And springeth wood anew. Loweth after calf the cow, Bleateth after lamb the owe, Cuckoo, Cuckoo! Well singest thou (Foot) Sing Cuckoo now, sing Cuckoo. Sing Cuckoo, sing Cuckoo now. * See Eng. Lit., p. 42, for the Middle English, which is here somewhat modernized. The song was set to music, and the manuscript which contains the music adds the following directions, in Latin: "This part-song (rotu) may be sung by four in company. It should not be sung by fewer than three, or at least two, in addition to those who sing the Foot. And it should be sung in this manner: One begins, accompanied by those who sing the Foot, the rest keeping silent. Then, when he has reached the first note after the cross [a mark on the musical score], another begins; and so on. The first line of the Foot one singer repeats as often as necessary, pausing at the end; the other line another man sings, pausing in the middle but not at the end, but immediately beginning again." FOURTEENTH CENTURY-AGE OF CHAUCER FROM THE PEARL (c. 1350)* 1 O pearl, for princes' pleasure wrought, Never from orient realms was brought So smooth its sides, so slender shown, Whatever gems to judge be found I needs must set it apart, alone. But it is lost! I let it stray Down thro' the grass in an arbor-plot. With love's pain now I pine away, Lorn of my pearl without a spot. 2 Since in that spot it slipt from my hand, Oft have I lingered there and yearned For joy that once my sorrows banned And all my woes to rapture turned. Truly my heart with grief is wrung, And in my breast there dwelleth dole; Yet never song, methought, was sung So sweet as through that stillness stole. O tide of fancies I could not stem! O fair hue fouled with stain and blot! O mould, thou marrest a lovely gem, 12 24 Mine own, own pearl without a spot. This anonymous poem is allegorical: possibly the "pearl" is the poet's daughter (Eng. Lit., 44). The selection here given is translated, because the West Midland dialect of the original presents more difficulties than the East Midland of Chaucer. The whole is a very interesting piece of construction, combining the Romance elements of meter and rhyme, as employed by Chaucer, with the old Saxon alliteration which the West Midland poets, like Langland, affected. Note also the refrain-like effects. In this translation, the exacting rhymescheme of the original, which permits but three rhyme sounds in a stanza, has been adhered to in the last three stanzas only. The first stanza of the original runs thus: Perle plesaunte to prynces paye, To clanly clos in golde so clere, Out of oryent I hardyly saye, Ne proved I never her precios pere, So rounde, so reken in uche a raye, So smal, so smothe her sydez were,- Thurgh gresse to grounde hit fro me yot; Hedge-rows there were, and paths, and streams, Uprose in all her queenly array, Whose banks were as fine threads of gold, And I stood on the strand and watched the gleams Of one inat downward in beauty rolled. 108 10 Dear Lord, the beauty of that fair burn! The murmuring waters took their way. Seemed like a rare and radiant gem; 13 119 A priceless thing in pearls bedight. 17 Pearl-dight in royal wise, per lie, One might by grace have seen her there, Adown the margent stepped that fair. 20 Pearl-dight, that nature's masterpiece She proffered me speech-Oh heart's release! 66 21 192 203 23 155 O pearl," quoth I, "all pearl-bedight, In Paradise, of sorrow shorn. And left me beggared to moan and ery? 22. 167 That jewel then, with gems o'erspread, But more than my longing was now my fright; I weened it was some spectral shape, 1 maid And thus my longing did allay: Here in this garden bright and gay, Where comes not sin nor sorrow's blight. 2 Compare Matthew vi, 21. 252 264 A long religious dissertation follows and the dreamer awakes consoled. I seigh16 a toure17 on a toft18 trielich19 ymaked; A depe dale binethe, a dongeon20 there-inne, With depe dyches and derke and dredful of sight. 16 Qui turpiloquium loquitur is luciferes hyne.43 A faire felde ful of folke21 fonde I there with her belies and her bagges of bred ful Bidders and beggeres fast aboute yede,45 bytwene, In this long allegorical poem, the poet with the daring of a reformer attacks what he thinks to be the abuses in church, state, and society. The prologue, of which the first 82 lines are here given, sets the key-note of the poem by a description of the suffering, weakness, and crimes of the world as seen by the poet in a vision. Then in Passus (Chapter) I, of which a few lines are given, the poet begins his narrative interpretation of his vision. Our text is the B-text as printed by Dr. Skeat. yerammed; 41 Faytedene for here fode, foughten atte ale;47 In glotonye, god it wote,18 gon hij49 to bedde, And risen with ribaudye50 tho roberdes knaves;51 Slepe and sori sleuthe52 seweth53 hem evre.54 Pilgrymes and palmers55 plighted hem togidere And hadden leve to lye al here lyf after. To eche a57 tale that thei tolde here tonge was And raughte87 with his ragmans rynges and tempred to lye 51 More than to sey sothes it semed bi here speche. broches; Thus they geven here golde, glotones to kepe. Were the bischop yblissed89 and worth bothe his eres, Grete lobyes and longe,62 that loth were to His seel90 shulde nought be sent to deceyve swynke,63 the peple. Clotheden hem in copise to ben knowen fram Ac it is naught by the bischop that the boy92 othere; precheth, 80 The shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (Nor-91 not against So worldly were the friars seeking money for 1 means 3 sleepest thou 92 i. e., the pardoner bishop's 93 divide 5 confused throng 94 poor 95 if they (the pardoner and the priest) did not exist 6 if they have honor 7 account 8 though 9 skin 10 gave |