5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
115
120
125
130
135
140
145
150
155
160
165
170
175
180
185
190
195
200
205
210
215
220
225
230
235
240
245
250
255
260
265
270
275
280
285
290
295
300
305
310
315
320
325
330
335
340
345
350
355
360
365
370
375
380
385
390
395
400
405
410
415
420
425
430
435
440
445
450
455
460
|
PRISBETER Almyghty God in heven so hy,
The maker of all heven and erth,
He ordenyd here all thynges evenly,
For man he ment to mend his myrth.
In nomber, weight, and mesure fyne
God creat here al thyng, I say.
His lawes he bad men shulde not tyne,
But kepe his commandmentes allway.
In the mount of Syney full fayre
And in two tabyls to you to tell,
His lawes to Moyses tuke God there
To geve to the chylder of Israell,
That Moyses shull theme gyde alway
And lerne theme lely to knowe Goddes wyll,
And that he shulde not it denay
But kepe his lawes stable and styll.
For payn that he hadd putt therefore,
To stone all theme that kepis it nott
Utterly to death, both lesse and moore,
There shulde no marcy for them be soght.
Therefore kepe well Goddes commandement
And leyd your lyf after his lawes,
Or ells surely ye mon be shent
Bothe lesse and moore, ylkone on rawes.
This is his wyll after Moyses lawe:
That ye shulde bryng your beistes good
And offer theme here your God to knawe,
And frome your synns to turne your moode.
Suche beestes as God hais marked here,
Unto Moyses he spake as I yow tell,
And bad hyme boldly with good chere
To say to the chylder of Israell
That after dyvers seknes seer
And after that dyvers synes alsoo,
Go bryng your beestes to the preest even here
To offer theme up in Goddes sight, loo.
The woman that hais borne her chylde,
She shall comme hether at the forty day
To be puryfied where she was fylde
And bryng with her a lame, I say,
And two dove byrdes for her offerand
And take them to the preest of lay
To offer theme up with his holy hand.
There shulde no man to this say nay.
The lame is offeryd for Goddes honour
In sacrefyes all onely dight,
And the preistes prayer purchace secure
For the woman that was fylyd in God sight.
And yf so be that she be power
And have no lame to offer, than
Two tyrtle doves to Godes honoure
To bryng with her for her offrand.
Loo, here am I, preest present alway
To resave all offerandes that hydder is broght,
And for the people to God to pray
That helth and lyfe to theme be wroght.
ANNA PROPHETISSA Here in this holy playce, I say,
Is my full purpose to abyde
To serve my God bothe nyght and day
With prayer and fastyng in ever ylk a tyde.
For I have beyn a wyddo this threscore yere
And foure yere to, the truthe to tell;
And here I have terryed with full good chere
For the redempcyon of Israell.
And so for my holy conversacion
Grete grace to me hais now God sent
To tell by profecy for mans redepempcion
What shall befall by Goddes intent.
I tell you all here in this place
By Godes vertue in prophecy
That one is borne to oure solace
Here to be present securely
Within short space,
Of his owen mother, a madyn free;
Of all vyrgens moost chaist suthly,
The well of mekenes, blyssed myght she be,
Moost full of grace.
And Symeon, that senyour
That is so semely in Godes sight,
He shall hyme se and do honour
And in his armes he shall hym plight,
That worthy leyd.
Of the Holy Goost he shall suthly
Take strength and answere when he shall hy
Furth to this Temple and place holy
To do that deyd.
SYMEON A, blyssed God, thowe be my beylde
And beat my baill bothe nyght and day.
In hevynes my hart is hylde
Unto myself, loo thus I say.
For I ame wayke and all unwelde,
My welth ay wayns and passeth away
Whereso I fayre in fyrth or feylde
I fall ay downe for febyll, in fay.
In fay I fall whereso I fayre,
In hayre and hewe and hyde I say;
Owte of this worlde I wolde I were.
Thus wax I warr and warr alway
And my myscheyf growes in all that may.
Bot thowe myghty Lorde my mornyng mar,
Mar ye, for it shulde me well pay,
So happy to se hyme yf I warr.
