The Owl and the Nightingale (lines 301-400)
original text
view normalised text"T`at wit t`e fule hauet` imene,
ne cumet` he neuer from him cleine."
Wenestu t`at haueck bo t`e worse
t`oy` crowe bigrede him bi t`e mershe,
p30& got` to him mid hore chirme
305riy`t so hi wille wit him schirme?
T`e hauec foly`et` gode rede,
& fliy`t his wei & lat him grede."
"Ȝet t`u me seist of ot`er t`inge,
& telst t`at ich ne can noy`t singe,
310ac al mi rorde is woning,
& to ihire grislich t`ing.
T`at nis noy`t sot`, ich singe efne,
mid fulle dreme & lude stefne.
T`u wenist t`at ech song bo grislich,
315t`at t`ine pipinge nis ilich.
Mi stefne is [bold] & noy`t unorne,
ho is ilich one grete horne,
& t`in is ilich one pipe,
of one smale wode unripe.
320Ich singe bet t`an t`u dest:
t`u chaterest so dot` on Irish prost.
Ich singe an eue a riy`te time,
& sot`t`e won hit is bed-time,
t`e t`ridde sit`e a[t] middel-niy`te:
325& so ich mine song adiy`te
wone ich iso arise vorre
ot`er dai-rim ot`er dai-sterre.
Ich do god mid mine t`rote,
& warni men to hore note.
330Ac t`u singest alle longe niy`t,
from eue fort hit is dai-liy`t,
& eure seist t`in o song
so longe so t`e niy`t is long:
& eure crowet` t`i wrecche crei,
335t`at he ne swiket` niy`t ne dai.
Mid t`ine pipinge t`u adunest
t`as monnes earen t`ar t`u wunest,
& makest t`ine song so unw[u]rt`
t`a[t] me ne telt` of t`ar noy`[t] w[u]rt`.
340Eurich mury`t`e mai so longe ileste
t`at ho shal liki wel unwreste:
vor harpe, & pipe, & fuy`eles [song]
misliket`, y`if hit is to long.
Ne bo t`e song neuer so murie,
345t`at he ne shal t`inche wel unmurie
y`ef he ilestet` ouer unwille:
so t`u miy`t t`ine song aspille.
Vor hit is sot`, Alured hit seide,
& me hit mai ine boke rede:
350"Eurich t`ing mai losen his godhede
mid unmet`e & mid ouerdede."
Mid este t`u t`e miy`t ouerquatie,
& ouerfulle maket` wlatie:
an eurich murey`t`e mai agon
355y`if me hit halt eure fort` in on,
bute one, t`at is Godes riche,
t`at eure is svete & eure iliche:
t`ey` t`u nime eure o[f] t`an lepe,
hit is eure ful bi hepe.
360Wunder hit is of Godes riche,
t`at eure spent` & euer is iliche.
y`ut t`u me seist an ot`er shome,
t`at ich a[m] on mine ey`en lome,
an seist, for t`at ich flo bi niy`te,
365t`at ich ne mai iso bi liy`te.
T`u liest! on me hit is isene
t`at ich habbe gode sene:
vor nis non so dim t`usternesse
t`at ich euer iso t`e lasse.
370T`u wenest t`at ich ne miy`te iso,
vor ich bi daie noy`t ne flo.
T`e hare lutet` al dai,
ac not`eles iso he mai.
Ȝif hundes urnet` to him-ward,
375[h]e gengt` wel suit`e awai-ward,
& hoket` pat`es svit`e narewe,
& hauet` mid him his blenches y`arewe,
& hupt` & star[t] sut`e coue,
an sechet` pat`es to t`e groue:
380ne sholde he uor bot`e his ey`e
so don, y`if he t`e bet nisey`e.
Ich mai ison so wel so on hare,
t`ey` ich bi daie sitte an dare.
T`ar ay`te men [bot`] in worre,
385an faret` bot`e ner an forre,
an oueruaret` fele [t`]ode,
an dot` bi niy`te gode node,
ich foly`i t`an ay`te manne,
an flo bi niy`te in hore banne."
390T`e niy`tingale in hire t`oy`te
athold al t`is, & longe t`oy`te
wat ho t`arafter miy`te segge:
vor ho ne miy`te noy`t alegge
t`at t`e hule hadde hire ised,
395vor he spac bot`e riy`t an red.
An hire oft`uy`te t`at ho hadde
t`e speche so for uort` iladde,
an was oferd t`at hire answare
ne w[u]rt`e noy`t ariy`t ifare.
400