| IN the vaile of restles mynd | |
| I sowght in mownteyn & in mede, | |
| trustyng a treulofe for to fynd: | |
| vpon an hyll than toke I hede; | |
| a voise I herd (and nere I yede) | 5 |
| in gret dolour complaynyng tho, | |
| ‘see, dere soule, my sydes blede | |
| Quia amore langueo.’ | |
| |
| Vpon thys mownt I fand a tree; | |
| vndir thys tree a man sittyng; | 10 |
| from hede to fote wowndyd was he, | |
| hys hert blode I saw bledyng; | |
| A semely man to be a kyng, | |
| A graciose face to loke vnto. | |
| I askyd hym how he had paynyng, | 15 |
| he said, ‘Quia amore langueo.’ | |
| |
| I am treulove that fals was neuer; | |
| my sistur, mannys soule, I loued hyr thus; | |
| By-cause I wold on no wyse disseuere, | |
| I left my kyngdome gloriouse; | 20 |
| I purueyd hyr a place full preciouse; | |
| she flytt, I folowyd, I luffed her soo | |
| that I suffred thes paynès piteuouse | |
| Quia amore langueo. | |
| |
| My faire love and my spousë bryght, | 25 |
| I saued hyr fro betyng, and she hath me bett; | |
| I clothed hyr in grace and heuenly lyght, | |
| this blody surcote she hath on me sett; | |
| for langyng love I will not lett; | |
| swetë strokys be thes, loo; | 30 |
| I haf loued euer als I hett, | |
| Quia amore langueo. | |
| |
| I crownyd hyr with blysse and she me with thorne, | |
| I led hyr to chambre and she me to dye; | |
| I browght hyr to worship and she me to skorne, | 35 |
| I dyd hyr reuerence and she me velanye. | |
| To love that loueth is no maistrye, | |
| hyr hate made neuer my love hyr foo; | |
| ask than no moo questions whye, | |
| but Quia amore langueo. | 40 |
| |
| Loke vnto myn handys, man! | |
| thes gloues were geuen me whan I hyr sowght; | |
| they be nat white, but rede and wan, | |
| embrodred with blode my spouse them bowght; | |
| they wyll not of, I lefe them nowght, | 45 |
| I wowe hyr with them where euer she goo; | |
| thes handes full frendly for hyr fowght, | |
| Quia amore langueo. | |
| |
| Maruell not, man, thof I sitt styll, | |
| my love hath shod me wondyr strayte; | 50 |
| she boklyd my fete as was hyr wyll | |
| with sharp nailes, well thow maist waite! | |
| in my love was neuer dissaite, | |
| for all my membres I haf opynd hyr to; | |
| my body I made hyr hertys baite, | 55 |
| Quia amore langueo. | |
| |
| In my syde I haf made hyr nest, | |
| loke, in me how wyde a wound is here! | |
| this is hyr chambre, here shall she rest, | |
| that she and I may slepe in fere. | 60 |
| here may she wasshe, if any filth were; | |
| here is socour for all hyr woo; | |
| cum if she will, she shall haf chere, | |
| Quia amore langueo. | |
| |
| I will abide till she be redy, | 65 |
| I will to hyr send or she sey nay; | |
| If she be rechelesse I will be gredi, | |
| If she be dawngerouse I will hyr pray. | |
| If she do wepe, than byd I nay; | |
| myn armes ben spred to clypp hyr to; | 70 |
| crye onys, ‘I cum!’ now, soule, assaye! | |
| Quia amore langueo. | |
| |
| I sitt on an hille for to se farre, | |
| I loke to the vayle, my spouse I see; | |
| now rynneth she awayward, now cummyth she narre, | 75 |
| yet fro myn eye syght she may nat be; | |
| sum waite ther pray, to make hyr flee, | |
| I rynne tofore to chastise hyr foo; | |
| recouer, my soule, agayne to me, | |
| Quia amore langueo. | 80 |
| |
| My swete spouse, will we goo play? | |
| apples ben rype in my gardine; | |
| I shall clothe the in new array, | |
| thy mete shall be mylk, honye, & wyne, | |
| now, dere soule, latt us go dyne, | 85 |
| thy sustenance is in my skrypp, loo! | |
| tary not now, fayre spousë myne, | |
| Quia amore langueo. | |
| |
| Yf thow be fowle, I shall make thee clene, | |
| if thow be seke, I shall the hele; | 90 |
| yf thow owght morne, I shall be-mene; | |
| spouse, why will thow nowght with me dele? | |
| thow fowndyst neuer love so lele; | |
| what wilt thow, sowle, that I shall do? | |
| I may of vnkyndnes the appele, | 95 |
| Quia amore langueo. | |
| |
| What shall I do now with my spouse? | |
| abyde I will hyre iantilnesse; | |
| wold she loke onys owt of hyr howse | |
| of flesshely affeccions and vnclennesse; | 100 |
| hyr bed is made, hyr bolstar is in blysse, | |
| hyr chambre is chosen, suche ar no moo; | |
| loke owt at the wyndows of kyndnesse, | |
| Quia amore langueo. | |
| |
| Long and love thow neuer so hygh, | 105 |
| yit is my love more than thyn may be; | |
| thow gladdyst, thow wepist, I sitt the bygh, | |
| yit myght thow, spouse, loke onys at me! | |
| spouse, shuld I alway fede the | |
| with childys mete? nay, love, nat so! | 110 |
| I pray the, love, with aduersite, | |
| Quia amore langueo. | |
| |
| My spouse is in chambre, hald zoure pease! | |
| make no noyse, but lat hyr slepe; | |
| my babe shall sofre noo disease, | 115 |
| I may not here my dere childe wepe, | |
| for with my pappe I shall hyr kepe; | |
| no wondyr thowgh I tend hyr to, | |
| thys hoole in my side had neuer ben so depe, | |
| but Quia amore langueo. | 120 |
| |
| Wax not wery, myn owne dere wyfe! | |
| what mede is aye to lyffe in comfort? | |
| for in tribulacion, I ryn more ryfe | |
| ofter tymes than in disport; | |
| In welth, in woo, euer I support; | 125 |
| than, dere soule, go neuer me fro! | |
| thy mede is markyd, whan thow art mort, | |
in blysse; Quia amore langueo.
GLOSS: nere] nearer; yede] went; hett] promised; waite] take heed; baite] enticement, nourishment; in fere] together; dawngerouse] difficult of approach, haughty; farre] farther; narre] nearer | |
