The owl and the nightingale (MS Jes. Col. 29)

Lines 1201 through 1300

Ic wot if tren schulle blowe: Ic wot if corn schulle growe: Ic wot if huses schulle berne: Ic wot if men sulle eorne oþer erne: Ic wot if sea sal sch[i]pes drenche: Line 1205 Ic wot if [smithe] sale vuele clenche. & ic con muchele more: Ic con ynouh in bokes lore, & ek ic can of þe Godspelle More þan ic wile þe telle: Line 1210 Vor ic at chireche cume ilome, & muchel leorny of wisdome: Ic wot al of þe toknynge, & of oþer vale þinge. If eny mon schal rem abide, Line 1215 Al ic hit wot ar hit ityde.

Ofte, vor myne muchele witte, Wel sori-mod & wroþ I sytte: Hwanne ic iseo þer sum wrecchede Is cumynde neyh, inoh ic grede: Line 1220 Ic bidde þer men beon warre, & habbe gode redes yare. Vor Alured seyde a wis word, Vych mon hit scholde legge on hord: "If þu isyst her heo beo icume, Line 1225 His strengþe is him wel neyh binume." & grete duntes beoþ þe lasse, If me ikepeþ myd iwarnesse, & [flo] schal toward misyenge, If þu isihst hw fleo of strenge: Line 1230 For þu myht blenche & fleo, If þu isihst heo to þe teo. Þauh eny mon beo falle in edwite, Hwi schal [he] me his sor atwite? Þauh ic iseo his harm bivore, Line 1235 Ne cumeþ hit nouht of me þarfore. fol. 238r. col.1. Þah þu iseo þat sum blynd mon, Þat nanne rihtne wey ne con, To þare diche his dwele voleweþ, & falleþ, & þaronne sulieþ, Line 1240

Line 1240 Wenestu, þah ic al iseo, Þat hit for me þe raþer beo? Al so hit fareþ bi [m]ine witte: Þanne ic on myne bowe sitte, Ic wot & iseo swiþe brihte Line 1245 Þat summe men cumeþ harm þarrihte. Sal he, þar he nowiht not, Hit wite me vor ic hit wot? Sal he his myshap wyten me, Vor ic am wisure þan he? Line 1250 Hwanne ic iseo þat sum wrechede Is manne neyh, inouh ic grede, & bidde inouh þat hi heom schilde, Vor toward heom is harm vnmylde. Ac þah ic grede lude and stille, Line 1255 Al iwurþ Godes wille. Hwi wulleþ men of me mene, Þah ic mid soþe heo awene? Þah ic hi warny al þat yer, Nis heom þarvore [harem] þe ner: Line 1260 Ac ich singe vor ich wolde Þer hi wel vnderstonde scholde Þat sum vnsel heom is ihende, Hwen ic myn huyng to heom sende. Naueþ mon no sikerhede Line 1265 Þat he ne may wene & adrede Þat sum vnhap neih him beo, Þah he ne cunne hit iseo. Forþi seyde Alured swiþe wel, & his word was Godspel, Line 1270

Line 1270 Þat "euerich mon, þe bet [him] beo, Euer þe bet he him biseo": [folio 238r.2] "Ne triste no mon to his wele To swiþe, þa[h] he habbe uele." "Nis noht so hot þat hit nacoleþ, Line 1275 Ne noht so hwit þat hit ne soleþ, Ne noht so leof þat hit naloþeþ, Ne noht so glad þat hit nawreþeþ: Ac euerich þing þat eche nys, Agon schal, & al þis worldes blis." Line 1280 Nu þu miht witen redeliche, Þat euer þu spekest gidiliche: For al þu me seyst vor schame, Euer þe [solue] hit turneþ to grome. Go so hit go, at eche fenge Line 1285 Þu vallest myd þin owe swenge; Al þat þu sayst for me to schende, Hit is my w[u]rþsipe at þan ende. Bute þu wille bet agynne, Ne schaltu bute schame iwynne." Line 1290 Þe nyhtegale sat and syhte, & hauhful was, & wel myhte, For þe vle so ispeke hadde, And hire speche so iladde. Heo wes houhful, and erede Line 1295 Hwat heo þarafter hire seyde:

Ac noþeles heo hire vnderstod. "Hwat!" heo seyde, "vle, artu wod? Þu yelpest of selliche wisdome, Þu nustest hwenne hit þe come, Line 1300