Selections from early Middle English, 1130-1250 [extracts]

XVIII. THE ORISON OF OUR LADY

On god ureisun of ure lefdi. [f. 120 v]

Cristes milde moder seynte marie. Mines liues leome mi leoue lefdi. to þe ich buwe & mine kneon ich beie. and al min heorte blod to ðe ich offrie. þu ert mire soule liht. & mine heorte blisse. [ 5] Mi lif & mi tohope min heale mid iwisse. Jch ouh wurðie ðe mid alle mine mihte and singge þe lofsong bi daie & bi nihte. vor þu me hauest iholpen aueole kunne wise. and ibrouht of helle in to paradise. [ 10] Jch hit þonkie ðe mi leoue lefdi. and þonkie wulle þe hwule ðet ich liuie. alle cristene men owen don ðe wur's'chipe. and singen ðe lofsong mid swuðe muchele gledschipe. vor ðu ham hauest alesed of deoflene honde. [ 15] and i send mid blisse to englene londe. [16. isend] d corr. out of t.] wel owe we þe luuien mi swete lefdi. [f. 121 r] wel owen we uor þine luue ure heorte beien. þu ert briht & blisful ouer alle wummen. and god ðu ert & gode leof ouer alle wepmen. [ 20] alle meidene were wurðeð þe one. vor þu ert hore blostme biuoren godes trone. nis no wummon iboren þet ðe beo iliche. ne non þer nis þin eming wið inne heoueriche. heih is þi kinestol onuppe cherubine. [ 25] biuoren ðine leoue sune wid innen seraphine. Murie dreameð engles biuoren þin onsene. pleieð & sw'e'ieð & singeð. bitweonen. Swuðe wel ham likeð biuoren þe to beonne.

vor heo neuer ne beoð sead þi ueir to iseonne. [ 30] þine blisse ne mei no wiht understonden. vor al is godes riche an under þine honden. alle þine ureondes þu makest riche kinges. þu ham ȝiuest kinescrud beies & gold ringes. þu ȝiuest eche reste ful of swete blisse. [ 35] þer ðe neure deað ne com{punctel} ne herm ne sorinesse. þer bloweð inne blisse blostmen. hwite & reade. þer ham neuer ne mei. snou. ne uorst iureden, þer ne mei non ualuwen. uor þer is eche sumer. ne non liuiinde þing woc þer nis ne ȝeomer [ 40] þer heo schulen resten þe her ðe doð wurschipe. ȝif heo ȝemeð hore lif cleane urom alle queadschipe. þer ne schulen heo neuer karien ne sw'i'nken. ne weopen ne murnen ne helle stenches stinken. þer me schal ham steoren mid guldene chelle. [ 45] and schenchen ham eche lif mid englene wille. [f. 121 v] ne mei non heorte þenchen ne no wiht arechen. ne no muð imelen ne no tunge techen [48. techen] tegen MS.] hu muchel god ðu ȝeirkest wið inne paradise. ham þet swinkeð dei & niht iðine seruise [ 50] al þin hird is i schrud mid hwite ciclatune. and alle heo beoð ikruned mid guldene krune. heo beoð so read so rose so hwit so þe lilie. and euer more heo beoð gled & singeð þuruhut murie. Mid brihte ȝimstones hore krune is al biset. [ 55] and al heo doð þet ham likeð. so þet no þing ham ne let. þi leoue sune is hore king & þu ert hore kwene. ne beoð heo neuer i dreaued mid winde ne mid reine. Mid ham is euer more dei wið ute nihte. Song wið ute seoruwe & sib wið ute uihte. [ 60] Mid ham is muruhðe moniuold wið ute teone & treie. Gleobeames & gome inouh liues wil & eche pleie. þereuore leoue lefdi long hit þuncheð us wrecchen

vort þu of þisse erme liue to ðe suluen us fecche. we ne muwen neuer habben fulle gledschipe. [ 65] er we to þe suluen kumen to þine heie wurschipe. Swete Godes moder softe meiden & wel icoren. þin iliche neuer nes ne neuermore ne wurð iboren. Moder þu ert & meiden cleane of alle laste. þuruhtut hei & holi in englene reste. [ 70] al englene were & alle holie þing Siggeð & singeð þet tu ert liues welsprung and heo siggeð alle þet ðe ne wonteð neuer ore. [73. ðene MS.] ne no mon, þet ðe wurðeð ne mei neuer beon uorloren. þu ert mire soule [leoue] wið ute leasunge. [f. 122 r] efter þine leoue sune{punctel} leouest alre þinge. [ 76] al is þe heouene ful of þine blisse. and so is al þes middeleard of þine mildheortnesse. So muchel is þi milce & þin edmodnesse. [79. eomodnesse MS.] þet no mon þet ðe ȝeorne bit of helpe ne mei missen. [ 80] ilch mon, þet to þe bisihð þu ȝiuest milce & ore. þauh he ðe habbe swuðe agult & i dreaued sore. þereuore ich ðe bidde holi heouene kwene. þet tu ȝif þi wille is ihere mine bene. [84. iher MS.] ich ðe bidde lefdi uor þere gretunge. [ 85] þet Gabriel ðe brouhte urom ure heouen kinge. and ek ich ðe biseche uor ihesu cristes blode þet for ure note was i sched oðere rode. vor ðe muchele seoruwe ðet was oðine mode. þo þu et ðe deaðe him bi uore stode [ 90] þet tu me makie cleane wiðuten & eke wið innen. So þet me ne schende none kunnes sunne. þene loðe deouel & alle kunnes dweoluhðe. aulem urom me ueor awei mid hore fule fulðe. Mi leoue lif urom þine luue ne schal me no þing to dealen [ 95] vor oðe is al ilong mi lif & eke min heale. vor þine luue i swinke & sike wel ilome

