Classic Poem

" I ESUS con calle to hy m hys mylde,
& sayde hys ryche no wyg mygt wy n ne
Bot he com þyder rygt as a chylde,
Oþ er elleg neu er more com þer-i n ne;
Harmleg, trwe, & vnde-fylde,
W it h -outen mote oþ er mascle of sulpande sy n ne,
Quen such þer cnoken on þe bylde,
Tyt schal hem men þe gate vnpy n ne.
þer is þe blys þat con not bly n ne,
þat þe jueler sogte þurg perre pres,
& solde alle hys goud, boþe wolen & ly n ne,
To bye hy m a perle watg mascelleg.

" " This ma[s]kelleg perle, þat bogt is dere,
þe joueler gef fore alle hys god,
Is lyke þe reme of heuenesÔÇá [sp]ere;
So sayde þe Fader of folde & flode;
For hit is we m leg, clene, & clere,
& endeleg rou n de, & blyþe of mode,
& co m mune to alle þat rygtwysÔÇá were,
Lo, euen i n myddeg my breste hit stode!
My Lorde þe Lombe, þat schede hys blode,
He pygt hit þere i n token of pes,
I rede þe forsake þe worlde wode,
& porchace þy perle maskelles "

" O maskeleg Perle, i n perleg pure,
þat bereg, " q uo þ I, " þe perle of prys,
Quo formed þe þy fayre fygure?
þat wrogt þy wede, he watg ful wys;
þy beaute com neu er of nature;
Pymalyon paynted neu er þy vys;
Ne Arystotel nawþ er by hys lettrure
Of carpe[d] þe kynde þese p ro pert[y]g
þy colo ur passeg þe flo ur -de-lys;
þyn angel-hauy n g so clene corteg!
Breue me, brygt, quat kyn of t ri ys
Bereg þe perle so maskelleg? "

" My ma[s]keleg Lambe þat al may bete, "
Q uo þ scho, " my dere Destyne,
Me ches to hys make, al-þag vnmete
Su m -tyme semed þ a t assemble.
When I wente fro yor worlde wete,
He calde me to hys bon er te: —
" Cu m hyder to me, my le m man swete,
For mote ne spot is non i n þe,"
He gef me mygt & als bewte;
I n hys blod he wesch my wede on dese,
&, coronde clene i n v er gynte,
[He] pygt me i n perleg maskelleg. "

" Why, maskelleg bryd, þat brygt con flambe,
þat reiateg hatg so ryche & ryf,
Quat kyn þy n g may be þat Lambe
þat þe wolde wedde vnto hys vyf?
Ou er alle oþ er so hyg þ o u clambe,
To lede w it h hy m so ladyly lyf.
So mony a comly on-vu n der cambe
For Kryst han lyued i n much stryf;
& þ o u con alle þo dere out-dtyf,
& fro þat maryag[e] al oþ er depres,
Al only þyself so stout & styf,
A makeleg may & maskelleg! "

" M ASKELLES , " q uo þ þat myry quene,
" Vnblemyst I am, wyth-outen blot,
& þat may I W it h mensk me n teene;
Bot " makeleg quene" þe n ne sade I not.
þe Lambes vyueg i n blysse we bene,
A hondred & forty [fowre] þowsande flot,
As i n þe Apocalyppeg hit is sene;
Sant John hem syg al i n a knot.
On þe hyl of Syon, þat semly clot,
þe apostel hem segh i n gostly drem,
Arayed to þe weddy n g i n þ a t hyl-coppe,
þe nwe cyte o J e r usale m.

" Of J e r usale m I in speche spelle.
If þ o u wyl knaw what kyn he be —
My Lombe, my Lorde, my dere Juelle,
My Joy, my Blys, my Le m man fre —
þe p ro fete Ysaye of hy m con melle
Pitously of hys de-bonerte: —
" þat gloryo us gy[l]tleg þ a t mon con quelle
W it h -outen any sake of felon[e];
As a schep to þe slagt þ er lad watg he;
&, as lombe þat clypper i n lande [n]e[m],
So closed he hys mouth fro vch quer[e],
Quen Jueg hy m jugged i n J e r usale m."

