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

Lines 1 through 100

[folio 229r.1] ICH wes in one sumere dale In one swiþe dyele hale Iherde ich holde grete tale An vle and one nyhtegale. Þat playd wes stif & starc & strong Line 5 Sum hwile softe & lud among; And eyþer ayeyn oþer swal, And let þat vuele mod vt al. And eyþer seyde of oþres custe Þat alre-w[u]rste þat hi ywuste: Line 10 & hure & hure of oþres songe Hi holde playding swiþe stronge. Þe Nihtegale bigon þo speke In one hurne of one beche,

& sat vp one vayre bowe, Line 15 Þat were abute blostme ynowe, In ore vaste þikke hegge I[m]eynd myd spire & grene segge. He wes þe gladder vor þe ryse, & song a veole cunne wyse: Line 20 Bet þuhte þe drem þat he were Of harpe & pipe þan he nere: Bet þuhte þat heo were ishote Of harpe & pipe þan of þrote, Þo stod on old stok þar byside, Line 25 Þar þe vle song hire tyde, And wes myd ivi al bigrowe: Hit wes þare vle erdingstowe. Þe Nihtegale hi iseyh, & hi bi[hold] and ouerseyh, Line 30 & þuhte wel ful of þare vle, For me hi halt lodlich & fule. [folio 229r.2] "Vnwyht," heo seyde, " awey þu fleo ! Me is þe wurs þat ich þe iseo. Iwis for þine [vu]le lete Line 35 Wel ofte ich my song furlete;

Min heorte atflyhþ & falt my tunge, Hwenne þu art to me iþrunge. Me luste bet speten þane singe Of þine fule howelynge." Line 40 Þeos vle abod for hit wes eve, Heo ne myhte no leng bileue, Vor hire heorte wes so gret Þat wel neyh hire fnast atset, & warp a word þar-after longe; Line 45 "Hw þynk þe nu bi [m]ine songe? Wenestu þat ich ne kunne singe, Þe ich ne cunne of wrytelinge? Ilome þu dest me grome, & seist me boþe teone & schome. Line 50 If ich þe heolde on myne vote, (So hit bitide þat ich mote!) & þu were vt of þine ryse, Þu scholdest singe on oþer wise." Þe Nihtegale yaf onsware: Line 55 "If ich me loki wiþ þe bare, & me schilde [w]it þe blete, Ne recche ich nouht of þine þrete:

If ich me holde in myne hegge, Ne recche ich neuer hwat þu segge. Line 60 Ich wot þat þu art vn[m]ilde, Wiþ heom þat ne [m]uwe from þe schilde: And þu tukest wroþe & vuele, Hwar þu myht ouer smale vowele. [folio 229v.1] Vorþi þu art loþ al fowel-cunne Line 65 & alle heo þe dryueþ heonne, & þe biscrycheþ & bigredeþ, & wel narewe þe byledeþ: & ek forþe þe sulue mose, Hire þonkes, wolde þe totose. Line 70 Þu art lodlich to biholde, And þu art loþ in monye volde: Þi body is scort, þi swere is smal, Gretture is þin heued ne þu al; Þin eyen beoþ colblake & brode, Line 75 Ryht so hi weren ipeynt myd wode; Þu starest so þu wille abyten Al þat þu myht myd clyure smyten; Þi bile is stif & sarp & hoked, Riht as on ewel þat is croked; Line 80 Þarmyd Þu clechest euer among, And þat is on of þine song. Ac þu þretest to myne vleysse, Mid þine cleures woldest me [m]eysse. Þe were icundere to one frogge Line 85 Þat sit at [m]ulne vnder cogge:

Snayles, [m]us, and fule wihte, Beoþ þine cunde & þine rihte. Þu sittest aday, and flyhst aniht, Þu cuþest þat þu art on vnwiht. Line 90 Þu art lodlich and vnclene, Bi þine neste ich hit mene, And ek bi þine fule brode, Þu vedest on heom a wel ful vode. Wel wostu þat hi doþ þar-ynne, Line 95 Hi fuleþ hit vp to þe chynne: Heo sytteþ þar so hi beo bysne. Hwarbi men seggeþ a vorbysne: [folio 229v.2] "Dehaet habbe þat ilke best Þat fuleþ his owe nest." Line 100