Cursor mundi (The cursur o the world). A Northumbrian poem of the XIVth century in four versions. Ed. by the Rev. Richard Morris ...

Quomodo concepta erat maria mater dei

Herkens al þat wil ha mede, I sal yow nu þe stori rede O birth þat vs þe maiden bare, Line 10125 Als prophetes has tald vs it ar; Hu prophecies com al to end, Quen Iues alþerlest it wend, þe wand þat bar vs first þe flur, Line 10129 And siþen þe frut o suete odour. þis bok es o na ribodi, Bot of hir sun and vr leuedi, For-þi rede i þaim þat yee here Line 10133 þat mai yow help at your mistere, And leue your vnnaitschip [[The MS. seems to have vnnattschip]] a quile þat lijf and saul es wont to file; For qua þat in right trouth es blind, þe soth þar-of here mai he find. Line 10138 For it es vncuth and vnwon, þe fader to be-cum þe sun, þat he þat bigan al thing, Com to tak his bigin[i]ng. Line 10142

Line 10142 And sua-gat for to cum til him, We sal begin at sir Ioachim, Line 10144 þat fader was o þat mari þat was þe gat of vr merci, And at his wijf þat hight anna, And hir sister ismaria. Line 10148 Ismaria and anna war tua Sisters, i wene, wit-vten ma, þe formast bar elizabeth, An hali leuedi mild and meth, Line 10152 þat spused was to zachari; Sent Ion þe baptist þis leuedi Moder was, als es sumquar Es [[? read Els]] in þis bok tald yow forþermare; Bot o þe toþer sister strand, þat ioachim had til husband, Line 10158 þan sal wee first vr stori drau [folio 56b:2] For worþiest es it for to scau. ¶ Sir Ioachim o kinges kind Was commin, and of dauit strind Born he was, and of a cite Line 10163 O nazareth in galilee; Loued he was in al þat lede For his mikel dughtihede. To wijf he has dame anna tan,— Was suilk a cuple neuer nan, Line 10168 Sua sammertale, wit-vten strijf, Tuix ani spused and his wijf, Mar loueword moght nan be with, þan was o þaim wit-in þair kith. Sua dughti was þis Ioachim, Line 10173 þat drightin self ai was wit him, Sua hali lijf he liued in euer, þat he drightin wrethed neuer. To tilth he tent and tend gaf lele, In thrin his godes did he dele, Line 10178

Line 10178 þat godd had lent him of his lane; To pour part þan gaf he ane, Line 10180 þe toþer part, als was for-melt, It was bi-tuix þe prestes delt, þe thrid parti was bikend To þam-seluen for to spend. Line 10184 Was neuer nan for-soth wijt yee Men of sua mikel cherite, Nan tholmoder in chastite, Ne mare o reuth and of pite, Line 10188 Ne nan soth-faster þan was he. Of his kind was þe rote Iesse, Fader of dauid þat gentil king, Ioachim com of his oxspring. Line 10192 þis ilk anna þat was his wijf, In gret leute lede sco hir lijf, þe loue-word of hir and þe fame Was als ferr born als þe nam; Line 10196 In almis dede hir lijf sco ledd, Als we find in the stori redd. þat tuenti yere na barn bare, And þarfor moned sco hir care, Line 10200 þat aiþer thoght of oþer scam, Bot þai ne wist qua was to blam: For-þi to godd a-vou þai gaf, þat if þai ani child moght haf, Line 10204 Queþer sum it war sco or he, [folio 57a:1] To godd be-taght þan suld it be, In þe temple to serue al-wais, To-quils it lasted liue dais. Line 10208 Child for to gett þai littend lang, And did þair werkes gode e-mang, þai halud alle þe festes dere þe Iues war wonto halu bi yere. O-mang þir festes i of tell Line 10213 A mikel fest in winter fell,

þat Iues held al for þe haluing Of temple salamon þe king; Line 10216 Ilkan þan to þe temple broght Sirekin gift after þai moght, Sum wit lesse and sum wit mare, All þair vois þai yeld ai þare. Line 10220 And als ilkan for sere resun Com for to mak þair orisun. þe patriarck was noght a-wai, Bot he vndid þam al þair lai, Line 10224 Wit table moyses in hand, For þan was summan godd dridand. To þis fest com Ioachim, And mani frendes com wit him, For to prai þer and honure Line 10229 Al-mighti godd, þair creature; Ioachim son forth can stand, And mad him bun wit his offrand; þe patriarck hight ysacar, Line 10233 Quen he o Ioachim was war þat tilward þe auter can stride, [To I]oachim he bad ha-bide [Bifor] al þat war gedird þar, Line 10237 ["I bid] þe cum na forþer mar. For Ioachim hir sal be nan Offrand o þi handes tan, For þou ne aght on nankinwise Mak to drightin sli seruise. Line 10242 [þin] offrand aght noght here be sene, [Ga] heþen," he said, "fra vs bituin." Ioachim thoght þan mikel scam, "And haf i serued," he said, "þis blam? [ [[Something has been effaced]] ] queþer i am sua ful of sin, Line 10247 þat i na kirck agh to cum in Mine orisun, mi praier, make? Sai me, leue sir, quat es mi sake?

