(Wiþ) mi no neiȝe y schal wink,
(& wiþ) mi noþer y schal loke;
(Mi wa)risoun y schal biswink
(Til y) may sen opon a boke,
Line 25
(& haue) anowe mete & drink."
(Gode) comfort to him he tok.
(He tok) to him anon gode hede:
"(Iwis, m)i no neiȝe may me seruen
(Þer to) do wiþ al mi dede;
Line 30
(It is) ynouȝ til y schal steruen."
(Þe cl)erk him fair answerd oȝain: [oȝain st. aȝen.]
"(Ich) do me alle in her manay.
(Sch)eu now what y schal mene
(To) Mari, as y þe say.
Line 35
(Hir s)eriaunt ichaue long ben;
(Wiþ a)ll loue now ichir pray
(Þat) ich mot hir ones sen
(Aper)tliche, er þan y day.
(Whe)n y dye, sche ȝiue me grace
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(To come) to hir wiþ gode entent,
(To sen) hir bodi & hir face."
(Þe an)gel oȝain to heuene is went.
Fram heuen into þe clerkes bour, [folio 38]
Riȝt doun biforn his beddes fet,
Line 45
Þe angel aliȝt wiþ gret honour,
& wel fair he gan him gret.
"Mari, þat bar our saueour,
He seyd, þou schalt sen as sket."
Wiþ him þer com a gret odour,
Line 50
Nas neuer no smel half so swete.
So swete a smel nas neuer non,
Of rose no of no spicerie,
As com in-to þat leueli won [leueli = loueli.]
Befor þat leueliche compeynie. [leueli = loueli.]
Line 55
Wiþ angel song & miri play
Our leuedi adoun sche liȝt
Into þe chaumber þer he lay,
& seyd: "clerk, drede þe no-wiȝt!"—
Þei a man biþouȝt him ay,
Line 60
No schuld he reden apoin (!) ariȝt
Hennes vn-to domesday
Hou fair sche is, þat maiden briȝt.
Hou briȝt sche is, no tong may telle—
Yblisced mot hye euer ben!
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Of heuen, of erþe & of helle
Sche is emperice & quene.
A mantel our leuedy vnfeld,
Briȝter þan sonne þat schineþ schire.
"Clerk, drede þe nouȝt, but be nov beld, [Ms. nob beld.]
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For þou schalt haue þi desire;
Þer-whiles þou hast þine eiȝen in weld,
Avise þe wele of min atire,
Apertliche þou me biheld,
Bodi & face, brest & swire!"
Line 75
Swire & al hir bodi he seiȝe,
When sche hadde to him spoken:
He loked on hir wiþ his oneiȝe—
Þat oþer he held stille yloken.
Oȝain to heuen our leuedi went
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Wel stillelich out of þat clos.
Þe clerk held him foulely schent,
Amorwe, when þat he aros.
His ȝalu here he haþ al to-rent,
& in his hert sore him agros;
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Al þus he seyd, & him bi-ment:
"Þis niȝt y saued on of mi fos;
Mi fo y spard, allas þat while! [Der Feind ist das eine, gerettete Auge.]
Sori icham, & wele ich owe:
Mineiȝe doþ mi soule gile,
Line 90
& often bringeþ it ful lowe."
Riȝt in his chaumber, þer he stode,
Him þouȝt his liif was him ful loþ,
He wepe sore wiþ dreri mode,
& out of his chaumber he goþ.
Line 95
"Þat me no deined, ich was wode,
To loke wiþ min eiȝen boþe [Ms. deined, vgl. Old Engl. Misc. 228, 168: þat hem deynet not of to ete.]
Opon þat leuedi fair & gode;
Y wot þerfore þat sche is wroþ.
Wroþ sche is, & wele sche may,
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Wiþ me, þat am sinful chaitif,
Þat y schuld hir so bitraye,
Þat ichaue loued in al mi liif.
Euer me may rewe þat ich while
Þat y schuld for ani drede
Line 105
Do Marie þat gret gile.
