V

“Now Noe,” quod oure lorde, “art þou al redy?
Hatȝ þou closed þy kyst with clay alle aboute?”
“Ȝe lorde with þy leue,” sayde þe lede þenne,
“Al is wroȝt at þi worde, as þou me wyt lanteȝ.”
“Enter in þenn,” quod he, “& haf þi wyf with þe,
Þy þre suneȝ with-outen þrep & her þre wyueȝ;
Besteȝ, as I bedene haue, bosk þer-inne als,
& when ȝe arn staued, styfly stekeȝ yow þerinne;
Fro seuen dayeȝ ben seyed I sende out by-lyue,
Such a rowtande ryge þat rayne schal swyþe,
Þat schal wasch alle þe worlde of werkeȝ of fylþe;
Schal no flesch vpon folde by fonden onlyue;
Out-taken yow aȝt in þis ark staued,
& sed þat I wyl saue of þyse ser besteȝ.”
Now Noe neuer stysteȝ (þat niyȝ[t] he bygynneȝ),
Er al wer stawed & stoken, as þe steuen wolde.
Thenne sone com þe seuenþe day, when samned wern alle,
& alle woned in þe whichche þe wylde & þe tame.
Þen bolned þe abyme & bonkeȝ con ryse,
Waltes out vch walle-heued, in ful wode stremeȝ,
Watȝ no brymme þat abod vnbrosten bylyue,
Þe mukel lauande loghe to þe lyfte rered.
Mony clustered clowde clef alle in clowteȝ,
To-rent vch a rayn-ryfte & rusched to þe vrþe;
Fon neuer in forty dayeȝ, & þen þe flod ryses,
Ouer-walteȝ vche a wod & þe wyde feldeȝ;
For when þe water of þe welkyn with þe worlde mette,
Alle þat deth moȝt dryȝe drowned þer-inne;
Þer watȝ moon forto make when meschef was cnowen,
Þat noȝt dowed bot þe deth in þe depe stremeȝ.
Water wylger ay wax, woneȝ þat stryede,
Hurled in-to vch hous, hent þat þer dowelled.
Fyrst feng to þe flyȝt alle þat fle myȝt,
Vuche burde with her barne þe byggyng þay leueȝ,
& bowed to þe hyȝ bonk þer brentest hit wern,
& heterly to þe hyȝe hylleȝ þay [h]aled on faste;
Bot al watȝ nedleȝ her note, for neuer cowþe stynt
Þe roȝe raynande ryg [&] þe raykande waweȝ,
Er vch boþom watȝ brurd-ful to þe bonkeȝ eggeȝ,
& vche a dale so depe þat demmed at þe brynkeȝ.
Þe moste mountayneȝ on mor þenne watȝ no more dryȝe,
& þer-on flokked þe folke, for ferde of þe wrake,
Syþen þe wylde of þe wode on þe water flette;
Summe swymmed þer-on þat saue hemself trawed,
Summe styȝe to a stud & stared to þe heuen,
Rwly wyth a loud rurd rored for drede.
Hareȝ, hertteȝ also, to þe hyȝe runnen,
Bukkeȝ, bauseneȝ & buleȝ to þe bonkkeȝ hyȝed,
& alle cryed for care to þe kyng of heuen,
Re-couerer of þe creator, þay cryed vchone,
Þat amounted þe masse, þe mase his mercy watȝ passed,
& alle his pyte departed fro peple þat he hated.
Bi þat þe flod to her fete floȝed & waxed,
Þen vche a segge seȝ wel þat synk hym byhoued;
Frendeȝ fellen in fere & faþmed togeder
To dryȝ her delful deystyné & dyȝen alle samen;
Luf lokeȝ to luf & his leue takeȝ,
For to ende alle at oneȝ & for euer twynne.
By forty dayeȝ wern faren, on folde no flesch styryed,
Þat þe flod nade al freten with feȝtande waȝeȝ,
For hit clam vche a clyffe cubites fyftene,
Ouer þe hyȝest hylle þat hurkled on erþe.
Þenne mourkne in þe mudde most ful nede
Alle þat spyrakle in-spranc, no sprawlyng awayled,
Saue þe haþel vnder hach & his here straunge,
Noe þat ofte neuened þe name of oure lorde,
Hym aȝt-sum in þat ark as aþel god lyked,
Þer alle ledeȝ in lome lenged druye,
Þe arc houen watȝ on hyȝe with hurlande goteȝ,
Kest to kytheȝ vncouþe þe clowdeȝ ful nere.