Quat haf i wroght a-gain þi lai? [folio 57a:2] I prai þe, sir, þou wald me sai. Line 10252 For blithlik, sir, wald i vnderstand, Qui þou forsakes min offrand." þan answard ysacar, "parfai, Nou Ioachim i sal þe sai, Line 10256 I ne said it noght for-þi þat i ha sene þi felunni; þi sin, þi sak, i neuer sagh, Bot godd him-self sais in vr lagh, Qua has in israel na side, Line 10261 He es for cursd als we rede. þis ilk sede barntem es cald, And sua it aght ilkman to hald, þan semis þe lagh wit resun right, Biclepis þat man for maledight Line 10266 þat has na barn, ne mai ne knaue; Nu nan we sagh þe neuer haue. O þis lagh al for þis resun Es fallen on þe þis malicōun, For þou na child has geten o þe, þin offrand agh for-saken be; Line 10272 þe tre þat bers na fruit to hand, Mang oþer tres aght not to stand; Quen þou has barnteme in land, Gladli we sal ta þin offrand." Line 10276 ¶ Quen Ioachim had herd þis word, Scam thoght him gret, and þus answerd, "Me reuus i am childless sare, If i moght haue, well euer me ware, And þof i nan haue hider-till, Line 10281 It es allang on goddes will; þof i be geld alland in lede, Quen godd wil he mai send me sede." Es naman als i trou can sai Line 10285 Quat scam thoght Ioachim þat dai,

For þis brixling, for þis vp-braid, þat isacar þe prist him said. Line 10288 He went vte o þe kirk for scam, And scam him thoght to ga þan ham, Bot to þe hirdes of his fee þat he had of ful grett plente, Line 10292 He went amang þaa wildrin laus þar his fee was gett in þaa daus. War pages nan for hirdes sett, Line 10295 Bot stalworth men þair bestes gett, þat moght again þe theues fight, [folio 57b:1] And þat cuth rise in time o night To lok þair bestes ai in nede; Ioachim to þaim he ȝedd, Line 10300 O-mang þir hirdes duelland þare, In praier, wak, and weping sare, And fastand was in wil to be, Line 10303 To godd him wit his sand wild se. Bot fastand had he lang noght bene, Quen him was sent an angel scene, þat wit þe light he ledd wit him Was glopind al, sir Ioachim! Line 10308 For þat bright-nes was he sa radd, þat he stode still als he war madd, Bot þis angell þat bi him stode, Broght him suilk a tyþand gode, "Ioachim," said he, "þou ma god cher, I am vr lauerd messager, Line 10314 Nu am i hidir to þe send, þi murnand cher al for to mend; For þat he hard has þi praiyer Nu he þe sendes þis ansuer, Line 10318 þi brixel, bale, and þin vpbraid, þat isacar þe prist þe said: þof þou na child haf hider-till It es noght tid þe for þin ill, Line 10322

Line 10322 þof godd vmquil be funden still, Al mai he wirk þou quat he will. Oft sith lates he be lett Line 10325 Man wit womman child to gett, Bituix and þair forþer eild, And þan þam sendes child to weild, þat man mai se þat barn hir bi, Es right born and noght o licheri. ¶ Of abraham has þou hard sai, Hu lang he liued, hu mani dai Line 10332 Wit-vten child, in hope allan, And siþen him sent drightin suilk an, þat in his sede suld blisced be Al man-kind, and haf sauuete. Line 10336 ¶ Iacob als and rachel his wijf, þat samen ledd well lang þair lijf, O þaim come ioseph siþen þe gode Als in hir eild, þat blesced fode, þat of egypti was hei stiward, Line 10341 And al þat land had in his ward. Yitt samuel, sa ful of right, [folio 57b:2] And sampson als, þat was ful vight, Bath þam bar tua wimmen geld þat vte-wit birth o barn was teld. Berns þat o suilk er bredd, Line 10347 Er born to stand in mikel stede, And oft er for þair dughtihede Selcuth worþi mikel o mede. ¶ þou trou þir samples witerli, For þou sal haf a child in hi, Line 10352 A maiden child noght þar-to lang, O þe þi wijf sal vnder-fang. 'Maria' sal þou do hir call, Fild wit godds grace ouer-all, Line 10356 For sco sal be al godd be-kend; Til him offrid at thrid yere end,

