Sir Orfeo (lines 1-100)

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

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We_ readen oft and fi_nden y`writen,

and this clerkes wel it witen

Layes that be_n in harping

Be_n y`fu_nden of fearlic thing.

Sum be_n of werre and sum of wa_, 5

And sum of joie and mirhthe alswa_,

And sum of trecherie and of gile,

Of a_ld aventours that fe_llen hwi_le,

And sum of bourdes and ribaudy,

And maniy thear be_n of fairy. 10

Of al thinges that men se_n,

Meast of lufe, for so_the, they be_n

In Breteyne this layes wearen wroht

First y`fu_nden and forth y`broht

Of aventours that fe_llen bi_ dayes, 15

Hwear`of Bretouns makeden here layes.

Hwanne kinges mihten eay`hwear he_ren

Of a_niy mervailes that thear wearen

They to_ken an harp in gle_ and gamen

And makeden a lay and yeafen it name. 20

Nu_ of this aventours that wearen y`fallen

I_ can tellen sum, ak noht alle.

Ak herkneth, la_ferdinges that be_n tre_we

Ic wille yow tellen of Sir Orfewe

Orfeo meast of a_niy thing 25

Lufede the gle_ of harping.

Siker was eafric go_de harper'

Of him to_ hafen micel honour.

Him`self he_ lernede for to_ harpen

And leyde thear`on his wittes scarp; 30

He_ lernede swa_ thear na_`thing was

A beter harper' in na_ plas.

In al the wereld was na_ man boren

That a_nes Orfeo sat be`foren,

And he_ mihte of his harping he_ren, 35

Bu_te he_ scolde thencen that he_ weare

In a_ne of the joies of Paradis,

Swilce melody in his harping is.

Orfeo was a king,

In Engle`land an he_h la_ferding, 40

A stalwurthe man and hardi ba_;

Large and curteys he_ was alswa_.

His fader was cumen of King Pluto,

And his mo_der of King Juno,

That sum ti_me wearen als godes y`ha_lden 45

For aventours that they diden and ta_lden.

This king sojourned in Thrace,

That was a cite of noble defens,

For Win`cester was cleped tha_

Thrace, withu_ten na_. 50

The king hadde a cwe_n of pris

That was y`cleped Dame Eurydice,

The fayerest leafdiy, for then a_nes,

That mihte ga_n on bodiy and ba_nes,

Ful of lufe and go_denesse; 55

Ak na_ man may tellen hire fayernesse.

Be`fe_ll swa_ in the comessing of May

Hwanne miriy and ha_t is the day,

And on`wey be_n winter-scu_res,

And eafric fe_ld is ful of floures, 60

And blostme bre_me on eafric bo_h

Ofer al waxeth miriy i`no_h,

This ilke cwe_n, Dame Eurydice

To_k to_ maydenes of pris,

And wende in an under`en`ti_de 65

To_ pleyen bi_ an ort`yard-si_de,

To_ se_n the floures spreaden and springen

And to_ he_ren the fugeles singen.

They setten hem du_n al thre_

Under a fayer impe-tre_, 70

And wel so_ne this fayer cwe_n

Fe_ll on sle_pe upon the gre_ne.

The maydenes dursten hir' noht a`waken,

Bu_t' le_ten hir' liggen and reste taken.

Swa_ sce_ sle_p til after no_ne, 75

That under`ti_d was al y`do_n.

Ak, als so_ne als sce_ gan a`waken,

sce_ crid', and la_thlic beare gan maken;

sce_ froted' hir' handes and hir' fe_t,

And cracced' hir visage - it bledde weat, 80

Hir' ri_ce robe sce_ al to_`ritte

And was reveyd u_t of hir' wit.

The twa_ maydenes hir' bi_`si_de

Na_ dursten with hir' na_ leng a`bi_den,

Bu_t' urnen to_ the palays ful riht 85

And ta_lden ba_the squier and cniht

That here cwe_n a`we_den wolde,

And bad hem ga_n and hir' at`ha_lden.

Cnihtes urnen and leafdiyes alswa_,

Damisels sex`tiy and ma_. 90

In the ort`yard to_ the cwe_n hi_ co_men,

And hir' up in here arm`es no_men,

And brohten hir' to_ bed at latest,

And he_ld hir' thear fine fast.

Ak eafer' sce_ he_ld in a_n cri 95

And wolde up and on`wey.

Hwanne Orfeo he_rde that ti_ding

Neafer' him nas wers for na_`thing.

He_ com with cnihtes te_n

To_ chaumber, riht be`foren the cwe_n, 100