God nile not þat we ȝeue
Þat we sholde oure self bi liue;
Bot if we may ought spare
And oure self wel fare,
God wile þat we ȝiue
To helpe oure euene cristeñ to liue.
And if we may ȝeue hem nought,
Wilne we hem goed in oure thought;
And bot wee doon verrayment,
We breke godes comaundement.
Þat oþer comaundement is þis
Þat god, þat almyghty is,
King of heuen þat al do may,
Comanded vs holde oure haliday,
Boþe lewede men and clerkes,
And not only of eorþly werkes,
Bot holde vs out of dedly sinne,
Þat we falle not þer inne,
And helpe þe pore wiþ al oure myght —
Þan holde we oure haliday right.
Þus sholde echeman on liue
On haliday kepe his wittes fiue,
Forto mende dede and thought,
Þat al þe wike is yuele wrought.
Þe thridde comaundement ywis,
Þat god comaunded, so is þis,
Þat echeman be his myght
Honoure fader and moder aright.
Wel aughte eche man in eorþe,
Were þei neuere so litel worþe,
To honoure fader and moder here,
And resoun were, as ȝe may here.
Suete Iesu, ful of myght,
Cam into erþe fro heuene light
And fette hise into heuene;
Blessede beo his names seueñ
Þat com his moder to honoure,
Wel aughte we to menske oure!
And who so wile not beo war
To honoure þe moder þat him bar
