The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...

27. A Prayer to the Virgin Mary.

(14 stanzas of 12, abab abab cdcd.)

(1)

AVe Maris stella, dei Mater Alma, Atque semper virgo, felix celi porta. Heil, sterre of þe Séé so briht! Þow graunt vs to ben vr gyde; Godes holi Moder riht, Þi worschipe walkeþ wyde; Line 4 Al-wey Mayden þorw his miht, Þow sittest bi his syde; Blesset ȝate of heuene liht, Þow rede vs riht to ryde! Line 8 Ladi, we ben maked al glad: ffor þou weore meoke I-founde,

Godes Moder weore þou mad, I-Blesset beo þat stounde! Line 12

(2)

Liknet artou to sterre of séé, To lihten vs, grete and smale; Godes Moder ay to be, ffor vs þou telle vr tale; Line 16 ffor þi Maydenhod so fre, Þou bring vs out of bale; Help us in-to heuene fle Out of þis wopes dale. Line 20 Ladi, bring vs out of wo! ffrom Bales þou vs borwe! Godes Moder and Mayden also, Þou saue vs out of sorwe! Line 24

(3)

Sumens illud Aue Gabrielis ore, ffunda nos in pace, mutans nomen eue. Takyng þat word Aue— Þat sonde sat þe seete— Of Gabriels mouþ so fre, Þorw God he gon þe grete. Line 28 Prei for us in pes to be, Wiþ murþes mo to meete; Eues name i-tornd for þe Þat sit us softe and swete. Line 32 Ladi blisful, Meoke and Mylde, Þat word in Ioye us pultus; Godes Moder, prei þi childe Þat he for-ȝiue vr gultus. Line 36

(4)

Aue worþily þe fel, Þat was þe ȝarked ȝore Of þat Angel Gabriel, Þorw ȝift of Godes lore. Line 40 Prey us pes, þer to be snel, Þou salue us of vr sore; Siþ þat Eue is tornd so wel, vr blisse is wel þe more. Line 44

Line 44 Ladi, qween of paradys, To þe we schullen calle, Godes Moder, wommon wys, And Mekest most of alle. Line 48

(5)

SOlue vincla reis, profer lumen cecis, mala nostra pelle, bona cuncta posce. Gulti bondes here vnbynd, Vr gultes ben to fele; Seend hem siht þat here aren blynd, Þou bring vs to þi wele; Line 52 Put a-wey vr wikked wynt, Vr synful lyf þou heele; Alle goodes aske and grynt, And sent vs of þat Meole. Line 56 Ladi, nou þat hit is þus, Help we weore vnbounde; Godes Moder, prei for vs To him wiþ blodi wounde! Line 60

(6)

WE han agult, vnbynd us here, Wiþ Merci fond vs fede; Send þe blynde, lokyng clere, To hele us here tak hede; Line 64 Put a-wei vr wik in weere, Þat doþ us driȝe and drede; Aske us God wiþ-outen peere, Þat holliche heuene meede. Line 68 Laydi, nou þin help a-non, Þer of þat we ne fayle; Godes Moder, a-ȝein vr fon Þou most be Countur tayle. Line 72

(7)

MOnstra te esse matrem, sumat par te precem qui pro nobis natus tulit esse tuus. Scheuh þat Moder art, enclyn To him þat dyȝed on Roode; He, þorwȝ þe, tak preyer myn, Þat bouȝt us wiþ his bloode; Line 76

Line 76 Boren for us was he so fyn, Hit com al vs to goode; He bi-com heere sone þyn, Þi Milk þen was his foode. Line 80 Godus Modur, þou him beere, Þi Milk nas non Ilyche, Ladi, him to fostren heere; Þat Burþe was ful riche. Line 84

(8)

MOdur, scheuh þat þou art fre; Þe may no murþe misse; Do þat we ben herd þorw þe, Þou bring us to þi blisse. Line 88 I-boren for us forsoþe was he, Þe synful men to wisse, He þat tok þi child to be, Þi Mouþ wiþ his to kisse. Line 92 Ladi briht, wiþ eiȝen gray, Such cos þou geete with winne; Godus Modur, Niht and day Þou help vs out of sinne. Line 96

(9)

Virgo singularis, inter omnes mitis, nos culpis solutos mites fac & castos. One, peereles Maide now, Þin help adoun þou seende; A-mong vchone, Meoke artou, Aȝeyn þe we ben vn-heende; Line 100 Sinne bond vs, þow wost hou, Þis world vs wol a-bleende; Make vs meoke, cast in a vou In-to vr lyues ende. Line 104 Ladi, bring vs out of strif, Vs geyneþ nouht to ȝelpe; Godus Modur, al vr lyf We spillen, bote þou helpe. Line 108

(10)

Mayden al-one, buyrde briht, Wel brihtor þen þe Sonne;

Mekest Mayden, most of miht, Vr gatus þou bi-gonne; Line 112 Sinne bond vs day and niht, We spillen þat we sponne: Mak vs meke and clene in siht, Þen is vr game I-wonne. Line 116 Ladi, lene vs of þi liht, ffor ȝit we ben to blynde; Godes modur, send vs miht, Þe rihte wei to wende. Line 120

(11)

VItam presta puram, iter para tutum, Vt videntes Ihesum semper colletemur. And leen vs clene lyf also, Þis lyf is serwe and sake; Diht vs siker wei to go, Þis sunful lyf þou slake; Line 124 Get vs Ihesus to seo þer-to, Þorw siht of him to a-wake, vs to gladschupe euer-mo, Þin help vs þou by-take. Line 128 Ladi louelich, feir and fre, Þou lilye whyt of face, Godus Moder briht of ble, We tristen to þi grace. Line 132

(12)

Clene lyf ȝif vs to-day And forþward euer-more, Greiþ vs here a syker way; We stomble ofte and sore; Line 136 Siht of Ihesu, wel þou may, Ȝif hit þi wille wore, Þorw þat siht to glade vs ay, So lyking is þi lore. Line 140 Ladi al in liht I-schrud, Þeos wordes ben ful soþe; Godus Modur, Qween I-kud, Tak þi seruauns to þe. Line 144