Sir Orfeo (lines 101-200)

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

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And be`he_ld, and seyd with greate pite,

"O le_f' li_f, hwat is the_,

That eafer ye_te hafest be_n swa_ stille

And nu_ greadest wunder scille?

Thi_n bodiy, that was swa_ hwi_te y`coren, 105

With thi_ne nayles is al to_`toren.

Allas! thi_ rude, that was swa_ read,

Is al wan, als thu_ weare dead;

And alswa_ thi_ne fingeres smale

Be_n al blo_diy and al pale. 110

Allas! thi_ lufe`sum e_gen to_

Lo_ken swa_ man do_th on his fa_!

A, dame, ic be`se_ce, merci!

Leate be_n al this re_weful cri,

And tell me_ hwat the_ is, and hu_, 115

And hwat thing may the_ helpen nu_."

Tha_ lay sce_ stille at latest

And gan to_ we_pen swi_the fast,

And seyd thus the King to_:

"Allas, mi_ la_ferd, Sir Orfeo! 120

Sithen we_ first to_`gader' wearen,

A_nes wra_th neafer' we_ nearen;

Bu_t' eafer' ic hafe y`lufed the_

Als mi_ li_f and swa_ thu_ me_;

Ak nu_ we_ mo_ten dealen a`twa_; 125

Do_ thi_ best, for i_ mo_t ga_n."

"Allas!" cwath he_, "for`loren ic am!

Hwider wilt thu_ ga_n, and to_ hwam?

Hwider thu_ ga_st, ic will' with the_,

And hwider i_ ga_, thu_ scalt with me_." 130

"Nay, nay, Sir, that noht nis!

Ic will' the_ tellen al hu_ it is:

Als ic lay this under`ti_de

And sle_p under u_r' ort`yard`si_de,

Thear com to_ me_ twa_ fayere cnihtes 135,

Wel y`armed al to_ rihtes,

And bad me_ cumen on hi_ging

And speken with her' la_ferd the king.

And ic andswered' at wordes ba_ld,

I_ durst noht, na_ i_ nold'. 140

They prikeden on`yean als they mihten dri_fen;

Tha_ com her' king, alswa_ bi_`li_fe,

With an hundred cnihtes and ma_,

And damisels an hundred alswa_,

Al on sna_we-hwi_te ste_des; 145

Als hwi_te als milke wearen her' weades.

I_ na_ sah neafer' ye_te be`foren

Swa_ fayere creatours y`coren.

The king hadde a cru_n on heafed;

It nas of silfer, na_ of gold read, 150

Ak it was of a precious sta_n,

Als briht als the sunne it sca_n.

And als so_n' als he_ to_ me_ com,

Wold' ic, nold' ic, he_ me_ nam,

And mak'de me_ with him ri_den 155

Upon a palfrey bi_ his si_de;

And broht me_ to_ his palays,

Wel atird in ealc weys,

And sceawed' me_ castels and tu_rs,

Rivers, forestes, firhth' with flours, 160

And his ri_ce stedes ealc a_n.

And sithen me_ broht on`yean ha_m

Into_ u_r' a_gen ort`yard,

And sayd' to_ me_ thus after`ward,

"'Lo_ke, dame, to_`morgen that thu_ be_ 165

Riht he_re under this impe-tre_,

And thann' thu_ scalt with u_s ga_n

And lifen with u_s eafer`ma_.

And yif thu_ makest u_s y`lett,

Hwear thu_ be_, thu_ werthest y`fett, 170

And to_`toren thi_ne limes al

That na_`thing helpen the_ na_ scal;

And theah thu_ be_st swa_ to_`toren,

Ye_te thu_ werthest with u_s y`boren."'

Hwann' King Orfeo he_rd' this cas, 175

"O wa_!" cwath he_, "Allas, allas!

Le_fer me_ weare to_ leaten mi_ li_f

Than thus to_ le_sen the cwe_n, mi_ wi_f!"

He_ asked' conseyl at ealc man,

Ak na_ man him helpen na_ can. 180

A`morgen the under`ti_de is cumen

And Orfeo hafeth his armes y`numen,

And wel te_n hundred cnihtes with him,

Ealc y`armed, stout and grim;

And with the cwe_n wenten hi_ 185

Riht un`til that impe-tre_.

They mak'de sce_ld-trume in ealc a si_de

And sayden they wolden thear a`bi_den

And deyen thear eafric a_n,

Ear the cwe_n scolde fram hem ga_n. 190

Ak ye_te a`middes hem ful riht

The cwe_n was a`wey y`twiht,

With fairy forth y`numen.

Men wisten neafer hwear sce_ was be`cumen.

Tha_ was thear criing, we_pen and wa_! 195

The king into_ his chaumber is ga_n,

And oft y`swo_gen upon the sta_n,

And mak'de swilce diol and swilce ma_n

That ne_h his li_f was y`spent -

Thear was na_n amendement. 200