fol. 182vIhereth of one thingethat ye owen ofthenche —Ye that weryeth that riche schrudand sytteth on eure benche —Thah me kneoly ou byvoreand myd wyn schenche,From the dreorye Dethne may no mon atblenche.
line5Ye that sytteth ischrudmyd skarlet and myd palle,Wel sothe tythingeich ou wile telle:The Feond thencheth, iwis,the saule for to quelle,As we hit fyndeth iwrytenin the godspelle.
Ah of one thingewe schulle nymen gome —line10That we weren pouretho we hider come.fol. 183rWe hit ihereth iwisswithe ofte and ilome;The saule and the lycome,selde heo beoth isome.
Hwenne that chyld bith iborenand on eorthe ifalle,Nolde ich yeven enne penyfor his weden alle.line15Ah seoththen mony monbyyet bures and halle;Forthi, the wrecche sauleschal into pyne falle.
Thenche we on the laste day,that we schulle heonne fareUt of thisse worldewith pyne and with kare,Al so we hider comennaked and bare,line20And of ure sunnenyeven onsware.
Nabbe no mon so muchel;al hit wile agon —His lond and his ayhte,his hus and his hom.The sorye saulemaketh hire mon;Iwis, ne may atblencheure never non.
line25Thenne the latemeste dayDeth haveth ibrouht,Binymeth ure speche,ure syhte and thouht;And in uyche lymeDeth us haveth thurehsouht.Thenne beoth ure blisseal iturnd to nouht.
Ne myhte no tunge telle,that ever wes ibore,line30The stronge pyne of helle,thauh he hedde iswore,Er the saule and thet bodya-two beon todrore,Bute Crist that lesede his folkthat ther wes forloren.
Anon so the saulebith ifaren ut,Me nymeth the lycomeand preoneth in a clut —line35That wes so mody and so strongand so swythe prud,And wes iwuned to weryenmony a veyr schrud!
Nu lith the cley-clotal so the ston,And his freondes stryvethto gripen his iwon;The sorie saulemaketh hyre mon:line40Of alle hire erore freondnu naveth heo non.
Thenne seyth the saulewith sorie chere:“Away, thu wrecche fole baly!Nu thu lyst on bere!fol. 183vIch schal habbe, for the,feondes to ivere.Away, that thu eureto monne ischape were!
line45Ne schaltu never syttenon bolstre ne on bencheNe never in none hallethar me wyn schenche;For thine fule sunnenand for thin unywrenche,Hy schal thi wrecche sauleto atelyche stenche.
Hwer beoth alle thine freond,that fayre the bihehte,line50And feyre the igretten,bi weyes and bi strete?Nu heo wulleth, wrecche,alle the forlete;Nolden heo non herestonkesnu the imete.
Hwer beoth thine dischesmyd thine swete sonde?Hwer beoth thine nappesthat the glyde to honde?line55Hwer is thi bred and thin ale,thi tunne and thi stonde?Nu thu schalt in the puttewunye myd the Wonde.
Ofte thu hevedest mihteto don al thine wille;Ever thu were abutenus bo vor to spille.Nu thu schalt, wrecche,liggen ful stylle,line60And ich schal thine gultesabuggen ful ille.
Hwi noldestu myd Cristemaken us isauhte?Massen lete synge,of that he the bitauhte?Ever thu were abutento echen thin ayhte.Forthi, we beoth, an ende,bothe bipauhte.
line65Selde wule me for themasse lete singe,Other in Holy Chirechedon ey offringe;Me wule for thin ayhte,maken stryvynge,And pute the withutenof alle thine thinge.
Ly, awariede bodi,that never thu naryse!line70Hwenne ich thenche the upon,ful sore me may agryse.For ich schal bernen in furand chyveren in yse,And ever beon in pynena feole kunne wise.
Nu schal thin hallemyd spade beon iwrouht,And thu schalt therinne,wrecche, beon ibrouht;fol. 184rNu schulle thine wedenalle beon isouht;line76Me wule swopen thin hus,and ut myd the swofte!
