1–4Hwenne thin heou bloketh . . . thi tunge voldeth. Compare Death (art. 14), lines 85–87.↩back to note source4thi tunge voldeth. “your speech fails.” See MED, folden (v.(2)), sense 2b, which cites this line. Compare The Owl and the Nightingale (art. 2), line 37.↩back to note source10bipreoneth. This verb is attested only here; see MED, bipreonen (v.), “to sew (sb.) up.”↩back to note sourceon here. “in a haircloth,” that is, as a gesture of humility and Christian penance. For burial in a coarse cloth, see MED, here (n.(2)), sense 3a, and compare The Saws of Saint Bede (art. 4), line 200.↩back to note source11And doth the ine wurmes ivere. Compare Death (art. 14), line 91.↩back to note source12Theonne bith hit sone of the al so thu never nere. The final hypermetric line resembles the ending of several Harley lyrics, in particular A Winter Song, lines 17–18 (CHMS, 2:230–31).↩back to note source
- Explanatory Notes
- Explanatory Notes
Glosses
1–4Hwenne thin heou bloketh . . . thi tunge voldeth. Compare Death (art. 14), lines 85–87.↩back to note source4thi tunge voldeth. “your speech fails.” See MED, folden (v.(2)), sense 2b, which cites this line. Compare The Owl and the Nightingale (art. 2), line 37.↩back to note source10bipreoneth. This verb is attested only here; see MED, bipreonen (v.), “to sew (sb.) up.”↩back to note sourceon here. “in a haircloth,” that is, as a gesture of humility and Christian penance. For burial in a coarse cloth, see MED, here (n.(2)), sense 3a, and compare The Saws of Saint Bede (art. 4), line 200.↩back to note source11And doth the ine wurmes ivere. Compare Death (art. 14), line 91.↩back to note source12Theonne bith hit sone of the al so thu never nere. The final hypermetric line resembles the ending of several Harley lyrics, in particular A Winter Song, lines 17–18 (CHMS, 2:230–31).↩back to note source