I.
#A# VERSION.
1.
MS. HARLEIAN 2253. c. 1307. [fol. 57, v^o.]
Erþe toc of erþe erþe wyþ woh, Erþe oþer erþe to þe erþe droh, Erþe leyde erþe in erþene þroh, Þo heuede erþe of erþe erþe ynoh. 4
2.
MS. HARLEIAN 913. c. 1308-1330. [fol. 62, r^o.]
1 [1]Whan erþ haþ erþ iwonne wiþ wow, Þan erþ mai of erþ nim hír inow. Erþ vp[2] erþ falliþ fol frow[3]; Erþ toward erþ delful hi{m} drow. 4 Of erþ þou wer{e} makid, a{nd} mon þou art ilich; In on erþ awaked þe pore a{nd} þe riche.
T{er}ra{m} p{er} i{n}iuriam cu{m} t{er}ra lucratur, Tu{n}c de t{er}ra cepiam[4] t{er}ra sorciatur. 8 T{er}ra sup{er} aream subito frustratur; [fol. 62, v^o.] Se t{r}axit ad aridam t{er}raq{ue} tristatur. De t{er}ra plasmaris, es simil{is}[5] virroni, Vna t{er}ra paup{er}es ac dites s{un}t proni. 12
2 Erþ geþ on erþ wrikkend in weden, Erþ toward erþ wormes to feden; Erþ b{er}riþ[6] to erþ al is lif deden; When erþ is i{n} erþe, heo muntid[7] þi meden. 16 When erþ is i{n} erþe, þe rof is on þe chynne[8]; Þan schullen an hu{n}dred wormes wroten on þe skin.
Vesta p{er}git uestibus s{upe}r ueste{m} vare, Artat{ur} & uermibus vesta pastu{m} dare; 20 Ac cu{m} gestis o{mn}ibus ad uesta{m} migrare; Cu{m} uesta sit scrobibus, q{u}is wlt[9] suspirare? Cu{m} sit uesta po{n}ita[10], doma ta{n}git mentu{m}; Tu{n}c i{n} cute ca{n}dida verru{n}t[11] u{er}mes centu{m}. 24
3 Erþ askiþ erþ, a{nd} erþ hir answerid, Whi erþ hatid erþ, a{nd} erþ erþ verrid. Erþ haþ erþ, a{nd} erþ erþ teriþ, Erþ geeþ on erþ, a{nd} erþ erþ berriþ. 28 Of erþ þow wer{e} bigun, on erþ þou schalt end; Al þ{a}t þou i{n} erþ wonne[12], to erþ schal hit wend.
Hum{us} humu{m} repetit, & re{spo}nsu{m} datur, Humu{m} q{u}are n{e}gligit, & humo fruatur. 32 Hum{u}s humu{m} porrigit, sic & operatur, S{upe}r humu{m} p{er}agit, humo q{uod}[13] portatur. Humo sic i{n}ciperis, ac humo meabis; Q{uo}d humo q{ue}sieris, humo totu{m} dabis. 36
4 Erþ get hit[14] on erp maist{r}i a{nd} mi[gh]te; [fol. 63, r^o.] Al we beþ erþ, to erþ we beþ idi[gh]te; Erþ askeþ carayne of ki{n}g a{nd} of kni[gh]t; Whan erþ is i{n} erþ, so low[gh] he be li[gh]t. 40 Whan þi ri[gh]t a{nd} þi wow[gh] wendiþ þe bi-for, Be þou þre ni[gh]t i{n} a þrou[gh], þi f{r}endschip is i-lor.
Terra ui{m}q{ue}[15] b{r}auivm t{er}ra collucratur; Tot{us} cet{us} hominvm de t{er}ra patratur[16]; 44 Ops cadau{er} militvm q{ue} regis sc{r}utatur; Cu{m} det{ur} i{n} tumulvm, mox t{er}ra voratur. Cu{m} ius & i{us}ticivm cora{m} te migrabu{n}t, Pauci p{er} t{r}inoctivm morte{m} deplorabu{n}t. 48
5 Erþ is a palfrei to king a{nd} to quene, Erþ is ar[17] la{ng} wei, þouw we lutil wene, Þ{a}t weriþ g{r}ouer a{nd} g{r}oy[18] a{nd} schrud so schene, Whan erþ makiþ is liuerei, he g{r}auiþ vs i{n} g{r}ene. 52 Whan erþ haþ erp wiþ st{r}einþ þus geten, Alast he haþ is leinþ miseislich i-meten.
