fol. 175rTheos
Holy Gostes myhteUs helpe and rede and dihteAnd wisse us and thecheTo wyten us wyth than Unwihte,line5That bi daye and bi nyhteThencheth us to bipeche.
He maketh us don sunnen,And habben of monkunneSwithe muchel onde,line10And thencheth us iwynneAnd wunye us withinneAnd us habben an honde.
Ac bidde we Crist yorneThat he that heom werneline15For his holynesse,For the that to heom turnethIn helle heo schulle forberneOn eche sorynesse.
Ah ich hit segge and swerieline20If we ure Suppen heryeAnd luvyeth hyne swithe,He us wille weryeThat feondes us ne deryeThat fulle beoth of nythe.
line25Ne schulle we nouht beo hereSwithe vale yere;Forthi, er we wende,Makie we us clene and skereThat we, englene ivere,line30Mawe beon o buten ende.
That is in heovene blysseHeo cumeth ther, myd iwisse,That luvyeth Godes lore;Hwo that, for lyve thisse,line35Therof schal mysseHit schal him reowe sore.
Hit seyth in the godspelleNe may no tunge telle
The blisse that ther is evere,line40Ne of thare pyne of helle —Tharto we beoth to snelle —Away heo ne endeth nevere.
In helle beoth the pynenThat maketh heorte chynen —line45The stude is swithe unveleTher no lyht ne shineth;Ne non other attrynethTo helpe ne to hele.
fol. 175vHer is chele and heteline50And hunger unymeteAnd thurst elles to kene;Wikede beoth the sete,And the wurmes ekeThat doth the saule teone.
line55Thar is wop and wonyngeAnd muche bymenyngeThat heo ibore were,And thar nys no yeyncherrynge,Ne thar nys non endyngeline60The enes cumeth there.
Thi we auhte nyme gomeHer, er we thider come,And serve heovene Kinge,Bisechen hym ilomeline65That he us at the From thare pyne us brynge.
Ute we sunnen lete,And nyme scryft and beteOf ure misdede.line70To donne he beoth swete;Thy us is ethgeteHelle that is unlede.
Theo seven heaued-sunneThat we ofte beoth inneline75The saule willeth amerre.Heo beoth of swikele kunne.Ther-myd the WytherwynneUs alle thencheth bicharre.
Prude and modynesse,line80Ne arhhede ne sorynesse,And nythe and ek onde,Wraththe and swikelnesse,Hordom and yvernesse —Theos we auhte understonde.
line85Theos beoth sunnen seoveneThat bryngeth ut of heoveneSwithe vele manne;The weyes beoth unevene.With wepynde stefne,line90To helle he schulle thenne.
Nu weneth monye richeTo beon englene ilycheFor heore prude clathe;Therfore heo schule sicheline95And in helle smycheAcoryen hit ful wrathe.
fol. 176rHe weneth, for heore ayhte,To heovene beo cuthlehthe;Ah bute heo hit ryht dele,line100Of heovene heo beoth bipahteAnd thane Veonde bycauhteFor heore muche weole.
Nu weneth, ek, thes wreccheThat he ne thurue reccheline105For he ayhte nabbeth,Ac Sathanas the freccheThe saule wule dreccheHwanne he agult habbeth.
The ryche, myd iwisse, line110Wel myhte cume to blisseIf he hit wolde ofservie.The poure may wel mysse,Bute he his pouernesseMid mylde heorte tholye.
line115Thes munekes weneth summeThat gedereth gersummeThat heo hit schulle bruke;Ah hwen Deth schal cume,Al hit wurth heom binume,line120And he bitauht the Puke.
The preost that singeth masseFor his yvernesseAnd for owe thinge —Bute he do almesse,line125In eche sorinesseHis saule he may brynge.
Thes knyhtes beoth so boldeHwenne heo habbeth aquoldeHeore Crystene ivere,line130Ah Sathanas the oldeThe saule wule atholdeAnd makie heo unfere.
