Classic Poem

‘For I have founde you folk faithful of speche
Me to lere of your lif withoute les tale,
Yernes now of my yift that you leve were,
And, what it be that ye bidde, your boones I graunte.’
Thenne saide they: ‘Wordlich weiy, we wishe of thy yifte
Ay-lastinge lif to lachen upon erthe;
That us derye no deth desire we nouthe,
For other worldliche won at wille we have.’
‘Nay, certes,’ saide the noble, ‘that may not be graunted
Of me that mighteless am myself so to kepe.
I am siker of myself to suffre min ende;
I ne have no lordshipe of lif to lengthe my dayes.’
‘Seg,’ saide they again, ‘sin thou so knowest
That thee is demed the deth to dure nought longe,
Why farest thou so fightinge folk to destroye,
And for to winne the world wendest so roume?
How might thou kepe thee of scathe with skile and with trouthe
Ayeins right to bereve regnes of kinges?’
Thenne again saide the gome with a good chere:
‘Through the grace of God I gete that I have.
They han demed me or deth, through dintes of mighte,
Of erthe to be emperour in everich a side.
Sin I have grace of that graunt grimmest to worthe,
I wroughte wrechely now, and wrathede Drighten,
If I for dul of any deth my destiné fledde
That is marked to me and to no mo kinges.
Men seeth wel that the see seseth and stinteth
But when the wind on the water the wawes arereth;
So wolde I reste me rathe and ride ferthe,
Nevere to gete more good no no gome derye,
Bute as the heie hevene-goddes with hertely thoughtes
So awechen my wit and my wil chaungen
That I may stinte no stounde stille in o place,
That I ne am temted ful tid to turne me thennes.
And sin we witen her wil to worchen on erthe,
We mowe be soothliche y-said her servauntes hende.
If God sente every gome that goth upon molde
Worldliche wisdom and wittes y-liche,
Better mighte no burn be than an other;
Apere mighte the pore to parte with the riche.
Thenne ferde the worlde as a feeld that ful were of bestes,
When every lud liche wel livede upon erthe.
For that enchesoun God ches other chef kinges,
That sholde maistres be made over mene peple;
And me is marked to be most of alle othere:
For-thy I chase to cheve as chaunce is me demed.’