Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, POEM: 11, by LAURENCE MINOT


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

POEM: 11, by                    
First Line: War pis winter oway wele wald I wene
Last Line: þat he may at his ending -- haue heuin till his mede.
Subject(s): Courts & Courtiers; Life; Nations; War


WAR þis winter oway -- wele wald I wene
þat somer suld schew him -- in schawes ful schene:
Both þe lely and þe lipard -- suld geder on a grene.
Mari, haue minde of pi man, -- pou whote wham I mene
Lady, think what I mene, -- I mak þe my mone
pou wreke gude king Edward -- on wikked syr Iohn.

Of Gynes ful gladly -- now will I bigin,
We wote wele þat woning -- was wikked for to win:
Crist, þat swelt on þe rode -- for sake of mans syn,
Hald pam in gude hele -- þat now er parein.
Inglis men er parein -- þe kastell to keþe;
And Iohn of France es so wroth -- for wo will he weþe.

Gentill Iohn of Doncaster -- did a ful balde dede,
When he come toward Gines -- to ken pam þaire crede;
He stirt vnto þe castell -- with owten any stede;
Of folk þat he fand pare -- haued he no drede,
Dred in hert had he none -- of all he fand pare:
Faine war þai to fle -- for all þaire grete fare.

A letherin ledderr -- and a lang line,
A small bote was parby -- þat put pam fro pine;
þe folk þat þai fand pare -- was faine for to fyne;
Sone þaire diner was dight; and pare wald þai dine,
pare was þaire purpose -- to dine and to dwell,
For treson of þe Franche men -- þat fals war and fell.

Say now, sir Iohn of France -- how saltou fare?
þat both Calays and Gynes -- has kindeld pi care;
If pou be man of mekil might -- leþe up on pi mare,
Take pi gate vnto Gines -- and grete pam wele pare,
pare gretes pi gestes; and wendes with wo.
King Edward has wonen -- þe kastell pam fro.

Ge men of Saint Omers; trus þe þis tide,
And puttes out gowre pauiliownes -- with gowre mekill pride;
Sendes efter sir Iohn of Fraunce -- to stand by powre syde,
A bore es boun pow to biker -- þat wele dar habyde,
Wele dar he habide -- bataile to bede,
And of powre sir Iohn of Fraunce -- haues he no drede.

God saue sir Edward his right -- in euer ilka nede,
And he þat will noght so -- euil mot he sþede;
And len oure sir Edward -- his life wele to lede,
þat he may at his ending -- haue heuin till his mede.




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