Mery tyme is in Aperelle
That mekyll schewys of manys wylle;
In feldys and medewys flowrys spryng,
In grenys and wodes foules syng:
Than wex yong men jolyffe,5
And than prevyth man and wyffe.
The Brytans, as the boke seys,
Off diverse thingys thei made ther leys—
Som thei made of harpyngys,
And som of other diverse thyngys,10
Som of werre and som off wo,
Som of myrthys and joy also,
Som of trechery and som off gyle,
Som of happys that felle somwhyle,
And som be of rybawdry,15
And many ther ben off fary.
Off all the venturys men here or se,
Most off luffe, forsoth, thei be,
That in the leys ben iwrought,
Fyrst fond and forth brought.20
Off aventours that fell somdeys
The Bretonys therof made ther leys—
Off kyngys that before us were;
When thei myght any woundres here,
They lete them wryte as it were do,25
And theramong is Syr Orfewo:
He was, forsoth, a nobull kyng,
That most luffyd gle and herpyng—
Wele sekyr was every gode herper
To have off hym mekyll honour.30
Hymselve he lernyd for to herpe,
And leyd theron hys wytte so scherpe;
He lernyd so wele, wythouten les,
So gode herper never non was:
In all this werld was no man bore35
That had Kyng Orfeo ben before—
And he myght hys herpe here—
Bot he wold wene that it were
A blyssedfull note of paradys,
Suche melody therin is.40
The kyng jorneyd in Tracyens,
That is a cyté off grete defence,
And wyth hym hys quen off price,
That was callyd Dame Meroudys.
A feyrer lady than sche was one45
Was never made off flessch ne bone;
Sche was full off lufe and godnes—
Ne may no man telle hyr feyrnes.
It befelle in the begyning of May,
When foules syng on every sprey,50
And blossom spryng on every boughe
—Overall wexyth mery inowhe—
Than the quen, Dame Meroudys,
Toke wyth hyr ladys off grete price,
And went in a undryn-tyde [i.e., morning]55
To pley hyr in an horcherd syde.
Than the ladys, all thre,
Sett hem under an hympe trej; [i.e., fruit-tree]
Sche leyd hyr dounne, that comly quen,
And fell on sclepe upon the gren.60
The ladys durste hyr nought wake,
Bot lete hyr lyye hyr rest to take;
Sche slepe welle fer after the non,
To the undryn-tyde was gon.
And when that lady gan hyr wake,65
Sche cryed and grete noys gan make,
And wrong hyr hondys wyth drery mode;
And crachyd hyr vysage all on blode;
Hyr ryche robys sche all to-rytte [i.e., tore],
And was ravysed out of hyr wytte.70
The ladys that stod hyr besyde
Fled and durste not long abyde,
Bot went unto the palys agene,
And told both knyght and sueyn
How that the quen awey wold,75
And bad them com hyr to behold.
Sexty knyghtys, and yit mo,
And also fele [i.e., many] ladys therto,
Hastely to the quen thei com,
And in ther armys thei hyr name [i.e., took]80
And brought hyr to bed in haste,
And kepyd hyr both feyr and faste.
And ever sche began to cryye,
As sche wold up and go hyr weye.
The kyng come to the chamer, to the quen,85
And before hym knyghtys tene,
And wepte, and seyd wyth grete pyté,
“My leffe [i.e., beloved] wyff, what ayles the—
Thou that hast be so stylle?
Why cryest thou wonder schylle? [i.e., shrill(y)]90
And ever thou hast be meke and myld—
Thou arte becom wode [i.e., mad] and wyld!
Thy flessch, that was so whyte beforn,
Wyth thi nayles thou hast torn;
Thy lyppes, that was so bryght rede,95
Semys as wan as thou wer dede;
And thi fyngyrs, long and smale,
Thei be blody and all pale;
And thi luffsom eyn two
Loke on me as I wer thi fo!100
God leman, I cry the mersye;
Thou late be all thys reufull crye,
And telle me, lady, for thi prow [i.e., profit, benefit],
What thing may the helpe nowe!”
Sche ley styll at the last105
And began to sey full fast,
And thus sche seyd the kyng unto:
“Alas, my lord, Syr Orfeo,
Ever I have lovyd the all my lyfe;
Betwen us was never stryfe,110
Never seth we wedyd ware;
Therfor I make full mekyll care.
Bot nowe we must parte atwo:
Do thou the best, for I must go.”
“Alas,” seyd the kyng, “lost I ame!115
Whyder wyll thou go, and to whom?
Wer thou arte, I wol be wyth the,
And wher I ame, thou schall be wyth me!”