Als þou of hir þi wou has made, Sco sal be flur o maiden-hade. Line 10360 O maidens all sal sco be flour, And sco sal bere your saueour, Iesus crist al mannes hele. Line 10363 And þat þou tru mi tale for lele, Quen þou again sal wend þi gate, þou sal mete at þe golden yatte O ierusalem, þi wijf anna, Line 10367 þat es for-þi selcuth wa, To seke þe sco wat neuer quider ga. And quen þou findes it be sua, Certainlik þan sal þou tru Al þat i haf hire tald þe nu." Line 10372 Quen þe angel had his errand don, He went again, wit-vten hon, Bot ar he went he bad him mak A sacrifijs for drightin sak.

¶ Sir Ioachim was fain and blith, And vp he sett an auter suith, Line 10378 Mad sacrifijs on maner suilk,— First ten lambes, quitte als milk þat beres takins o þam-self, Siþen þer neist boles tuelue, And at þe last a hundret scepe, Line 10383 Hu [he] þam delt ta nu god kepe. To godd þe lambes he gaf to lottes, And to þe pouer þe bul scottes, þis hundret scepe þat i of melt Til al þe comun war þai delt; Line 10388 þam hale þan sacrified he, [folio 58a:1] And delt þam siþen al thre. þir lambes ten þam al als an Bitakens iesu crist was tan, And don on rode for our wite, Line 10393 And for vs sufferd gret despite;

þe bulles tuelue he offrid sua þou sal þe tuelue apostels ta, Line 10396 þat tholod for crist bath soru and sare, And martird for his luue þai war. þir hundreth scepe þat þar was bun War don to dele al to þe comun, Bitakens felascip i-wiss, Of halus hei in heuen bliss, Line 10402 þe takening of a hundret tale, Al fullines it takens hale. For þai þat stad er in þair blis, Wit-vten want has alle þair wis, Wit-vten seke, wit-vten sare, Line 10407 Mai nankin nede be funden þar.

[¶] Leue we nu ioachim þus-gate, And speke we nu of anna state, Of hir site and of hir care, Line 10411 Hu sco it for hir husband bare, Quen þat he heild him fra hame, Qua for hir thoght ful mikel scame. þis leuedi was o mikel prise, Line 10415 Loued and lered, bath war and wise; Quen sco had herd al þis tiþand Of ysacar and hir husband, Sco tok on hir cleþing o care, Line 10419 Sco sperd hir dore and wepid sare, Weped and mornd night and dai, Hir lijf in langing lastand ai, O gladscip was hir alþer-leist. Line 10423 Quen þat þair dai was comin o fest, þan men suld bald þam to be blith, And ilk man al his malice mith Fair scrud on þam to take, For þair hei fest sake; Line 10428 þan satt anna menand hir mane Bituix godd and hir self allane.

Sco had a maiden hight vtaine, Line 10431 þat was hir priue chambur-laine, "Leuedi," sco said, "for drightin dere, þou mend þi mode and turn þi chere! Qui ne wil þou on þi seluen thinc, [folio 58a:2] þat þou wil noiþer ete ne drinc? Hu lang sal þou þus-gat be wroth? þou cleth þe wit sum better cloth. þou agh vm-thinc þe, leuedi lele, þat þou es of kind of ysrael; Line 10440 Ne wat þou noght, it semes nai, Quat a fest it es to dai? It vrus [[read ruus]] me selcuth sare, I se þe leuedi ma sli care, Line 10444 þat i þe see wepand alwais, Quen þou suld mak þe best at es. Anna, leuedi, þou leue þi bere, And scrud þe fair and mend þi chere! For godds aghen dai it es, Line 10449 All aght be glad, bath mare and less." ¶ Suilk was þe talking of vtaine, þan gaf hir anna ansuar a-gaine, "Vtaine," sco said, "qui sais þou sua, Be still, or ga me heiþen fra, Line 10454 þou sais to me als til a sott, Haldes þou me for ani idiot? Quar-for suld i haue ioi and blis Quen i mi spused lauerd mis? Line 10458 I to mak me blith or glad Bot i him sagh be-for me stad, þat nu mai be, thar þe noght wene." Vtaine hir can wit þis to tene, Line 10462 And wit þe bolnning of hir hert, Sco kest sum wordes son ouerthuert. "Leuedi," sco said, "for quat-kin thing Wites þou me þi misliking? Line 10466

