Pearl

As John hym wryte3 3et more I sy3e:
Vch pane of þat place had þre 3ate3;
So twelue in poursent I con asspye,
Þe portale3 pyked of rych plate3,

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And vch 3ate of a margyrye,
A parfyt perle þat neuer fate3.
Vchon in scrypture a name con plye
Of Israel barne3, folewande her date3,
Þat is to say, as her byrþ-whate3:
Þe aldest ay fyrst þeron wat3 done.
Such ly3t þer lemed in alle þe strate3
Hem nedde nawþer sunne ne mone.

Of sunne ne mone had þay no nede;
Þe self God wat3 her lombe-ly3t,
Þe Lombe her lantyrne, wythouten drede;
Þur3 hym blysned þe bor3 al bry3t.
Þur3 wo3e and won my lokyng 3ede,
For sotyle cler no3t lette no ly3t.
Þe hy3e trone þer mo3t 3e hede
Wyth alle þe apparaylmente vmbepy3te,
As John þe appostel in terme3 ty3te;
Þe hy3e Gode3 self hit set vpone.
A reuer of þe trone þer ran outry3te
Wat3 bry3ter þen boþe þe sunne and mo

Sunne ne mone schon neuer so swete
As þat foysoun flode out of þat flet;
Swyþe hit swange þur3 vch a strete
Wythouten fylþe oþer galle oþer glet.
Kyrk þerinne wat3 non 3ete,
Chapel ne temple þat euer wat3 set;
Þe Almy3ty wat3 her mynster mete,
Þe Lombe þe sakerfyse þer to refet.

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Þe 3ate3 stoken wat3 neuer 3et,
Bot euermore vpen at vche a lone;
Þer entre3 non to take reset
Þat bere3 any spot an-vnder mone.

The mone may þerof acroche no my3te;
To spotty ho is, of body to grym,
And also þer ne is neuer ny3t.
What schulde þe mone þer compas clym
And to euen wyth þat worþly ly3t
Þat schyne3 vpon þe broke3 brym?
Þe planete3 arn in to pouer a ply3t,
And þe self sunne ful fer to dym.
Aboute þat water arn tres ful schym,
Þat twelue fryte3 of lyf con bere ful sone;
Twelue syþe3 on 3er þay beren ful frym,
And renowle3 nwe in vche a mone.

An-vnder mone so great merwayle
No fleschly hert ne my3t endeure,
As quen I blusched vpon þat bayle,
So ferly þerof wat3 þe fasure.
I stod as stylle as dased quayle
For ferly of þat frelich fygure,
Þat felde I nawþer reste ne trauayle,
So wat3 I rauyste wyth glymme pure.
For I dar say wyth conciens sure,
Hade bodyly burne abiden þat bone,
Þa3 alle clerke3 hym hade in cure,
His lyf were loste an-vnder mone.