Pearl
E.V. Gordon


Section VI
'I halde þat iueler lyttel to prayse
Þat leueȝ wel þat he seȝ wyth yȝe,
And much to blame and vncortayse
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Þat leueȝ oure Lorde wolde make a lyȝe,
Þat lelly hyȝte your lyf to rayse,
Þaȝ fortune dyd your flesch to dyȝe.
Ȝe setten hys wordeȝ ful westernays
Þat leueȝ noþynk bot ȝe hit syȝe.
And þat is a poynt o sorquydryȝe,
Þat vche god mon may euel byseme,
To leue no tale be true to tryȝe
Bot þat hys one skyl may dem.
'Deme now þyself if þou con dayly
As man to God wordeȝ schulde heue.
Þou saytȝ þou schal won in þis bayly;
Me þynk þe burde fyrst aske leue,
And ȝet of graunt þou myȝteȝ fayle.
Þou wylneȝ ouer þys water to weue;
Er moste þou ceuer to oþer counsayle:
Þy corse in clot mot calder keue.
For hit watȝ forgarte at Paradys greue;
Oure ȝorefader hit con mysseȝeme.
Þurȝ drwry deth boȝ vch man dreue,
Er ouer þys dam hym Dryȝtyn deme.'
[folio 43v]
'Demeȝ þou me', quod I, 'my swete,
To dol agayn, þenne I dowyne.
Now haf I fonte þat I forlete,
Schal I efte forgo hit er euer I fyne?
Why schal I hit boþe mysse and mete?
My precios perle dotȝ me gret pyne.
What serueȝ tresor, bot gareȝ men grete
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When he hit schal efte wyth teneȝ tyne?
Now rech I neuer for to declyne,
Ne how fer of folde þat man me fleme.
When I am partleȝ of perle myne,
Bot durande doel what may men deme?'
'Thow demeȝ noȝt bot doel-dystresse',
Þenne sayde þat wyȝt. 'Why dotȝ þou so?
For dyne of doel of lureȝ lesse
Ofte mony mon forgos þe mo.
Þe oȝte better þyseluen blesse,
And loue ay God, in wele and wo,
For anger gayneȝ þe not a cresse.
Who nedeȝ schal þole, be not so þro.
For þoȝ þou daunce as any do,
Braundysch and bray þy braþeȝ breme,
When þou no fyrre may, to ne fro,
Þou moste abyde þat he schal deme.
'Deme Dryȝtyn, euer hym adyte,
Of þe way a fote ne wyl he wryþe.
Þy mendeȝ mounteȝ not a myte,
Þaȝ þou for sorȝe be neuer blyþe.
Stynt of þy strot and fyne to flyte,
And sech hys blyþe ful swefte and swyþe.
Þy prayer may hys pyté byte,
Þat mercy schal hyr crafteȝ kyþe.
Hys comforte may þy langour lyþe
And þy lureȝ of lyȝtly fleme;
For, marre oþer madde, morne and myþe,
Al lys in hym to dyȝt and deme.'