The Penguin Book of English Verse

by Paul Keegan

12 plesans delight

  1 y-bownden bound [in Hell];

  2 to long too long;

  4 clerkës fynden writen scholars find written; herë their;

  5 ne hadde had not; takë ben been taken;

  6 ‘Our Lady would never have been Queen of Heaven’;

  8 mown singen may sing

  1 makëles matchless/mateless;

  2 to here sone she ches as her son she chose;

  3 also styllë as silently; ther his moder was where his mother was;

  5 bowr bower;

  6 flour flower;

  8 spray branch;

  9 was never non was never anyone;

  10 swych such; Godës God’s

  2 husbonde husbandman, farmer;

  3 erynge ploughing;

  4 sonde sending (gift);

  5 in honde in hand;

  6 ynowe enough, in abundance;

  7 gate way;

  10 aboute busy with;

  11 swete sweat;

  13 [horse names];

  14 ful sore with great difficulty;

  15 morwenynge morning;

  17 shefe sheave;

  20 knowe judge;

  22 Janyver January;

  26 sede seed;

  28 lete grant;

  29 lede lead;

  30 ‘all who pray for ploughmen’

  3 sone soon;

  4 dome the Last Judgement;

  5 mane man

  2 maystry mastery;

  3 stond stands;

  6 maydenys maidens;

  7 kybe chilblain; kaght caught;

  8 ae always;

  9 berys berries;

  10 foster forester; doos does;

  12 oule owl;

  14 poppynguy green woodpecker; gayntyl gentle; lavyrok lark;

  16 howlat owl; kreye cries

  1 swych such;

  8 Res miranda ‘Thing to be marvelled at’;

  11 Pari forma ‘In one substance’;

  12 to too;

  14 Gaudeamus ‘Let us rejoice’;

  17 Transeamus ‘Let us proceed’

  19 propre and prest decorous and well-behaved;

  24 prytely prettily;

  29 gressop grasshopper;

  33 slo slay;

  72 carlyshe churlish;

  73 fynde fiend;

  74 untwynde destroyed;

  95 bote bit;

  97 grypes griffins;

  113 ought the bore thee;

  119 departed separated

  2 quhilk which;

  3 frivoll fickle;

  9 war worse;

  12 inflat puffed;

  13 roising rosy;

  14 memour memory;

  15 sic such;

  16 weiris passes away;

  18 steiris gets moving;

  19 drerie miserable;

  20 woik stayed awake;

  21 dule grief;

  22 remeid bring relief; mend provide a remedy;

  23 lipper leper; rais got up; wend went;

  24 spurnis kick;

  25 sla slay;

  26 sen since; dowbillis doubles;

  27 neid necessity;

  28 leir learn; clapper (leper’s) rattle;

  29 leif live; leid people;

  30 buit remedy; yeid went;

  31 quhill until;

  32 rank downright;

  33 samin same; garnisoun garrison;

  35 jeopardie of weir fortune of war;

  38 agane back; raid rode;

  39 lipper lepers; bait waited;

  40 ane stevin one voice;

  41 schuik shook; coppis bowls; gude speid vigorously;

  43 deid give;

  45 pietie pity; can pas passed;

  46 witting knowing;

  47 scho she; kest cast; ene eyes;

  48 blenk glance; come came;

  50 plye condition;

  52 blenking glances;

  54–5 ‘It was no wonder if he conceived her image so quickly in his mind - and see now why’;

  56 idole image; in cace by chance;

  57 fantasy imagination;

  58 wittis senses;

  59 lyke estait similar state;

  60 ‘As it was shaped within the mind’;

  61 culd spring sprang;

  62 kendlit kindled;

  63 hait hot; fewir fever; sweit sweat; trimbling trembling;

  64 quhill until;

  66 ane quhyle a short time; he changit mony hewe his colour kept on changing;

  67 not ane ane uther knew neither recognised the other;

  68 pietie pity; memoriall remembrance;

  69 gyrdill belt; can he tak he took;

  70 jowall jewel;

  71 can swak flung;

