Classic Poem

Neuer þe les let be my þonc, "
Q uo þ I, " my Perle, þag I appose;
I schulde not tempte þy wyt so wlonc,
To Krysteg chambre þat art ichose.
I am bot mokke & mul amo n [c],
& þ o u so ryche a reken rose,
& bydeg here by þys blysful bonc
þer lyueg lyste may neu er lose.
Now, hynde, þat sympelnesse co n eg enclose,
I wolde þe aske a þy n ge expresse;
& þag I be bustwys as a [w]ose,
Let my bone vayl[e] neu er -þe-lese.

" N EUER-þE-LESE cler I yow by-calle,
If ge con se hyt be to donc;
As þ o u art gloryo us w it h -outen galle,
W it h -nay þ o u neu er my ruful bone.
Haf ge no woneg i n castel-walle,
Ne man er þer ge may mete & won[e]?
þ o u telleg me of J e r usale m, þe ryche ryalle,
þer Dauid dere watg dygt on trone;
Bot by þyse holteg hit con not hone;
Bot in Judee hit is, þ a t noble note;
As ge ar maskeleg vnder mone,
Yo ur woneg schulde be wyth-outen mote.

" þys moteleg meyny þ o u coneg of mele,
Of þousandeg þrygt so gret a route;
A gret cete, for ge arn fele,
Yow by-hod haue w it h -outen doute.
So cu m ly a pakke of joly juele
Wer euel don schulde lyg þ er -oute;
& by þyse bonkeg þer I con gele,
ÔÇáI se no bygy n g nawhere aboute.
I trowe al-one ge lenge & loute,
To loke on þe glory of þys g ra c[ i ]o us gote;
If þ o u hatg oþer lygy n geg stoute,
Now tech me to þat myry mote. "

" That mote þ o u meneg in Judy londe, "
þat specyal spyce þen to me spakk,
" þat is þe cyte þat þe Lombe con fonde,
To soffer i n ne sor for maneg sake, —
þe olde J e r usale m to vnder-stonde,
For þere þe olde gulte watg don to slake;
Bot þe nwe, þat lygt of Godeg sonde,
þe apostel in Apocalyppce i n theme con take.
þe Lom[b]e þ er , w it h -outen spotteg blake,
Hatg feryed þyder hys fayre flote;
& as hys flok is w it h -outen flake,
So is hys mote w it h -outen moote.

" Of motes two to carpe clene,
& J e r usale m hygt boþe nawþeles, —
þat nys to yow no more to mene
Bot cete of God oþ er sygt of pes, —
I n þat on oure pes watg mad at ene;
W it h payne to suffer þe Lombe hit chese;
In þat oþ er is nogt bot pes to glene,
þat ay schal laste w it h -outen reles.
þat is þe borg þat we to pres
Fro þ a t oure f[l]esch be layd to rote;
þer glory & blysse schal eu er encres
To þe meyny þ a t is w it h -outen mote. "

" Moteleg may so meke & mylde, "
þen sayde I to þat lufly flor,
" Bry n g me to þat bygly bylde,
& let me se þy blysful bor. "
þat schene sayde: — " þat God wyl schylde;
þ o u may not enter w it h -i n ne hys tor;
Bot of þe Lombe I haue þe aquylde
For a sygt þer-of þurg gret fauor.
Vt-wyth to se þat clene cloystor
þ o u may, bot i n -wyth not a fote
To strech in þe strete þ o u hatg no vygo ur ,
Bot þ o u wer clene w it h -outen mote.

" I F I þis mote þe schal vn-hyde,
Bow vp to-warde þys borneg heued,
& I an-endeg þe on þis syde
Schal sye, tyl þ o u to a hil be veued. "
þe n wolde [I þ er ] no lenger byde,
Bot lurked by lau n ceg so lufly leued,
Tyl on a hyl þat I asspyed
& blusched on þe burgh e , as I forth dreued
By-gonde þe brok fro me warde keued,
þat schyrrer þen su n ne w it h schafteg schon;
I n þe Apokalypce is þe fasou n preued,
As deuyseg hit þe apostel John

As John þe apostel hit syg w it h sygt,
I syge þat cyty of gret renou n ,
J e r usale m so nwe & ryally dygt,
As hit watg lygt fro þe heuen adou n .
þe borg watg al of brende golde brygt,
As glemande glas burnist brou n ,
W it h gentyl ge m meg an-vnder pygt,
W it h banteleg twelue on basy n g bou n ;
þe fou n dementeg twelue of riche tenou n ;
Vch tabelment watg a serlypeg ston;
As derely deuyseg þis ilk tou n
In Apocalyppeg þe apostel John.