“Do wey!” seyd the quen, “that schall not be,
For I schall never the mor se!120
I wyll the tell how it is,
And forsoth I wyll not mysse!
As I went thys undyr-tide
To play me be myn orcherd syde,
I felle on slepe all bedene [i.e., suddenly]125
Under an ympe upon the gren;
My meydens durst me not wake,
Bot lete me lyye and slepe take
Tyll that the tyme overpassyd so
That the undryn was overgo.130
When I gan myselve awake,
Ruly [i.e., rueful] chere I gan to make,
For I saw a semely syght:
Towerd me com a gentyll knyght
Wele i-armyd at all ryght,135
And bad I schuld up on hygheng [i.e., in haste]
Com speke wyth hys lord, the kyng.
I ansuerd hym wyth wordys bold—
I seyd I durst not, ne not I wold.
The knyght agen he rode full fast;140
Than com ther kyng at the last,
Wyth an hundreth knyghtys also,
And an hundreth ladys and mo:
All thei rydan on whyte stedys;
Off mylke whyte was all ther wedys [i.e., clothes].145
I saw never, seth I was born,
So feyre creatours herbeforn!
The kyng had a crounne on hys hede—
It was no sylver, ne golde rede—
It was all off presyous ston:150
Als bryght as any son it schon.
Al so sone as he to me com,
Whether I wold or not, up he me nam,
And made me wyth hym for to ryde
Upon a stede by hys syde.155
He brought me to a feyre palas
Wele tyred and rychly in all case;
He schewyd me hys castellys and tourys,
And hys hey [i.e., high] haules and boures,
Forestys, ryvers, frutys, and floures;160
Hys grete stedys schewyd me ichon,
And sethyn he made me agen to gon
Into the stede wher he me fette.
In that same sted ther he me sete,
And seyd, ‘Madam, loke that thou be165
Tomorow here under thys tre,
And than schall thou wyth us go
And lyve wyth us evermo so.
Iff that thou make us any lete,
Wherever thou be, thou schall be fete,170
And totorn thi lymys all:
Nothyng helpe the ne schall;
And thoff 59 thou be all totorn,
Yit schall thou away wyth us be born.’”
When Kyng Orfeo herd this case,175
Than he seyd, “Alas, Alas!”
He askyd rede [i.e., advice] of many a man,
Bot no man helpe hym ne canne.
“Alas,” seyd the kyng, “that I ame wo!
What may I best for my quen do?”180
On the morow, when the ondryn cam,
Kyng Orfeo hys armys nam;
Ten hundreth knyghtys he wyth hym toke,
Wele armyd, talle men and stoute.
Wyth hys quen than went he185
To the orcherd, under the ympe tre,
And seyd he wold ther abyde
What aventour so betyde:
Lyve and dyye thei wold ichon
Or that the quen schuld from them gon.190
Than thei gon batell to make
And sched blode for hys quenys sake.
But among them all, right,
The quen was awey twight [i.e., snatched],
And wyth the feyry awey i-nome:195
Thei ne wyst wer sche was com.
Ther was cry, wepyng, and wo;
The kyng unto hys chamber yede tho,
And oft he knelyd onne the ston,
And made grete sorow for sche was gon,200
That ne [i.e., nigh, nearly] hys lyve was i-spent:
Bot ther myght be non amendment.
He sent after hys barons,
Knyghtys, squyres off grete renownys;
When thei all com were,205
He seyd, “Lordingys, befor you here
I wold orden my hyghe stuerd
To kepe my londys afterwerd,
And in my sted be he schalle
To kepe my landys overalle;210
When that ye se my lyffe is spent,
Than make you a parlament:
Chese you than a new kyng,
And do your best wyth all my thing.
For now I have my quen lorne,215
The best woman that ever was born;
To wyldernes I wyll gon—
For I wyll never woman sene—
And lyve ther in holtys hore [i.e., wild woods]
Wyth wyld bestys evermor.”220
Ther was wepyng in the halle,
And gret sorow among them alle;
Ther was nether olde ne yong
That myght speke a word wyth tong.
They felle on kneys all in fere [i.e., together],225
Besought hym iff hys wyll were,
That he schuld not fro them go.
“Do weyl” he seyd, “it schall be so!
All thys kyngdom I forsake!”
A staff to hym he gan take—230
He had nether gowne ne hode,
Schert, ne non other gode,
Bot an harpe he toke, algate [i.e., however]—
Barefote he went furth at the gate.
Ther was weping and grete crye,235
Grete dole, for the maysterye [i.e., very greatest]
When the kyng wythouten crounne
So porely went out off the tounne.
