Classic Poem

P ERLE plesau n te to prynces paye,
To clanly clos in golde so clere!
Oute of Oryent, I hardyly saye,
Ne proued I neu er her precios pere
So rou n de, so reken in vche araye,
So smal, so smoþe her sydeg were;
Quere-so-eu er I jugged ge m meg gaye,
I sette hyr sengeley i n syng[u]l[e]re.
Allas! I leste hyr i n on erbere;
þurg gresse to grou n de hit fro me yot.
I dewyne, for-do[k]ked of luf-daungere
Of þat pryuy perle w it h -outen spot.

Syþen in þat spote hit fro me sprange,
Ofte haf I wayted, wyschande þat wele,
þat wont watg whyle deuoyde my wrange,
& heuen my happe & al my hele.
þat dotg bot þrych my hert[e] þrange,
My breste in bale bot bolne & bele;
Get þogt me neu er so swete a sange,
As stylle stou n de let to me stele.
For-soþe þer fleten to me fele,
To þenke hir color so clad i n clot.
O moul, þ o u marreg a myry [m]ele; —
My p ri uy perle w it h -outen spotte.

þat spot of spyseg [mo]t nedeg sprede,
þer such rycheg to rot is ru n neÔÇá;
Blomeg blayke & blwe & rede
þer schyneg ful schyr agayn þe su n ne
Flor & fryte may not be fede
þer hit dou n drof i n moldeg du n ne;
For vch gresse mot grow of grayneg dede,
No whete were elleg to woneg wo n ne.
Of goud vche goude is ay by-go n ne;
So semly a sede mogt fayly not,
þat spry[ n ]gande spyceg vp ne spo n ne
Of þat p re cios perle wyth-outen spotte.

To þat spot þat I in speche expou n ,
I entred in þat erber grene,
In Augoste in a hyg seysou n ,
Quen corne is coruen wyth crokeg kene.
On huyle þer perle hit trendeled dou n
Schadowed þis worteg ful schyre & schene, —
Gilofre, gyngure, & gromylyou n ,
& pyonys powdered ay by-twene.
Gif hit watg semly on to sene,
A fayr reflayr get fro hit flot,
þer wonys þat worþyly, I wot & wene,
My p re cio us perle wyth-outen spot.

Bifore þat spot my honde I spe n n[e]d,
For care ful colde þat to me cagt;
A deuely dele in my hert[e] de n ned,
þag resou n sette my seluen sagt.
I playned my perle þat þer watg pe n nedÔÇá,
Wyth fyr[c]e skylleg þat faste fagt;
þag kynde of Kryst me comfort ke n ned,
My wreched wylle i n wo ay wragte.
I felle vpon þat flo ur y flagt,
Suche odo ur to my herneg schot,
I slode vpon a slepy n g-slagte,
On þat p re c[ i ]os perle w it h -outen spot.

Fro spot my spyryt þer sprang i n space,
My body on balke þer bod i n sweuen;
My goste is gon in Godeg grace
In auenture þ er meruayleg meuen.
I ne wyste in þis worlde quere þ a t hit wace,
Bot I knew me keste þ er klyfeg cleuen;
To-warde a foreste I bere þe face,
Where rych[e] rokkeg wer to dyscreuen;
þe lygt of hem mygt no mon leuen,
þe glemande glory þat of hem gle n t;
For wern neu er webbeg þat wygeg weuen
Of half so dere adub[be]mente.

Dubbed wern alle þo downeg sydeg
W it h crystal klyffeg so cler of kynde;
Holte-wodeg brygt aboute hem bydeg,
Of bollegas blwe as ble of ynde;
As bornyst syluer þe lef onslydeg,
þat þike con trylle on vch a tynde;
Quen glem of glodeg agayng hem glydeg,
Wyth schym er y n g scheneful schrylle þay schynde;
þe grauayl þat [I] on grou n de con grynde
Wern p re cio us perleg of Oryente;
þe su n ne-bemeg bot blo & blynde
In respecte of þat adubbement.

