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

Lines 301 through 400

"Þat wiþ þe fule haueþ imene, Ne cumeþ he neuer from him clene." [folio 231r.2] Wenestu þat hauek beo þe w[u]rse Þe crowe bigrede him bi þe mersche,

& goþ to him myd heore chyrme Line 305 Riht so hi wille wiþ him schirme? Þe hauek foleweþ gode rede; He flyhþ his wey, & let hi grede." "[Y]et þu me seyst of oþer þinge, & tellest þat ich ne can nouht singe, Line 310 Ac al my reorde is wonyng, And to ihere gryslych þing. Þat nis nouht soþ, ich singe efne, Mid fulle dreme & lude stefne. Þu wenest þat eoch song beo grislich Line 315 Þat þine pipinge nis ilich. Mi stefne is bold & nouht vnorne, Heo is ilich one grete horne, & þin is iliche one pype, Of one smale weode vnripe. Line 320 Ich [singe] bet þan þu dest: Þu chaterest so doþ on Yris prest. Ich singe an efne a ryhte time, & seþþe hwenne hit is bed-time, Þe þridde syþe a middel-nyhte: Line 325 & so ich myne songe adihte Hwenne ich iseo arise veorre Oþer day-rewe oþer day-steorre. Ic do god myd myne þrote, And warny men to heore note. Line 330 Ac þu singest alle longe nyht, From eue þat hit is day-liht, & euer lesteþ þin o song So longe so þe nyht is long:

& euer croweþ þi wrecche crey, Line 335 Þat he ne swikeþ nyht ne day. [folio 231v.1] Mid þine pipinge þu adunest Þas monnes eren þar þu wunest, & makest þi song so vnwiht Þat me ne telleþ of þe nowiht. Line 340 Eurych mureþe may so longe leste, Þat heo schal liki wel vnwreste : For harpe, & pipe, & foweles song Mislikeþ, if hit is to long. Ne beo þe song ne so murie, Line 345 Þat he ne sal þinche vnmurie If he ilesteþ ouer vnwille: So þu myht þi song aspille. For hit is soþ, Alured hit seyde, & me hit may in boke rede: Line 350 "Eurich þing may lesen his godhede Mid vnmeþe and ouerdede." Mid este þu þe maist ouerquatie, & ouerfulle makieþ wlatie:

& euerich mureþe may agon, Line 355 If me hit halt euer in on, Bute one, þat is Godes riche, Þa[t] euer is swete & euer iliche: Þeyh þu nyme of þan lepe, Hit is euer ful by hepe. Line 360 Wunder hit is of Godes ryche, Þat euer spenþ & euer is iliche. Yet þu me seyst an oþer schome, Þat ich a[m] on [m]yne eye lome, & seyst, for þat ich fleo bi nyhte, Line 365 Þat ich ne may iseo bi lyhte. Þu liest! on me hit is isene Þat ich habbe gode sene: Vor nys no so dym þesternesse Þat ich euer iseo þe lesse. Line 370 Þu wenest þat ich ne m[u]we iseo, [folio 231v.2] Vor ich bi daye nouht ne fleo. Þe hare luteþ al day, Ac noþeles iseo he may. If hundes eorneþ to him-ward, Line 375 He gencheþ swiþe awey-ward, & hokeþ paþes swiþe narewe, & haueþ mid him blenches yarewe. He [hupþ] & start swiþe cove, & secheþ paþes to þe groue: Line 380 Ne scholde he vor bo his eye So do, if he þe bet ne iseye.

Ich may iseo so wel so on hare, Þeyh ich bi daye sytte a dare. Þar auhte men beoþ in worre, Line 385 & fareþ boþe neor & feorre, & ouervareþ veole þeode, & doþ bi nyhte gode neode, Ich folewi þane ahte manne, & fleo bi nyhte in heore barme." Line 390 Þe nyhtegale in hire þouhte Atheold al þis, & longe þouhte Hwat heo þarafter myhte segge: Vor heo ne myhte noht alegge Þat þe vle hedde hire iseyd, Line 395 Vor ho spak boþe riht & red. & hire ofþuhte þat heo hadde Þe speche so feor uorþ iladde, & wes aferd þat hire answare Ne w[u]rþe nouht ariht ivare. Line 400