Thi bur is sone ibuldthat thu schalt wunyen inne;The rof and the virste schal ligge on thine chynne.Nu the schulle wurmeswunyen withinne;line80Ne may me heom ut dryvenmyd nones kunnes gynne.
Nu is aferd of themi mey and mi mowe;Alle heo wereth the wedenthat er weren thin owe,And thu schalt nu in eortheliggen ful lowe.Way, hwi noldestu herof thisse beon iknowe?
line85Nu schal forrotyenthine teth and thi tunge,Thi mawe and thi milte,thi lyvre and thi lunge,And thi throtebollethat thu mide sunge.And thu schalt in the puttevaste beon ithrunge.
Hwer beoth thine theynesthat the leove were?line90Of alle thine riche wedennu thu art al skere.Beo thu in the puttewrmes ifere;Hit bith sone of theal so thu never nere.
Al that ich hatedehit thuhte the ful god;That makede the quedthat the bistod.line95Hevedestu thi wille,thu were al wod;And ich am wrecche sauleful sori-mod.
Nu thu schalt byleven,and ich mot fare nede.For alle thine gultes,fongen i schal mede —That is hunger and cheleand furbernynde glede —line100And so me wule Sathanasful atelyche brede!
Ich am sori inouh,bi day and bi nyht,Ich schal to thestre studether never ne cumeth liht.Ther ich schal imetemony o ful wiht,Ne schal ich never iseoCrist that is so bryht.
line105In a bytter bathich schal bathe naked Of pych and of brunston —wallynde is imaked!fol. 184vTher is Sathanas the Qued,redi wyth his rake,And so me wile forswolewe,the furbernynde drake!
Thah al that fur in this worldtogedere were ibrouhtline110Ayeynes thare hete,nere hit al nouht!Wo is hym alyvethat therinne is ibrouht!Away theos ilke pynethu havest me bysouht.
Hwo iseye thene Qued hw lodlich heo beo —Hornes on his heved,hornes on his kneo?line115Nis no thing alyvethat so atelich beo!Wo is heom in hellethat hine schulleth iseo!
He yoneth myd his muthe, and stareth myd his eye;Of his neosturles cumeththe rede leye;That fur springeth him utof everuyche breye —line120He moste deye for karehwoso hine iseye!
Al so beoth eyeputtesas bruthen led;That fur springeth him ofwunderliche red.Ne may no tunge tellehw lodlich is the Qued;Hwoso lokede him onfor kare he mihte beo ded!”
line125Holde we us cleneut of hordom;Masses leten singe,and almesdede don,And with Holy Chirechemaken us isom.Thenne muwe we quemenCrist at the .
The Kyng that al this world scopthurh his holy mihteline130Biwite ure saulefrom than Uvele Wihte,And lete us hatye that wouh and luvye that ryhte,And bringe ure sauleto heoveriche lyhte. Amen.
fol. 182vListen to a thingyou must remember —You wearing rich clothessitting on your bench —Even if they kneel before youand pour out wine,From dreadful Deathno one can escape.
line5You sitting dressedin scarlet and fine cloth,A very true messageI will tell you:The Fiend plots, surely,to kill the soul,As we find it writtenin the gospel.
But there’s one thingwe ought to heed —line10That we were poorwhen we came here.fol. 183rWe hear about itall the time;The soul and the body,they’re seldom in agreement.
When a child is bornand falls to earth,I’d not give a pennyfor all his clothes.line15But later many a manbuys bowers and halls;For that, a wretched soulwill fall into pain.
We must think of the last day,when we’ll go from hereOut of this worldwith pain and with care,Just as we came herenaked and bare,line20And for our sinsrender an account.
No one possesses much;it’ll all go away —His land and his property,his house and his home.The sorrowful soulutters its lament;Indeed, we can’t escapeever at all.
line25Then on the last dayDeath will advance,Stealing our speech,our sight and mind;And in every limbDeath will enter us.Then will our joy beturned all to nothing.
No tongue may describe,that ever was born,line30The strong pain of hell,even if he’d sworn to,Before soul and bodywere drawn asunder,Until Christ redeemed his folkwho there were lost.
As soon as the soulhas departed,They take the corpseand sew it in a clout —line35Once so confident and strongand so very proud,And used to wearingmany a fair garment!
