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some of you haven't seen Sir Orfeo illustrated by Errol le Cain and it shows... I mean
This ich quen, Dame Heurodis
Tok to maidens of priis...
Thai sett hem doun al thre
Under a fair ympe-tre,
And wel sone this fair quene
Fel on slepe opon°the grene.
This ich quen, Dame Heurodis
Tok to maidens of priis...
Thai sett hem doun al thre
Under a fair ympe-tre,
And wel sone this fair quene
Fel on slepe opon°the grene.
Ac, as sone as sche gan awake,
Sche crid, and lothli bere gan make;
Sche froted hir honden and hir fete,
And crached hir visage—it bled wete.
Hir riche robe hye al to-rett
And was reveysed out of hir wit.
Sche crid, and lothli bere gan make;
Sche froted hir honden and hir fete,
And crached hir visage—it bled wete.
Hir riche robe hye al to-rett
And was reveysed out of hir wit.
“'Loke, dame, tomorwe thatow
Right here under this ympe-tre,
And than thou schalt with ous go
And live with ous evermo...'"
When King Orfeo herd this cas,
“O we!” quath he, “Allas, allas!
Lever me were to lete mi liif
Than thus to lese° the quen, mi wiif!”
Right here under this ympe-tre,
And than thou schalt with ous go
And live with ous evermo...'"
When King Orfeo herd this cas,
“O we!” quath he, “Allas, allas!
Lever me were to lete mi liif
Than thus to lese° the quen, mi wiif!”
Wife abducted,
He no hadde kirtel no hode,
Schert, ne scho, no nother gode,
Bot his harp he tok algate at any rate
And dede him barfot out atte gate;
No man most with him go.
O way! What ther was wepe and wo,
When he that hadde ben king with croun
Went so poverlich out of toun!
He no hadde kirtel no hode,
Schert, ne scho, no nother gode,
Bot his harp he tok algate at any rate
And dede him barfot out atte gate;
No man most with him go.
O way! What ther was wepe and wo,
When he that hadde ben king with croun
Went so poverlich out of toun!
And on a day he seighe him biside
Sexti levedis on hors ride,
He aros, and thider gan te.
To a levedi he was y-come,
Biheld, and hath wele undernome,
And seth bi al thing that it is sees
His owhen quen, Dam Heurodis.
Sexti levedis on hors ride,
He aros, and thider gan te.
To a levedi he was y-come,
Biheld, and hath wele undernome,
And seth bi al thing that it is sees
His owhen quen, Dam Heurodis.
He com into a fair cuntray
As bright so sonne on somers day,
Smothe and plain and al grene—
Hille no dale nas ther non y-sene.
Amidde the lond a castel he sighe,
Riche and real and wonder heighe.
As bright so sonne on somers day,
Smothe and plain and al grene—
Hille no dale nas ther non y-sene.
Amidde the lond a castel he sighe,
Riche and real and wonder heighe.
Than he gan bihold about al, began to look
And seighe liggeand within the wal saw lying
Of folk that were thider y-brought
And thought dede, and nare nought...
And seighe liggeand within the wal saw lying
Of folk that were thider y-brought
And thought dede, and nare nought...
“Menstrel, me liketh wel thi gle.
Now aske of me what it be,
Largelich ichil the pay;
Now speke, and tow might asay."
“Sir,” he seyd, “ich biseche the
Thatow° woldest give me
That ich levedi, bright on ble,
That slepeth under the ympe-tree.”
Now aske of me what it be,
Largelich ichil the pay;
Now speke, and tow might asay."
“Sir,” he seyd, “ich biseche the
Thatow° woldest give me
That ich levedi, bright on ble,
That slepeth under the ympe-tree.”
“Ye beth our lord, sir, and our king!”
Now King Orfeo newe coround is,
And his quen, Dame Heurodis,
And lived long afterward,
And sethen was king the steward.
Now King Orfeo newe coround is,
And his quen, Dame Heurodis,
And lived long afterward,
And sethen was king the steward.
All images taken from this wonderful adaptation of the story by Anthea Davies. It has more pictures, and a child-friendly rendition of the story. But the illustrations, the illustrations!