As [John] þise stoneg i n writ con ne m me,
I knew þe name[g] aft er his tale.
Jasper hygt þe fyrst[e] ge m me,
þat I on þe fyrst[e] basse con wale;
He glente grene i n þe lowest he m me;
Saffer helde þe secou n de stale;
þe calsydoyne þe n ne w it h -outen we m me
I n þe þryd[de] table con purly pale;
þe emerade þe furþe so grene of scale;
þe sardonyse þe fyfþe ston;
þe sexte þe [sarde]; he con hit wale,
I n þe Apocalyppce, þe apostel John.

Get joyned John þe crysolyt,
þe seuenþe ge m me i n fundament;
þe agtþe þe beryl cler & quyt;
þe topasye twy n ne-how þe ne n te endent;
þe crysopase þe tenþe is tygt;
þe jacy n gh[t] þe enleuenþe gent;
þe twelfþe, þe [try]este i n vch a plyt,
þe amatyst purpre w it h ynde blente
þe wal abof þe bantels b[r]ent,
O jasporye as glas þat glysnande schon, —
I knew hit by his deuysement
I n þe Apocalyppeg, þe apostel J[o]hn.

As John deuysed get sag I þare, —
þise twelue de-gres wern brode & stayre;
þe cyte stod abof ful sware,
As longe as brode as hyge ful fayre;
þe streteg of golde as glasse al bare;
þe wal of jasper þat glent as glayre;
þe woneg w it h -i n ne enurned ware
Wyth alle ky n neg perre þat mogt repayre
þe n ne helde vch sware of þis manayre
Twelue [þowsande] forlongeÔÇá er eu er hit fon,
Of hegt, of brede, of lenþe, to cayre;
For meten hit syg þe apostel John.

A S John hy m wryteg get more I syge:
Vch pane of þat place had þre gateg;
So twelue i n po ur sent I con asspye;
þe portaleg pyked of rych[e] plateg;
& vch gate of a margyrye,
A parfyt perle þat neu er fateg
Vchon i n scrypture a name con plye
Of Isr ae l barneg, folewande her dateg,
þat is to say, as her byrþ[e]-whateg;
þe aldest ay fyrst þ er -on watg done
Such lygt þer lemed i n alle þe strateg,
Hem nedde nawþ er su n ne ne mone.

Of su n ne ne mone had þay no nede;
þe self[e] God watg her lom[þ]e-lygt,
þe Lombe her lantyrne w it h -outen drede;
þurg hy m blysned þe borg al brygt
þurg woge & won my loky n g gede,
For sotyle cler nogt lette no [s]ygt;
þe hyge trone þer mogt ge hede
W it h alle þe apparaylmente vmbe-pygte,
As John þe appostel in termeg tygte;
þe hyge Godeg self hit set vpone;
A reu er of þe trone þer ran out-rygte
Watg brygter þen boþe þe su n ne & mone.

Su n ne ne mone schon neu er so swete,
A[s] þat foysou n flode out of þat flet;
Swyþe hit swange þurg vch a strete,
W it h -outen fylþe oþ er galle oþ er glet
Kyrk þer-i n ne watg non gete,
Chapel ne temple þat eu er watg set;
þe Al-mygty watg her mynyster mete;
þe Lombe þe saker-fyse þer to reget.
þe gateg stoken watg neu er get,
Bot eu er -more vpen at vche a lone;
þer entreg non to take reset,
þat bereg any spot an-vnde[r] mone.

The mone may þer-of acroche no mygte;
To spotty ho is, of body to grym;
& al-so þ er ne is neu er nygt.
What schulde þe mone þer compas clym,
& to euen wyth þat worþly lygt,
þat schyneg vpon þe brokeg brym?
þe planeteg arn i n to pou er a plygt,
& þe self[e] su n ne ful fer to dym.
Aboute þat wat er arn tres ful schym,
þat twelue fryteg of lyf con bere ful sone;
Twelue syþeg on ger þay beren ful frym,
& re-nowleg nwe i n vche a mone.