  73 quhill while;

  74 oftsyis often;

  75 can draw drew near;

  78 ‘each began to whisper secretly to the other’;

  80 however it be for whatever reason; lazarous leper;

  81 knaw know;

  82 scho she; feill idea;

  85 gentill and fre noble and generous;

  87 stiffer stronger; steill steel; stert sprang; stound pain;

  89 ouircome revived; siching sighing;

  90 cald cold, mournful; ochane cry of sorrow;

  91 stoundis pangs; stad beset;

  92 will of wane bewildered, hopeless;

  93 swounit swooned; or scho culd refane before she ceased;

  96 lawtie loyalty;

  98 elevait raised high;

  99 clam climbed; quheill wheel [of Fortune]; hie high;

  101 the self itself;

  103 continence self-restraint;

  104 chaist honourable; conversatioun conduct;

  106 opinioun reputation;

  112 I lat yow wit I’d have you know; thairout in the world;

  113 traist trust;

  114 preif try;

  115 reid advise;

  116 sad steadfast; widdercok weathercock;

  117 knaw know;

  118 brukkil brittle; into my self, I say ‘which I find by experience’;

  119 traisting expecting;

  120 als as; fay faith;

  121 thocht though; wait know;

  122 ruse praise;

  126 beteiche commit; carioun corpse;

  127 taidis toads; rent devoured;

  132 quhilk which; in drowrie as a love-token;

  134 cairfull deid sorrowful death; kend known;

  136 spreit spirit; Diane Diana;

  137 waist wild; wellis springs;

  139 in takning as a token;

  140 swelt died;

  141 tuik of took off;

  142 syne then; buryt hir buried her;

  143 bair bore;

  144 can declair told of;

  145 hard heard;

  147 sic such;

  148 swelt swooned; swoun faint;

  149 to brist was boun was ready to burst;

  150 I can no moir there is no more I can do;

  152 merbell marble;

  153 wrait wrote; superscriptioun inscription;

  155 ressoun statement;

  158 lait lipper former leper;

  159 ballet poem;

  160 worschip honour;

  161 of cheritie for the love of God; monische admonish;

  162 ming mingle;

  165 sen since

  1 heill health;

  4 ‘The fear of death confounds me’;

  7 brukle brittle, fragile; sle sly;

  10 sary sorrowful;

  11 like likely;

  13 erd earth; sickir secure;

  14 wickir willow branch;

  17 the ded death;

  18 potestatis rulers;

  21 in to in (the);

  22 anarmyt armed;

  23 mellé combat, skirmish;

  26 sowkand sucking;

  27 benignité graciousness, meekness;

  29 campion champion; stour battle;

  30 closit enclosed (for defence);

  31 bour bower;

&nbs
p; 33 piscence puissance, power;

  34 clerk scholar;

  35 strak stroke;

  39 ‘No subtle conclusions can help them’;

  41 most greatest;

  42 lechis physicians;

  43 supplé deliver;

  45 laif rest;

  46 pageant pageant (of life); syne then; graif grave;

  47 faculté profession;

  50 of makaris flour the flower of makers (poets);

  55 cuntré country (i.e. Scotland);

  57 has done infek infected;

  59 balat song; trigidé tragedy-writing;

  61 berevit taken away by force;

  62 allace alas;

  63 Schir Sir;

  65 eik too;

  66 anteris adventures;

  70 schour shower;

  71 quhilk which;

  73 reft bereft; endite (power of) writing;

  74 lifly vividly;

  75 quyk vigorous; of sentence hie of great pith;

  79 fallowis fellows;

  81 done roun whispered, had a conversation;

  83 enbrast embraced;

  85 aw all;

  87 ‘whom all men regret’;

  91 reuth pity; so suld be it should be so;

  93 sen since; brether brothers, brethren;

  94 alane alone;

  95 ‘Of necessity I must be his next prey’;

  97 remeid remedy;

  98 dispone make ready;

  99 eftir after

  2 campioun champion;

  3 yettis gates;

  4 croce cross;

