The Virgin's Complaint. [In the first edition, this and the following poem from Harl. 3954, having the same first two stanzas, were printed opposite one another, for the contrast of their later stanzas. But as in this second edition the parallel arrangement would have left p. 233 blank, the Resurrection poem is now put after the Death one.] filius Regis Mortuus est.
[Lambeth MS. 853, ab. 1430 A.D., page 74, written without breaks.] [12 stanzas of 12 lines each, abab abab bcbc.]
(1)
AS resoun rewlid my richelees mynde,
Bi wielde waies as y hadde went,
A solempne citee me fortuned to fynde;
To turne þerto was myne entent.
Line 4
¶ A maiden y mette, a modir hynde,
Sobbinge & siȝynge, sche was neer schent;
Sche wepte, sche wailid, so sore sche pined;
Hir heer, hir face, sche tuggid & rent,
Line 8
¶ Sche tuggid, sche taar with greet turment,
Sche racide hir skyn, bothe body & brest;
Sche seide þeise wordis euere as sche went,
"Filius regis mortuus est."
Line 12
(2)
"The kingis sone," sche seide, "is deed,
Þe ioie, þe substaunce of my lijfe:
Þe modir to se hir sone so blede,
It kittiþ myn herte as with a knyf.
Line 16
¶ My sone þat y was woont to fede,
To lulle, to lappe, with songis rijf;
Out of his herte his blood to schede,
Makiþ me, his modir, in myche strijfe.
Line 20
¶ I am boþe maiden, modir, & wijf, [page 75]
And sones haue y no mo to souke my brest;
I may make sorewe without relijf,
For 'filius regis mortuus est.'
Line 24
