Anonymous: The Thrush and the Nightingale (1 115 words)

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page 101


1

THE THRUSH AND THE NIGHTINGALE.


2

CI COMENCE LE CUNTENT PARENTRE LE MAUUIS & LA RUSSINOLE


3

4Somer is comen wiþ loue to toune,
5Wiþ blostme, and wiþ brides roune
6Þe note of hasel springeþ,
7Þe dewes darkneþ in þe dale.
8For longing of þe niȝttegale,
9Þis foweles murie singeþ.
10

11Hic herde a strif bitweies two -
12Þat on of wele, þat oþer of wo.
13Bitwene two I-fere,
14Þat on hereþ wimmen þat hoe beþ hende,
15Þat oþer hem wole wiþ miȝte shende.
16Þat strif ȝe mowen I-here.
17

18Þe niȝtingale is on bi nome
19Þat wol shilden hem from shome,
20Of skaþe hoe wole hem skere;
21Þe þrestelcok hem kepeþ ay,
22He seiþ bi niȝte and eke bi day,
23Þat hy beþ fendes I-fere.
24

25For hy biswikeþ euchan mon
26Þat mest bi-leueþ hem ouppon.
27Þey hy ben milde of chere,
28Hoe beþ fikele and fals to fonde,
29Hoe wercheþ wo in euchan londe;
30Hit were betere þat hy nere.

page 102


31Nightingale
'Hit is shome to blame leuedy,
32For hy beþ hende of corteisy;
33Ich rede þat þou lete.
34Ne wes neuere bruche so strong,
35I-broke wiþ riȝte ne wiþ wrong,
36Þat mon ne miȝte bete.
37

38Hy gladieþ hem þat beþ wroþe,
39Boþe þe heye and þe lowe,
40Mid gome hy cunne hem grete.
41Þis world nere nout ȝif wimen nere;
42I-maked hoe wes to mones fere,
43Nis no þing al so swete.'
44

45Thrush
'I ne may wimen herien nohut,
46For hy beþ swikele and false of þohut,
47Also ich am ounderstonde.
48Hy beþ feire and briȝt on hewe,
49Here þout is fals, and ountrewe
50Ful ȝare ich haue hem fonde.
51

52Alisaundre þe king meneþ of hem -
53In þe world nes non so crafti mon,
54Ne non so riche of londe.
55I take witnesse of monie and fele
56Þat riche weren of worldes wele,
57Muche wes hem þe shonde.'
58

59Þe niȝtingale hoe wes wroþ:

60Nightingale
'Fowel, me þinkeþ þou art me loþ
61Sweche tales for to showe.
62Among a þousent leuedies I-tolde,
63Þer nis non wickede I holde
64Þer hy sitteþ on rowe.

page 103


65Hy beþ of herte meke and milde,
66Hem-self hy cunne from shome shilde
67Wiþinne boures wowe,
68And swettoust þing in armes to wre
69Þe mon þat holdeþ hem in gle.
70Fowel, wi ne art þou hit I-cnowe?'
71

72Thrush
'Gentil fowel, seist þou hit me?
73Ich habbe wiþ hem in boure I-be,
74I haued al mine wille.
75Hy willeþ for a luitel mede
76Don a sunfoul derne dede,
77Here soule forto spille.
78

79Fowel, me þinkeþ þou art les;
80Þey þou be milde and softe of pes,
81Þou seyest þine wille.
82I take witnesse of adam,
83Þat wes oure furste man,
84Þat fonde hem wycke and ille.'
85

86Nightingale
'Þrestelcok, þou art wod,
87Oþer þou const to luitel goed,
88Þis wimmen for to shende.
89Hit is þe swetteste driwerie,
90And mest hoe counnen of curteisie.
91Nis noþing al so hende.
92

93Þe mest murþe þat mon haueþ here,
94Wenne hoe is maked to his fere
95In armes for to wende.
96Hit is shome to blame leuedi,
97For hem þou shalt gon sori -
98Of londe ich wille þe sende.'

page 104


99Thrush
'Niȝttingale, þou hauest wrong!
100Wolt þou me senden of þis lond
101For ich holde wiþ þe riȝtte?
102I take witnesse of sire wawain,
103Þat ihesu crist ȝaf miȝt and main
104And strengþe for to fiȝtte,
105

106So wide so he heuede I-gon,
107Trewe ne founde he neuere non
108Bi daye ne bi niȝtte.'

