II

Fro spot my spyryt þer sprang in space,
My body on balke þer bod in sweuen,
My goste is gon in godeȝ grace,
In auenture þer meruayleȝ meuen;
I ne wyste in þis worlde quere þat hit wace,
Bot I knew me keste þer klyfeȝ cleuen;
Towarde a foreste I bere þe face,
Where rych rokkeȝ wer to dyscreuen;
Þe lyȝt of hem myȝt no mon leuen,
Þe glemande glory þat of hem glent;
For wern neuer webbeȝ þat wyȝeȝ weuen,
Of half so dere adubmente.

Dubbed wern alle þo downeȝ sydeȝ
With crystal klyffeȝ so cler of kynde,
Holte-wodeȝ bryȝt aboute hem bydeȝ;
Of bolleȝ as blwe as ble of ynde,
As bornyst syluer þe lef onslydeȝ,
Þat þike con trylle on vch a tynde,
Quen glem of glodeȝ agaynȝ hem glydeȝ,
Wyth schymeryng schene ful schrylle þay schynde.
Þe grauayl þat on grounde con grynde
Wern precious perleȝ of oryente;
Þe sunne bemeȝ bot blo & blynde,
In respecte of þat adubbement.

The adubbemente of þo downeȝ dere
Garten my goste al greffe for-ȝete
So frech flauoreȝ of fryteȝ were,
As fode hit con me fayre refete.
Fowleȝ þer flowen in fryth in fere,
Of flaumbande hweȝ, boþe smale & grete,
Bot sytole stryng & gyternere,
Her reken myrþe moȝt not retrete,
For quen þose bryddeȝ her wyngeȝ bete
Þay songen wyth a swete asent;
So grac[i]os gle couþe no mon gete
As here & se her adubbement.

So al watȝ dubbet on dere asyse;
Þat fryth þer fortwne forth me fereȝ,
Þe derþe þer-of for to deuyse
Nis no wyȝ worþe þat tonge bereȝ.
I welke ay forth in wely wyse,
No bonk so byg þat did me dereȝ,
Þe fyrre in þe fryth þe feier con ryse,
Þe playn, þe plontteȝ, þe spyse, þe pereȝ,
& raweȝ & randeȝ & rych reuereȝ,
As fyldor fyn her b[o]nkes brent.
I wan to a water by schore þat schereȝ,
Lorde! dere watȝ hit adubbement!

The dubbemente of þo derworth depe
Wern bonkeȝ bene of beryl bryȝt;
Swangeande swete þe water con swepe
Wyth a rownande rourde raykande aryȝt;
In þe founce þer stonden stoneȝ stepe,
As glente þurȝ glas þat glowed & glyȝt,
A stremande sterneȝ quen stroþe men slepe,
Staren in welkyn in wynter nyȝt;
For vche a pobbel in pole þer pyȝt
Watȝ Emerad, saffer, oþer gemme gente,
Þat alle þe loȝe lemed of lyȝt,
So dere watȝ hit adubbement.