Theos playdurs beoth wel kene,That werieth red and greneline135And al this unriht demeth;Ho schule, thah heo ne wene,In helle habben teoneTher as feondes remeth.
Thes chapmen, monye bi strete,line140Beoth swithe unymete;Ne reccheth hwat hi swerieBute heo habben biyete.Thi, Sathanas the keteThe saule wule derye.
fol. 176vOf alle men alonde,146Mest swynketh the bondeAnd mest biyet myd ryhte;If he hit cuthe understondeAnd theothe ryht under his honde,150To heovene he cume myhte.
Ah for al his sore swynke,In helle he may adrynkeIf he steleth Cristes theothinge.Sur hit schal him thinche155Deop in helle stuncheHis saule he may bringe.
Theos prude levediesThat luvyeth dryworiesAnd breketh spusynge —line160For heore lecherye,Nulleth here sermonyeOf none gode thinge.
Heo draweth heore wedeMid seolkene threde,line165Ilaced and ibunde;Ah he that beoth nu leathe.Remen heo schule and gredeDeope in helle-grunde.
Munekes and nunnenline170That heom wyte ne kunnenFrom sucche lecherye —Heo schule to helle cume;Alle heore clothes buveNe schule heom warantye.
line175Sothliche, betere heom wereThat heo ibore nereThenne thider schulen wende.Soth is that ich eu lere:Hwoso enes cumeth there,line180He wrth ther buten ende.
Ah we weneth lyvieAnd longe sunegie,And eft, at thon ende,Alle ure sunnen endye,line185Biwepen and bireusye,And so to heoven wende.
Ah ne beo nouht to thrysteNe therto nouht ne truste,Theruppon ich eu lere,line190For nes non that wiste,Bute himseolve Criste,Hwenne his ende-day were.
Sothliche, hwenne we beoth dede,fol. 177rEverych schal vo the medeline195After his ernynge;Bute we us birede,The gost hit schal ivredeAnd fareth to pynynge.
Hwenne bali me byndethline200On here me hyne biwindeth,And bryngeth hine on eorthe,The wurmes hine ifyndeth;To axe heo hyne gryndeth —Tharto we schule iwurthe.
line205He lyth and roteth lowe,Naveth he that beo his owe,Of ayhte ne of londe.Ne naveth he mey ne moweThat durre one throweline210Bi hym sitte ne stonde.
Sothliche, nakede and bare,With wope and with kare,We come to thisse lyve;Al so we schule fare,line215And al ure prude thareVorleten and bileven.
Herof we owe thenche,And ure sunnen aquencheMid beden and myd almesse,line220And cunnen atblencheFrom Sathanases wrencheAnd from his swikelnesse.
Thah we beon falle in sunne,Ne ligge we noht therinnne,line225Ah ute we up aryseAnd schenden ure WytherwineThat thencheth us to bigynne —Thenne doth we as the wise.
Ute we leten us schryveline230And thene Veond ut of us dryve.Ne tharf us noht schomye —Ne beoth noht on thisse lyveWymmen ne wapmen fyveThat ofte ne sunegie.
line235Ah thes modie gumeAnd theos levedies, at the frume,Heo dyhteth heom unwreste;And theos gedelynges summe,Hwenne heo to schrifte come,line240Heo beoth schomevaste.
Nule heo the sothe telleThah me scholde heom aquelle,Ne unwreo heore misdede;fol. 177vForthi, heo schule in helleline245Ever schrinke and swelleAnd fo ther luthre mede.
Hwo nule hyne her redeAnd unwreo his misdedeTo the preoste one,line250He schal eft lude grede —The quike and ek the dede,Iheren hi schulen uychone.
Thenne schal him schome sore;The schome him thyncheth moreline255Than muchel of his pyne.Bute he do bi preostes loreAnd yeorne bidde Godes ore,Ne schal him no god attryne.