Now the clay-clod liesjust like a stone,And his friends striveto seize his possessions;The sorrowful soulutters his lament:line40Of all his former friendshe doesn’t have any.
Then the soul saysin a sorrowful way:“Alas, you rotten foul belly!Now you lie upon bier!fol. 183vThanks to you, I’ll havefiends as companions.Alas, that you everwere shaped like a man!
line45Now you’ll never siton cushion or benchOr ever in any hallwhere they pour out wine;Because of your foul sinsand your wickedness,Your lousy soul will hieto horrible stench.
Where are all your friends,who swore to you fairly,line50And greeted you fairly,on roads and on streets?Now they desire, wretch,all you’ve left behind;They’d not willingly wantto meet now with you.
Where are your dishesamid your pleasant banquet?Where are your cupspassed to you by hand?line55Where are your bread and ale,your barrel and your cask?Now you’ll be in the pitdwelling with the Fiend.
You’ve often had powerto do all your will;You were always intentto ruin us both.Now you will, wretch,lie very still,line60And for your sins I’llpay very sorely.
Why didn’t you make usreconciled with Christ?Have masses sung,as he taught you?You were always intenton increasing your property.For that, we are, in the end,both deceived.
line65Seldom will theysing masses for you,Or in Holy Churchgive any offering;To gain your property,they’ll argue a claim,And dispossess youfrom all your things.
Lie, cursed body,who’ll never rise up!line70When I think of you,I’m utterly terrified.For I’ll burn in fireand shiver in ice,And always be in painin very many ways.
Now will your hallbe built with a spade,And therein will you,wretch, be brought;fol. 184rNow will your clothesbe entirely sought after;line76They’ll sweep your house,and out with the sweepings!
Quickly built is your bowerthat you will dwell in;The roof and the ceilingwill lie on your chin.Now will wormsdwell inside you;line80One can’t get them outby any kind of trick.
Now your kinsman and kinswomanare afraid of you;They all wear the clothesthat formerly were your own,And now in earth you’lllie very low.Alas, why wouldn’t you heretake heed of this?
line85Now entirely will rotyour teeth and your tongue,Your stomach and your spleen,your liver and your lung,And your windpipethat you sing with.And you will into the pitbe thoroughly flung.
Where are your servantswho were dear to you?line90Now you’re withoutall your rich clothes.You are in the pittogether with worms;It’ll soon beas if you never were.
All that I hatedyou considered good;That caused the harmthat happened to you.line95Unless you had your will,you went berserk;And I’m a miserable soulall sorry in mood.
Now you’ll remain,and I must needs go.For all your guilt,I’ll receive the reward —Hunger and coldand fiery coals —line100And so will Satanvery horribly roast me!
I am plenty sorry,by day and by night,That I’ll go to the dark placewhere light never comes.There I’ll encountermany a foul creature,And I’ll never seeChrist who’s so bright.
line105I will bathe nakedin a bitter bathOf tar and brimstone —its boiling is prepared!fol. 184vThere is Satan the Devil,ready with his jaws,And thus will he devour me,the fire-burning dragon!
Were all this world’s fireto be brought togetherline110Beside this heat,it’d be like nothing!Woe to anyone livingwho’s brought therein!To avoid this very painyou prayed for me.
Who tells of the Evil Onehow ghastly he is —Horns on his head,horns on his knees?line115There’s nothing alivethat’s equally hideous!Woe to whoeverwill see him in hell!
He gapes with his mouth,and glares with his eyes;Out of his nostrils comered flames;Fire bursts out of himfrom every eyebrow —line120Whoever sees himmust die for horror!
The eye-pits are likeboiling lead;Fire bursts out of himfantastically red.No tongue may tellhow loathly is the Evil One;Whoever looks at himmay be dead for horror!”
line125Let us remain clearof whoring;Let us have masses sung,and perform almsdeeds,And with Holy Churchmake our peace.Then we may pleaseChrist at the Judgment.
May the King who created all this worldthrough his holy mightline130Guard our soulfrom the Evil Creature,And cause us to hate that wrongand love that right,And bring our soulto heavenly light. Amen.