Sythtextual note 1 that ye lyste to be my hostesse,textual note 2Since desire
And in youre book to set myne image,explanatory note 1textual note 3my image
Wake and remembre wyth grete avysestextual note 4much consideration
Howe my custome and mortalltextual note 5 usageexplanatory note 2
line5Ys for to sparetextual note 6 nethertextual note 7 olde netextual note 8 yonge of age,nor
But that ye nowe in thys world levyngliving
Aforetextual note 9 be redy, or I my belleexplanatory note 3 rynge.Be ready in advance, lest
My dredefull spere full sharpe ygrounde,textual note 10spear very honed
Doth yow now lo here thystextual note 11 manace:youthreaten
line10Armoure ys noonne that may withstandetextual note 12 hys wounde,There is no armor
Ne whomme I merke,textual note 13 ther ys non othertextual note 14 gracewhom I mark no other
To fynde respite of day, oure, ne space;textual note 15reprieve brief while
Wherfore be redy and have no dysdeyne,Therefore take no offence
Yeftextual note 16 of my commyng, the tyme be uncerteyne.Although
line15Remembre, youre yeres almost pasttextual note 17 be;
Of flowryng age lasteth buttextual note 18 a seasoun;age of flourishing (i.e., youth)
By procese at eytextual note 19 men may seeIn due course with their own eyes
Beauté declyneth, hys blossom fallethtextual note 20 doune.falls down
And lytyll and lytyll by successiounby degrees
line20Cometh croked elde unwarly crepyng,textual note 21old ageunexpectedly
With hys patentexplanatory note 4 purely thannetextual note 22 manysshyng.footnote
The gospell byddeth than wake and pray,textual note 23bids them
For of my commyng there is no tyme sette;explanatory note 5
Ne no manne knoweth whennetextual note 24 he shall dye,textual note 25knows die
line25Ne agayne myne entré no gate may be shutte;against my entry
Twene me and kyndetextual note 26 there is a knot unknyt,textual note 27Between creation loosened
That in thys worlde everytextual note 28 lyvyng creatureliving
Fortextual note 29Adamstextual note 30 synneexplanatory note 6 must dye of nature.sin naturally
Thyese balades that thus ben wrytennefootnote here be takfootnote owte of the book of Johnne Lucasexplanatory note 7 and sayde to the peple that shall see thys lytell tretyse in tyme to come.textual note 31
O worldelytextual note 32 folke, averteth and take hedetake notice
line30What vengeaunce and punicyounpunishment
God shall take after ye betextual note 33 dedeyou are dead
For youre trespas and youre transgressioun,
Whiche breketextual note 34 his preceptystextual note 35 ayensttextual note 36 al reasoun;against all reason
Ye have foryete how with his precious bloode,have forgotten blood
line35Yow for to save, he dyedtextual note 37 onne the Roode.In order to save you the Cross
Lerne for to dye and hatetextual note 38 for to lye;hate to live [in sin]
Of olde offenstextual note 39 amonge have repentaunce;sins constantly
And, to eschewe al scorne and mokrytextual note 40mockery
Ayensttextual note 41 vyces, dotextual note 42 almesexplanatory note 8 and penaunce,Against do (perform)
line40And for to havetextual note 43 moste souveranlytextual note 44 plesauncehighest pleasure
To sewe the pathes of oure lorde Jhesu,show (reveal)
Trewe exampelerétextual note 45 of grace and vertew,True exemplar virtue
Whyche for oure sake and oure redempciountextual note 46Who
And for oure love was nayled totextual note 47 a tre,tree (i.e., the Cross)
line45Suffredtextual note 48 payne and passioun,textual note 49pain
And nothyng askethtextual note 50 of hygh ne lowe degree
Recompensed ayenwardetextual note 51 for to be,
But that we settetextual note 52 all holytextual note 53 oure ententes
For to fulfyll Hys commaundmentys.footnote
line50Wherby menne may, that prudent be and wyse,
The joyes clayme, whiche be eternall,claim the joys
And entrétextual note 54 in to paradyse,
Fromtextual note 55 whensAdam had a fall;whence
To whyche place above celestiall
line55O Cryste Jhesu, so bryngetextual note 56 us to that glory,
Whyche by thy dethe had the victory. Amen.textual note 57textual note 58