Classic Poem

Minot with mowth had menfd to make
suth sawes and sad for sum mens sake.
The wordes of sir Edward makes me to wake;
wald he salue us sone mi sorow suld slake.
War mi sorow slaked, sune wald I sing,
when God will sir Edward sai us bute bring.

Sir Philip the Valas cast was in care
and said sir Hugh Kyret to Flandres suld fare,
and have Normondes inogh to leve on his lare
all Flandres to brin and mak it all bare.
Bot, unkind coward, wo was him thare;
when he sailed in the Swin, it sowed him sare.
Sare it tham smerted that ferd out of France;
thare lered Inglis men tham a new daunce.

The buriase of Bruge ne war noght to blame;
I pray Jhesu save tham fro sin and fro schame,
for thai war sone at the Sluse all by a name,
whare many of the Normandes tok mekill grame.

When Bruges and Ipyre hereof herd tell,
that sent Edward to wit, that was in Arwell;
than had he no liking langer to dwell.
He hasted him to the Swin with sergantes snell,
to mete with the Normandes, that fals war and fell,
that had ment if thai might al Flandres to quell.

King Edward unto sail was ful sune dight,
with eries and barons and many kene knight.
Thai come byfor Blankebergh on Saint Jons night —
that was to the Normondes a well sary sight.
Yit trumped thai and daunced with torches ful bright;
in the wilde waniand was thaire hertes light.
Opon the morn efter, if I suth say,
a meri man, sir Robard out of Morlay,
at half eb in the Swin soght he the way.
Thare lered men the Normandes at bukler to play
helpid tham no prayer that thai might pray —
the wreches es wonnen; thaire wapin es oway.

The erie of Norhamton helpid at that nede
als wise man of wordes and worthli in wede.
Sir Walter the Mawnay, God gif him mede,
was bold of body in batayl to bede.

The duc of Lankaster was dight for to drive,
with mani mody man that thoght for to thrive.
Wele and stalworthly stint he that strive
that few of the Normandes left thai olive.
Fone left thai olive bot did tham to lepe;
men may find by the flode a hundred on hepe.

Sir Wiliam of Klinton was eth for to knaw;
mani stout bachilere broght he on raw —
it semid with thaire schoting als it war snaw.
The bost of the Normandes broght thai ful law.
Thaire bost was abated and thaire mekil pride;
fer might thai noght fle bot thare bud tham bide.

The gude erie of Glowceter, God mot him glade,
broght many boldmen with bowes ful brade;
to biker with the Normandes baldely thai bade
and in middes the flode did tham to wade.
To wade war tho wretches casten in the brim;
the kaitefs come out of France at lere tham to swim.

I prays John Badding als one of the best;
faire come he sayland out of the suthwest.
To prove of tha Normandes was he ful prest;
till he had foghten his fill he had never rest.

John of Aile of the Sluys with scheltron ful schene
was comen into Cagent cantly and kene.
Bot sone was his trumping turned to tene;
of him had sir Edward his will als I wene.

The schipmen of Ingland sailed ful swith
that none of the Normandes fro tham might skrith.
Who so kouth wele his craft thare might it kith;
of al the gude that thai gat gaf thai no tithe.

Two hundreth and mo schippes on the sandes
had oure Inglis men won with thaire handes.
The kogges of Ingland war broght out of bandes
and also the Cristofir that in the streme standes.
In that stound that stode with stremers ful still,
till thai wist full wele sir Edwardes will.

Sir Edward oure gude king wurthi in wall
faght wele on that flude — faire mot him fall!
Als it es custom of king to confort tham all,
so thanked he gudely the grete and the small.
He thanked tham gudely, God gif him mede;
thus come oure king in the Swin till that gude dede.

This was the bataile that fell in the Swin
whare many Normandes made mekill din.
Wele war thai armed up to the chin,
bot God and sir Edward gert thaire boste blin.
Thus blinned thaire boste als we wele ken;
God assoyle thaire sawls sals all. Amen.