At the Munte of Olyveteline260We schulle us eft alle ymete,The gode and the unwreste;The day wurth mylde and swete,And bytter heom that leteTo donne Godes heste.
line265Ther cumeth God myd his rode,His honde and his syde al ablode,And scheweth hu he us bouhte.Offerd thenne beoth the gode,And wo is thenne the overmode,line270That er tharof ne rouhte.
“Loke,” seyde God nuthe,“Hwat ich for ou outhe,And hwat ich gon tholye.Lutel thonk ye me cuthe —line275Mid heorte ne myd mutheNolde ye me thonkie.”
He seyde thenne to his gode,A spek myd milde mode:“Mine god, ye me feddeline280. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
And schrudden and wel bihedden,And leyden in softe beddeline285Tho ic among eu eode.Forthi, ich eu wulle areddeFrom Sathanas the unledde,For her ye habbeth neode.”
The gode seyth thenne:line290“Louerd, hwer and hwenneDude we the god dede?”“Tho ye yeve thene pouere monne,Tho he help nedde nenneBute as he for me bed.”
line295He seyth thenne to the wrecchen:fol. 178r“Ye nolden of me recchenFor hunger ich swal tharute;Ye nolden me in vacchen —Ye weren euseolve wrecchen,line300So modi and so prute.”
He gredeth thanne heye,The wrecches and the unsleyeThat luvede the unredes:“Louerd, myd ure eyeline305Never we the ne yseyenHwenne thu neode heddest.”
He seyth thenne: “MynePoure, unhole hyneTo eure dure come;line310For chele hy gunne hwyne;For hunger hi hedde pyne;Ye nolden nyme gome.”
“Therof ye nolde hedeNe yeven of eure brede,line315Of drenche ne of clothe.To day ye schuleth yfredeAnd underfo luthre mede,For ye me beoth ful lothe.”
“Myne gode,” he sayth myd iwisse,line320“Today ye schulle myd blysseTo heveryche wende.And ye to thesternesseAnd to eche sorynesse,And ther beo buten ende.”
line325He yeorreth and heo gredeth;The feondes heom forth ledeth —Bothe lychom and saule —And beteth heom and schredeth,And luthre heom biledethline330Mid pykes and myd eaule.
The saule seyth to the lychome:“Acursed wurthe thi nome,Thin heaued, and thin heorte!Thu us havest iwroht thes schome!line335And alle thene eche gromeUs schal ever smerte!”
The gode, the milde, and the clene —Thah heo iseon alle ymeneAl that kun that we of come —line340Nulleth heo never eneByreusy ne bimeneNe tharto nyme gome.
Ah wolde we us wel dihtefol. 178vAnd leden ure lyf myd rihteline345The hwiles we beoth here,Ich hit eu segge and plyhte,A we myhteBeon engles ivere.
Bidde we ure Dryhteline350That day scop and nyhte,That do ure saule bote,That we, in hevene lyhteAmong than englen bryhte,Wunyen and beo mote. Amen.
fol. 175rMay the Holy Ghost’s powerHelp and advise and guide usAnd direct and teach usTo protect us from the Enemy,line5Who by day and by nightPlots to deceive us.
He causes us to sin,And has of mankindSuch great envy,line10And plots to conquer usAnd dwell within usAnd control us.
But we pray sincerely to ChristThat he ward him offline15By his holiness,For whoever turns to himShall burn in hellIn eternal sorrow.
But I say it and affirmline20That if we praise our CreatorAnd love him deeply,He will defend usSo that we’re unharmed by fiendsFull of envy.
line25We won’t be hereFor very many years;Therefore, before we go,Let’s make ourselves clean and pureSo that, together with angels, weline30May dwell without end.
Whoever’s in heaven’s blissComes there, truly,By loving God’s lore;Whoever, on account of this life,line35Misses out on thatWill regret it sorely.