Nowe certys then shulde my gamme begynne
And I myght se hyme, of hyme to tell,
That one is borne withouten synne
And for mans kynde mans myrth to mell;
Borne of a woman and madyn fre,
As wytnesse Davyt and Danyill,
Withouten synne or velanye,
As said also Isacheell.
And Melachiell that proffett snell
Hais tolde us of that babb so bright
That he shulde comme with us to dwell
In oure Temple as leme of light;
And other proffettes prophesieth
And of this blyssed babb dyd mell
And of his mother, a madyn bright,
In prophecy the truth gan tell.
That he shulde comme and harro hell
As a gyant grathly to glyde
And fersly the feyndes malles to fell
And putt there poors all on syde.
The worthyest wight in this worlde so wyde
His vertues seer no tong can tell,
He sendes all soccour in ylke tyde
As redemption of Israell.
Thus say they all,
There patryarkes and ther prophettes clere:
“A babb is borne to be oure fere,
Knytt in oure kynde for all our chere
To grete and small.”
Ay, well were me for ever and ay
If I myght se that babb so bright
Or I were buryed here in clay;
Then wolde my cors here mend in myght
Right faithfully.
Nowe Lorde, thowe grant to me thy grace
To lyf here in this worlde a space
That I myght se that babb in his face
Here or I dy.
A, Lorde God, I thynke may I endure,
Trowe we that babb shall fynde me here.
Nowe certys with aige I ame so power
That ever it abaites my chere.
Yet yf kynde fale for aige in me,
God yett may length my lyfe suthly
Tyll I that babb and foode so free
Have seyn in sight.
For trewly, yf I wyst relesse
Thare shulde nothyng my hart dyseas.
Lorde, len me grace yf that thowe pleas
And make me light.
When wyll thowe comme, babb, let se, have done.
Nay, comme on tyte and tarry nott,
For certys my lyf days are nere done,
For aige to me grete wo hais wroght.
Great wo is wroght unto mans harte
Whan he muste want that he wolde have.
I kepe no longar to have quarte
For I have seen that I for crave.
A, trowes thowe these two eyes shall see
That blyssed babb or they be owte?
Ye, I pray God so myght it be:
Then were I putt all owte of dowte.
ANGELUS Olde Symeon, Gods servaunt right,
Bodworde to thee I bryng, I say,
For the Holy Goost moost of myght,
He says thowe shall not dye away
To thowe have seen
Jesu the babb that Mary bare
For all mankynde to slake there care.
He shall do comforth to lesse and mayr,
Both morne and even.
SYMEON A, Lorde, gramarcy nowe I say
That thowe this grace hais to me hight
Or I be buryed here in clay
To se that semely beam so bright.
No man of molde may have more happ
To my solace and myrth allway,
Than for to se in Mary lapp
Jesu my joy and Savyour ay.
Blyssyd be his name.
Loo, nowe mon I se, the truth to tell,
The redempcion of Israell,
Jesu my Lorde Emanuell,
Withouten blame.
MARY Joseph, my husbonde and my feer,
Ye take to me grathely entent,
I wyll you showe in this manere
What I wyll do, thus have I ment:
Full forty days is comme and went
Sens that my babb Jesu was borne;
Therefore I wolde he were present
As Moyses lawes sais hus beforne,
Here in this Temple before Goddes sight
As other women doith in feer,
So methynke good skyll and right
The same to do nowe with good chere,
After Goddes sawe.
JOSEPH Mary, my spowse and madyn clene,
This matter that thowe moves to me
Is for all these women bedene
That hais conceyved with syn fleshely
To bere a chylde.
The lawe is ledgyd for theme right playn
That they muste be puryfied agayne,
For in mans pleasoure for certayn
Before were they fylyd.
But Mary, byrde, thowe neyd not soo
For this cause to be puryfiede, loo,
In Goddes Temple;
For certys thowe arte a clene vyrgyn
For any thoght thy harte within
Nor never wroght no flesly synne
Nor never yll.
