Classic Poem

" " THE date of þe daye þe lorde con knaw,
Called to þe reue: " Lede, pay þe menyÔÇá;
Gyf hem þe hyre þat I hem [a]we;
& fyrre, þat non me may repren[y],
Set hem alle vpon a rawe,
& gyf vchon i n -lyche a peny.
Bygyn at þe laste þat sta n deg l[a]we,
Tyl to þe fyrste þat þ ou atteny."
& þe n ne þe fyrst by-go n ne to pleny,
& sayden þat þay hade trauayled sore: —
" þese bot on oure hem con streny;
V us þy n k v us oge to take more.

" " " More haf we serued, v us þy n k so,
þat suffred han þe dayeg hete,
þe n n þyse þat wrogt not hourcg two,
& þ o u dotg hem v us to cou n terfete."
þe n ne sayde þe lorde to onÔÇá of þo: —
" Frende, no wani[ n ]g I wyl þe gete;
Take þat is þyn owne & go.
& I hyred þe for a peny a-grete,
Quy bygy n neg þ o u now to þrete?
Watg not a pene þy couenau n t þore?
Fyrre þe n couenau n de is nogt to plete.
Wy schalte þ o u pe n ne ask[e] more?

" " " More,-weþ er l[e]uyly is me my gyfte,
To do wyth myn quat so me lykeg,
Oþ er elleg þyn yge to lyþ er is lyfte,
For I am goude & no n by-swykeg?"
" þ us schal I," q uo þ Kryste, " hit skyfte;
þe laste schal be þe fyrst þat strykeg,
& þe fyrst þe laste, be he neu er so swyft;
For mony ben calle[d], þag fewe be mykeg."
þ us pore men her part ay pykeg,
þag þay com late & lyttel wore;
& þag her sweng wyth lyttel at-slykeg,
þe merci of God is much þe more.

" More haf I of joye & blysse here-i n ne,
Of ladyschyp gret & lyueg blom,
þen alle þe wygeg i n þe worlde mygt wy n ne,
By þe way of rygt to aske dome
Wheþer welnygh now I con bygy n ne,
In euentyde in-to þe vyne I come,
Fyrst of my hyre my Lorde con my n ne;
I watg payed anon of al & sum.
Get oþ er þer werne þ a t toke more tom,
þat swange & swat for long[e] gore,
þat get of hyre no þynk þay nom,
Parau n t er nogt schal to-gere more. "

Then more I meled & sayde apert: —
" Me þynk þy tale vnresou n -able;
Goddeg rygt is redy & eu er -more rert,
Oþ er Holy Wryt is bot a fable
I n Sauter is sayd a verce ouerte,
þat spekeg a poy n t determynable: —
" þ o u quyteg vchon as hys desserte,
þ o u hyge Ky n g, ay p[ re ]termynable."
Now he þat stod þe long day stable,
& þ o u to payment com hym byfore,
þe n ne þe lasse i n werke to take more able,
& eu er þe lenger þe lasse þe more. "

" Of more & lasse in Godeg ryche, "
þat gentyl sayde, " lys no joparde,
For þer is vch mon payed inlyche,
Wheþer lyttel oþ er much be hys rewarde.
For þe gentyl Cheuentayn is no chyche,
Queþ er -so-eu er he dele nesch oþ er harde;
He laueg hys gyfteg as wat er of dyche,
Oþ er goteg of golf þat neu er charde
Hys frau n chyse is large þ a t eu er dard
To hy m þat matg i n sy n ne rescogh e ;
No blysse betg fro hem reparde,
For þe grace of God is gret i-noghe.

" Bot now þou moteg me for to mate,
þat I my peny haf wrang tan here;
þ o u sayg þat I þat com to late
Am not worþy so gret [h]ere.
Where wysteg þ o u eu er any bourne abate,
Euer so holy i n hys prayere,
þat he ne forfeted by su m kyn gate
þe mede su m -tyme of heueneg clere?
& ay þe ofter, þe alder þay were,
þay laften rygt & wrogten wogh e
Mercy & g ra ce moste hem þe n stere,
For þe g ra ce of God is gret i n -noge.

