Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE BURGESSES OF CALAIS, by                    
First Line: Listen now and ye may lere
Last Line: God saue pam þat it so-gat wan.


Lystens now, and þe may lere,
Als men þe suth may vnderstand,
þe knightes þat in Calais were
Come to sir Edward sare weþeand,
In kirtell one and swerd in hand
And cried, Sir Edward, pine we are,
Do now, lord, bi law of land
Pi will with vs for euermare.

þe nobill burgase and þe best
Come vnto him to haue þaire hire;
þe comun puple war ful prest
Raþes to bring obout þaire swire:Þai said all, Sir Philip oure
syre,
And his sun, sir Iohn of France,
Has left vs ligand in þe mire
And broght vs till þis doleful dance.

Oure horses þat war faire and fat
Er etin vp ilkone bidene;
Haue we nowþer conig ne catÞat þai ne er etin and hundes kene.
All er etin vp ful clene,
Es nowther leuid biche ne whelp,Þat es wele on oure sembland sene,
And þai er fled þat suld vs help.

A knight þat was of grete renowne,
Sir Iohn de Viene was his name,
He was wardaine of þe toune,
And had done Ingland mekill schame.
For all þaire boste þai er to blame,
Ful stalworthly pare haue þai streuyn;
A bare es cumen to mak pam tame,
Kayes of þe toun to him er gifen.

þe kaies er polden him of þe þate,
Lat him now keþe pam if he kun;
To Calais cum þai all to late,
Sir Philip and sir Iohn his sun.
Al war ful ferd þat pare ware fun;
þaire leders may þai barely ban.
All on þis wise was Calais won;
God saue pam þat it so-gat wan.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net