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Early Middle English for today

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Ormulum admonition to priest and congregation

in a normalised Early Middle English (East Midland dialect c 1200)

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Nu_ lo_ke yowre pre_st that he_
Yow bli_theli_ce spelle,
That he_ yow ealce sunnen`day
At alre leaste leare
Of all, hu_ yow birth leaden yow,
and le_fen up on Cri_ste,
and lufen God and lufen man,
and Godes lages ha_lden.
and yow birth swi_the bli_theli_ce,
Yow turnen til his la_re,
and ha_lden it and folgen it;
Ay after yowre mihte.
Nu_ - yif that yowre pre_st. and ye_,
Thus faren yow betwe_nen ;
Tha_ may be_n go_d til yowre pre_st.
and til yow selfen ba_the;
That that iu_de_isce pre_st was swa_;
Be`henged al with belles,
and that him was swa_ micel ne_d,
That God hem he_rde ringen!
and the_ birth cne_`len to_ thi_n God
and lu_ten him, and la_ken.
and the_ birth lufen wel thi_n pre_st,
and lu_ten him and leften,
Ye_t forthenn thoh he_ noht ne be_
Swa_ go_d man se him birde.
and lo_k that thu_ ne teale him noht,
Thoh that he_ be_ to_ tealen.
For yif the pre_st mis`do_th, he_'t scal
With Cri_stes helpe be_ten;
and yif that he_'t ne be_teth noht,
It drageth him til helle.
and yif thi_n pre_st mis`do_th, the_ birth,
Full inwardli_ce bidden
That drihten yefe him wille and miht,
To be_ten hise sinnes.
Forr yif thu_ biddest for thi_n pre_st,
Thu_ biddest for the_ selfen
and cwe_mest God thurh that that thu_
Swa_ biddest for ink ba_the.
and that the la_ferd Iesu Cri_st
Was fu_nden in the tempele
Betwe_nen that iu_de_isce flock
That leared was on bo_ke
Thear thear he_ sat to fraynen hem
Of here bo_kes la_re,
That was yow bisene go_d i`no_h.
Lo_k yif ye_'t willen folgen:
That yow birth yerne standen in
To fraynen yowre pre_stes.
Of al hu_ yow birth leaden yow
and le_fen up on Cri_ste,
Hu_ yow birth folgen Cri_stes slo_th
and Cri_stes lages ha_lden
and standen yean the la_the ga_st,
and winnen Cri_stes a_re.
For yow birth up on circe`flo_r
Be_n fu_nden oft and la_nge
To_ lisnen hwat the pre_st yow sayth
Of yowre sa_wele ne_de.