The adubbemente of þo downeg dere
Garten my goste al greffe for-gete;
So frech flauoreg of fryteg were,
As fode hit con me fayre refete;
Fowleg þ er flowen i n fryth i n fere,
Of flau m bande hweg, boþe smale & grete;
Bot sytole-stry n g & gyt er nere
Her reken myrþe mogt not retrete;
For quen þose bryddeg her wyngeg bete,
þay songen wyth a swete asent;
So grac[ i ]os gle couþe no mon gete
As here & se her adubbement.

So al watg dubbet on dere asyse
þat fryth þer fortwne forth me fereg,
þe derþe þer-of for to deuyse
Nis no wyg worþe þat tonge bereg
I welke ay forth i n wely wyse;
No bonk so byg þ a t did me dereg;
þe fyrre i n þe fryth þe fei[r]er con ryse
þe playn, þe plontteg, þe spyse, þe pereg,
& raweg & randeg & rych reuereg,
As fyldor fyn her b[o]nkes brent
I wan to a water by schore þat schereg, —
Lorde, dere watg hit adubbement!

The dubbemente of þo derworth depe
Wern bonkeg bene of beryl brygt;
Swangeande swete þe water con swepe,
Wyth a rownande rourde raykande arygt;
I n þe fou n ce þ er stonden stoneg stepe,
As glente þurg glas þat glowed & glygt,
A[s] stremande sterneg, quen stroþe-me n slepe,
Staren i n welkyn i n wynt er nygt;
For vche a pobbel i n pole þer pygt
Watg emerad, saffer, oþ er ge m me gente,
þat alle þe loge lemed of lygt,
So dere watg hit adubbement

T HE dubbeme n t dere of dou n & daleg,
Of wod & wat er & wlonk[e] playneg,
Bylde in me blys, abated my baleg,
For-didden my stresse, dystryed my payneg
Dou n after a strem þat drygly haleg
I bowed in blys, bred-ful my brayneg;
þe fyrre I folged þose floty valeg,
þe more strenghþe of ioye myn herte strayneg
As fortune fares þ er -as ho frayneg,
Wheþ er solace ho sende oþ er elleg sore,
þe wyg to wham her wylle ho wayneg
Hytteg to haue ay more & more.

More of wele watg in þat wyse
þe n I cowþe telle þag [tom I] hade;
For vrþely herte mygt not suffyse
To þe tenþe dole of þo Gladneg glade;
For-þy I þogt þ a t Paradyse
Watg þer o[u] er gayn þo bonkeg brade;
I hoped þe water were a deuyse
By-twene [mereg] by [Myrþe] made;
By-gonde þe broke, by slente oþ er slade,
I hope[d] þ a t mote merked wore;
Bot þe water watg depe, I dorst not wade,
& eu er me longed a[y] more & more.

More & more, & get wel mare,
Me lyste to se þe broke by-gonde;
For, if hit watg fayr þ er I con fare,
Wel loueloker watg þe fyrre londe
Abowte me con I stote & stare,
To fynde a forþe faste con I fonde;
Bot woþeg mo i-wysse þ er ware,
þe fyrre I stalked by þe stronde;
& euer me þogt I schulde not wonde
For wo[þe], þer weleg so wy n ne wore;
þe n ne nwe note me com on honde,
þat meued my mynde ay more & more
More meruayle con my dom adau n t;

I seg bygonde þat myry mere
A crystal clyffe ful relusau n t;
Mony ryal ray con fro hit rere.
At þe fote þ er -of þ er sete a fau n t,
A mayden of menske, ful debonere;
Blysnande whyt watg hyr bleau n t;
I knew hyr wel, I hade sen hyr ere
As glysnande golde þat man con schere,
So schon þat schene an-vnder schore;
On lengh e I loked to hyr þere;
þe lenger, I knew hyr more & more.

The more I frayste hyr fayre face,
Her fygure fyn quen I had fonte,
Suche gladande glory con to me glace
As lyttel byfore þerto watg wonte.
To calle hyr lyste con me enchace,
Bot baysme n t gef myn hert a bru n t;
I seg hyr in so strange a place,
Such a burre mygt make my n herte blu n t
þe n ne vereg ho vp her fayre frou n t,
Hyr vysayge whyt as playn yuore,
þat stonge my n hert, ful stray a[s]tou n t,
& eu er þe lenger, þe more & more.