Classic Poem

noe:Have done, you men and women all!
Hie you lest this water fall,
That each beast were in his stall,
And into the ship brought.

Of clean beastes seven shall be,
Of unclean two, this God bade me;
This flood is nigh, well may we see,
Therefore tarry you nought.

sem:Sir, here are lions, libards in,
Horses, mares, oxen, and swine,
Geates, calves, sheep and kine
Here sitten thou may see.

ham:Camels, asses, men may find,
Buck, doe, hart, and hind,
And beastes of all manner kind
Here been, as thinkes me.

japhet:Take here cattes and dogs too,
Otter, fox, fulmart also,
Hares hopping gaylie can go
Have cowl here for to eat.

noe's wife:And here are beares, wolfes sett,
Apes, owles, marmoset,
Weesells, squirrels, and firret;
Here they eaten their meat.

sem's wife:Yet more beastes are in this house:
Here cattis maken it full crowse,
Here a rotten, here a mowse,
They stand nigh together.

ham's wife:And here are fowles, less and more:
Hearnes, cranes and byttour,
Swans, peacocks, and them before
Meat for this wedder.

japhet's wife:Here are cockes, kites, crows,
Rookes, ravens, many rows,
Ducks, curlews, who ever knows
Each one in his kind?

And here are doves, diggs, drakes,
Redshanks running through the lakes;
And each fowl that ledden makes
In this ship men may find . . .