The Owl and the Nightingale (lines 301-400)

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

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"That with the fu_le hafeth i`meane,

ne cumeth he_ neafer' fram him cleane."

We_nest thu that hafek be_ the werse

thoh cra_we be`greade him bi_ the mersce, p30

and ga_th to_ him mid hire cirme 305

riht swa_ hyo wille with him skirmen?

The hafek folgeth go_de reade,

and fle_hth his wey and leateth him greaden."

"Ye_t thu_ me_ seyst of o_ther thinge,

and tellst that ic ne can noht singen, 310

ak al mi rerde is wa_ning,

and to_ i`he_ren grislic thing.

That nis noht so_th, ic singe efene,

mid fulle dreame and lu_de stefene.

Thu_ we_nest that ealc sa_ng be_ grislic, 315

that thi_ne pi_pinge nis i`li_c.

Mi_ stefene is ba_ld and noht un`orne,

hit is i`li_c a_ne greate horne,

and thi_n is i`li_c a_ne pi_pe,

of a_ne smale we_de un`ri_pe. 320

Ic singe bet than thu_ de_st:

thu_ citer`est swa_ do_th a_n I_risc pre_st.

Ic singe on e_fen a rihte ti_me,

and siththe hwann hit is bed-ti_me,

the thridde si_the at middel-nihte: 325

and swa_ ic mi_ne sa_ng a`dihte

hwanne ic i`se_ a`ri_sen ferre

other day-rim other day-sterre.

Ic do_ go_d mid mi_ne throte,

and warne men to_ here note. 330

Ak thu_ singest alle la_nge niht,

fram e_fen for`to_ hit is day-liht,

and eafere seyst thi_n a_n sa_ng

swa_ la_nge swa_ the niht is la_ng:

and eafere cra_weth thi_n wrecce cri, 335

that he_ ne swi_keth niht ne day.

Mid thi_ne pi_pinge thu_ a`dinest

the mannes earen thear thu_ wunest,

and makest thi_ne sa_ng swa_ un`wurth

that me ne tellth of thear noht wurth. 340

Eafric mirhthe may swa_ la_nge i`lasten

that hit scal li_ken wel un`wreaste:

for harpe, and pi_pe, and fugeles sa_ng

mis`li_keth, yif hit is to_ la_ng.

Ne be_ the sa_ng neafer' swa_ miriye, 345

that hit ne scal thinke wel un`miriye

yif hit i`lasteth ofer un`wille:

swa_ thu_ miht thi_ne sa_ng a`spille.

For hit is so_th, Alfred hit seyde,

and me hit may inne bo_ke readen: 350

"Eafric thing may le_sen his go_d`ha_de

mid un`meathe and mid ofer`de_de."

Mid e_ste thu_ the_ miht ofer`quaten,

and ofer`fill maketh wla_ten:

and eafric mirhthe may a`ga_n 355

yif me hit ha_ldeth eafere forth in on,

bu_ten a_ne, that is Godes ri_ce,

that eafere is swe_te and eafere i`li_ce:

theah thu_ nime eafere of that leape,

hit is eafere ful bi_ heape. 360

Wunder hit is of Godes ri_ce,

that eafere spendeth and eafer is i`li_ce.

ye_t thu_ me_ seyst an o_ther scame,

that ic am on mi_ne e_gen lame,

and seyst, for that ic fle_ge bi_ nihte, 365

that ic ne may i`se_n bi_ lihte.

Thu_ le_gest! on me_ hit is i`se_ne

that ic habbe go_de se_ne:

for nis na_n swa_ dim the_sternesse

that ic eafer' i`se_ the leasse. 370

Thu_ we_nest that ic ne mihte i`se_n,

for ic bi_ daye noht ne fle_ge.

The hare lu_teth al day,

ak na_`the`leas i`se_n he_ may.

Yif hu_ndes ernen to_ him-ward, 375

he_ gength wel swi_the a`wey-ward,

and ho_keth pathes swi_the narewe,

and hafeth mid him his blences yarwe,

and hoppeth and starteth swi_the ca_fe,

and se_ceth pathes to the gra_fe: 380

ne scolde he_ for ba_the his e_gen

swa_ do_n, yif he_ the bet ne i`seage.

Ic may i`se_n swa_ wel swa_ a_n hare,

theah ic bi_ daye sitte and dare.

Thear ohte men be_n in werre, 385

and faren ba_the ne_h and ferre,

and ofer`faren fele the_de,

and do_n bi_ nihte go_de ne_de,

ic folge the ohte manne,

and fle_ge bi_ nihte in here banne." 390

The nihte`gale in hire thohte

at`he_ld al this, and la_nge thohte

hwat hyo thear`after mihte seggen:

for hyo ne mihte noht a`leggen

that the u_le hadde hire i`seyd, 395

for he_ spak ba_the riht and read.

And hire of`thuhte that hyo hadde

the spe_ce swa_ for forth i`ledde,

and was a`feard that hire andswere

ne wurthe noht a`riht i`faren. 400