It says in the gospelThat no tongue may expressThe joy that’s always there,line40Nor the pain of hell —There we’ll go too soon —It never ever abates.
In hell there’s the painThat cleaves a heart —line45The place is so unholyThat no light may shine there;No one approaches anyone elseTo help or bring remedy.
fol. 175vHere is cold and heatline50And immeasurable hungerAnd also keen thirst;The setting is wicked,And so are the wormsThat torture the soul.
line55There’s weeping and lamentationAnd much bemoaningThat they were born,And there’s no returning,Nor any respiteline60For those who come there.
Thus we ought to take heedHere, before we go thither,And serve heaven’s King,Beseech him oftenline65That he may at the DoomDeliver us from that pain.
Let us forsake sins,And take schrift and repentOur misdeeds.line70It’s sweet to commit sin;Thus we easily receiveMiserable hell.
The seven-headed sinThat we’re frequently inline75Will ruin the soul.Its nature is deceitful.By its means the AdversaryPlots to beguile all of us.
Pride and arrogance,line80Sloth and despair,Malice and envy,Wrath and deceit,Lechery and greed —These we must understand.
line85These are the seven sinsThat exclude from heavenVery many a man;The ways are crooked.With a weeping voice,line90He’ll go to hell then.
Now many rich folk expectTo be like angelsIn their proud clothes;Therefore they’ll sighline95And in hell-smokePay for it wretchedly.
fol. 176rThey think, for their possessions,To be famous in heaven;But unless they act virtuously,line100They’ll be tricked out of heavenAnd then seized by the FiendTo their great sorrow.
Now the poor think, too,They needn’t fear anythingline105Because they have nothing,But fierce SatanWill harrass the soulWhen it transgresses.
The rich man, indeed,line110Might well come to blissIf he merits it.The poor man might well lose,Unless he his povertyEndures humbly.
line115Some of these monksWho gather treasureThink they’ll enjoy it;But when Death comes,It’s all taken from them,line120And they’re delivered to the Devil.
The priest who sings massMotivated by his greedAnd selfishness —Unless he gives alms,line125Into eternal sorrowHe’ll bring his soul.
These knights are so powerfulWhenever they’ve killedTheir Christian fellows,line130But ancient SatanWill take hold of the soulAnd make it feeble.
These orators are very eloquent,Who wear red and greenline135And judge all injustice;They will, but don’t know it,Have torture in hellWhere devils roar.
These merchants, many in town,line140Are very extravagant;They don’t care what they promiseSo long as they make a profit.For this, unyielding SatanWill injure the soul.
fol. 176vAmong all men on earth,line146The husbandman works hardestAnd profits most justly;If he can understand itAnd commits to tithing,line150He may come to heaven.
But despite his hard work,He may drown in hellIf he steals Christ’s tithing.It’ll seem bitter to himline155When deep in hell’s stenchHe’s brought his soul.
These proud ladiesWho love illicit affairsAnd break marriage vows —line160Because of their lechery,They won’t listen to sermonsAbout anything good.
They sew their clothesWith silken threads,line165Laced and bound;But now they’re hideous.They’ll call out and cryDeep in hell-pit.
Monks and nunsline170Failing to guard themselvesFrom such lechery —They’ll come to hell;All their garments aboveWon’t protect them.
line175Truly, it’d be better for themNever to have been bornThan to go there.What I teach you is true:Whoever comes there once,line180He’ll dwell there forever.
But we expect to liveAnd sin a long while,And later, at the end,To cease all our sinning,line185Weep and repent,And so go to heaven.
But don’t be too confidentNor trust in that at all,As I teach you about it,line190For no one knows,Except Christ himself,When his death-day is.
Truly, when we’re dead,fol. 177rEach will receive a rewardline195According to his merit;Unless we take counsel,The soul will suffer itAnd travel to pain.
