Pearl

'Neuerþelese cler I yow bycalle,
If 3e con se hyt be to done;
As þou art gloryous wythouten galle,
Wythnay þou neuer my ruful bone.
Haf 3e no wone3 in castel-walle,
Ne maner þer 3e may mete and won?
Þou telle3 me of Jerusalem þe ryche ryalle,
Þer Dauid dere wat3 dy3t on trone,
Bot by þyse holte3 hit con not hone,
Bot in Judee hit is, þat noble note.
As 3e ar maskele3 vnder mone,
Your wone3 schulde be wythouten mote.

-34-

'Þys motele3 meyny þou cone3 of mele,
Of þousande3 þry3t so gret a route,
A gret ceté, for 3e arn fele,
Yow byhod haue, wythouten doute.
So cumly a pakke of joly juele
Wer euel don schulde ly3 þeroute,
And by þyse bonke3 þer I con gele
I se no bygyng nawhere aboute.
I trowe alone 3e lenge and loute
To loke on þe glory of þys gracious gote.
If þou hat3 oþer bygynge3 stoute,
Now tech me to þat myry mote.'

'That mote þou mene3 in Judy londe',
Þat specyal spyce þen to me spakk,
'Þat is þe cyté þat þe Lombe con fon
To soffer inne sor for mane3 sake,
Þe olde Jerusalem to vnderstonde;
For þere þe olde gulte wat3 don to slake.
Bot þe nwe, þat ly3t of Gode3 sonde,
Þe apostel in Apocalyppce in theme con take.
Þe Lompe þer wythouten spotte3 blake
Hat3 feryed þyder hys fayre flote;
And as hys flok is wythouten flake,
So is hys mote wythouten moote.

'Of motes two to carpe clene,
And Jerusalem hy3t boþe nawþeles --
Þat nys to yow no more to mene
Bot "ceté of God", oþer "sy3t of pes":
In þat on oure pes wat3 mad at ene;
Wyth payne to suffer þe Lombe hit chese;

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In þat oþer is no3t bot pes to glene
Þat ay schal laste wythouten reles.
Þat is þe bor3 þat we to pres
Fro þat oure flesch be layd to rote,
Þer glory and blysse schal euer encres
To þe meyny þat is wythouten mote.'

'Motele3 may so meke and mylde',
Þen sayde I to þat lufly flor,
'Bryng me to þat bygly bylde
And let me se þy blysful bor.'
Þat schene sayde: 'Þat God wyl schylde;
Þou may not enter wythinne hys tor,
Bot of þe Lombe I haue þe aquylde
For a sy3t þerof þur3 gret fauor.
Vtwyth to se þat clene cloystor
Þou may, bot inwyth not a fote;
To strech in þe strete þou hat3 no vygour,
Bot þou wer clene wythouten mote.