Classic Poem

Weping haveth min wonges wet
For wikked werk and wone of wit;
Unblithe I be til I ha bet
Bruches broken, ase bok bit,
Of levedis love, that I ha let,
That lemeth all with luevly lit;
Ofte in song I have hem set,
That is unsemly ther it sit.
It sit and semeth noght
Ther it is seid in song;
That I have of hem wroght,
Iwis it is all wrong.

All wrong I wroghte for a wif
That made us wo in world full wide;
Heo rafte us alle richesse rif,
That durfte us nout in reines ride.
A stithie stunte hire sturne strif,
That is in heovene hert in hide.
In hire light on ledeth lif,
And shon thourgh hire semly side.
Thourgh hire side he shon
Ase sonne doth thourgh the glass;
Wommon nes wicked non
Sethe he ibore was.

Wicked nis non that I wot
That durste for werk hire wonges wete;
Alle heo liven from last of lot
And are all hende ase hawk in chete.
Forthy on molde I waxe mot
That I sawes have seid unsete,
My fikel fleish, my falsly blod;
On feld hem feole I falle to fete.
To fet I falle hem feole
For falslek fifty-folde,
Of alle untrewe on tele
With tonge ase I er tolde.

Thagh told beon tales untoun in toune,
Such tiding mey tide, I nul nout teme
Of brudes bright with browes broune,
Or blisse heo beyen this briddes breme.
In rude were ro with hem roune
That hem mighte henten ase him were heme.
Nis king, cayser, ne clerk with croune
This semly serven that mene may seme.
Semen him may on sonde
This semly serven so,
Bothe with fet and honde,
For on that us warp from wo.

Now wo in world is went away,
And weole is come ase we wolde,
Thourgh a mighty, methful may,
That us hath cast from cares colde.
Ever wimmen ich herie ay,
And ever in hyrd with hem ich holde,
And ever at neode I nickenay
That I ner nemnede that heo nolde.
I nolde and nullit noght,
For nothing now a nede,
Soth is that I of hem ha wroght,
As Richard erst con rede.

Richard, rote of resoun right,
Rykening of rym and ron,
Of maidnes meke thou hast might;
On molde I holde thee muryest mon.
Cunde comely ase a knight,
Clerk icud that craftes con,
In uch an hyrd thin athel is hight,
And uch an athel thin hap is on.
Hap that hathel hath hent
With hendelec in halle;
Selthe be him sent
In londe of levedis alle!