When men bind the bodyline200And shroud it in a haircloth,And give it to the earth,The worms find it;To ashes they grind it —Thus will we become.
line205He lies and rots below,And has nothing of his own,No property or land.He has no kinsman or kinswomanWho dares for a secondline210Sit or stand by him.
Truly, naked and bare,With weeping and with care,We come into this life;Just so shall we go forth,line215With all our pride thereForsaken and left behind.
Here we must reflect,And subdue our sinsWith prayer and alms,line220And learn how to escapeFrom Satan’s guileAnd from his deceit.
Though we be fallen in sin,We mustn’t lie therein,line225But instead rise out of itAnd thwart our AdversaryWho plots to ensnare us —Then do we act wisely.
Let us make confessionline230And then drive the Fiend from us.We needn’t be ashamed —In this life there aren’tEven five women or menWho don’t commit sin often.
line235But these proud menAnd these ladies, above all,They’re poorly prepared;And some of these rascals,When they come to shrift,line240They’re ashamed.
They won’t tell the truthEven if threatened to die,Nor expose their misdeeds;fol. 177vFor that, they’ll go to hellline245Forever to cramp and swellAnd take painful rewards there.
Whoever won’t take counselAnd expose his misdeedsAlone to the priest,line250He’ll later cry out loudly —The quick and even the dead,They shall all hear.
He’ll then be utterly ashamed;He’ll think more about the shameline255Than about his pain.Unless he follows the priest’s counselAnd eagerly prays for God’s mercy,No good will come to him.
At the Mount of Olivesline260We shall all meet again,The good and the wicked;The day will be mild and sweet,And bitter for those who failTo do God’s command.
line265God will come there with his cross,His hands and side all bloody,Showing how he bought us.The fearful will be the good ones,And woeful will be the over-proud ones,line270Who before didn’t care.
“Look,” God says now,“What I did for you,And what I suffered.You showed me little gratitude —line275With neither heart nor mouthWould you thank me.”
He said then to his good ones,And spoke in a gentle manner:“My good ones, you fed meline280. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
And clothed and tended me well,And placed me in a soft bedline285When I walked among you.For that, I will deliver youFrom wicked Satan,For you have need of this.”
The good ones will then say:line290“Lord, where and whenDid we do you a good deed?”“When you gave to the poor man,When he had no helpExcept as he asked through me.”
line295He’ll then say to the wretched ones:fol. 178r“You wouldn’t attend to meWhen I suffered hunger;You wouldn’t take me in —You yourselves were wretched,line300So arrogant and so proud.”
They’ll then cry out loudly,The wretches and the foolsWho loved bad counsel:“Lord, with our eyesline305Never did we see youWhen you had need.”
He will say then: “MyPoor, infirm servantsCame to your door;line310They moaned for the cold;They felt pain for hunger;You didn’t care.”
“You didn’t attend to themOr give of your bread,line315Nor of drink or clothes.Today you’ll take noteAnd receive evil reward,For you’re hateful to me.”
“My good ones,” he’ll say indeed,line320“Today you’ll joyfullyGo to heaven.And you to darknessAnd eternal sorrow,And be there forever.”
line325They will yell and cry out;The fiends will lead them forth —Both body and soul —And beat them and shred them,And torture them foullyline330With spikes and with awls.
The soul will say to the body:“Cursed be your name,Your head, and your heart!You’ve caused us this shame!line335And all this eternal tortureWill make us hurt forever!”
The good, the gentle, and the pure —Although they see all togetherAll the kind we come from —line340They’ll never at allFeel sorry or have pityNor have any care there.
If we prepare ourselves wellfol. 178vAnd lead our lives righteouslyline345While we’re here,I say it to you and affirm,On Doomsday we mayBe together with angels.
Let us pray to our Lordline350Who created day and night,To remedy our souls,So that we may, in heaven’s lightAmong the bright angels,Dwell and be joined. Amen.