MARY That I my madenheade hais kept styll
It is onely throgh Godds wyll,
That be ye bold;
Yett to fulfyll the lawe ewysse
That God almyghty gon expresse
And for a sample of mekenesse,
Offer I wolde.
JOSEPH A, Mary, blyssed be thowe ay;
Thowe thynkes to do after Goddes wyll;
As thowe haist said, Mary, I say,
I will hartely consent theretyll
Withouten dowte.
Wherefore we dresse us furth oure way
And make offerand to God this day,
Even lykwyse as thyself gon say
With hartes devowte.
MARIA Therto am I full redy dight.
But one thyng, Joseph, I wolde you meyve.
JOSEPH Mary, my spouse and madyn bright,
Tell on hartely, what is your greyf?
MARIA Both beest and fewell hus muste neydes have,
As a lambe and two dove byrdes also.
Lame have we none nor none we crave;
Therefore, Joseph, what shall we do,
What is your read?
And we do not as custome is,
We are worth to be blamyd iwysse;
I wolde we dyd nothyng amys,
As God me speyd.
JOSEPH A, good Mary, the lawe is this:
To riche to offer bothe the lame and the byrd,
And the poore two tyrtles iwys.
Or two doyf byrdes shall not be fyrd
For our offerand,
And, Mary, we have doyf byrdes two
As falls for hus, therefore we goo.
They ar here in a panyer, loo,
Reddy at hand.
And yf we have not both in feer,
The lame, the burd, as ryche men have,
Thynke that us muste present here
Oure babb Jesus, as we voutsave
Before Godes sight.
He is our lame, Mary, kare thee not,
For riche and power none better soght.
Full well thowe hais hym hither broght,
This our offerand dight.
He is the lame of God, I say,
That all our syns shall take away
Of this worlde here.
He is the lame of God verray
That muste hus fend frome all our fray,
Borne of thy wombe, all for our pay
And for our chere.
MARIA Joseph, my spowse, ye say full trewe,
Than lett us dresse hus furth our way.
JOSEPH Go we than, Mary, and do oure dewe
And make meekly offerand this day.
Lo, here is the Tempyll on this hyll
And also preest ordand by skyll,
Power havand.
And Mary, go we thyther forthy,
And lett us both knele devowtly
And offre we up to God meekly
Our dewe offrand.
MARIA Unto my God highest in heven
And to this preest ordand by skyll,
Jesu my babb I offer hyme
Here with my harte and my good wyll
Right hartely.
Thowe pray for hus to God on hyght,
Thowe preest, present here in his myght,
At this deyd may be in his sight,
Accept goodly.
JOSEPH Loo, sir, and two doyf byrddes ar here.
Receyve them with your holy handes,
We ar no better of power,
For we have neyther rentes ne landes
Trewely.
Bott good sir, pray to God of myght
To accepte this at we have dight
That we have offeryd as we arr hight
Here hartely.
PRESBITER O God and graunter of all grace,
Blyst be thy name both nyght and day,
Accepte there offerand in this place
That be here present to thee alway.
A, blyssed Lorde, say never nay,
But lett thy offerand be boot and beylde
Tyll all such folke lyvand in clay
That thus to thee mekly wyll heyld.
That this babb, Lord, present in thy sight,
Borne of a madyns wombe unfylde,
Accepte for there specyall gyft
Gevyn to mankynde, both man and chylde,
So specyally,
And this babb borne and here present
May beylde us that we be not shent,
But ever reddy his grace to hent
Here verely.
A, blyssyd babb, welcome thowe be,
Borne of a madyn in chaistety,
Thowe art our beylde, babb, our gamme and our glee
Ever sothly.
Welcome oure wytt and our wysdome,
Welcome our joy all and somme,
Welcomme redemptour omnium
Tyll hus hartely.
ANNA PROPHETISSA Welcome blyssed Mary and madyn ay,
Welcome mooste meke in thyne array,
Welcome bright starne that shyneth bright as day,
All for our blys;
Welcome, the blyssed beam so bryght,
Welcome the leym of all oure light,
Welcome that all pleasour hais plight
To man and wyfe.
