KING PHARAOH DREAMS A DREAM,

Quað ðis bred-wrigte, "liðeð nu me,
me drempte ic bar bread-lepes ðre,
And ðor-in bread and oðer meten,
2080 Quilke ben wune ðe kinges to eten;
The "breadwright's" dream.
And fugeles hauen ðor-on lagt,
ðor-fore ic am in ſorge and hagt,
Fowls seized on the baskets of bread intended for the king,
for ic ne migte me nogt weren,
[Fol. 41.]
2084 Ne ðat mete fro hem beren."
"Me wore leuere," quad Ioſeph,
"Of eddi dremes rechen ſwep;
and he could not keep the meat from them.
ðu ſalt, after ðe ðridde dei,
2088 ben do on rode, weila-wei!
And fugeles ſulen ði fleis to-teren,
ðat ſal non agte mugen ðe weren."
Soð wurð ſo ioſeph ſeide ðat,
"In three days," said Joseph, "thou shalt be hanged, and fowls shall tear thy flesh in pieces."
2092 ðis buteler Ioſeph ſone for-gat.
The butler soon forgat Joseph.
Two ger ſiðen was Ioſeph ſperd
ðor in priſun wið-uten erd;
After two years,
Ðo drempte pharaon king a drem,
Pharaoh dreamt a dream.
2096 ðat he ſtod bi ðe flodes ſtrem,
And ðeden[[212]] ut-comen .vii. neet,
Euerilc wel ſwiðe fet and gret,
And .vii. lene after ðo,
2100 ðe deden ðe .vii. fette wo,
He stood by the river, and there came seven "neat" fat and great, and seven lean after,
ðe lene hauen ðe fette freten;
ðiſ drem ne mai ðe king for-geten.
An oðer drem cam him bi-foren,
which ate up the fat ones.
2104 .vii. eares wexen fette of coren,
On an busk ranc and wel tidi,
And .vii. lene rigt ðor-bi,
welkede, and ſmale, and drugte numen,
2108 ðe ranc he hauen ðo ouer-cumen,
Seven full ears of corn sprang up "on a rank bush," and then came seven withered ears,
To-ſamen it ſmiten and, on a ſtund,
ðe fette ðriſt hem to ðo grund.
ðe king abraid and woc in ðhogt,
2112 ðeſ dremes ſwep ne wot he nogt,
[Fol. 41b.]
which smote the others to the ground.

[212]

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