Lines 701 through 800
Þe Nihtegale al hi[re howe]
Mid rede hadde wel bitowe ;
Among þe harde, among þe towehte,
Ful wel myd rede hire biþouhte,
& hedde onswere god ifunde
Line 705
Among alle hire harde stunde.
"[U]le, þu axest me," heo seyde,
"[I]f ich con eny oþer dede
Bute syngen in sume tyde,
& bringe blisse veor & wyde.
Line 710
Hwy axestu of craftes myne ?
Beter is myn on þan alle þine,
Beter is o song of myne muþe
Þan al þat [evre] þi kun kuþe:
& lust, ich telle þe hwarvore.
Line 715
Wostu to hwan mon wes ibore?
To þare blisse of heueryche, [folio 234r.2]
Þar euer is song & [m]urehþe ilyche:
description
Page 63
Þider fundeþ euerich man
Þat eny þing of gode can.
Line 720
For-þi me syngþ in holy-chireche,
& clerekes gynneþ songes w[i]rche,
Þat mon yþenche bi þe songe
Hwider he shal, & þar ben longe:
Þat he þe murehþe ne voryete,
Line 725
Ac þarof þenche & bige[t]e,
& nyme yeme of chirche stefne,
Hw [m]urie is þe blisse of heuene.
Clerekes, Munekes, & canunes,
Þar beoþ þos gode wike-tunes,
Line 730
Ariseþ vp to middel-nyhte,
& singeþ of þon heuene-lyhte:
& preostes vpe londe singeþ,
* * * * *
& ich heom helpe hwat ic may,
Line 735
Ich singe myd hem nyht & day,
& heo beoþ alle for me þe gladdere,
& to þe songe beoþ þe raddure.
Ich warny men to heore gode,
Þat hi beon blyþe on heore mode,
Line 740
& bidden þat hi moten iseche
Þat ilche song þat euer is eche.
Nu þu myht, vle, sitte and clynge:
Her-among nys no chateringe :
Ich graunti þat þu go to dome
Line 745
Tovore þe sulve Pope of Rome.
description
Page 65
Ac abid yete, noþeles,
Þu schalt abyde on oþer [bles]:
Ne schaltu, vor Engelonde,
At þisse worde me atstonde.
Line 750
Hwy atwitestu me myne vnstrengþe,
& myne vngrete, & myn vnlengþe,
& sayst þat ich am nouht strong, [folio 234v.1]
Vor ic nam noþer gret ne long?
Ac þu nost neuer hwat þu menest,
Line 755
Bute lese wordes þu me lenest:
For ic kan craft & ic kan lyste,
& þarfore ic am þus þriste.
Ich kan wit & song mony eine,
Ne triste ic to non oþer mayne:
Line 760
Vor soþ hit is þat seyde Alured:
"Ne may no strengþe ayeyn red."
description
Page 67
Oft spet wel a lute lyste,
Þar muche strengþe solde myste;
Mid lutle strengþe, þureh ginne,
Line 765
Castel & bureh me may winne.
Mid liste me may walles felle,
& werpe of horse knyhtes snelle.
Vuel strengþe is lutel w[u]rþ,
Ac wisdom ne w[u]rþ neuer vnw[u]rþ:
Line 770
Þu myht iseo þurh alle þing,
Þat wisdom naueþ non euening.
An hors is strengur þan a mon;
Ac for hit non iwit ne kon,
Hit berþ on rugge grete semes,
Line 775
& drahþ bi sweore grete temes,
description
Page 69
& þoleþ boþe yerd & spure,
& stont iteyed at mulne dure.
& hit doþ þat mon hit hot:
& for þan þat hit no wit not,
Line 780
Ne may his strengþe hit ischilde
Þat h[it] nabuhþ þe lutle childe.
Mon doþ, mid strengþe & mid witte,
Þat oþer þing nys non his fitte.
Þey alle strengþe at one [w]ere,
Line 785
Monnes wit yet more were:
Vor þe mon myd his crafte, [folio 234v.2]
Ouercumeþ al eorþliche shafte.
Al so ic do myd myne one songe
Bet þan þu alle yer longe:
Line 790
Vor myne crafte men me luuyeþ,
Vor þine strengþe men þe schunyeþ.
Telstu bi me þe w[u]rs for þan
Þat ic bute enne craft ne kan?
If twey men goþ to wrastlinge,
Line 795
& eyþer oþer vaste þringe,
& þe on can swenges swiþe fele,
& kan his wrenches wel forhele,
& þe oþer ne can sweng bute onne,
& þe is god wiþ eche manne,
Line 800