September 11, 2007
Bi west, under a wylde wode-syde,In a launde ther I was lente,
Wlanke deor on grounde gunne glyde,
And lyouns Raumping uppon bente,
Beores, wolves with Mouthes wyde,
The smale Beestes thei al to-rente.
Ther haukes un-to heore pray thei hyde,
Of whuche to on I tok good tente —
A Merlyon a Brid had hente
And in hire foot heo gan hit bringe;
Hit couthe not speke, but thus hit mente,
How Merci passeth alle thinge.
First verse of "Mercy Passes All Things,"
an anonymous poem in the Vernon Ms.
(Bodleian Library, Oxford)
Translation adapted from Margot Robert Adamson (http://dkozubei.com/5000poets.html):
In the west, under a wild wood side,
In a glade, there I lay.
Proud deer across the ground did glide,
And lions leaping o'er the field.
Bears, wolves, with mouths wide,
The small beasts they all tore,
There hawks unto their prey they hied,
Of which to one I took good note —
A merlin a bird had seized
And in his foot he did it bring;
It could not speak, but thus it meant,
How mercy passes all things.
Labels: Special occasion
posted by Karen Nelson @ 10:22 PM
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