Pearl Poet Quotes

• Allas! I leste hyr in on erbere; ?ur� gresse to grounde hit fro me yot. I dewyne, fordolked of luf-daungere Of ?at pryuy perle wythouten spot.
• Dubbed wern alle ?o downe� syde� Wyth crystal klyffe� so cler of kynde. Holtewode� bry�t aboute hem byde� Of bolle� as blwe as ble of Ynde; As bornyst syluer ?e lef on slyde�, ?at ?ike con trylle on vch a tynde. Quen glem of glode� agayn� hem glyde�, Wyth schymeryng schene ful schrylle ?ay schynde.
• In ?e founce ?er stonden stone� stepe, As glente ?ur� glas ?at glowed and gly�t, As stremande sterne�, quen stro?e-men slepe, Staren in welkyn in wynter ny�t.
• The dubbement dere of doun and dale�, Of wod and water and wlonk playne�, Bylde in me blys, abated my bale�, Fordidden my stresse, dystryed my payne�. Doun after a strem ?at dry�ly hale� I bowed in blys, bredful my brayne�; ?e fyrre I fol�ed ?ose floty vale�, ?e more strengh?e of ioye myn herte strayne�.
• 'Motele� may so meke and mylde', ?en sayde I to ?at lufly flor, 'Bryng me to ?at bygly bylde And let me se ?y blysful bor.' ?at schene sayde: '?at God wyl schylde; ?ou may not enter wythinne hys tor.'
• Luf lokez to luf & his leue takez, For to ende alle at onez & for euer twynne. By forty dayez wern faren, on folde no flesch styryed.
• Hit waltered on ?e wylde flod, went as hit lyste, Drof vpon ?e depe dam, in daunger hit semed, Withouten mast, o?er myke, o?er myry bawelyne, Kable, o?er capstan to clyppe to her ankrez, Hurrok, o?er hande-helme hasped on ro?er, O?er any sweande sayl to seche after hauen.
• For when ?at ?e Helle herde ?e houndez of heuen, He watz ferlyly fayn, vnfolded bylyue; ?e grete barrez of ?e abyme he barst vp at onez, ?at alle ?e regioun torof in riftes ful grete, & clouen alle in lyttel cloutes ?e clyffez aywhere, As lauce leuez of ?e boke ?at lepes in twynne.
• And also an o?er maner meued him eke, ?at he ?ur� nobelay had nomen he wolde neuer ete Upon such a dere day er hym deuised were Of sum auenturus ?yng an vncou?e tale Of sum mayn meruayle ?at he my�t trawe Of of alderes of armes of o?er auenturus.
• Whe?er hade he no helme ne hawbergh nau?er, Ne no pysan ne no plate ?at pented to armes, Ne no schafte ne no schelde to schwue ne to smyte, Bot in his on honde he hade a holyn bobbe, ?at is grattest in grene when greuez ar bare, And an ax in his o?er, a hoge and vnmete, A spetos spar?e to expoun in spelle, quoso my�t. ?e lenk?e of an eln�erde ?e large hede hade.
• What is ?is arthures hous quo? ?e ha?el ?enne ?at al ?e rous rennes of ?ur� ryalmes so mony Where is now your sourquydrye and your conquestes Your gry dellayk and your greme and your grete wordes Now is ?e reuel and ?e renoun of ?e rounde table Ouerwalt wyth a worde of on wy�es speche For al dares for drede withoute dynt schewed
• After crystenmasse com ?e crabbed lentoun ?at fraystez flesch wyth ?e fysche and fode more symple. Bot ?enne ?e weder of ?e worlde wyth wynter hit ?repez, Colde clengez adoun, cloudez vplyften, Schyre schedez ?e rayn in schowrez ful warme, Fallez vpon fayre flat, flowrez ?ere schewen, Bo?e groundez and ?e greuez grene ar her wedez, Bryddez busken to bylde, and bremlych syngen For solace of ?e softe somer ?at sues ?erafter Bi bonk.
• For werre wrathed hym not so much ?at wynter nas wors, When ?e colde cler water fro ?e cloudez schadde, And fres er hit falle my�t to ?e fale er?e; Ner slayn wyth ?e slete he sleped in his yrnes Mo ny�tez ?en innoghe in naked rokkez, ?er as claterande fro ?e crest ?e colde borne rennez, And henged he�e ouer his hede in hard iisse-ikkles.
• Bi a mounte on ?e morne meryly he rydes Into a forest ful dep, ?at ferly watz wylde, Hi�e hillez on vche a halue, and holtwodez vnder Of hore okez ful hoge a hundreth togeder; ?e hasel and ?e ha�?orne were harled al samen, With ro�e raged mosse rayled aywhere, With mony bryddez vnbly?e vpon bare twyges, ?at pitosly ?er piped for pyne of ?e colde.
• We lorde quo? ?e gentyle kny�t Whe?er ?is be ?e grene chapelle? He my�t aboute mydny�t ?e dele his matynnes telle.
• I sende hir to asay ?e, and sothly me ?ynkkez On ?e fautlest freke ?at euer on fote �ede; As perle bi ?e quite pese is of prys more, So is Gawayn, in god fayth, bi o?er gay knyztez.

pearl poet