109Nightingale
'Fowel, for þi false mouþ
110Þi sawe shal ben wide couþ,
111I rede þe fle wiþ miȝtte.
112

113Ich habbe leue to ben here,
114In orchard and in erbere
115Mine songes for to singe.
116Herdi neuere bi no leuedi
117Bote hendinese and curteysi,
118And ioye hy gunnen me bringe,
119

120Of muchele murþe hy telleþ me.
121Fere, al so I telle þe,
122Hy liuieþ in longinge.
123Fowel, þou sitest on hasel bou,
124Þou lastest hem, þou hauest wou -
125Þi word shal wide springe.'
126

127Thrush
'Hit springeþ wide, wel ich wot -
128Þou tel hit him þat hit not!
129Þis sawes ne beþ nout newe.
130Fowel, herkne to mi sawe,
131Ich wile þe telle of here lawe
132Þou ne kepest nout hem I-knowe.

page 105


133Þenk on costantines quene -
134Foul wel hire semede fow and grene -
135Hou sore hit gon hire rewe.
136Hoe fedde a crupel in hire bour,
137And helede him wiþ couertour.
138Loke, war wimmen ben trewe!'
139

140Nightingale
'Þrestelkok, þou hauest wrong!
141Al so I sugge one mi song,
142And þat men witeþ wide,
143Hy beþ briȝttore ounder shawe
144Þen þe day wenne hit dawe
145In longe someres tide.
146

147Come þou heuere in here londe,
148Hy shulen don þe in prisoun stronge
149And þer þou shalt abide.
150Þe lesinges þat þou hauest maked,
151Þer þou shalt hem forsake,
152And shome þe shal bitide.'
153

154Thrush
'Niȝttingale, þou seist þine wille,
155Þou seist þat wimmen shulen me spille.
156Daþeit, wo hit wolde!
157In holi bok hit is I-founde,
158Hy bringeþ moni mon to grounde,
159Þat proude weren and bolde.
160

161Þenk oupon saunsum þe stronge,
162Hou muchel is wif him dude to wronge,
163Ich wot þat hoe him solde.
164Hit is þat worste hord of pris
165Þat ihesu makede in parais
166In tresour for to holde.'

page 106


167Þo seide þe niȝttingale:

168Nightingale
'Fowel, wel redi is þi tale;
169Herkne to mi lore!
170Hit is flour þat lasteþ longe,
171And mest I-herd in eueri londe,
172And louelich ounder gore.
173

174In þe worlde nis non so goed leche,
175So milde of þoute, so feir of speche,
176To hele monnes sore.
177Fowel, þou rewest al mi þohut,
178Þou dost euele ne geineþ þe nohut,
179Ne do þou so nammore!'
180

181Thrush
'Niȝtingale, þou art ounwis
182On hem to leggen so muchel pris,
183Þi mede shal ben lene.
184Among on houndret ne beþ fiue,
185Nouþer of maidnes ne of wive,
186Þat holdeþ hem al clene,
187

188Þat hy ne wercheþ wo in londe,
189Oþer bringeþ men to shonde,
190And þat is wel I-seene.
191And þey we sitten þerfore to striuen,
192Boþe of maidnes and of wiue,
193Soþ ne seist þou ene.'
194

195Nightingale
'O fowel, þi mouþ þe haueþ I-shend!
196Þoru wam wes al þis world I-wend?
197Of a maide meke and milde,
198Of hire sprong þat holi bern
199Þat boren wes in bedlehem,
200And temeþ al þat is wilde.

page 107


201Hoe ne weste of sunne ne of shame,
202Marie wes Ire riȝte name,
203Crist hire I-shilde!
204Fowel, for þi false sawe
205For-beddi þe þis wode shawe,
206Þou fare into þe filde!'
207

208Thrush
'Niȝttingale, I wes woed,
209Oþer I couþe to luitel goed,
210Wiþ þe for to striue.
211I suge þat icham ouercome
212Þoru hire þat bar þat holi sone,
213Þat soffrede wundes fiue.
214

215Hi swerie bi his holi name
216Ne shal I neuere suggen shame
217Bi maidnes ne bi wiue.
218Hout of þis londe willi te,
219Ne rechi neuere weder I fle,
220A-wai ich wille driue.