Welcome thowe blyssed babb so free,
Welcome oure welfayre wyelly
And welcome all oure seall, suthly,
To grete and small.
Babb, welcome to thy beyldly boure,
Babb, welcome nowe for our soccoure,
And babb, welcomme with all honour
Here in this hall.
ANGELUS Olde Symeon, I say to thee,
Dresse thee furth in thyne array,
Come to the Temple, there shall thu see
Jesus that babb that Mary barre,
That be thowe bolde.
SYMEON A, Lorde, I thanke thee ever and ay,
Nowe am I light as leyf on tree;
My age is went, I feyll no fray,
Methynke for this that is tolde me
I ame not olde.
Nowe wyll I to yon Temple goo
To se the babb that Mary bare;
He is my helth in well and woo
And helps me ever frome great care,
Haill blyssed babb that Mary bare,
And blyssed be thy mother, Mary mylde,
Whose wombe that yeildyd fresh and fayr
And she a clean vyrgen ay unfyld.
Haill, babb, the Father of heven own chylde,
Chosen to chere us for our myschance;
No erthly tong can tell fylyd
What thy myght is in every chance.
Haill, the moost worthy to enhance,
Boldly thowe beylde frome all yll,
Withoute thy beylde we gytt grevance
And for our deydes here shulde we spyll.
Haill floscampy and flower vyrgynall,
The odour of thy goodnes reflars to us all;
Haill, moost happy to great and to small
For our weyll.
Haill ryall roose, moost ruddy of hewe,
Haill flour unfadyng, both freshe ay and newe,
Haill the kyndest in comforth that ever man knewe
For grete heyll.
And mekly I beseke thee here where I kneyll
To suffre thy servant to take thee in hand,
And in my narmes for to heve thee here for my weyll,
And where I bound am in bayll to bait all my bandes.
Nowe come to me, Lorde of all landes,
Comme myghtyest by see and by sandes,
Come myrth by strete and by strandes
On moolde.
Come halse me, the babb that is best born,
Come halse me, the myrth of our morne,
Come halse me, for ells I ame lorne
For olde.
I thanke the Lord God of thy greet grace
That thus haith sparyd me a space,
This babb in my narmes for to inbrace
As the prophecy telles.
I thanke thee that me my lyfe lent,
I thanke thee that me thus seyll sent,
That this sweyt babb, that I in armes hent
With myrth my myght alwais melles.
Mellyd are my myndes ay with myrth,
Full fresh nowe I feyll is my force,
Of thy grace thowe gave me this gyrth
Thus comly to catch here thy corse
Moost semely in sight.
Of helpe thus thy freynd never faills,
Thy marcy as every man avaylls
Both by downes and by daylls;
Thus mervelous and muche is thy myght.
A, babb, be thow blyssed for ay,
For thowe art my Savyour, I say,
And thowe here rewles me in fay
In all my lyfe.
Nowe blist be thi name,
For thowe saves hus fro shame,
And here thou beyld us fro blame
And frome all stryfe.
Nowe care I no moore for my lyfe
Sen I have seen here this ryall so ryfe,
My strength and my stynter of stryfe,
I you say.
In peace, Lorde, nowe leyf thy servand,
For myne eys haith seyn that is ordand,
The helth for all men that be levand
Here for ay.
That helth, Lorde, hais thowe ordand, I say,
Here before the face of thy people,
And thy light hais thowe shynyd this day
To be knowe of thy folke that was febyll
For evermore.
And thy glory for the chylder of Israell
That with thee in thy kyngdome shall dwell
Whan the damnyd shall be drevyn to hell
Than with great care.
JOSEPH Mary, my spowse and madyn mylde,
In hart I marvell here greatly
Howe these folke spekes of our chylde.
They say and tells of great maistry
That he shall doo.
MARIA Yea certes, Joseph, I marvell also,
But I shall bere it full styll in mynde.
JOSEPH God geve hyme grace here well to do,
For he is comme of gentyll kynde.
SYMEON Harke, Mary, I shall tell thee the truth or I goo.
