The Owl and the Nightingale (lines 101-200)

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

view original text

That o_ther year a faucoun bredde;

hir' nest noht wel hyo ne be`he_dde:

thear`to_ thu_ steale in a_n day,

and leydest thear`on thi_n fu_le e_y.

Tha_ hit be`com that hyo hahte, 105

and of hir' e_yre briddes wrohte;

hyo brohte hir' briddes mete,

be`he_ld hir' nest, i`sah hi_ eten:

hyo i`sah bi_ a_ne halfe

hir' nest i`fu_led u_t`halfe. 110

The faucoun was wrath with hir' bridde,

and lu_de yal and sterne ci_dde:

"Seggeth me_, hwa_ hafeth this i`do_n?

Of nas neafer' i`ki_nde thear`to_:

hit was i`do_n of a la_the kiste. 115

Seggeth me_ yif ye_ hit wisten."

Tha_ cwath that a_n and cwath that o_ther:

"I`wiss it was u_re a_gen bro_ther,

the yond that hafeth that greate heafed:

wey that he_ nis thear`of be`reafed! 120

Warp hit u_t mid the alre-firste

that his necke him to_-berste!"

The faucoun i`le_fde hir' briddes,

and nam that fu_le brid a`midde,

and warp hit of the wi_lde bo_ge,125

thear pie and cra_we hit to_`dro_gen.

He_r`bi_ men seggeth a bi_`spel,

theah hit ne be_ fulli_ce spel;

al swa_ hit is bi_ the un`go_de

that is i`cumen of fu_le bro_de, 130

and is menged with fre_ men,

eafer' he_ ki_theth that he_ com thanne,

that he_ com of the adel-e_ge,

theah he_ a fre_ neste leye.

theah appel trendele fram the trewe, 135

thear he_ and o_ther mid gro_we,

theah he_ be_ thear-fram be`cumen,

he_ ki_theth wel hwenen he_ is i`cumen."

Tha_s word a`yaf the nihte`gale,

and after the la_nge tale 140

he_ sang swa_ lu_de and swa_ scarpe,

riht swa_ me_ grillde scille harpe.

This u_le lisnede thider`ward,

and he_ld hire e_gen nether`ward,

and sat to_`swollen and i`bolgen, 145

alswa_ hyo hadde a_ne frogghe i`swolgen:

for hyo wel wiste and was i`war

that hyo sang hire a bismer.

and na_`the`leas hyo yaf andswere,

"Hwi_ nil thu_ fle_n into_ the bare, 150

and sceawen hwether unker be_

of brihter he_we, of fayere`r ble_?"

"Na_, thu_ hafest wel scarpe clawe,

ne ke_p' ic noht that thu_ me_ clawe.

thu_ hafest cliferes swi_the stra_nge, 155

thu_ twengst thear-mid swa_ do_th a ta_ng.

Thu_ thohtest, swa_ do_th thi_ne i`li_ce,

mid fayere worde me_ be`swi_ken.

Ic nolde do_n that thu_ me_ readdest,

ic wiste wel that thu_ me_ mis`readdest. 160

Scame the_ for thi_n un`reade!

Un`wrigen is thi_n swikelha_de!

Sce_ld thi_ne swikeldo_m fram the lihte,

and hi_d that wo_h ama_ng the rihte.

Thanne thu_ wilt thi_n un`riht spenden, 165

lo_ke that hit ne be_ i`segen:

for swikedo_m hafeth scame and hete,

yif hit is open and underyeten.

Ne speddest thu_ noht mid thi_ne un`wrence,

for ic am war and can wel blencen.170

Ne helpeth noht that thu_ be_ to_ thri_ste:

ic wolde fihten bet mid liste

than thu_ mid al thi_ne strengthe.

Ic habbe, on breade and e_k on leng`the,

castel go_d on mi_ne ri_se: 175

"Wel fihteth that wel fle_th," seyth the wi_se.

Ak leaten we_ a`wey this ceast,

for swilce wordes be_n un`wreaste;

and fo_n we_ on mid rihte do_me,

mid fayere wordes and mid y`so_me. 180

Theah we_ ne be_n at a_ne acorde,

we_ mugen be_n it mid fayere worde,

with`u_te ceaste, and bu_ten fihte,

plaidi mid fo_ge and mid rihte:

and may u_re eayther hwat he_ wile 185

mid rihte seggen and mid skille."

Tha_ cwath the u_le "Hwa_ scal us se_men,

that cunne and wille riht us de_men?"

"Ic wa_t wel" cwath the nihte`gale,

"Ne tharf thear`of be_n na_ tale. 190

Maister Nichole of Guldeforde,

he_ is wi_s and war of worde:

he_ is of do_me swi_the gleaw,

and him is la_th eafric un`theaw.

He_ wa_t in`sihth in ealce sa_nge, 195

hwa_ singeth wel, hwa_ singeth wra_nge:

and he_ can sceaden fram the rihte

that wo_h, that the_ster fram the lihte."

Tha_ u_le a_ne hwi_le hit be`thohte,

and after that this word up`brohte: 200