The owl and the nightingale (MS Cotton)

Lines 101 through 200

Þat oþer ȝer a faukun bredde; his nest noȝt wel he ne bihedde: þarto þu stele in o dai, [folio 233v.2] & leidest þaron þi fole ey. Þo hit bicom þat he haȝte, Line 105 & of his eyre briddes wraȝte; ho broȝte his briddes mete, bihold his nest, iseȝ hi ete:

he iseȝ bi one halue his nest ifuled uthalue. Line 110 Þe faucun was wroþ wit his bridde, & lude ȝal & sterne chidde: "Segget me, wo hauet þis ido? Ov nas neuer icunde þarto: hit was idon ov a loþ[e] [cu]ste. Line 115 Segge[þ] me ȝif ȝe hit wiste." Þo quaþ þat on & quad þat oþer: "Iwis it was ure oȝer broþer, þe ȝond þat haue[þ] þat grete heued: wai þat hi[t] nis þarof bireued! Line 120 Worp hit ut mid þe alre-[vu]rste þat his necke him to-berste!" Þe faucun ilefde his bridde, & nom þat fule brid amidde, & warp hit of þan wilde bowe, Line 125 þar pie & crowe hit todrowe. Herbi men segget a bispel, þeȝ hit ne bo fuliche spel; al so hit is bi þan ungode þat is icumen of fule brode, Line 130

Line 130 & is meind wit fro monne, euer he cuþ þat he com þonne, þat he com of þan adel-eye, þeȝ he a fro nest[e] leie. þeȝ appel trendli fro[m] þon trowe, Line 135 þar he & oþer mid growe, þeȝ he bo þar-from bicume, [folio 234r.1] he cuþ wel whonene he is icume." Þos word aȝaf þe niȝtingale, & after þare longe tale Line 140 he song so lude & so scharpe, riȝt so me grulde schille harpe. Þos hule luste þiderward, & hold hire eȝe noþerwa[r]d, & sat tosvolle & ibolwe, Line 145 also ho hadde one frogge isuolȝe: for ho wel wiste & was iwar þat ho song hire a-bisemar. & noþeles ho ȝa[f] andsuare, "Whi neltu flon into þe bare, Line 150

Line 150 & sewi [w]are unker bo of briȝter howe, of uairur blo?" "No, þu hauest wel scharpe clawe, ne kepich noȝt þat þu me clawe. þu hauest cliuers suþe stronge, Line 155 þu tuengst þar-mid so doþ a tonge. Þu þoȝtest, so doþ þine ilike, mid faire worde me biswike. Ich nolde don þat þu me raddest, ich wiste wel þat þu me misraddest. Line 160 Schamie þe for þin unrede! Vnwroȝen is þi svikelhede! Schild þine svikeldom vram þe liȝte, & hud þat woȝe amon[g] þe riȝte. Þane þu wilt þin unriȝt spene, Line 165 loke þat hit ne bo isene: vor svikedom haue[þ] schome & hete, ȝif hit is ope & underȝete. Ne speddestu noȝt mid þine unwrenche, for ich am war & can wel blenche. Line 170 Ne helpþ noȝt þat þu bo to [þ]riste: [folio 234r.2] ich wolde viȝte bet mid liste

þan þu mid al þine strengþe. Ich habbe, on brede & eck on lengþe, castel god on mine rise: Line 175 "Wel fiȝt þat wel fliȝt," seiþ þe wise. Ac lete we awei þos cheste, vor suiche wordes boþ unw[re]ste; & fo we on mid riȝte dome, mid faire worde & mid ysome. Line 180 Þeȝ we ne bo at one acorde, we m[a]ȝe bet mid fayre worde, witute cheste, & bute fiȝte, plaidi mid foȝe & mid riȝte: & mai hure eiþer wat h[e] wile Line 185 mid riȝte segge & mid sckile." Þo quaþ þe hule "[W]u schal us seme, þat kunne & wille riȝt us deme?" "Ich wot wel" quaþ þe niȝtingale, "Ne þaref þarof bo no tale. Line 190 Maister Nichole of Guldeforde, he is wis an war of worde: he is of dome suþe gleu, & him is loþ eurich unþeu.

He wot insiȝt in eche songe, Line 195 wo singet wel, wo singet wronge: & he can schede vrom þe riȝte þat woȝe, þat þuster from þe liȝte." Þo hule one wile hi biþoȝte, & after þan þis word upbroȝte: Line 200