Dic uesta{m}[19] dext{r}arium regiq{ue} regine, It{er} lo{n}gu{m} marium, q{uod} e{st} sine fine, 56 I{n}dum{en}tu{m} uarium dans cedit se{n}tine[20], Q{ua}ndo[21] dat corrodium, noa t{r}adit ruine. Cu{m} p{er} fortitudinem tenet hanc luc{r}atam, Capit lo{n}gitudinem mis{er}e metatam. 60
6 Erþ gette on erþ gersom a{nd} gold, Erþ is þi moder, in erþ is þi mold. Erþ uppon erþ be þi soule hold; Er erþe go to erþe, bild þi long bold. 64 Erþ bilt[22] castles, a{nd} erþe bilt toures; [fol. 63, v^o.] Whan erþ is on erþe, blak beþ þe boures.
Hum{us} q{ue}rit pl{ur}ima sup{er} humu{m} bona, Hum{us} e{st} mat{er} tua, i{n} q{u}a sumas dona[23]. 68 A{n}i{m}e sis famula s{upe}r humu{m} prona; Domu{m} d{e}i p{er}petra m{un}do cu{m} corona. Ops t{ur}res edificat ac castra de petra; Q{ua}n{do}[24] fatu{m} capiat, penora {sun}t tetra. 72
7 Þenk man i{n} lond[25] on þi last ende, Whar of þou co{m} a{nd} whoder schaltou wend. Make þe wel at on wiþ hi{m} þ{a}t is so hend, A{nd} dred þe of þe dome lest sin þe schend. 76 For he is[26] king of blis, a{nd} mon of moch{e} mede, Þ{a}t deliþ þe dai f{r}am ni[gh]t, a{nd} leniþ lif a{nd} dede.
De fine nouissimo mauors mediteris, Huc q{u}o uen{er}is uico, dic q{u}o g{r}adieris. 80 Miti p{r}ude{n}tissimo co{n}cordare deris, Hesides iudic[i]o[27], ne noxa da{m}pneris. Q{uia} rex e{st} gl{or}ie, dans m{en}sura restat; Mutat nocte{m} de die, vita{m} morte{m} prestat. 84
Am{en}.
[Footnote 1: Cf. Reliquiae Antiquae, _II. 216_; Furnivall, Early Eng. Poems and Lives of Saints, _p. 150_; Heuser, Kildare-Gedichte, _p. 180_.]
[Footnote 2: read _upon_.]
[Footnote 3: in margin _festi{n}e_.]
[Footnote 4: MS. _cepiam_, so Reliq. Ant.; Furn., Heuser, _copiam_.]
[Footnote 5: MS. _simil'_, Furn. _simile_.]
[Footnote 6: MS. _b'riþ_, Furn., Reliq. Ant. _beriþ_, Heuser _berriþ_, cf. l. 28.]
[Footnote 7: _muntiþ_, in margin _metit{ur}_.]
[Footnote 8: MS. originally _schynne_, _s_ erased.]
[Footnote 9: _vult_, cf. Furn.]
[Footnote 10: MS. _põita_, Furn., Heuser _posita_.]
[Footnote 11: in margin _t{r}ahu{nt}_.]
[Footnote 12: in margin _luc{r}ataris_, Heuser _lucrabaris_.]
[Footnote 13: MS. _humo [q-]_, Reliq. Ant., Furn. _humoque_, Heuser _humo quod_.] [[q with line through stem; exact form unclear]]
[Footnote 14: ? _getith_, in margin _luc{ratur}_.]
[Footnote 15: MS. _u[~i]q[gh]_, Reliq. Ant., Furn. _vincit_, Heuser _vimque_.]
[Footnote 16: MS. _p^{a}rtratur_, Furn. _portratur_.]
[Footnote 17: MS. _ar_, Heuser _a_.]
[Footnote 18: Heuser _grey_ (lies _fou and grey_?).]
[Footnote 19: Furn. _est tam_.]
[Footnote 20: MS. _s[~e]tine_, Furn. _sentine_, Reliq. Ant. _sentinæ_, so _reginæ_, _ruinæ_.]
[Footnote 21: MS. _Qñ_, Furn. _omne_.]
[Footnote 22: in margin _bildiþ_.]
[Footnote 23: Furn. H. _dorna_.]
[Footnote 24: MS. _qñ_, Furn. _quin_ or _quando_.]
[Footnote 25: Heuser ? _ilome_.]
[Footnote 26: MS. _h^{e}is_.] [[inserted "e" over line]]
[Footnote 27: MS. _iudico_: Reliq. Ant. _judicio_, Furn., Heuser _iudicio_.]