He went thorow wode and hethe,
And into wyldernes he gethe;240
So fer he went, I sey iwys [i.e., truly],
That he wyst not wher he was.
He that sate in boure and halle,
And on hym were the purpull palle,
Now in herd heth he lyȝet [i.e., lieth].245
Wyth levys and gress his body hydyth.
He that had knyghtys off pryse,
And before hym knelyd ladys,
He sey not that hys herte lykyth,
Bot wyld bestys that by hym strykyth.250
Also he had castells and tourys,
Forestys, ryverse, frutys, and flourys—
Now thoff it be store as frese [i.e., freezing cold],
He may not make hys bed in es.
The kyng that had grete plenté255
Off mete and drink, wythouten le,
Long he may dyge and wrote
Or he have hys fyll of the rote.
In somour he lyvys be the frute
And berys, that were full suete;260
In wynter may he nothing fynd
Bot levys and grasse and of the rynd [i.e., tree-bark].
Hys body is away dwyned [i.e., dwindled]
And for grete cold al toschend [i.e., chapped];
Hys berd was both blake and rowghe,265
And to hys gyrdell-sted [i.e., waist] it drewghe.
He can telle off grete care
That he suffyrd ten wynter and mor;
In a tre that was holow,
Ther was hys haule, evyn and morow.270
When the wether was feyre and bryght,
He toke hys herpe anon ryght;
And mydys the wodde he sett hym dounne,
And temperyd hys herpe wyth a mery sounne,
And harpyd after hys awne wylle—275
Over all aboute it was full schylle [i.e., shrill].
The wyld bestys that ther were,
They com aboute hys herpe to here:
The bestys of that forest wyld
Com aboute hym, meke and myld,280
To here hys herpyng so fyne,
So mych melody was therine;
When he hys harpyng stynt wylle,
No leng ther abyde thei wylle.
And all the foulys that ther were,285
They com aboute hym by bussch and brere.
Than myght he se hym besyde,
In an hote undryn-tide
The king off fary and all hys route
Com ryding hym all aboute290
Wyth dynne, cry, and wyth blowyng,
And wyth houndys berkyng—
Bot no dere ne best thei nom;
He wyst not wer thei were becom.
Other thingys he might se:295
A grete hoste com hym bye—
An hundreth knyghtys and mo yit,
Wele armyd at all ryght,
Wyth contynans stoute and fers,
And many spreding baners;300
Every man a draw suerd had in hond,
Bot he wyst not whether thei wold wend.
Also he myght se everything:
Knyghtys and ladys com daunsing;
Anon he lokyd hym besyde305
And say syxty ladys on palferays ryde,
Gentyll and gay as byrd on ryse—
Not a man among them, iwyse,
Bot every lady a faukon bere,
And ryden on huntyng be a ryver.310
Off game thei founnd well god haunte —
Suannys, herons, and cormeraunte—
And the faucons forth fleyng,
And the foulys fro the water rysing,
Every facon hys pray slowgh.315
Than sate the Kyng Orfeo and lewgh,
And seyd, “This is gode gam!
Thyder I wyll, be Godys name;
Sych game I was wont for to se!”
Up he rose and thether went he;320
To a ladé he com tho.
He beheld hyr face and body also—
Hym thought that it was in all wyse
Hys awne quen, Dame Meroudys.
He beheld hyr, and sche hym eke,325
And never a word to other thei speke;
For the poverté that sche on hym se,
That had ben so rych and hyghe,
The terys ran doune be hyr eyye.
The ladys beheld and that they seyye,330
And made hyr awey to ryde:
No lenger myght sche ther abyde.
“Alas,” seyd Orfeo, “that me is wo!
Why wold not myn hert breke a-two?
Now I may not speke wyth my wyffe;335
Al to long lastys my lyffe.
Sche dare not a word wyth me speke;
Alas, why wold not my herte breke?
Alas,” seyd the kyng, “that I ne myght
Dyye after thys same syght!340
Into what lond thys lady ryde,
Folow I wyll, whatso betyde:
That same wey wyll I streche;
Off my lyve I do not reche!”
He toke a staff as he spake,345
And threw an herpe at hys bake;
He sparyd nother stoke ne ston,
He had gode wyll for to gon.
In a roche of stone the ladys ryde;
Orpheo folowyd and not abyde.350
When he had therin go
A myle or els two,
He com into a feyre cuntrey
Als bryght as son in somerys dey:
Hyll ne dale was ther non sen;355
It was a welle feyre gren.
