Farewell Advent!
Farewele, Advent; Cristemas is cum;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
With paciens thou hast us fedde
And made us go hungrie to bedde;
For lak of mete we were nighe dedde;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
While thou haste be within oure house,
We ete no puddinges ne no souce,
But stinking fisshe not worthe a louce;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
There was no fresshe fisshe ferre ne nere;
Salt fisshe and samon was too dere,
And thus we have had hevy chere;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Thou hast us fedde with plaices thinne,
Nothing on them but bone and skinne;
Therfore oure love thou shalt not winne;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
With muskilles gaping afture the mone
Thou hast us fedde at night and none,
But ones a wyke, and that too sone;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Oure brede was browne, oure ale was thinne,
Oure brede was musty in the binne,
Oure ale soure or we did beginne;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Thou art of grete ingratitude
Good mete fro us for to exclude;
Thou art not kinde but verey rude;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Thou dwellest with us agenst oure wille,
And yet thou gevest us not oure fille;
For lak of mete thou woldest us spille;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Above alle thinge thou art a meane
To make oure chekes bothe bare and leane;
I wolde thou were at Boughton Bleane!
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Come thou no more here nor in Kent,
For, if thou do, thou shalt be shent;
It is enough to faste in Lent;
Farewele fro us bothe alle and sume.
Thou maist not dwelle with none eastate;
Therfore with us thou playest chekmate.
Go hens, or we will breke thy pate!
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Thou maist not dwell with knight nor squier;
For them thou maiste lie in the mire;
They love not thee nor Lent, thy sire;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Thou maist not dwell with labouring man,
For on thy fare no skille he can,
For he must ete bothe now and than;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Though thou shalt dwell with monke and frere,
Chanon and nonne ones every yere,
Yet thou shuldest make us better chere;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
This time of Cristes feest natall
We will be mery, grete and small,
And thou shalt go oute of this halle;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Advent is gone; Cristemas is cume;
Be we mery now, alle and sume;
He is not wise that wille be dume
In ortu Regis omnium.
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
With paciens thou hast us fedde
And made us go hungrie to bedde;
For lak of mete we were nighe dedde;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
While thou haste be within oure house,
We ete no puddinges ne no souce,
But stinking fisshe not worthe a louce;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
There was no fresshe fisshe ferre ne nere;
Salt fisshe and samon was too dere,
And thus we have had hevy chere;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Thou hast us fedde with plaices thinne,
Nothing on them but bone and skinne;
Therfore oure love thou shalt not winne;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
With muskilles gaping afture the mone
Thou hast us fedde at night and none,
But ones a wyke, and that too sone;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Oure brede was browne, oure ale was thinne,
Oure brede was musty in the binne,
Oure ale soure or we did beginne;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Thou art of grete ingratitude
Good mete fro us for to exclude;
Thou art not kinde but verey rude;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Thou dwellest with us agenst oure wille,
And yet thou gevest us not oure fille;
For lak of mete thou woldest us spille;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Above alle thinge thou art a meane
To make oure chekes bothe bare and leane;
I wolde thou were at Boughton Bleane!
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Come thou no more here nor in Kent,
For, if thou do, thou shalt be shent;
It is enough to faste in Lent;
Farewele fro us bothe alle and sume.
Thou maist not dwelle with none eastate;
Therfore with us thou playest chekmate.
Go hens, or we will breke thy pate!
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Thou maist not dwell with knight nor squier;
For them thou maiste lie in the mire;
They love not thee nor Lent, thy sire;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Thou maist not dwell with labouring man,
For on thy fare no skille he can,
For he must ete bothe now and than;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Though thou shalt dwell with monke and frere,
Chanon and nonne ones every yere,
Yet thou shuldest make us better chere;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
This time of Cristes feest natall
We will be mery, grete and small,
And thou shalt go oute of this halle;
Farewele fro us both alle and sume.
Advent is gone; Cristemas is cume;
Be we mery now, alle and sume;
He is not wise that wille be dume
In ortu Regis omnium.
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I loved the wit, cleverness
I loved the wit, cleverness and skill of this poem so much that I translated/modernized it myself:
Farewell Advent!
by James Ryman
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Please note that “all and some” means “one and all.”
Farewell, Advent; Christmas has come;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
With patience thou hast us fed
Yet made us go hungry to bed;
For lack of meat, we were nigh dead;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
When you came, hasty, to our house,
We ate no puddings, no, nor souce, [pickled pork]
But stinking fish not worth a louse;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
There was no fresh fish, far nor near;
Salt fish and salmon were too dear,
And thus we’ve had but heavy cheer;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
Thou hast fed us with servings thin,
Nothing on them but bone and skin;
Therfore our love thou shalt not win;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
With mussels gaping after the moon
Thou hast fed us, at night and noon,
But once a week, and that too soon;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
Our bread was brown, our ale was thin;
Our bread was musty in the bin;
Our ale was sour, or we’d dive in;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
Thou art of great ingratitude,
Good meat from us, for to exclude;
Thou art not kind but very rude;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
Thou dwellest with us against our will,
And yet thou gavest us not our fill;
For lack of meat thou would’st us spill;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
Above all things thou art most mean
To make our cheeks both bare and lean;
I would thou were at Boughton Bleane!
Farewell from us, both all and some.
Come thou no more, here, nor in Kent,
For, if thou dost, thou shalt be shent; [reviled, shamed, reproached]
It is enough to fast in Lent;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
Thou mayest not dwell with heaven’s estate;
Therefore with us thou playest checkmate;
Go hence, or we will break thy pate!
Farewell from us, both all and some.
Thou mayest not dwell with knight nor squire;
For them thou mayest lie in the mire;
They love not thee, nor Lent, thy sire;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
Thou mayest not dwell with laboring man,
For on thy fare no skill can he fan,
For he must eat every now and then;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
Thus thou must dwell with monk and friar,
Canon and nun, once every year,
Yet thou shouldest make us better cheer;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
This time of Christ’s feast natal,
We will be merry, great and small,
While thou (haste!) exit from this hall;
Farewell from us, both all and some.
Advent is gone; Christmas is come;
Now we are merry, alle and some;
He is not wise that will be dumb;
In ortu Regis omnium. [At the birth of the King of all.]
Michael R. Burch
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