" In J e r usale m watg my Le m man slayn
& rent on rode w it h boyeg bolde;
Al oure baleg to bere ful bayn,
He toke on hy m self oure careg colde;
W it h boffeteg watg hys face flayn,
þat watg so fayr on to byholde;
For sy n ne he set hy m self i n vayn,
þat neu er hade non hym self to wolde.
For v us he lette hy m flyge & folde
& brede vpon a bostwys bem;
As meke as lom[b] þat no playnt tolde,
For v us he swalt i n J e r usa l e m.

" [I n ] J e r usale m, Jordan, & Galalye,
þer-as baptysed þe goude Say n t Jon,
His wordeg acorded to Ysaye.
When J esus con to hy m warde gon,
He sayde of hy m þys p ro fessye: —
" Lo, Godeg Lombe as trwe as ston,
þat dotg away þe sy n neg dryge
þat alle þys worlde hatg wrogt vpon!
Hy m self ne wrogt[e] neu er get non,
Wheþ er ion hym self he con al clem.
Hys generacyou n quo recen con,
þat dyged for v us i n J e r usale m?"

" In I e r usale m þ us my Le m man sw[e]te
Twyeg for lombe watg taken þare,
By trw recorde of ayþ er p ro phete,
For mode so meke & al hys fare.
þe þryde tyme is þ er -to ful mete,
In Apokalypeg wryten ful gare.
In mydeg þe trone, þere saynteg sete,
þe apostel John hy m sagÔÇá as bare,
Lesande þe boke with leueg sware,
þere seuen sy n gnetteg wern sette i n -seme;
& at þ a t sygt vche douth con dare,
In helle, i n erþe, & J e r usale m.

" T HYS J e r usale m Lombe hadeneu er pechche
Of oþ er huee bot quyt jolyf,
þat mot ne mask[e]lle mogt on streche,
For wolle quyte so ronk & ryf;
For-þy vche saule þat hade neu er teche
Is to þat Lombe a worthyly wyf;
& þag vch day a store he feche,
Among v us co m meg [n]oþ er strot ne stryf;
Bot vchon enle we wolde were fyf, —
þe mo þe myryer, so God me blesse!
I n compayny gret our luf con þryf,
In hono ur more & neu er þe lesse.

" Lasse of blysse may non v us bry n g,
þat beren þys perle vpon oure bereste,
For þay of mote couþe neu er my n ge,
Of spotleg perleg þa[t] beren þe creste.
Al-þag oure corses i n clotteg cly n ge,
& ge remen for rauþe wyth-outen reste,
We þurg-outly hauen cnawy n g,
Of [o]n dethe ful oure hope is drest
þe lou[ m ]be v us gladeg, oure care is kest;
He myrþeg v us alle at vch a mes;
Vchoneg blysse is breme & beste,
& neu er oneg hono ur get neu er þe les.

" Lest les þ o u leue my tale farande,
I n Appocalyppece is wryten i n wro: —
" I segh e ," says John, " þe Lou m be hy m stande
On þe mou n t of Syon, ful þryuen & þro,
& wyth hym mayde n neg an hu n dreþe þowsande,
& fowre & forty þowsande mo;
On alle her forhedeg wryten I fande
þe Lombeg nome, hys Fadereg also
A hue fro heuen I herde þoo,
Lyk flodeg fele l[e]den, ru n ne n on resse,
& as þu n der þroweg i n torreg blo,
þat lote, I leue, watg neu er þe les.

" " Nauþeles, þag hit schowted scharpe,
& ledden loude al-þag hit were,
A note ful nwe I herde hem warpe;
To lysten þat watg ful lufly dere
As harporeg harpen in her harpe,
þat nwe songe þay so n gen ful cler, —
In sou n ande noteg a gentyl carpe;
Ful fayre þe modeg þay fonge i n fere
Rygt byfore Godeg chayere,
& þe fowre besteg þat hy m obes,
& þe alder-men so sadde of chere,
Her songe þay songen neu er þe les.

" " Nowþe-lese non watg neu er so quoy n t,
For alle þe crafteg þat eu er þay knewe,
þat of þat songe mygt sy n ge a poy n t,
Bot þat meyny þe Lombe þa[t] swe;
For þay arn bogt, fro þe vrþe aloynte,
As newe fryt to God ful due,
& to þe gentyl Lombe hit arn anioy n t,
As lyk to hym self of lote & hwe;
For neu er lesy n g ne tale vn-trwe
Ne towched her tonge for no dysstresse.
þat moteles meyny may neu er remwe
Fro þat maskeleg Mayster neu er þe les." "