" Bot i n -nogh e of grace hatg i n nocent;
As sone as þay arn borne, by lyne
I n þe water of babtem þay dyssente;
þe n arne þay borogt i n -to þe vyne
Anon þe day, w it h derk endente,
þe mygt of deth dotg to en-clyne
þat wrogt neuer wrang er þe n ne þay wente.
þe gentyle Lorde þe n ne payeg hys hyne;
þay dyden hys heste, þay wern þere-ine;
Why schulde he not her labo ur alow,
gys, & pay h[e]m at þe fyrst[e] fyne?
For þe grace of God is gret i n -nogh e .

" I-noge is knawen þ a t man-kyn grete
Fyrste watg wrogt to blysse parfyt;
Oure forme fader hit con forfete,
þurg an apple þat he vpon con byte;
Al wer we dampned for þat mete
To dyge i n doel, out of delyt,
& syþen wende to helle hete,
þ er -i n ne to won w it h -oute respyt.
Bot þe r on-com a bote as tyt;
Ryche blod ran on rode so rogh e ,
& wy n ne wat er ; pe n at þat plyt
þe g ra ce of God wex gret i n -nogh e .

" In-nogh e þer wax out of þat welle,
Blod & wat er of brode wou n de;
þe blod v us bogt fro bale of helle,
& delyu er ed v us of þe deth secou n de;
þe water is baptem, þe soþe to telle
þat folged þe glayue so gry m ly grou n de,
þat wascheg away þe gylteg felle
þat Adam wyth inÔÇá deth v us drou n de
Now is þ er nogt i n þe worlde rou n de
By-twene v us & blysse bot þat he w it h -drog,
& þat is restored i n sely stou n de;
& þe grace of God is gret i n -nogh.

" Grace i n -nogh þe mon may haue
þat sy n neg þe n ne new, gif hy m repente,
Bot w it h sorg & syt he mot hit craue,
& byde þe payne þer-to is bent;
Bot resou n , of rygt þat con not raue,
Saueg eu er -more þe i n nosse n t;
Hit is a dom þ a t neu er God gaue,
þat eu er þe gyltleg schulde be schente
þe gyltyf may contryssyou n hente,
& be þurg mercy to grace þrygt;
Bot he to gyle þat neu er glente,
At i n -oscen[c]e, is saf [by] rygte.

" Rygt þ us I knaw wel i n þis cas,
Two men to saue is god by skylle;
þe rygt-wys man schal se hys fa[c]e,
þe harmleg haþel schal com hym tylle
þe Saut er hyt satg þ us i n a pace: —
" Lorde, quo schal klymbe þy hyg[e] hylleÔÇá,
Oþ er rest w it h -i n ne þy holy place?"
Hymself to on sware he is not dylle: —
" Hondely n geg harme þat dyt not ille,
þat is of hert boþe clene & lygt,
þer schal hys step[pe] stable stylle"
þe i n nosent is ay saf by rygt.

" The rygtwys man also sertayn
Aproche he schal þ a t proper pyle,
þat takeg not her lyf in vayne,
Ne glauereg her [n]egbor wyth no gyle
Of þys rygt-wys sag Salamon playn
How kyntly oure [Koyntyse hym] con aquyle;
By wayeg ful stregt he con hym strayn,
& scheued hy m þe rengne of God awhyle,
As quo says " lo, gon louely yle!
þ o u may hit wy n ne if þ o u be wygte."
Bot, hardyly, w it h -oute peryle,
þe i n nosent is ay saue by rygte.

" An-ende rygtwys men get saytg a gome —
Dauid in Sauter, if eu er ge s[y]g hit: —
" Lorde, þy seruau n t drag neuer to dome,
[F]or non lyuyande to þe is justyfyet!"
For-þy to corte quen þ o u schal com[e],
þer alle oure causeg schal be [c]ryed,
Alegge þe rygt, þ o u may be i n -nome,
By þys ilke spech I haue asspyed.
Bot he on rode þat blody dyed,
Delfully þurg hondeg þrygt,
Gyue þe to passe, when þ o u arte tryed,
By i n nocens, & not by rygte!

" Rygtwysly quo [so] con rede,
He loke on bok & be awayed,
How J esus hy m welke in are-þede,
& burneg her barneg vnto hy m brayde;
For happe & hele þat fro hy m gede,
To tou[c]h her chylder þay fayr hym prayed.
His dessypeleg w it h blame let be h[e] m bede,
& wyth her resou n eg ful fele restayed.
J esus þe n ne hem swetely sayde: —
" Do way, let chylder vnto me tygt;
To suche is heuen-ryche arayed."
þe i n nocent is ay saf by rygt.