  5 divillis trymmillis devils tremble;

  6 saulis souls; borrowit ransomed;

  7 dois indoce endorses;

  8 ‘The Lord is risen from the tomb’;

  9 Dungin struck down;

  10 stang sting;

  11 ‘the fierce old tiger with his teeth ajar’;

  15 to felye of that fang to fall short of that prey;

  18 dicht arrayed;

  20 ‘and like a giant has stretched himself on high’;

  21 sprungin risen; Aurora [the Dawn]; radius radiant;

  22 on loft into the heavens;

  26 querrell cause;

  27 sone sun; wox grew;

  28 clerit cleared;

  31 Jowis Jews;

  33 done ceis brought to an end;

  34 jevellouris jailers; fleit and flemit scared away;

  35 weir war;

  36 lowsit loosed; temit emptied;

  38 ourcomin overcome;

  39 dispulit despoiled; yemit guarded

  1 In to thir in these; drublie clouded;

  2 quhone when; sabill sable, black; arrayis cloaks;

  3 cluddis clouds;

  4 curage… of heart for;

  6 lenthin length;

  8 dulé doleful; lurk for schoir cower under the threat;

  9 dois forlore is lost, becomes desolate;

  14 mair more;

  15 remeid remedy;

  18 quhairon on which; leif live;

  19 mischeif hardship;

  20 in to in; court the royal court;

  22 the thee;

  24 quhome whom;

  25 quhill until; glass i.e. Time’s glass;

  27 that will away what wishes to be off;

  28 ‘or crave what you cannot keep for any length of time’;

  30 journay journey;

  32 I the requeir I beg you;

  34 compt an account;

  36 ‘At which Death casts open his wide gates’;

  37 ‘saying “These will stay open for you” ’;

  38 stout strong, brave;

  39 lowt stoop;

  42 kist chest; coup wine-cup;

  43 luiffis blys love’s joy;

  44 lat prevent;

  45 sowp sup;

  46 quhone when;

  50 disport merriment

  1 be when; grondyn sharpened;

  2 boss hollow; braid broad;

  3 ilke same; brade burst forth;

  5 ombeset beset; bustuusly violently;

  7 wallis weltris waves roll;

  8 anys once;

  10 hait are called;

  12 takillis tackle, rigging; graslis harsh, grating noise; cabillis cables; can fret begin to fret;

  13 Swith swiftly;

  17 levin lightning;

  19 mannasit menaced;

  20 e eye

  1 e eye;

  2 chymmys mansions;

  3 symmyris summer’s;

  4 laton copper; haill of new entirely;

  5 Kythyng no syng showing no sign;

  9 all thocht although;

  10 Forfeblit enfeebled; wolx waxed; lemand gylty levyn gleaming golden light;

  11 speir sphere;

  12 ryngis reigns;

  14 brumaill wintry;

  15 brym fierce; art direction;

  18 ourweltrand tossing about; wally seys stormy seas;

  19 reid furiously;

  20 burnys burns;

  21 landbrist rumland surf roaring; sik beir such noise;

  22 rumyst roared;

  23 Fludis monstreis sea-monsters; meirswyne porpoises; quhalis whales;

  24 law low; devalis descend;

  25 occident in the west;

  28 Bewavit blew about; by hys race in his course;

  29 Frawart ill-natured;

  30 quhais whose; darth dearth;

  32 greis degrees;

  34 spulyeit despoiled;

  35 ysowpit soaked; wak wet;

  36 rokis clouds;

  37 fawch yellowy-brown; wolx waxed;

  38 slekit smooth; ourheildis are covered;

  39 rolkis rocks; quhyn-stane whinstone;

  40 clynty clewis schane fissured cliffs shone;

  41 barrand barren;

  42 hair hoar; ourfret patterned over;

  43 bubbis squalls; snell bitter;

  44 sward open field;

  46 eild age; ded death;

  47 drumly skuggis gloomy shadows;

  48 warpit threw; levyn lightning;

  49 Flaggis flashes; felloun flaw fierce blast;

  50 soppys downpours; snypand biting;