This was putt here to welde us fro wo,
In redemption of many and recover also,
I thee say.
And the sworde of sorro thy hart shal thryll
Whan thowe shall se sothly thy Son soffer yll
For the well of all wrytches, that shall be his wyll
Here in fay.
But to be comforth agayn right well thowe may,
And in harte to be fayne, the suth I thee say,
For his myght is so muche thare can no tong say nay
Here to his wyll.
For this babb as a gyant full graythly shall glyde
And the myghtiest mayster shall meve on ylke syde,
To all the wightes that wons in this worlde wyde,
For good or for yll.
Tharefore babb, beylde us that we here not spyll
And fayrwell the former of all at thy wyll,
Fayrwell starne stabylyst by lowde and be styll,
In suthfastnes.
Fayrwell the ryolest roose that is renyng,
Fayrwell the babb best in thy beryng,
Fayrwell God Son, thowe grant us thy blyssyng
To fyne our dystresse.
|
high; (see note)
properly
intended; joy
(see note)
bade; break
Sinai
tables
(i.e., entrusted)
should; guide
teach; truly
deny it; (t-note)
always
distress
mercy
lead
may be damned
each one in order
beasts
has
(t-note)
various illnesses; (t-note)
defiled
lamb
the law
advantage
defiled
poor
offering
receive
(see note)
remain
time
widow
tarried
space [of time]
chaste
fount; (see note)
old man
worthy
pledge
man
go
deed
support
remedy my misery
held
weak; feeble; (see note)
wanes
fare [forth] in woods; field
go
hair; hue; skin
grow; worse and worse
grief; destroy (i.e., take away)
reward
were
game (joy, mirth)
him
ameliorate
David; Daniel
villainy (evil)
Ezekiel
Malachi; wise
baby
(see note)
beam
speak
harrow; (see note)
giant directly to enter (glide into)
malice
powers; aside
many
nature; (see note)
Before
body; regain its strength
(see note)
live
ere I die
Believe
age; poor
nature fail
lengthen
Until; child
if I [should] know release [from life]; (t-note)
disturb
give; please
happy
quickly
need (desire)
health
think thou
doubt
Message; (see note); (t-note)
Until
bore
diminish; suffering
more
(i.e., many thanks)
announced
earth; luck
(t-note)
must
companion
pay attention truly to my intent
Since
say to us
(see note)
altogether
saying
speaks
forthwith
carnal sin
affirmed
defiled
very assured
iwisse (to be sure)
did reveal
example
doubt
undertake; on our way
point out
sorrow
fowl we
seek
advice
rich folk; bird; (see note)
turtledoves; (t-note)
dove; rejected
offering
basket
are willing
worry
(see note)
Who must defend us
advantage; (t-note)
set forth
duty
(see note)
having
rightful
(see note)
him
high
deed
this which we
are called
their
(i.e., don’t refuse)
assistance; comfort
incline
undefiled
comfort; condemned
grasp
truly
comfort; joy
redeemer of all [the world]
To us sincerely
(see note)
(i.e., source)
joyfully
well-being
sheltering bower
(see note)
(i.e., Put on your vestments); (see note)
bore
very certain
leaf
gone; feel; trouble
(see note)
prosperity; woe
[if] defiled
protect
shelter
flower of the field; (see note)
rises up
prosperity
rose
health
kneel; (see note)
arms; take you up; (see note)
bale; release; bonds
earth
embrace
morning
lost
space [of time]
arms; embrace
(t-note)
happiness
sweet; carried
strength; infuses
thoughts
feel
protection
body
mercy
hills; dales
rules; faith
(t-note)
us from
shelter
royal [child]; (i.e., remarkable)
suppressor
leave (allow); (see note)
living
has
weak
(see note)
When; driven
Then; suffering
(t-note)
bear; quietly
lineage
ere
protect; (t-note)
pierce; (see note)
suffer ill (evil)
well (source); riches
faith
happy
giant; truly; glide; (t-note)
move
men; live
shelter; come to grief
star most stable; (i.e., ?constant)
most royal rose; reigning
birth
(see note)
end; (t-note)
|