MAn og to luuen ðat rimes ren,
ðe Wiſſeð wel ðe logede men,
hu man may him wel loken
Man ought to love those who instruct the lewd,
4 ðog he ne be lered on no boken,
Luuen god and ſeruen him ay,
For he it hem wel gelden may,
And to alle criſtenei men
so that he who is not book-learned may love and serve God.
8 beren paiſ and luue bi-twen;
ðan ſal him almightin luuen,
Her bi-neðen and ðund[[71]] abuuen,
And giuen him bliſſe and ſoules reſte[n]
God shall love all Christian men, and give them soul-rest
12 ðat him ſal earuermor[[72]] leſten.
that shall last evermore.
Ut of latin ðis ſong is dragen
on engleis ſpeche, on ſoðe ſagen;
Out of Latin is this song turned into English speech.
Cristene men ogen ben ſo fagen
16 ſo fueles arn quan he it ſen dagen,
ðan man hem telled soðe tale
Wid[[73]] londes ſpeche and wordes ſmale,
Christian men ought to be as glad as birds are of dawn to hear the story
Of bliſſes dune, of ſorwes dale;
20 Quhu lucifer, ðat deuel dwale,
[Brogte mankinde in sinne and bale]
of man's bliss and sorrow,
And held hem ſperd in helles male
til god ſrid him in manliched,
24 dede mankinde bote and red,
and how salvation came through Christ,
And unſpered al ðe fendes ſped,
And halp ðor he ſag mikel ned.
and destroyed the power of Satan.

[71]

read gund?

[72]

So in MS.

[73]

read wið

GOD MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH BY HIS WORD.

Biddi[[74]] hic ſingen non oðer led,
28 ðog[[75]] hic folgen idel-hed.
FAder god of alle ðhinge,
Almigtin louerd, hegeſt kinge,
 [Fol. 1b.]
Father, God of all things,
ðu giue me ſeli timinge
32 To thaunen ðis werdes biginninge,
ðe, leuerd god, to wurðinge,
Queðer ſo hic rede or ſinge!
enable thou me to sing this world's creation,
Wit, and wisdam, and luue godd,
36 And fer ear biðohte al in his modd,
wrought with wit, wisdom, and good love.
In his wiſdom was al biðogt
Ear ðanne it was on werlde brogt.
In firme bigini[n]g, of nogt
In the Creator's wisdom was all devised ere it came into being.
40 Was heuene and erðe ſamen wrogt;
ðo bad god wurðen ſtund and ſtede,
ðis middes werld ðor-inne[[76]] he dede,
Heaven and earth were wrought when God bad exist time and place.
Al was ðat firme ðroſing in nigt,
44 Til he wit hiſe word made ligt;
First all was night.
Of hiſe word, ðu wiſſike mune,
Hiſe word, ðat is, hiſe wiſe ſune,
ðe was of hin fer ear bi-foren
Light came by God's word, that is, His Son.
48 Or ani werldes time boren;
And of hem two ðat leue luuen,
He existed long before time.
ðe welden al her and abuuen,
ðat heli luue, ða[t] wiſe wil,
52 ðat weldet alle ðinge wit rigt and [ſ]kil;
These two rule all things with wisdom.
Migt bat wit word wurðen ligt,
(Hali froure welt oc ðat migt;
In the Godhead there are three persons of one counsel and might.
for ðhre perſones and on reed,
56 On migt and on godfulhed.)
 [Fol. 2.]
ðo ſo wurð ligt ſo god it bad,
fro ðiſterneſſe o ſunde[r] ſad;
Light came at the divine command.
ðat waſ ðe firme morgen tid,
60 ðat euere ſprong in werld[e] wid.
Then was the first morning time that ever sprang in the world.

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