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Sir Orfeo (lines 301-400)

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Tabor's and trumpes ye_den hem bi_,
And al maner minstrelsi.
And on a day he_ sah him be`si_de
Sex`tiy leafdiy's on hors ri_den,
Gentil and jolif als brid on ri_s; 305
Noht a man ama_nges hem thear nis;
And ealc a faucoun on hand bearen,
And riden on hafeking bi_ a rivere.
Of gamen they fu_nden wel go_de haunt -
Mallardes, heron, and cormeraunt; 310
The fugeles of the water a`risen,
The faucouns hem wel deviseden;
Ealc faucoun his prei slo_h -
That sah Orfeo, and lo_h:
"Par fei!" cwath he_, "thear is fayer gamen; 315
Thider ic wille, bi_ Godes name;
Ic was y`wunen swilce werk to_ se_n!"
He_ a`ra_s, and thider gan te_n.
To_ a leafdiy he_ was y`cumen,
Be`he_ld, and hafeth wel under`numen, 320
And se_th bi_ al thing that it is
His a_gen cwe_n, Dam Heurodis.
Yern he_ be`he_ld hire, and sce_ him e_k,
Ak nowther to_ o_ther a word na_ spak;
For missays that sce_ on him sah, 325
That hadd' be_n swa_ ri_ce and swa_ he_h,
The teares fe_ll u_t of hir' e_gen.
The o_ther leafdiy's this y`segen
And maked' hir' a`wey to_ ri_den -
Sce_ most' with him na_ lenger a`bi_den. 330
"Allas!" cwath he_, "nu_ me_ is wa_!"
Hwi_ nil' death nu_ me_ sla_n?
Allas, wrecce, that I_ na_ miht'
Deyen nu_ after this sihth!
Allas! to_ la_ng lasteth mi_' li_f, 335
Hwann' I_ na_ dar noht with mi_' wi_f,
Na_ sce_ to_ me_, a word speken.
Allas! Hwi_ nil' mi_n hert' breken!
Par fei!" cwath he_, "ti_de hwat be`ti_de,
Hwider`swa_ this' leafdiy's ri_den, 340
The selfe wey ic will' streccen -
Of li_f na_ death me_ na_ recce."
His sclavin he_ dide on alswa_ _spak
And he_ng his harp upon his bak,
And hadd' wel go_de will' to_ ga_n - 345
He_ na_ spar'd nowther stub na_ sta_n.
In at a roche the leafdiy's ri_den,
And he_ after, and noht a`bi_deth.
Hwann' he_ was in the roche y`ga_n,
Wel thre_ mi_le other ma_, 350
He_ com into_ a fayer contree
Als briht swa_ sunne on sumer's day,
Smo_the and plain and al gre_ne -
Hill na_ dal nas thear na_n y`segen.
A`midden the land a castel he_ sah, 355
Ri_ce and real and wunderli_ce he_h.
Al the u_t`ma_st wall
Was clere and sce_ne als cristall';
A_n hundred tu_rs thear wearen abu_ten,
Desgiselic and batail'd stout. 360
The butras com u_t of the di_ce
Of reade gold y`arched ri_ce.
The vousour was anourned al
Of ealc maner divers aumal.
Withinnen thear wearen wi_de wunes, 365
Al of precious sta_nes;
The werst piler on to_ be`ha_lden
Was al of burnis'd gold.
Al that land was eafer' liht,
For hwann' it scolde be_n derk and niht, 370
The ri_ce sta_nes liht gunnen
As briht as do_th at no_ne the sunne.
Na_ man may tellen, na_ thencen in thoht,
The ri_ce werk that thear was wroht.
Bi_ al thing him thinketh that it is 375
The pru_de court of Paradis.
In this castel the leafdiy's a`lihten;
He_ wold' in after, yif he_ miht'.
Orfeo cnoked' at the gate;
The porter was readiy thear`at 380
And asked' hwat he_ wold' hafen y`do_n.
"Par fei!" cwath he_, "ic am a minstrel, la_!
To_ solasen thi_' la_ferd with mi_' gle_,
Yif his swe_te wille be_."
The porter un`dide the gate ana_n 385
And le_t him into_ the castel ga_n.
Thann' he_ gan be`ha_lden abu_ten al,
And sah liggend' withinnen the wall
Of folk that wearen thider y`broht
And thoht dead, and nearen noht. 390
Sum' sto_den withu_ten heafde,
And sum' na_n armes nadden,
And sum' thurh the bodiy hadden wu_nd,
And sum' layen wo_de, y`bu_nden,
And sum' armed on hors seaten, 395
And sum' astrangleden as they eaten;
And sum' wearen in water a`drenct,
And sum' with fi_re al for`screnct.
Wi_fes thear layen on ci_ld-bedde,
Sum' dead and sum' a`we_dden, 400