Orfeo full wele it seye,
A feyre castell, ryall and hyghe;
He beheld the worke full wele:
The overyst worke, above the wall,360
Gan schyne as doth the crystalle;
A hundreth tyretys [i.e., turrets] he saw full stout,
So godly thei wer bateyled aboute;
The pylers that com oute off the dyche,
All thei wer of gold full ryche;365
The frontys [i.e., façades] thei wer amelyd [i.e., enameled] all
Wyth all maner dyverse amell;
Therin he saw wyde wonys [i.e., dwellings],
And all wer full of presyos stonys.
Kyng Orfeo knokyd at the gate;370
The porter, was redy therate,
Freyned [i.e., asked] what he wold do.
He said, “I ame a mynstrell, lo!
To glad thi lord wyth my gle
And it his suete wyll be.”375
The porter undyd the gate anon,
And as a mynstrell lete hym gon.
Than lokyd he aboute the walle,
And saw it stond, overalle,
Wyth men that wer thyder brought,380
And semyd dede, and wer nought;
Som ther stod wythoutyn hede,
And some armys non hade,
And som ther bodys had wound,
And som onne hors ther armyd sette,385
And som wer strangyld at ther mete,
And men that wer no men [i.e., eunuchs] wyth them ete—
So he saw them stonding ther,
Than saw he men and women in fere [i.e., together]
As thei slepyd ther undryn-tide;390
He them saw on every syde.
Among them he saw hys wyve,
That he lovyd as hys lyve,
That ley ther under that tre full trew
Be hyr clothys he hyr knew.395
In that castell he saw yit
A tabernakylle wele i-dyght;
And a ryall kyng therin sette,
And hys quen, that was so swete;
Ther crownys and clothys schyn so bryght400
That on them loke he ne myght;
A hundryth knyghtys in present
To do the kyngys commandment.
When he had sen all thys thing,
On kneys he fel before the kyng,405
And seyd, “Lord, and thi wyll were,
My mynstrallys thou woldyst here.”
Than seyd the kyng, “What arte thou,
That hether arte i-come now?
I, nor non that is wyth me,410
Never yit sent after the:
Never seth that my reyn began
Fond I never non so herdy man
That hyder durst to us wend
Bot iff I wold after hym send.”415
“Sir,” he seyd, “I trow wele
I ame bot a pore mynstrelle,
And yit it ys the maner off us
For to seke to gret lordys hous,
And thoff we not welcom be,420
Yit we behovyth to profer oure gle.”
Before the kyng he sette hym doune,
And toke hys herpe, schyll of sown,
And tempered yt, as he wele can;
A blyssedfull note he began.425
The kyng sate wele styll
To here hys herpe wyth ryght god wyll—
Wele hym lyked to here hys gle;
The ryche quen, so doyd sche.
Men that in the castell wer,430
Com hys herpe for to here,
And felle dounne to hys fete,
They thought hys herpe was so suete.
And when he stynt of hys herpyng,
To hym than seyd the ryche kyng,435
“Mynstrell, me lykys wele thi gle;
And what thou wyll aske of me,
Largely I wyll the pay—
Speke now and thou may asey [i.e., profit].”
“Now, Lord, I pray the440
That thou wold giff to me
The feyr lady, bryght off ble
That lyyeth under this impe tre.”
“Nay,” he seyd, “that thought I never!
A foule coupull of you it wer,445
For thou arte rowghe and blake,
And sche is wythoutyn lake;
A foule thing it wer, forthey,
To se hyr go in thi company!”
“Lord,” he seyd, “thou ryche kyng,450
Yit it wer a fouler thing
To here a lesyng [i.e., lie] of thy mouthe.
That thou me seyst to me nowthe
That I schuld have what I wold;
Bot nedys a kyng word mot hold!”455
The ryche kyng spake wordys than
And seyd, “Thou arte a trew man;
Therfor I grante that it be so.
Thou take hyr be the hond and go;
I wyll that thou be of hyr blyth.”460
He thankyd hym a hundreth sythe [i.e., times];
He toke hyr by the hond anon,
And fast went forth oute of that wone.
Fast thei hyed out off that palas,
And went ther wey thourow Godys grace;465
To wyldernes both forth thei goth,
And passyth over holtys and heth.
So long he hys wey y-nom,
To Trasyens thei wer i-com,
That sometyme was his awne cyté;470
Bot no man knew that it was he.
Wyth a pore man he reste that nyght—
Ther he thought to byde aplyght
Unto hym and to hys wyffe
As an harpere off pore lyffe—475
And askyd tydingys of that lond,
Who that the kyngdom held in hond.
In that same tym that old man
He told hym all that he can,
And how the quen was twyght awey480
Into the lond of fayrey;
And how the kyng exiled yede,
Bot no man wyst into what stede;
And how the stewerd the kyngdom hold,
And many other wonders hym told.485
Amorowe, agen the non-tyde.
