Ormulum admonition to husbands and wives
in a normalised Early Middle English (East Midland dialect c 1200)
view original textThi_n macce birth the_ lufen wel
Yif that hyo drihten dreadeth.
and thu_ miht folgen hire will
In al that nis na_ sinne,
In al that hyo yerneth with skil
To_ inker ba_the go_de.
and yif that is that hyo is al
Witleas and wa_k and wicke,
Al birth the_ do_n thi_n miht thear`to_
To_ yemen hire and yeaten,
Swa_ that hyo muge borgen be_n
At hire li_fes ende.
For yif that hyo is yeateleas
and eyeleas and wi_lde,
hyo gilteth ske_t and yif thu_'t wa_st
and the_ nis noht thear`of,
Tha_ nart thu_ noht al sinneleas
Of - that hyo liyth in sinne.
and yif thi_n macce is wi_s and go_d,
and thu_ witleas and wicke,
Tha birth thi_n macce yeaten the_,
Al that hyo may fra_ sinne.
For eayther birth thurh o_ther be_n
Holpen to_ werthen borgen.
and yif yit ba_the folgen riht,
and lufen God and dreaden,
and ha_lden inker cri_sten`do_m
Wel after inker mihte,
Swa_ that yit ba_the leaden ink
Cleanli_ce ink betwe_nen,
Tha_ folge yit that narwe sti_h
That leadeth ink til hefene,
Yif that yit enden inker li_f
Al after Cri_stes wille,
With al the rihte leafe on God,
and al in go_de de_des,
With lufe to_`ward alle men,
With hu_sel and with scrifte.
and ink birth nimen micel go_m
To_ theawen inker cildre,
and ink birth yerne learen hem
To_ lufen God and dreaden,
Yif that yit nillen wra_then God
Thurh sinnful yeme`leaste.
and ink birth inker le_ge-men
Riht lageli_ce leaden,
Swa_ that yit noht at ho_feleas
Ne ne_de theym to_ swinken.
For ink birth witen swi_the wel
and inwardli_ce tre_wen
That nis betwe_nen ink and hem
Na_n scead in mannes ki_nde,
and that they mugen go_de be_n
Be`foren Godes e_gen,
and that yit mugen wra_then God
Yif yit hem ofer`be_den;
and here le_ge birth hem be_n
Readiy than it is adled;
For that is Godes bode`word -
Lo_k yif thu_ wilt it folgen -
That here day`hwamli_ce swink
Be_ day`hwamli_ce hem yolden.
and hem birth yif that hem is la_th
Ful hefiy`li_ce to_ gilten,
Be_n ear and late on inker werk;
and yernful ay thear`on;
For yif they wircen inker werk
For`worthenli_ce and ille,
Tha_ gilten they ful hefiy`li_ce
Yean God and yean ink ba_the.