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

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:

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.

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."

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,

& 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