The Owl and the Nightingale (lines 101-200)
original text
view normalised textT`at ot`er y`er a faukun bredde;
his nest noy`t wel he ne bihedde:
t`arto t`u stele in o dai,
& leidest t`aron t`i fole ey.
T`o hit bicom t`at he hay`te,
105& of his eyre briddes wray`te;
ho broy`te his briddes mete,
bihold his nest, isey` hi ete:
he isey` bi one halue
his nest ifuled uthalue.
110T`e faucun was wrot` wit his bridde,
& lude y`al & sterne chidde:
"Segget me, wo hauet t`is ido?
Ov nas neuer icunde t`arto:
hit was idon ov a lot`[e] [cu]ste.
115Segge[t`] me y`if y`e hit wiste."
T`o quat` t`at on & quad t`at ot`er:
"Iwis it was ure oy`er brot`er,
t`e y`ond t`at haue[t`] t`at grete heued:
wai t`at hi[t] nis t`arof bireued!
120Worp hit ut mid t`e alre-[vu]rste
t`at his necke him to-berste!"
T`e faucun ilefde his bridde,
& nom t`at fule brid amidde,
& warp hit of t`an wilde bowe,
125t`ar pie & crowe hit todrowe.
Herbi men segget a bispel,
t`ey` hit ne bo fuliche spel;
al so hit is bi t`an ungode
t`at is icumen of fule brode,
130& is meind wit fro monne,
euer he cut` t`at he com t`onne,
t`at he com of t`an adel-eye,
t`ey` he a fro nest[e] leie.
t`ey` appel trendli fro[m] t`on trowe,
135t`ar he & ot`er mid growe,
t`ey` he bo t`ar-from bicume,
he cut` wel whonene he is icume."
T`os word ay`af t`e niy`tingale,
& after t`are longe tale
140he song so lude & so scharpe,
riy`t so me grulde schille harpe.
T`os hule luste t`iderward,
& hold hire ey`e not`erwa[r]d,
& sat tosvolle & ibolwe,
145also ho hadde one frogge isuoly`e:
for ho wel wiste & was iwar
t`at ho song hire a-bisemar.
& not`eles ho y`a[f] andsuare,
"Whi neltu flon into t`e bare,
150& sewi [w]are unker bo
of briy`ter howe, of uairur blo?"
"No, t`u hauest wel scharpe clawe,
ne kepich noy`t t`at t`u me clawe.
t`u hauest cliuers sut`e stronge,
155t`u tuengst t`ar-mid so dot` a tonge.
T`u t`oy`test, so dot` t`ine ilike,
mid faire worde me biswike.
Ich nolde don t`at t`u me raddest,
ich wiste wel t`at t`u me misraddest.
160Schamie t`e for t`in unrede!
Vnwroy`en is t`i svikelhede!
Schild t`ine svikeldom vram t`e liy`te,
& hud t`at woy`e amon[g] t`e riy`te.
T`ane t`u wilt t`in unriy`t spene,
165loke t`at hit ne bo isene:
vor svikedom haue[t`] schome & hete,
y`if hit is ope & undery`ete.
Ne speddestu noy`t mid t`ine unwrenche,
for ich am war & can wel blenche.
170Ne helpt` noy`t t`at t`u bo to [t`]riste:
ich wolde viy`te bet mid liste
t`an t`u mid al t`ine strengt`e.
Ich habbe, on brede & eck on lengt`e,
castel god on mine rise:
175"Wel fiy`t t`at wel fliy`t," seit` t`e wise.
Ac lete we awei t`os cheste,
vor suiche wordes bot` unw[re]ste;
& fo we on mid riy`te dome,
mid faire worde & mid ysome.
180T`ey` we ne bo at one acorde,
we m[a]y`e bet mid fayre worde,
witute cheste, & bute fiy`te,
plaidi mid foy`e & mid riy`te:
& mai hure eit`er wat h[e] wile
185mid riy`te segge & mid sckile."
T`o quat` t`e hule "[W]u schal us seme,
t`at kunne & wille riy`t us deme?"
"Ich wot wel" quat` t`e niy`tingale,
"Ne t`aref t`arof bo no tale.
190Maister Nichole of Guldeforde,
he is wis an war of worde:
he is of dome sut`e gleu,
& him is lot` eurich unt`eu.
He wot insiy`t in eche songe,
195wo singet wel, wo singet wronge:
& he can schede vrom t`e riy`te
t`at woy`e, t`at t`uster from t`e liy`te."
T`o hule one wile hi bit`oy`te,
& after t`an t`is word upbroy`te:
200