Poema Morale contained in the Lambeth Manuscript 487; ca. 1170; lines 1-100

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

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[f. 59v] Ic em nu_ a_lder than ic was a wintere and a la_re;

Ic we_lde ma_re than ic dide; mi_ wit a_hte be_n ma_re.

Wel la_nge ic habbe ci_ld y`be_n a worde and a de_de

theah ic be_ a wintere a_ld to_ yung ic em on reade. 5

Un`nit li_f ic habbe y`led. And ye_t me_ thincth I_ leade.

Thanne ic me_ be`thence wel ful sa_re ic me_ a`dreade.

meast al that ic habbe y`do_n be`fallth to_ ci_ldha_de.

Wel late ic habbe me_ be`thoht bu_te God me_ nu_ reade.

Fulle i_del word ic habbe y`cwethen sithen ic speken cu_the. 10

fulle yunge de_de y`do_n the me_ of`thinceth nu_ tha_.

meast al that me_ li_kede ear nu_ hit me_ mis`li_keth

tha_ micel folgeth his wil' him self he_ be`swi_keth.

Ic mihte habben bet y`do_n, hafde ic the i`se_lthe.

Nu_ ic wa_lde ak ic ne may for elde and for un`healthe. 15

Elde me_ is be`stolen on, ear ic hit wiste.

ne mihte ic se_n be`foren me_, for smi_ce ne for miste.

Arge we_ be_n to_ do_n go_d. And to_ ifel`e al to_ thri_ste.

in ma_re eye standen men of manne thanne hi_ do_n of Cri_ste.

the wel ne do_n the hwi_le the hi_ mugen, wel oft hit scal re_wen 20

thanne hi_ ma_wen sculen and repen that hi_ ear se_wen.

Do_ he_ to_ gode that he_ muge the hwi_le that he_ be_ a`li_fe.

ne lipne na_ man to_ [f. 60r] micel to_ ci_lde ne to_ wi_fe.

the him selfe foryet for wi_fe ne for ci_lde

he scal cumen in ifel stede bu_te him God be_ mi_lde. 25

Sendeth sum go_d beforen yow, the hwi_le that ye_ mugen to_ hefen`e.

for beter`e is a_n almesse be`foren thanne be_n after sefen`e.

Al to_ lo_me ic habbe i`gilted a werke and a worde.

Al to_ micel ic habbe i`spent to_ li_tel i`hid in horde.

Ne be_ to_ the_ le_fere than thi_ self ne thi_n meay, ne thi_n ma_ge. 30

Sot is that is o_ther mannes fre_nd betere than his a_gen.

Ne lipne wi_f to_ hire were, ne wer to_ his wi_fe

be_ for him selfe ealc man, the hwi_le that he_ be_ a`li_fe.

Wi_s is the to_ him selfe thence the hwi_le the mo_t libben.

for so_ne wile him foryeten the fremde and the sibbe. 35

the wel ne de_th the hwi_le he_ may ne scal hwanne he_ wile.

Maniye mannes sa_re i`swink habben oft un`holde.

Ne scal na_ man do_n a`first, ne sla_wen wel to_ do_n.

for maniy man be`ha_teth wel the hit foryeteth so_ne.

The man the wile siker be_n to_ habben Godes blisse. 40

do_ wel him self hwi_le that he_ may thanne hafeth he_ his mid i`wisse.

tha_s ri_ce men we_nen be_n siker thurh walle and thurh di_ce.

the de_th his ahte on sikere stede he_ hit sendeth to_ hefen`es ri_ce.

for thear ne tharf he_ be_n of`dred of fi_re ne of the_fe

thear ne [f. 60v] tharf he_ him be`nimen the la_the ne the le_fe. 45

thear ne tharf he_ habben care of yefe ne of ye_lde.

thider he_ sendeth and self bereth to_ li_tel and to_ selde.

thider we_ sculen dragen and do_n wel ofte and i`lo_me.

for thear ne scal me us na_ht be`nimen mid wra_ng`wi_se do_me.

thider ye_ sculen yerne dragen wa_lde yif god i`le_fe. 50

for ne may thear hit yow be`nimen king ne re_fe.