Line 10466 If þou mai na barns brede, Line 10467 Quam wites þou þin aune vnspede?" þan was soruful son dame anna, Quen vtaine hir had tened sua, Vp sco ras and yod a-wai, Line 10471 And went hir þeþen in tene and trei In-til hir orchard onan, To wepe þar be hir-self allan, þat sco moght wepe and mak hir man, þat comforth suld com til hir nan. Son quen sco was comun þar, Line 10477 Sco gaf hir al to murn and care, Sco lift hir hend vn-to þe lift And þus to prai sco gaf a scift. "Lauerd! þou here min orisun, [folio 58b:1] And blis me wit þi benesun! Here me lauerd drightin sua Line 10483 Als þou did quilum dame sarra! þat suilk a worthi sun hir gaf, Als sco desird for to haf." Quen sco had endid hir praier, Sco quainid eft on þis maner, Line 10488 Oft sco said, "allas! allas! þat i or born or geten was! Queþen haf i nu his malisun, þat vte o kyrc and comun Am i don, and for cursd teld; Qui was i born o moder geld." Line 10494 To quils sco quainid þus hir care, Wit weping and wit sixing sare, Sco sagh þat angel for hir stand þat first had ben at hir husband. "Anna," he said, "herd es þi bone, þou salt haf child and þat wel sone." þis bodword can hir care to light, And ansuerd to þat angel bright:—

"Quersum i haf, maiden or knaue, Godd wat him-seluen sal it haue For to serue him night and dai; He wat þis haue i yerned ai." Line 10506 "Anna," he said, "þou ma god chere Quat-sum euer þou se or here, I am godds aun angel, And bodword nu þe bringes lele. þe grete almes dede o þe es present forwit godds kne, Line 10512 þi gerning god and þi praier, Er cummin vn-to godds ere, þou mai be blith for blis and beild, Ne dred þe nathing for þin eild. Fourscor yeir þan had dame sare, Quen sco hir sun ysaac bare; Rachel, þat was iacob wijf, Line 10519 Ledd lang wit-vten child hir lijf, Siþen sco bare a freli fode, A lauerding gret, ioseph þe gode, þat stuward was, and wel witstode þe hunger þat egypte ouer-yod. A doghter sal þou haf in hie, Line 10525 And þou sal cal hir name marie, Alle sal hir wirscip wit resun [folio 58b:2] Ouer alle wimmen to bere cron; Fild wit grace þan sal sco be, And fosterd litel child wit þe, O thre yeir in þe temple sett, Line 10531 And þarfor fourten winter gett. þare sal sco serue bath dai and night To drightin, als he forwit hight, Ne sal naman wit right resun Find in hir of il mistrun. Line 10536 Sua blisced born was neuer nan, Na neuer sal be suilk o maidan,

Sal naman negh þat vnweild, þou sal sco moder be o child. Line 10540 Of hir sal cum þat man sauuer, þe doghter sal hir fader bere. Wit þis talking sal þou trou me, Quen þou ert commun to þe cite O ierusalem, atte gilden yate, Line 10545 þar es an in-com þat sua hatt, þan sal þou find þin husband þar, þat þou has langed efter sare. þou sal se tite þat i haue tald, Line 10549 O blisful birth mai þou be bald." ¶ Quen þis angel a-wai was wite, Tua men þer com, ware cled in quitte, "Anna," þai said, "þou ma þe blith, þi lauerd es comand als suith, Line 10554 Ga to mete him, þou þe spede;" Anna busked hir and yede, Ne dwelled sco na langer þar, Bot, als hir bad þat angel are, To ierusalem þan es sco gan; Line 10559 Wit Ioachim sco met o-nan, þat ilk stede þat þam was sett, At þe golden yatte þai mett. Quen þis seli mett þam same, Line 10563 þai grett þam-self wit gastli game, For to ask ne thar naman, O þai war glad and ioiful þan. Quen þai had mad þair orisun, þai went þam son vte o þe tun, Line 10568 And siþen traistili þe saand þai bade Quar-of þe angel þam bodword made, þar efterson þai samen lai, Anna wit child was of a mai. Line 10572 Of decembre þe aghten dai, [folio 59a:1] Was sco geten þat i of sai.