The Owl and the Nightingale (lines 201-300)

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

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"Ic grante wel that he_ us de_me,

for theah he_ weare hwi_lum bre_me,

and le_f him weare nihte`gale,

and o_ther wihtes gente and smale,

ic wa_t he_ is nu_ swi_the a`co_led. 205

Nis he_ for the_ noht afoled,

that he_, for thi_ne a_lde lufe,

me_ a`du_n legge and the_ bufen:

ne scalt thu_ neafere swa_ him cwe_me,

that he_ for the_ fals do_m de_me. 210

He_ is him ri_pe and fast-reade,

ne listeth him nu_ to_ na_ne un`reade:

nu_ him ne listeth na_ ma_re pleye,

he_ wile ga_n on rihte weye."

The nihte`gale was al yare, 215

hyo hadde i`lerned wel eay`hweare:

"U_le," hyo seyde, "seye me_ so_th,

hwi_ do_st thu_ that un`wihtes do_n?

thu_ singest a`niht and noht a`day,

and al thi_n sa_ng is wey-la_ wa_. 220

Thu_ miht mid thi_ne sa_nge a`fearen

alle that i`he_ren thi_ne i`beare:

thu_ scri_kest and yellest to thi_ne i`fe_re,

that hit is grislic to_ i`he_ren:

hit thinketh ba_the wi_se and sne_pe 225

noht that thu_ singe, ak that thu_ we_pe.

Thu_ fle_hst a`niht and noht a`day:

thear`of ic wundere and wel may.

for eafric thing that scuneth riht,

hit lufeth the_ster and hateth liht: 230

and to_ eafric thing that is le_f mis`de_de,

hit lufeth the_ster to_ his de_de.

A wi_s word, theah hit be_ un`cleane,

is of fele manne a`mu_the i`meane,

for Alfred King hit seyde and wra_t: 235

"He_ scuneth that him fu_l wa_t."

Ic we_ne that thu_ do_st alswa_,

for thu_ fle_hst nihtes eafer ma_.

An o_ther thing me_ is a`we_ne,

thu_ hafest a`niht wel brihte se_n; 240

bi_ daye thu_ art stare-bli_nd,

that thu_ ne sehst ne bo_h ne stri_nd.

A`day thu_ art bli_nd other bisene,

thear`bi_ me seggeth a fore`bisene:

"Riht swa_ hit farth bi_ the un`go_de 245

that noht ne se_th to na_ne go_de,

and is swa_ ful of ifele wrence

that him ne may na_ man at`prence,

and can wel the the_stere wey,

and the brihte leateth a`wey." 250

Swa_ do_n that ba_th' of thi_ne ki_nde,

of lihte nabben hi_ na_ne i`mingde."

The u_le lisnede swi_the la_nge,

and was of`te_ned swi_the stra_nge:

hyo cwath "Thu_ hattest nihte`gale, 255

thu_ mihtest bet ha_ten gale`gale,

for thu_ hafest to_ maniye tales.

Leat thi_ne tunge habben spale!

Thu_ we_nest that this day be_ thi_n a_gen:

leat me_ nu_ habben mi_ne thra_ge: 260

be_ nu_ stille and leat me_ speken,

ic wille be_n of the_ a`wreken.

and lisne hu_ ic can me_ bi_`tellen,

mid rihte so_the, withu_ten spelle.

Thu_ seyst that ic me_ hi_de a`day, 265

thear`to_ ne segge ic ne ic ne naye:

and lisne ic telle the_ hwear`fore,

al hwi_ hit is and hweare`fore.

Ic habbe bile sti_f and stra_nge,

and go_de cliferes scarp and la_nge, 270

swa_ hit be`cumeth to_ hafekes kinne;

hit is mi_n hihte, hit is mi_ wine,

that ic me_ drage to mi_ne ki_nde,

ne may me_ na_ man thear`fore scenden:

on me_ hit is wel i`se_n, 275

for rihte ki_nde ic am swa_ ke_ne.

Forthi_ ic am la_th to_ smale fugeles

that fle_gen bi_ gru_nde and bi_ thi_fele:

hi_ me_ be`cirmen and be`greaden,

and here flockes to_ me_ leaden. 280

Me_ is le_f to_ habben reste

and sitten stille in mi_ne neste:

for neare ic neafer na_ the betere,

yif ic mid cefeling and mid citer`e

hem scende and mid fu_le worde, 285

swa_ herdes do_n other mid scit-worde.

Ne listeth me_ with the screawes ci_den;

forthi_ ic wende fram hem wi_de.

Hit is a wi_se manne do_me,

and hi_ hit seggen wel i`lo_me, 290

that me ne ci_de with the gidiye,

ne with the ofene me ne yi_ne.

At sume si_the he_rde ic tellen

hu_ Alfred seyde on his spelles:

"Lo_ke that thu_ ne be_ theare 295

thear cefeling be_n and ceaste yare:

leat sottes ci_den and forth thu_ ga_."

and ic am wi_s and do_ alswa_.

and ye_t Alfred seyde on o_ther si_de

a word that is i`sprungen wi_de: 300