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

[A Discourse between Christ and Man.]

"[I]esus of mari born [folio 114b:1] For sinful man þat was for-lorn, I forsok mi fadir blis, Line 17113 And come in-til erde, i-wis.

I let me take and hard bind [folio 114b:2] For luue i had to manes kind, Line 17116 I tholid pouert, pine, and schame, All for sinful manes ane. Thinc, ai thinc, ai sinful man, [folio 115a:1] þu thinc on iesu, þi lemman. Line 17120 I stod naked als i was born þe wiked iuus þaim biforn, Bunden till a peler fast, To-quiles þe bandis might last; Line 17124 On mi bac i bar mi rode, Quen i to mi dede ȝode, Had neuer man sua mekil schame In erd for man-kin blame. Line 17128 þu sinful man þat gas bi me, Duel aquile and þu mai se, Duel aquile and fand to stand, Line 17131 Bihald mi fote, bihald mi hand! Mi bodi es wid skurges suongen, Breist, and heued, and fote thoru stongen I hing apon þis hard rode, For þe i gaue mi herte blode; Line 17136 þe thornis on mi hefd standis, Thirld am i, fote and handis. Bi-hald and se mi blodi side, þat for þi luue es opend wide; Line 17140 Put in and grape, mi suete freind, Take vte mi herte bituix þi heind; þen mai þu wid þin eien se Hu truli þat i loued ai þe. Line 17144 Fra mi croune vnto mi ta Ful i am of pine and wa; Bituix tua theues hang i here Als i thef and traitur were, Line 17148 Bifor mi moder eien, mari, þan tholid i all þis velani. [[up to p. 981]]

I haue nu mani blodi wondis, And suffrid here mani stondis, Line 17152 And dieid on þis rode tre, þu sinful man! for luue of þe. Siþen i haue þe sua dere boght, Line 17155 Quat ailis þe þu loues me noght? wid þi sine þu pinis me, [folio 115a:2] Als did þe iuus apon þe tre, wid athes grete and wick dede, oft þu geris mi wondis blede. Line 17160 þu sinful man! if þu cuth gode, Of agh þe thinc apon mi blode Night and dai, and all time, Birt þe thinc apon mi pine. Line 17164 wailewai! þu sinful man, Ne made i þe mi lemman, Ne haue i giuen þe all mi bliss And mi-self þar-wid, i-wiss, Line 17168 If þu neuer sua nobile ware; Quat þan might i giue þe mare? I ne wate on nanekin wise, þan bird þe thinc ai for to rise, Line 17172 Suith to rise and fand to blin, An for mi luue forsake þi sin. Forsake þi sin par charite, Line 17175 And fand to rise, and cum to me! I sal þe hals, i sal þe kisse, An bring þe to mi fadir blisse." Iesus, for þi hali blode þat þu sched apon þe rode, Line 17180 þu send till vs grace and might, Euer and ai to luue þe right; And sua vr sines to forsake, þat vs to ioy wid þe þu take, Line 17184 And night and dai, and all time, Sua to thinc apon þi pine,

þat we mai, quen we heþen wend, Cum to ioy widvten end. Amen. [O] Iesu! ioyful er þine dedis, Line 17189 þat þu wid to lijf vs ledis, þe feinde þi folk þat þu fedis, And giue vs might to wine þi medis. Quen i se þi bodi þat bledis, Line 17193 Ful sare mi hert mi sinnes dredis, þat vnethes þar i scheu mi nedis [folio 115b:1] Bot þi hend to me þu spredis. þi pine and ioy bath þu me redis, And kisse of saghtling þu me bedis. [A]nd sais to me, "all thole i þis To bring þe, wreche man, to bliss. If þu will wirck als i þe wisse Line 17201 Mi merci sal þu neuer misse." I aske þe grace, þu sais me "ȝeis," And kindli biddis me to kiss. "[M]an," þu sais, "cum nere and se, þu wate i tholed all þis for þe, Line 17206 þat i am hanged on þis tre; Quat will þu nu suffer for me? þus am i thralled to make þe fre, war þu namare thralled be. Line 17210 [L]at noght in þe be tint mi dede, Ne thral me namar wid þe fede, For þat blod þu seis me schede; Be wise and wirc aftir mi rede. Line 17214 Of lastand lijf i giue þe brede, Aske quat þu wil, am i na quede. [A]ske me þi will, þin es þi nede, For am i noght of giftes gnede. Line 17218 þu mai be ful traist to spede wald þu for me do sumkin dede, Forber þat i þe sal forbede, Line 17221 þo þat i þe bidd and haue þi mede."

[Q]ui ne suld i, iesu, do þi will? All wil þu þat i do bot ill, Line 17224 Bot i þat es sua dedeli dill, Spedis ay me-self to spill, wid mi fless lust to fulfill. Forget i oft þis greues grill. Line 17228 [I] mai me-self sai walaway! þat to mi thrist suld be sua thra, Foluand mi fless þat es mi fa, Mi wai i wander in-to þe wa. Line 17232 And ay þu sais, "a ha! a ha! [folio 115b:2] Mi leue frend do namar sua; [O]f þi misgang þu wend again, And i mi-self sal þe sain Line 17236 Bath to giue þe might and main. If þu will thinc apon mi pain, I suffred me for þe be slain, Mi dede mai noght be done in vain [I]f þu will folu me and mine Line 17241 þu most wele thole sum part of pine. Forsake þe sarke of silk and line, Full þi fless [[MS. fcess]] þi witherwine, And tempre it fra ale and wine, And seke þe saule medicine. Line 17246 [M]an, to serue lauerdis tuin It es vngainand to bigin, Me to seke in lust of sin Line 17249 Fra blis to blis þu mai noght rin. Mi kingrike sua mai na man win, Ne nane þat es of adam kin." [O]ft þu biddes me to lete Line 17253 Apon þi lare, iesu, sua suete, For all mi sinnes þu will me mete, Mi balis art þu bune to bete. Forþi iesu, als þu has hete, Line 17257 þu giue me grace on þe to grete,

[T]o wepe for wrang þat i haue wroght, And euer apon þi dede haue thoght, Hu þu forbar vs first and boght, Of þi choselinges hu þu broght, Line 17262 Of helle quen þaa sorful soght, For þe widstand na mightes moght. [þ]at ransuning þat i of tell, Line 17265 þu spede me, lauerd! for to spell Hu mightili þu herid hell, And quellid him þat all wald quell. þe gestes of þa iuus fell, Line 17269 wald smore þi mightes þaim emell.