Pearl

'That cortaysé is to fre of dede,
3yf hyt be soth þat þou cone3 saye.
Þou lyfed not two 3er in oure þede;
Þou cowþe3 neuer God nauþer plese ne pray,
Ne neuer nawþer Pater ne Crede;
And quen mad on þe fyrst day!
I may not traw, so God me spede,
Þat God wolde wryþe so wrange away.
Of countes, damysel, par ma fay,
Wer fayr in heuen to halde asstate,
Oþer elle3 a lady of lasse aray;
Bot a quene! Hit is to dere a date.'

'Þer is no date of hys godnesse',
Þen sayde to me þat worþy wy3te,
'For al is trawþe þat he con dresse,
And he may do noþynk bot ry3t.
As Mathew mele3 in your messe
In sothfol gospel of God almy3t,
In sample he can ful grayþely gesse,
And lykne3 hit to heuen ly3te.
"My regne", he sayt3, "is lyk on hy3t
To a lorde þat hade a uyne, I wate.
Of tyme of 3ere þe terme wat3 ty3t,
To labor vyne wat3 dere þe date.

-19-

'"Þat date of 3ere wel knawe þys hyne.
Þe lorde ful erly vp he ros
To hyre werkmen to hys vyne,
And fynde3 þer summe to hys porpos.
Into acorde þay con declyne
For a pené on a day, and forth þay got3,
Wryþen and worchen and don gret pyne,
Keruen and caggen and man hit clos.
Aboute vnder þe lorde to marked tot3,
And ydel men stande he fynde3 þerate.
'Why stande 3e ydel?' he sayde to þos.
'Ne knawe 3e of þis day no date?'

'"'Er date of daye hider arn we wonne',
So wat3 al samen her answar so3t.
'We haf standen her syn ros þe sunne,
And no mon bydde3 vus do ry3t no3t.'
'Gos into my vyne, dot3 þat 3e conne',
So sayde þe lorde, and made hit to3t.
'What resonabele hyre be na3t be runne
I yow pay in dede and þo3te.'
Þay wente into þe vyne and wro3te,
And al day þe lorde þus 3ede his gate,
And nw men to hys vyne he bro3te
Welne3 wyl day wat3 passed date.

'"At þe date of day of euensonge,
On oure byfore þe sonne go doun,
He se3 þer ydel men ful stronge
And sade to hem wyth sobre soun,

-20-

'Wy stonde 3e ydel þise daye3 longe?'
Þay sayden her hyre wat3 nawhere boun.
'Got3 to my vyne, 3emen 3onge,
And wyrke3 and dot3 þat at 3e moun.'
Sone þe worlde bycom wel broun;
Þe sunne wat3 doun and hit wex late.
To take her hyre he mad sumoun;
Þe day wat3 al apassed date.