Hit waltered on þe wylde flod, went as hit lyste,
Drof vpon þe depe dam, in daunger hit semed,
With-outen mast, oþer myke, oþer myry bawelyne,
Kable, oþer capstan to clyppe to her ankreȝ,
Hurrok, oþer hande-helme hasped on roþer,
Oþer any sweande sayl to seche after hauen,
Bot flote forthe with þe flyt of þe felle wyndeȝ;
Wheder-warde so þe water wafte, hit rebounde.
Ofte hit roled on-rounde & rered on ende,
Nyf oure lorde hade ben her lodeȝ-mon hem had lumpen harde.
Of þe lenþe of noe lyf to lay a lel date,
Þe sex hundreth of his age & none odde ȝereȝ,
Of seconde monyth, þe seuenþe day ryȝteȝ,
To-walten alle þyse welle-hedeȝ & þe water flowed,
& þryeȝ fyfty þe flod of folwande dayeȝ,
Vche hille watȝ þer hidde with yreȝ ful graye;
Al watȝ wasted þat þer wonyed þe worlde with-inne,
Þer euer flote, oþer flwe, oþer on fote ȝede,
That roȝly watȝ þe remnaunt þat þe rac dryueȝ,
Þat alle gendreȝ so ioyst wern ioyned wyth-inne.
Bot quen þe lorde of þe lyfte lyked hymseluen
For to mynne on his mon his meth þat abydeȝ,
Þen he wakened a wynde on wattereȝ to blowe;
Þenne lasned þe llak þat large watȝ are,
Þen he stac vp þe stangeȝ, stoped þo welleȝ,
Bed blynne of þe rayn, hit batede as fast,
Þenne lasned þe loȝ lowkande to-geder.
After harde dayeȝ wern out an hundreth & fyfté,
As þat lyftande lome luged aboute,
Where þe wynde & þe weder warpen hit wolde,
Hit saȝtled on a softe day synkande to grounde.
On a rasse of a rok, hit rest at þe laste,
On þe mounte of mararach of armene hilles,
Þat oþer-wayeȝ on ebrv hit hat þe thanes.
Bot þaȝ þe kyste in þe crageȝ wern closed to byde,
Ȝet fyned not þe flod ne fel to þe boþemeȝ,
Bot þe hyȝest of þe eggeȝ vnhuled wern a lyttel,
Þat þe burne bynne borde byhelde þe bare erþe;
Þenne wafte he vpon his wyndowe, & wysed þer-oute
A message fro þat meyny hem moldeȝ to seche,
Þat watȝ þe rauen so ronk þat rebel watȝ euer;
He watȝ colored as þe cole, corbyal vn-trwe.
& he fongeȝ to þe flyȝt, & fanneȝ on þe wyndeȝ,
Houeȝ hyȝe upon hyȝt to herken tyþynges.
He croukeȝ for comfort when carayne he fyndeȝ;
Kast vp on a clyffe þer costese lay drye,
He hade þe smelle of þe smach & smoltes þeder sone,
Falleȝ on þe foule flesch & fylleȝ his wombe,
& sone ȝederly for-ȝete ȝister-day steuen,
How þe cheuetayn hym charged þat þe kyst ȝemed.
Þe rauen raykeȝ hym forth þat reches ful lyttel
How alle fodeȝ þer fare, elleȝ he fynde mete;
Bot þe burne bynne borde þat bod to hys come,
Banned hym ful bytterly with bestes alle samen,
He secheȝ an oþer sondeȝmon & setteȝ on þe doune;
Bryngeȝ þat bryȝt vpon borde blessed & sayde,
“Wende worþelych wyȝt vus woneȝ to seche,
Dryf ouer þis dymme water; if þou druye fyndeȝ
Bryng bodworde to bot blysse to vus alle;
Þaȝ þat fowle be false, fre be þou euer.”
Ho wyrle out on þe weder on wyngeȝ ful scharpe,
Dreȝly alle a longe day þat dorst neuer lyȝt;
& when ho fyndeȝ no folde her fote on to pyche,
Ho vmbe-kesteȝ þe coste & þe kyst secheȝ,
Ho hitteȝ on þe euentyde & on þe ark sitteȝ;
Noe nymmes hir anon & naytly hir staueȝ.
Noe on anoþer day nymmeȝ efte þe dovene,
& byddeȝ hir bowe ouer þe borne efte bonkeȝ to seche;
& ho skyrmeȝ vnder skwe & skowteȝ aboute,
Tyl hit watȝ nyȝe at þe naȝt & noe þen secheȝ.