  51 dolly dismal; donk damp;

  52 flodderit flooded;

  54 floschis pools; dubbis puddles;

  55 ‘meadows covered in mire are seen with withered ferns’;

  56 kythit showed; wysnyt wizened;

  57 boddum valley; blanchit bleached;

  58 gurl rough;

  59 waif wave;

  60 bedowyn immersed; sike stream;

  61 Our over; seir many

  62 ische-schouchlis icicles;

  64 gersis grasses; wallowyt withered;

  65 bewis blowt bare boughs;

  66 weid wood; howt copse;

  68 deyr deer; dern timidly;

  69 ronys brambles; thrang thronged;

  70 chyrmyng chirping;

  71 hidlis and hyrnys hiding-places and nooks;

  72 thuddis blasts;

  73 watir lynnys rowtis waterfalls roar; lynd lime-tree;

  74 brayt roared; swouchand rushing;

  76 wait wet; draglit bedraggled;

  77 sheip shepherds; hyrd gromys shepherd-lads;

  78 le lee; bromys broom;

  79 dantit tamed; grettar greater;

  80 sesyt settled;

  81 sik as such as; ky kine;

  82 barys boars;

  84 symmeris summer’s

  2 born carried; mak mate;

  4 brown dark/shady;

  6 purpill and pall purple cloth and costly fabric;

  7 bede [four-poster] bed;

  9 lythe lies;

  10 wowndes wounds;

  11 may maiden;

  13 ston altar-stone/sepulchre; Corpus Christi ‘Body of Christ’

  2 at before;

  3 levere rather;

  5 asythe amends;

  7 ‘some are here today that shall not be here tomorrow’;

  8 cheyré feyre [fair held in cherry-or
chards during the brief season];

  9 algate whatever I do;

  10 ryall royal; cheyere throne;

  11 sotell subtle, insidious;

  12 onavysed without warning;

  13 devors divorce [between soul and body];

  14 cors corpse;

  17 hold stronghold;

  21 horne horn [trumpet-blast];

  24 yeveth gives; bable bauble;

  25 trowth truth;

  26 compile formulate;

  28 foly folly;

  32 Requiem eternam ‘Eternal rest (grant them, O Lord)’;

  35 that he who

  2 juggelere magician/conjuror;

  5 wold would;

  7 nise coy;

  9 molde earth [mortal];

  12 dangerus haughty;

  13 hard heard;

  16 Iwis indeed; tene vexation;

  23 priked rode;

  25 wend thought;

  31 heven towre tower of Heaven;

  56 undo open;

  61 chorle churl;

  65 mele-pok meal-bag;

  70 giglot wench/strumpet;

  71 leman lover

  3 inbryngis performed;

  11 chere countenance;

  12 mislyng drizzle;

  19 counteryng improvisation

  5 Reflaring odorous;

  6 camamell camomile;

  7 rosay rose-tree;

  10 nepte catmint;

  11 jeloffer gillyflower;

  13 Enuwyd revived, freshened

  8 provision [of place-men for benefices];

  11 hardy-dardy rash daring;

  17 after-dele consequence;

  21 dawys hedde fool’s head;

  28 dowghtfull fearful;

  32 worth a hawe worth a thing;

  34 pelory pajauntes pillory-pageants;

  35 cooke-stole cucking stool;

  36 mokkyshe scorneful, skittish;

  39 bocher [Cardinal Wolsey was the son of a butcher];

  42 browe-auntleres cuckold’s horns; cabagyd grown;

  45 trusys truces;

  46 bely-joye gluttony;

  48 howgye howsys huge houses;

  49 pyllyng and pollyng plundering and extortion;

  54 hatered hatred; cheryte charity;

  56 dowbyll double;

  58 lyerd heard of;

  60 rygorous harsh;

  64 fylty filthy;

  67 loselles scoundrels;

  68 myday sprettes noonday devils;

  70 all be shrewde so depraved;

  71 mulys mules

  2 iwis truly;

  12 than then