE MAN IN THE MOON (c. 1350) Mon in the mone stond1 and strit,

On is bot-forke 3 is burthen he bereth;

Hit is muche wonder that he nadoun slyt,

For doute leste he valle," he shoddreth and

9

4

shereth.7 When the forst freseth, muche chele he byd; The thornes beth kene, is hattren to-tereth; 10 Nis no wyht" in the world that wot when he syt,13 Ne, bote 4 hit bue 15 the hegge,16 whet wedes 17 he wereth.

12

he doesn't slide 7 shakes 8 chill 9 endures 10 they tear his clothes 11 there is nobody 13 sits 14 unless 15 be 16 hedge 18 think you 19 has 20 his one foot no haste 23 one never sees him hurry were in the field (i.e. was he) 25 his 26 to close his door 27 must 28 with 20 ax truss, bundle 31 or 32 lost 33 same high 35 whether 36 crooked coward 37 it is many a day ago 38 I think 39 errand 40 hath 43 42 hedge-keeper pawn 44 if 45 stride

Nouther to ga ne yhit3 to stand,
Ne to crepe with fote ne with hand.
Than has a man les myght than a beste
When he es born, and is sene leste;5
For a best, when it es born, may ga
Als-tite aftir, and ryn 7 to and fra;
Bot a man has na myght thar-to,
When he es born, swa 8 to do;

For than may he noght stande ne crepe,
Bot ligge and sprawel, and cry and wepe.
For unnethes 10 es a child born fully
That it ne bygynnes to goule " and cry;
And by that cry men may knaw than
Whether it be man or weman,

For when it es born it cryes swa;8

If it be man, it says 'a, a,'

That the first letter es of the nam

Of our forme-fader 12 Adam.
And if the child a woman be,
When it es born, it says 'e, e.'

E es the first letter and the hede 13

Of the name of Eve, that bygan our dede." Tharfor a clerk made on this manere

This vers of metre that es wreten here:

470

480

Dicentes E vel A quotquot nascuntur ab Eva. 490

'Alle thas," he says, "that comes of Eve, That es al men that here byhoves leve,15 When thai er born, what-swa 16 thai be, Thai say outher 17 'a, a,' or 'e, e.'"

Thus es here the bygynnyng,

Of our lyfe sorow and gretyng,18

Til whilk 19 our wrechednes stirres us,

And tharfor Innocent says thus:

Omnes nascimur eiulantes, ut nature nostre miseriam

11

14

16

12

9

Sythen 10 in that spote hit fro me sprange,
Ofte haf I wayted wyschande " that wele,12
That wont wacz whyle 13 devoyde 1 my wrange,
And heven 15
my happe and al my hele;
That docz bot thrych my herte thrange,1?
My breste in bale 18 bot bolne and bele.1
Yet thoght me never so swete a sange
As stylle stounde 20 let to me stele;

Forsothe ther fleten 21 to me fele, 22
To thenke hir color so clad in clot! 23
O moul 24 thou marrez a myry mele,25
My privy perle withouten spot.

8

20

50

1 delight 2 cleanly enclose? or enclosed? equal * fit in every respect alone in uniqueness lost an arbor departed I pine away, deprived of the lovedominion 10 since 11 wishing 12 weal 13 was formerly 14 to remove 15 lift up 16 prosperity 17 does but oppress my heart grievously 18 distress 19 swell and burn 20 the quiet hour 21 float 22 many things 23 clod 24 earth 25 sweet delight 26 stretched out 27 that seized upon 28 a secret sorrow lay in my heart 29 though reason reconciled all difficulties

me

I playned' my perle that ther wacz spenned
Wyth fyrte skyllez that faste faght;"
Thagh kynde of Kryst me comfort kenned,"
My wreched wylle in wo ay wraghte."
I felle upon that floury flaght;
Suche odour to my hernez schot,
I slode upon a slepyng-slaghte
On that precios perle withouten spot.

XIV

14

8

12

7

More mervayle con my dom adaunt; 10
I segh "by-yonde that myry mere
A crystal clyffe ful relusaunt,13
Mony ryal ray con fro hit rere;
At the fote thereof ther sete a faunt,"
A mayden of menske, 16 ful debonere,
Blysnande whyte wacz hyr bleaunt, 17

160

I knew hyr wel, I hade sen hyr ere.18
As glysnande golde that man con schere 19
So schon that schene anunder schore; 20
On lenghe " I looked to hyr there, -
The lenger, I knew hyr more and more.22

21

The more I frayste 23 hyr fayre face, Her figure fyn quen I had fonte,24 Suche gladande glory con to me glace As lyttel byfore therto wacz wonte; To calle hyr lyste con me enchace,20 Bot baysment 27 gef myn hert a brunt; 28 I segh hyr in so strange a place, Such a burre myght make myn herte blunt.20 Thenne verez ho up her fayre frount,3 30 Hyr vysayge whyt as playn yvore,31 178 That stonge myn hert ful stray atount,32 And ever the lenger, the more and more. 2 was taken away 3 timid reasons ❝ fought hard though Christ's nature taught me comfort wrought 7 bed of flowers 8 brains 9 I slided into a dream 10 a greater wonder daunted my judgment saw pleasant lake 13 gleaming many a royal gleam arose from it 15 child 16 grace gleaming white was her attire 18 before 19 that one has refined 20 so shone that beautiful one beneath the cliff 21 a long time 22 the longer I looked the more certainly I knew her 23 questioned 24 when I had examined 25 such delight came to me 26 desire to speak to her seized me 27 timidity 28 attack 29 such a surprise might well astound me 30 then she lifts her fair face 31 ivory 32 that struck me into bewilderment

4

28

Here-inne to lenge 20 for-ever and play,

30

252

260

com never ner;

Ther mys nee mornyng
Her were a forser 31 for the, in faye,
If thou were a gentyl jueler.

9

1 set 2 on the opposite side of the water 3 cliff person from hence than I when she was at the bank she was nearer to me 7 on that account was 8 she spoke to me, that rare one bowing low as women are taught 10 greeted me pleasantly 11 answer 12 lamented 13 alone by night 14 suffered secretly 15 since thou didst slip away from me into the grass 16 weakened 17 worn with grief 18 and thou in a life of delightful pleasure 19 land 20 what fate has brought my jewel hither put me in this grief were drawn apart and separated jewels 24 beautiful 25 lifted her face 26 said 28 distorted 29 remain 30 where lack nor mourning 31 jewel-box

21

23

22 since we possessor of eyes

27 she

1

Another 20 thou says, in thys countre

Thy self schal won 17 with me ryght here;
The thrydde, to passe thys water fre.
That may no joyful jueler.”

33

XXXII

300

"My blysse, my bale,30 ye han ben bothe, Bot much the bygger yet wacz my mon; Fro thou wacz wroken 31 fro uch a wothe,32 I wyste never quere my perle wacz gon. was dear to thee 2I regard thee as put 3 small affair 4 didst lose 5 nature 6 chest 7 did 8 put in proof turned fate 10 that has clearly made for thee something of nothing "1 remedy 12 sayings 13 best 14 takest away 15 done out of days (destroyed) 16 make feast 17 dwell 18 beautiful groves 19 with 23 knowest not 24 what 25 one