He made hys quen ther to abyde.
Forsoth he toke hys herpe anon;
Into the syté he gan gon.
And when he com into the syté,490
Many a man com hym to se;
Men and wyves and maydinse bold,
Fast thei com hym to behold.
Also thei seyd, everychon,
How the mosse grew hym upon:495
“Hys berd is grewyn to the kne;
Hys body is clong [i.e., clung; matted] as a tre!”
As the kyng went in the strete,
Wyth hys stewerd he gan mete,
And fell on kneys wyth grete pyté,500
And seyd, “Lord, for charyté;
I ame an herper of hethynes [i.e., heathendom];
Helpe me now, Lord, yn thys destres!”
The stewerd seyd, “Cum wyth me hom;
Off my gode thou schall have som;505
For my lordys love, Sir Orfeo,
All herpers be welcum me to.”
The stewerd and the lordys alle,
Anon thei went into the halle.
The stewerd wessch and went to mete;510
The lordys all began to sytte;
Ther wer herpers and trumpers,
And mynstrellys of grete renounys;
Ther was grete myrth in the halle.
Kyng Orfeo sate among them alle,515
And lystynd to [i.e., until] thei wer styll,
And toke hys herpe and temperde it schyll.
The meryest note he made ther
That every man myght here wyth ere—
All thei lyked wele hys gle;520
The rych stewerd, so dyd he.
The stewerd the herpe knew full suyth,
And seyd: “Mynstrell, so mote thou thryve,
Wher hadys thou thys herpe and how?
Tell me now, for thi prow!”525
“A, Lord! In a morning-tyde
Thorowe a wyld forest I yede;
A man wyth lyons was drawyn smale;
I fond hym lyyeng in a dale:
Etyn he was wyth tethe so scherpe.530
By hym I fond thys ryall herpe
Nyghe ten wynters ago.”
“Alas,” seyd the stewerd, “me is wo!
That was my lord, Sir Orfeo!
Alas,” he seyd, “what schall I do535
And for my lord that happyd so?
Alas,” he seyd, “that me is wo,
That so evyll deth was merkyd,
And so herd grace hym behappyd!”
On swon he fell in the halle.540
The lordys com before hym alle,
And toke hym up sone anon,
And comforth hym everychon,
And told hym how thys werld geth:
Ther is no bote [i.e., remedy, redress] of manys deth.545
The kyng beheld the stewerd than
And seyd he was a trew man,
And lovyd hym as he aughte to do,
And sterte up and seyd, “Lo,
Syr Stuerd, lystyns now thys thing!550
Yiff I were Orfeo, the kyng,
Therfor, Stewerd, lystyns to me!
Now thou may the kyng her se;
I have wonyd ten wynters and mor
In wyldernes wyth mekyll sore,555
And have wonne my quen awey,
Owte of the land off fary,
And have brought that lady hend [i.e., noble]
Here unto the tounnes ende;
And oure in was ther i-nome,560
And myselve to the courte com
Thus in beger wede [i.e., ‘weeds,’ clothes] full styll
For to asey thi gode wyll.
And for I fond the thus trewe,
Therfor thou schall never it rewe;565
For, be my lyve, for lufe or aye,
Thou schall be kyng after my dey.
And if thou have of my deth blyth,
Thow schuld be hangyd al so swyth!”
All the lordys that ther sette,570
That was ther kyng, thei underyete [i.e., perceived, understood];
And wyth that word the stewerd hym knew,
And over the bord anon he threw,
And fell anon dounne to hys fete,
And so dyd all that ther sate.575
And all thei seyd wyth a cryeng,
“Welcum, oure Orfew the Kyng!”
Off hys comyng thei wer blyth,
And brought hym to a chamber swyth,
And bathyd hym and schave hys berd,580
And tyred hym as a kyng in wede.
And sethin wyth grete processyon,
They brought the quen thorow the tounne;
For ther was myrth and melody
Off yche maner mynstralsy.585
Ther he was crouned new, iwys;
So was the quen, Dame Meroudys;
And levyd long afterwerd;
And seth [i.e., then] was kyng the trew stewerd.
Herpers of Bretayn herd after than590
How thys aventour was begon,
And made a ley of grete lykyng,
And callyd it aftyr the kyng
That Orfeo hyght, as men wele wote;
Gode is the ley, suete is the note.595
Thus endys here “Orfeo the Kyng”;
God grante us all Hys blyssing.
And all that thys wyll here or rede,
God forgyff them ther mysded,
To the blysse of hevyn that thei may com,600
And evermor therin to wonne.
And that it may so be,
Prey we all, for charyté.