Pearl
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Perle, plesaunte to prynces paye,
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Pearl, pleasing to the fancy of a prince!
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To clanly clos in golde so cler!
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To set without flaw in gold so clear,
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Oute of oryent, I hardyly saye,
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Out of the Orient, confidently I say,
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Ne proued I neuer her precios pere.
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I never tested its precious peer.
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So rounde, so reken in vche araye,
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So round, so perfect in every array,
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So smal, so smože her syde3 were,
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So small, so smooth her surfaces were,
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Quere-so-euer I jugged gemme3 gaye,
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Wheresoever I bright gems appraised,
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I sette hyr sengeley in synglere.
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I set her apart in particular.
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Allas! I leste hyr in on erbere;
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Alas, I lost her in a garden;
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Žur3 gresse to grounde hit fro me yot.
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Through grass to earth it went from me!
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I dewyne, fordolked of luf-daungere
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I pine away, sore-wounded by the love-dominion
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Of žat pryuy perle wyžouten spot.
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Of that pearl of mine without a spot.
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(Vv. 1-12)
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The Vision of Piers Plowman
Thanne gan [me] to meten a merveillous swevene
That I was in a wildernesse, wiste I nevere where.
As I biheeld into the eest an heigh to the sonne,
I seigh a tour on a toft trieliche ymaked,
a deep dale bynethe, a dongeon therinne,
With depe diches and derke and dredfulle of sighte.
A fair feeld full of folk fond I ther bitwene -
Of alle manere of men, the meene and the riche,
Werchynge and wandrynge as the world asketh.
(The Prologue, Vv. 11-19)
