[NPM] today's poem
By a forest as I gan fare
Anon. English, 15th c.
By a forest as I gan fare,
Walking all myselven alone,
I hard a morning of an hare,
Roufully schew mad here mone.
"Dereworth God, how schal I leve
And leid my life in lond?
Frow dale to doune I am idreve;
I not where I may site or stond!
I may nother rest nor slepe
By no vallay that is so derne,
Nor no covert may me kepe,
But ever I rene fro herne to herne.
Honteres will not heire ther Masse,
In hope of hunting for to wend;
They coupelleth ther houndes more and lasse,
And bringeth them to the feldes ende.
Roches rennen on every side
In forrows that hope me to find;
Honteres taketh ther horse and ride
And cast the contray to the wind.
Anon as they cometh me behinde,
I loke and sit full stille and lowe;
The furst man that me doth finde
Anon he crit, 'So howe! so howe!'
'Lo,' he saith, 'where sitteth an hare --
Arise up, Watte, and go forth blive!'
With sorroe and with mich care
I schape away with my life.
At winter in the depe snowe
Men will me seche for to trace,
And by my steppes I am iknowe;
And followeth me fro place to place.
And if I to the toune come or torne,
Be it in wortes or in leike,
Then will the wives also yeorne
Flece me with here dogges eke.
And if I sit and crope the koule,
And the wife be in the waye,
Anon schowe will swere, 'By cokkes soule!
There is an hare in my haye!'
Anon sche wille clepe, 'Forth, cure, knave!'
And loke right weel where I sitte;
Behind sche will with a stave
Full well porpos me to hitte.
'Go forthe, Watte, with Cristes curse,
And if I leve, thou schalt be take;
I have an hare-pipe in my purce,
It schal be set all for thy sauke!'
Than hath this wyf two dogges grete,
On me sche biddeth heme goe;
And as a scrowe sche will me thret,
And ever sche crieth, 'Go, doggee, goe!'
But all way this most I go,
By no banke I may abide;
Lord God, that me is wo!
Many a happe hath me betide.
There is no beest in the world, I wene,
Hert, hind, buke, ne dove,
That sufferes halfe so miche tene
As doth the silly wat -- go where he go.
If a gentilmane will have any game,
And find me in forme where I sitte,
For dred of losinge of his name
I wot welle he wille not me hitte.
For an acures bred he will me leve,
Or he will let his hondes rene;
Of all the men that beth alive
I am most behold to gentilmen!
As sone as I can ren to the laye,
Anon the greyhondes will me have;
My bowels beth ithrowe awaye,
And I am bore home on a stave.
Als soon as I am come home,
I am ihonge hie upon a pine;
With leeke-wortes I am eete anone,
And whelpes play with my skinne!"
Anon. English, 15th c.
By a forest as I gan fare,
Walking all myselven alone,
I hard a morning of an hare,
Roufully schew mad here mone.
"Dereworth God, how schal I leve
And leid my life in lond?
Frow dale to doune I am idreve;
I not where I may site or stond!
I may nother rest nor slepe
By no vallay that is so derne,
Nor no covert may me kepe,
But ever I rene fro herne to herne.
Honteres will not heire ther Masse,
In hope of hunting for to wend;
They coupelleth ther houndes more and lasse,
And bringeth them to the feldes ende.
Roches rennen on every side
In forrows that hope me to find;
Honteres taketh ther horse and ride
And cast the contray to the wind.
Anon as they cometh me behinde,
I loke and sit full stille and lowe;
The furst man that me doth finde
Anon he crit, 'So howe! so howe!'
'Lo,' he saith, 'where sitteth an hare --
Arise up, Watte, and go forth blive!'
With sorroe and with mich care
I schape away with my life.
At winter in the depe snowe
Men will me seche for to trace,
And by my steppes I am iknowe;
And followeth me fro place to place.
And if I to the toune come or torne,
Be it in wortes or in leike,
Then will the wives also yeorne
Flece me with here dogges eke.
And if I sit and crope the koule,
And the wife be in the waye,
Anon schowe will swere, 'By cokkes soule!
There is an hare in my haye!'
Anon sche wille clepe, 'Forth, cure, knave!'
And loke right weel where I sitte;
Behind sche will with a stave
Full well porpos me to hitte.
'Go forthe, Watte, with Cristes curse,
And if I leve, thou schalt be take;
I have an hare-pipe in my purce,
It schal be set all for thy sauke!'
Than hath this wyf two dogges grete,
On me sche biddeth heme goe;
And as a scrowe sche will me thret,
And ever sche crieth, 'Go, doggee, goe!'
But all way this most I go,
By no banke I may abide;
Lord God, that me is wo!
Many a happe hath me betide.
There is no beest in the world, I wene,
Hert, hind, buke, ne dove,
That sufferes halfe so miche tene
As doth the silly wat -- go where he go.
If a gentilmane will have any game,
And find me in forme where I sitte,
For dred of losinge of his name
I wot welle he wille not me hitte.
For an acures bred he will me leve,
Or he will let his hondes rene;
Of all the men that beth alive
I am most behold to gentilmen!
As sone as I can ren to the laye,
Anon the greyhondes will me have;
My bowels beth ithrowe awaye,
And I am bore home on a stave.
Als soon as I am come home,
I am ihonge hie upon a pine;
With leeke-wortes I am eete anone,
And whelpes play with my skinne!"