The Ormulum Homily vii/viii v 3264-3426

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

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Nu_ wille ic he_r sceawen yow

Of u_re lafdiy Marye. 3265

Of hu_ hyo bar the la_ferd Cri_st

At hire rihte ti_me.

Swa_ that hyo thoh thear`after was

Ay mayden thwert u_t cleane.

vii. Secundum lucam. Exit edictum.

A_n romanisce keyserking

Was Augustus y`ha_ten.

And he_ was wurthen keyserking

Of al man`kin on erthe.

And he_ gan thenken of him self

And of his micele ri_ce. 3275

And he_ be`gan to thenken tha_

Swa_ som the bo_k us ki_theth.

Of that he_ wolde witen wel

Hu_ micel feh him co_me. col.84

Yif him of al his kinedo_m

Ealc man a_n pening yeafe.

And he_ bad setten up on writ

Al man`kin for to_ lo_ken

Hu_ micel feh he_ mihte swa_

Of al the wereld samenen 3285

Thurh that him scolde of ealc a_n man

A_n pening werthe rekened.

And tha_ was sett that i`hwilc man

Hwear swa_ he_ weare on lande.

Ha_m scolde wenden to that tu_n

That he_ was boren inne.

And that he_ scolde thear for him

His heafed`pening rekenen.

Swa_ that he_ yean the keyserking

Ne fe_lle noht in wi_te. 3295

And in that ilke ti_me was

Ioseap with sancte Marye

In Galilew, and in that tu_n

That Nasareth was nemned.

And tha_ they ba_the fo_ren ha_m

Til here ba_the ki_nde.

In`til the land of Yersalem

They fo_ren samen ba_the.

And co_men in`til Bethleeam

Til here ba_the birde. 3305

Thear was hem ba_the birde to_

For that they ba_the wearen

Of Dauith kinges kines men

Swa_ som the god`spell ki_theth.

And Dauith kinges birde was

In Bethleeames cestere.

And hem was ba_the birde thear

Thurh Dauith kinges birde.

For that they wearen of his kin

And him ful ne_h be`tahte. 3315

And sancte Maryes ti_me was

That hyo tha_ scolde ci_lden.

And thear hyo bar al`mihtiy God

That al this wereld wrohte.

And wa_nd him so_ne in wi_nde`clu_t

And leyde him in a cribbe.

Forthi_ that hyo ne wiste hwear

hyo mihte him do_n in bu_re.

And thoh that God was boren thear

Swa_ dearneli_ce on erthe 3325

And wu_nden thear swa_ wreccelic

With clu_tes in a cribbe

Ne wolde he_ noht for`holen be_n.

Thoh`hwethere in here clu_tes.

Ak wolde sceawen hwat he_ was

Thurh hefenlice ta_ken.

For so_ne ana_n after that he_.

Was boren thear to_ manne

Thear on`fast in that ilke land.

Was segen micel ta_ken. col.85 3335

A_n engel com of hefenes eard

In a_nes weres he_we.

Til hirdes thear thear they that niht

Be`wo_ken here fa_ldes.

That engel co_m, and sto_d hem bi_

With hefenes liht and le_me.

And forth`riht som they seagen him

They wurthen swi_the of`dread.

And Godes engel hem be`gan

To_ fro_fren and to_ be_lden. 3345

And sayde hem thus on Godes half

With swi_the mi_lde spe_ce:

Ne be_ ye_ noht for`dread of me_

Ak be_ ye_ swi_the bli_the.

For ic am send of hefenes eard

To_ ki_then Godes wille,

To_ ki_then yow that all folk is

Nu_ cumen micel blisse.

For yow is boren nu_ to_ day

Healende of yowre sinnes. 3355

A_n wencel that is Iesu Cri_st

That wite ye_ to_ so_the.

And he_r on`fast he_ boren is

In Dauith kinges cestere.

That is y`ha_ten Bethleeam

In this iu_de_isce birde.

And he_r ic wille sceawen yow

Sum thing to_ wi_ter ta_ken.

Ye_ sculen fi_nden eanne ci_ld

In wi_nde`clu_tes wu_nden. 3365

And it is in a cribbe leyd

And thear ye_'t mugen fi_nden.

And so_ne ana_n se this was sayd

Thurh a_n of Godes engeles

A_n micel here of engel`the_d

Was cumen u_t of hefene.

And all that hirde`flock hem sah

And he_rde hwat they sungen.

They alle sungen eanne sa_ng

Drihten to_ lofe and wurthe. 3375

And thus they sungen alle i`mean

Swa_ som the god`spell ki_theth.

Si_ drihten up in hefenes eard

Wurth`mint and lof and wulder.

And upon erthe grith and frith

Thurh Godes mi_ld`hertnesse.

Til i`hwilc man that habben scal

Go_d herte and go_d wille.

And so_ne ana_n se this was thear

Thurh Godes engeles awned 3385

They wenden fra_ tha_ wake`men.

Al u_t of here sihthe.

Secundum Lucam. viii. Pastores loquebantur ad inuicem. Transeamus usque bethleem.

And they tha_ so_ne to_ken thus

To_ speken hem betwe_nen.

Ga_ we_ nu_ til that ilke tu_n

That Bethleeam is nemned.

And lo_ke we_ that ilke word

That is nu_ wroht on erthe.

That Drihten God us hafeth wroht

And awned thurh his a_re. 3395

And so_ne ana_n they ye_den forth

Til Bethleeames cestere. col. 86

And fu_nden sancte Marye thear

And Ioseap hire macce.

And e_k they fu_nden thear the ci_ld

Thear it was leyd in cribbe.

And tha_ they under`sto_den wel

That word that Godes engeles

Hem hafden awned of that ci_ld

That they thear hafden fu_nden. 3405

And tha_ they wenden hem on`yean

With rihte leafe on Cri_ste.

And to_ken inwardli_ce God

To_ lofen and to_ thanken

Al that they hafden he_rd of him

And segen thurh his a_re.

And so_ne ana_n they ki_thden forth

Ama_ng iu_de_isce the_de.

Al that they hafden he_rd of Cri_st

And segen wel with e_gen; 3415

And i`hwilc man that he_rde it oht

For`wundered was thear`of.

And u_re lafdiy Marye to_k

Al that hyo sah and he_rde,

And al hyo't he_ld in hire thoht

Swa_ som the god`spell ki_theth.

And leyde it al to_`samen ay

In swi_the thohtful herte.

Al that hyo sah and he_rde of Cri_st

Hwa_s mo_der hyo was worthen. 3425