Al that beste that we_ hafden thider we_ hit scolden senden

for thear we_ hit mihten finden eft, and habben bu_ten ende.

Tha_ the ear do_n eaniy go_d for habben Godes a_re.

al he_ hit scal fi_nden eft thear and hundred fa_ld ma_re. 55

The that ahte wile ha_lden wel hwi_le the he_ muge his we_lden.

Yefe his for Godes lufe thanne de_th he_ it wel i`ha_lden.

U_re swink and u_re tilthe is ofte i`wuned to_ swi_nden.

Ak that the we_ do_n for Godes lufe eft we_ sculen al fi_nden.

Ne scal na_n ifel be_n un`boht, ne na_n go_d un`for`yolden. 60

ifel we_ do_n al to_ micel. And go_d leasse thanne we_ sculden.

Tha_ the meast do_n nu_ to_ gode. And the least to_ la_the.

Eayther to_ li_tel and to_ micel scal thencen eft hem ba_the.

Thear me scal u_re werkes wegen be`foren the hefen`king.

and yefen us u_re swinkes la_ng after u_re earninge. 65

Ealc man mid that he_ hafeth, may biggen hefen`e ri_ce.

the ma_re hafeth and the the leasse ba_the hi_ [f. 61r] mugen i`li_ce.

Alse mid his peninge alse o_ther mid his pu_nde.

That is the wunder`liceste ceap that eaniy man eafere fu_nde.

And the the ma_re ne may do_n do_ hit mid his go_de thanke. 70

Alse wel swa_ the the hafeth golde fele manke.

And oft God can ma_re thank thanne the him yefeth leasse.

And his werkes and his weyes his miltse, and riht`wi_snesse.

li_tel la_k is go_de lof that cumeth of go_de wille.

And eath-leate micel yefe of that the herte is ille. 75

Hefen`e and erthe he_ ofer sehth. his e_gen be_n swa_ brihte.

Sunne and mo_ne and hefen fi_r be_n the_stere a`yean his lihte.

Nis him noht for`holen ne hi_d. swa_ micele be_n his mihte.

nis hit ne swa_ derne [y`do_n] ne [a] swa_ the_stere nihte.

he_ wa_t we_'t thenken and hwat do_n alle cwike wihte. 80

Nis na_ la_ferd swilc se is cri_st. ne king swilc u_re drihten.

hefene and erthe and al that is be`loken is in his hande.

he_ de_th al that his wil is a watere and a lande.

He_ makede fisces in the sea and fugeles in the lifte.

he_ wa_t and wa_ldeth alle thing and sco_p alle scafte. 85

he_ is hord buten horde and ende buten ende.

he_ a_ne is eafere on ealce stede wende thear thu_ wende.

he_ is bufen us and be`nethen. be`foren and be`hinden.

the the de_th godes wille i`hwear he_ may him fi_nden.

ealce ru_ne he_ y`he_rth and wa_t alle de_des. 90

he_ thurh`sehth ealces mannes thank. Hwi_, hwat scal us to_ reade.

We_ that broken godes hease and gilten swa_ i`lo_me.

hwat sculen we_ seggen other do_n at the micele do_me.

Tha_ the lufeden un`riht and ifel li_f [f. 61v] leaden.

Hwat sculen hi_ seggen other do_n thanne the engeles be_n of`dred. 95

hwat sculen we_ beren be`foren us mid hem sculen we_ y`cwe_men.

tha_ the neafere go_d ne dide the hefenlice de_me.

thear sculen be_n de_feles swa_ fele that willen us for`wre_yen.

And nabben hi_ na_`thing foryeten of al that hi_ y`segen.

Al that we_ mis`diden he_r hi_ hit willen ki_then thear. 100