[6-text p 184]
Thus hath this wydwe / hir litel sone ytaught
Oure blisful lady cristes mooder deere
To worshipe ay / and he forgate it naught
ffor sely child / wol alday soone leere
Line 1702
But ay / whan I remembre on this mateere
Seint Nicholas / stant euere in my presence
ffor he so yong to Crist dide reuerence
Line 1705
This litel child his litel book lernynge
As he sat in the scole / at his prymer
He / Alma redemptoris / herde synge
As children / lerned hire Anthiphoner
Line 1709
And as he dorste / he drough hym ner and ner
And herkned ay / the wordes and the noote
Til he the firste vers / koude al by rote
Line 1712
Noght wiste he / what this latyn was to seye
ffor he so yong and tendre was of age
But on a day / his felawe gan he preye
Texpounden hym this song in his langage
Line 1716
Or telle hym / why this song was in vsage
This preyde he hym / to construe and declare
fful often tyme / vpon hise knowes bare
Line 1719
His felawe / which that elder was than he
Answerde hym thus / this song I haue herd seye
Was maked / of oure blisful lady free
Hire to salue / and eek hire for to preye
Line 1723
To been oure help / and socour whan we deye
I kan na moore / expounde in this mateere
I lerne song I kan but smal grammeere
Line 1726
¶ And is this song maked in reuerence [folio 153b]
Of cristes mooder seyde / this Innocent
Now certes / I wol do my diligence
To konne it al / er Cristemasse is went
Line 1730
