O ye al whilk that
by me cummes and gothe,
who come and goAttende and behold this warldes vanyté.world’s vanityTo lyke symylitude, be ye lefe or lothe,alike appearance loving or loathingSal ye cum for al your warldly prosperité.Shall come worldlyline5Thinne abydyng here is in no stabilité:Thine permanenceYowthe sal passe and his verteus swageshall diminishDeth sal cum and lyfe sal hafe passage.have
Why art thou so sett in prowde elacyon,arroganceAnd with the desyres of worldly covetyse?covetousnessline10Why in wrathe has thou syche distrubacoundisturbanceWith invyos swellyng of gret malyce?enviousGlotony usyng wher les wald suffyce?Gluttonous less wouldBrynnyng in slomer and slawly in corayge,Burning in slumber slothful in desireOr to be lycheros for al syche life has sone pasayge.lecherous soon
line15Thogh gleteryng thou be as byrnysched gold bright,glittering burnishedNone to thee lyke thee semes in lusty purtrature.handsome formIlk men byn stowte in his perfyte right,These bold theirEnformed with bewtes by nature,Developed beautiesAnd with strenth also to fortefye thi fygure.strength theirline20The day sal cum thou sal out of this warld wendeshall come goThi mortal fayte of thee sal make ane ende.an end
Wher is Salomon now with al his prudence,SolomonOr myghty Sampson, duk invyncybyll,Sampson, dukeTullyus the retrysciane with al his eloquence,Cicero rhetoricianline25Or Arystotil in witt moste sensybyll,AristotleOr this emprour Octavy mest pessybyll,Octavian most peaceableOr swete Jonathas ful amyabyll.Jonathan amiable
Wher bene thies clerkes so experte in clergy,are learned doctrineThies kynges and prynce myghty and strongeline30Al ar thai gone and close with twynkillyng of ane ee.buried an eyeOf this warldly joy the feste dures not longe.worldly feast enduresThat joy is endyd as a schadow us emonge.shadow amongHere is no lastyng ese ne no tranquyllitéeaseBot labour, travell, and myche adversyté.travail
line35Remembyr thi selfe — here is no sykyr abydynge,secure dwellingAnd se how this warld is so transitory.Thou must departe, here is no long dwellyngeAs Job says in his funerall obsequye,sad funeral ritesIn whos servyse thou may lerne to dye,
line40Whos tretys is a perfyte evydencetreatise (book) completeTo schew what sal be after thine existence.
O erthly man, why rejoyces thou thee of gudes erthly,earthly possessionsSen erthe sal to erth, what is thi cause?SinceRemembyr thi selfe on ilk syde verely.each trulyline45No chartyr may help, byll scrow, ne clawse,Thine abydyng here is bot a lytel pawsepauseIt vanysches away and that hastelyquicklyAs teches experience dayly.experience teaches [us] daily
We that wer sum tyme in this wardles passaygeworld’s passageline50War myghty strong and replete in rychesWereInto powdyr we sal fall, be we nover so sayge,powder never so wiseOf wardly joy syche is the progresse.suchO barayne saule that is so witles,barren soulThat in the lyfes space cannot remembyrline55Thi selfe, safe that sal be dust ilk membyr.except every limb
Why is thi hert so sett in gladnes?For to wormes mete thou art grathed and made,worms’ food preparedFor erth is gifen to erth in sothfastnes,given in truthThe flesche is borne into dethe to be hade.line60O wretchyd man, whi art thou so glad,With syche daliaunce and fals elacoun?dalliance arroganceWhy wantes thou reson and discrecoun?lack
Man, remembyr of the dawnce of makabre,Dance of MacabreHow lordes spritual and also temperall,spiritual and earthly lordsline65Yowthe nor age ther has none lyberté,freedomBot must passe be Dethes dedes mercyall.by Death’s merciful deedsWherfore lat it be oft in thi memoriall,let memoryFor the tyme sal aproche hence for to wendeto goAnd to a lyke semblande be broght to ende.semblance
line70When Deth sal smyte thee with his mercyal darte,strike (smite) mercifulBy paynes strong throghe thi hert rote,heart’s rootMynysteryng the poyntes of his sore arte,Administering activities painfulNo help ne socour than nedes to mote.Resembyl this fygure, ther is none other boteremedyline75And thi reward hafe, owther gode or yll,have eitherWhen the tyme cummes ite venite to fulfyll.come and go
Who sum ever it be that by this cummes and gothe,Stande and behold this litterall scriptureAnd it se and over rede, be thou lefe or lothe,willing or unwillingline80Thi wepyng teres fast sched in gode ure.good fortuneThou art now as I was in warldly fygure;worldly formI was as thou art, sum tyme be dayes olde.byO pray ye al for me, I pray yow a thowsand-folde.ask