skip to content

englesaxe

Early Middle English for today

full menu

The Owl and the Nightingale (lines 1-100)

original text

view normalised text
Ich was in one sumere dale,
in one sut`e diy`ele hale,
iherde ich holde grete tale
an hule and one niy`tingale.
T`at plait was stif & starc & strong, 5
sum wile softe & lud among;
an ait`er ay`en ot`er sval,
& let t`at [vue]le mod ut al.
& eit`er seide of ot`eres custe
t`at alre-worste t`at hi wuste: 10
& hure & hure of ot`ere[s] songe
hi holde plaiding sut`e stronge.
T`e niy`tingale bigon t`e speche,
in one hurne of one breche,
& sat up one vaire boy`e, 15
- t`ar were abute blosme inoy`e,-
in ore waste t`icke hegge
imeind mid spire & grene segge.
Ho was t`e gladur uor t`e rise,
& song auele cunne wise: 20
[b]et t`uy`te t`e dreim t`at he were
of harpe & pipe t`an he nere:
bet t`uy`te t`at he were ishote
of harpe & pipe t`an of t`rote.
[T`]o stod on old stoc t`ar biside, 25
t`ar t`o vle song hire tide,
& was mid iui al bigrowe;
hit was t`are hule earding-stowe.
[T`]e niy`tingale hi isey`,
& hi bihold & ouersey`, 30
& t`uy`te wel [vu]l of t`are hule,
for me hi halt lodlich & fule.
"Vnwiy`t," ho sede, "awei t`u flo!
me is t`e w[u]rs t`at ich t`e so.
Iwis for t`ine [vu]le lete, 35
wel [oft ich] mine song forlete;
min horte atflit` & falt mi tonge,
wonne t`u art [to me] it`runge.
Me luste bet speten t`ane singe
of t`ine fule y`oy`elinge." 40
T`os hule abod fort hit was eve,
ho ne miy`te no leng bileue,
vor hire horte was so gret
t`at wel ney` hire fnast atschet,
& warp a word t`ar-after longe; 45
"Hu t`inct`e nu bi mine songe?
We[n]st t`u t`at ich ne cunne singe,
t`ey` ich ne cunne of writelinge?
Ilome t`u dest me grame,
& seist me [bot`e tone] & schame. 50
Ȝif ich t`e holde on mine uote,
(so hit bitide t`at ich mote!)
& t`u were vt of t`ine rise,
t`u sholdest singe an ot`er w[i]se."
T`e niy`tingale y`af answare: 55
"Ȝif ich me loki wit t`e bare,
& me schilde wit t`e blete,
ne reche ich noy`t of t`ine t`rete;
y`if ich me holde in mine hegge,
ne recche ich neuer what t`u segge. 60
Ich wot t`at t`u art unmilde
wit` hom t`at ne muy`e from [t`]e schilde;
& t`u tukest wrot`e & vuele,
whar t`u miy`t, over smale fuy`ele.
Vort`i t`u art lot` al fuel-kunne, 65
& alle ho t`e driuet` honne,
& t`e bischrichet` & bigredet,
& wel narewe t`e biledet;
& ek fort`e t`e sulue mose,
hire t`onkes, wolde t`e totose. 70
t`u art lodlich to biholde,
& t`u art lot` in monie volde;
t`i bodi is short, t`i swore is smal,
grettere is t`in heued t`an t`u al;
t`in ey`ene bot` col-blake & brode, 75
riy`t swo ho weren ipeint mid wode;
t`u starest so t`u wille abiten
al t`at t`u mi[y`]t mid cliure smiten:
t`i bile is stif & scharp & hoked,
riy`t so an owel t`at is croked; 80
t`ar-mid t`u clackes[t] oft & longe,
& t`at is on of t`ine songe.
Ac t`u t`retest to mine fleshe,
mid t`ine cliures woldest me meshe.
t`e were icundur to one frogge 85
snailes, mus, & fule wiy`te,
bot` t`ine cunde & t`ine riy`te.
T`u sittest adai & fliy`[s]t aniy`t,
t`u cut`est t`at t`u art on vnwiy`t. 90
T`u art lodlich & unclene,
bi t`ine neste ich hit mene,
& ek bi t`ine fule brode,
t`u fedest on hom a wel ful fode.
Vel wostu t`at hi dot` t`arinne, 95
hi fulet` hit up to t`e chinne:
ho sittet` t`ar so hi bo bisne.
T`arbi men segget a uorbisne:
"Dahet habbe t`at ilke best
t`at fulet` his owe nest." 100