vor þine luue ich ham ibrouht in to þeoudome, vor þine luue ich uorsoc al þet me leof was. and ȝef ðe al mi suluen. looue lif iþench þu þes. [ 100] þet ich ðe wreðede sume siðe hit me reoweð sore. vor cristes fif wunden ðu ȝif me milce & ore. ȝif þu milce nauest of me þet ich wot wel ȝeorne þet ine helle pine swelten ich schal & beornen. [f. 122 v] ful wel þu me iseie þauh þu stille were. [ 105] hwar ich was & hwat i dude þauh þu me uorbere. ȝif þu heuedest wreche inumen of mine luðernesse. iwis ich heuede al uorloren paradises blisse. þu hauest ȝet forboren me uor þine godnesse. and nu ich hopie habben fulle uorȝiuenesse. [ 110] ne wene ich neure uallen in to helle pine. hwon ich am to ðe ikumen & am ðin owune hine þin ich am & wule beon nu & euer more. vor oðe is al mi lif ilong & o godes ore. Mi leoue swete lefdi to þe me longeð swuðe. [ 115] bute ich habbe þine help ne beo ich neuer bliðe. ich þe bidde þet tu kume to mine uorð siðe. and nomeliche þeonne þine luue kuðe. auouh mine soule hwon ich of þisse liue uare and i schild me urom seoruwe & from eche deaðes kare. [ 120] ȝif þu wult ðet ich iðeo gode ȝeme nim to me. vor wel ne wurð me neuer bute hit beo þuruh ðe. Mid swuþe luðere lasten mi soule is þuruh bunden. ne mei no þing so wel so þu healen mine wunden. to þe one is al mi trust efter þine leoue sune [ 125] vor is holie nome of mine liue ȝif me lune. [126. lune] lune MS.] ne þole þu þene unwine þet he me arine [127. arine on an erasure.] ne þet he me dra'w'e in to helle pine. [128. drawe] w over ị MS.] nim nu ȝeme to me so me best a beo ðe beo. vor þin is þe wurchipe ȝif ich wrecche wel iþeo. [ 130] [130. wreeche MS.]

þu ne uorsakest nenne mon uor his luðernesse. ȝif he 'is' to bote ȝeruh & bit þe uorȝiuenesse. þu miht lihtliche ȝif þu wult al mi sor aleggen. [f. 123 r] and muchele bet biseon to me þen ich kunne siggen. þu miht forȝelden lihtliche mine gretunge. [ 135] al mi swinc & mi sor & mine kneouwunge. Jne me nis noþing feier on to biseonne. Ne no þing {that} beo wurðe biuoren þe to beonne. [138. þing{that} MS.] þereuore ich þe bidde {that} þu me wassc'h'e & schrude þuruh þine muchele milce {that} spert so swuðe wide [ 140] Nis hit ðe no wurðscipe {that} þe deouel me to drawe. ȝif þu wult hit iðauien iwis he wule ðurchut fawe. vor he nolde neuere {that} þu hefedest wurðschipe. Ne no mon {that} þe wurðeð {that} he hedde gledschipe. þu hit wost ful ȝeorne {that} þe deouel hateð me. [ 145] and nomeliche þereuore {that} ich wurðie þe. þereuore ich þe bidde {that} þu me wite & werie. þet þe deouel me ne drecche ne dweolðe me ne derie. So þu dest & so þu schalt uor ðire mild heortnesse. þu schalt me aueir dol of heoueriche blisse. [ 150] ȝif ich habbe muchel ibroken, muchel ich wulle beten. and do mine schrifte & þe ueire greten. þe hwule {that} ich habbe mi lif & mine heale. vrom ðire seruise ne schal me no þing deale. biuoren þine uote ich wulle liggen & greden. [ 155] vort ich habbe uorȝiuenesse of mine misdeden. Mi lif is þin mi luue is þin mine heorte blod is þin. and ȝif ich der se'g'gen mi leoue leafdi þu ert min. alle wurðschipe haue þu on heouene and ec on eorðe. and alle gledschipe haue þu al so ðu ert wurðe. [ 160] Nu ich þe bi seche ine cristes cherite. [f. 123 v] þet þu þine blescinge & þine luue ȝiue me.

Ȝeme mine licame ine clenenesse [Between ll. 163, 4, a line omitted: it was supplied at the top of the folio, but cut away by the binder. Zupitza read the traces of the last two words as ine eadmodnesse.] Godalmihti unne me vor his mild heortnesse. {that} ich mote þe iseo in ðire heie blisse. [ 165] and alle mine ureondmen þe bet beo nu to dai. {that} ich habbe i sungen þe ðesne englissce lai. and nu ich þe bi seche vor ðire holinesse. þet þu bringe þene Munuch to þire glednesse. [169. Munuch] nu on an erasure MS.] þet funde ðesne song bi ðe mi looue leafdi. [ 170] [170. biðe MS.] Cristes milde moder seinte marie. amen.