Art. 27, Middelerd for mon wes mad
ART. 27, MIDDELERD FOR MON WES MAD: EXPLANATORY NOTES
ABBREVIATIONS: AND: Anglo-Norman Dictionary; ANL: Anglo-Norman Literature: A Guide to Texts and Manuscripts (R. Dean and Boulton); BL: British Library (London); Bodl.: Bodleian Library (Oxford); CCC: Corpus Christi College (Cambridge); CUL: Cambridge University Library (Cambridge); IMEV: The Index of Middle English Verse (Brown and Robbins); IMEV Suppl.: Supplement to the Index of Middle English Verse (Robbins and Cutler); MED: Middle English Dictionary; MWME: A Manual of the Writings in Middle English, 1050–1500 (Severs et al.); NIMEV: A New Index of Middle English Verse (Boffey and Edwards); NLS: National Library of Scotland (Edinburgh).
3 Hedy. See MED, edi (adj.), sense 2.(b), “Blessed One (God or Christ).”
4 hem. That is, mankind.
14–15 These lines rephrase the proverbial sentiment of Carnal Love Is Folly (art. 24a) and What Allures Is Momentary (art. 24a*).
24 Yef. “So that”; see MED, if (conj.), sense 3., introducing a clause of purpose.
31 fyve. That is, the five senses, with Flesh representing touch.
39 under felde. “Under earth, underground,” though some editors gloss the phrase “on earth.” The idea seems to be that there are men now dead (and also living?) who endured (and endure?) life mated to their worst enemy, their wife — just as body and soul are yoked, forever and often in contention. Translation of lines 39–40 is difficult because of shifts in tense and pronoun number.
41 gelde. Other editors translate the word as “destitute, deprived, lacking,” but the blatant sense “gelded” suits the bitter tone.
57 sully. “Extremely; also, wondrously, strangely”; see MED, selli (adv.).
58 meint. Emended from meind for rhyme. See MED, mengen (v.), sense 1.(c), “blend, temper, alloy, moderate, combine, taint.”
67–77 Revard characterizes this stanza as the “moving finale” of all of quire 6 (2007, p. 112).
72 umbe throwe. “At times, sometimes”; see MED, umbe (prep.), sense (b), ~ throu.
74 bonnyng. “Summoning” ; see MED, banning (ger.).
ART. 27, MIDDELERD FOR MON WES MAD: TEXTUAL NOTES
ABBREVIATIONS: As: Aspin; Bö: Böddeker; Bos: Bossy; Br: Brook; BS: Bennett and Smithers; BZ: Brandl and Zippel; B13: Brown 1932; B14: Brown 1952; DB: Dunn and Byrnes; Deg: Degginger; Do: Dove 1969; Gr: Greene 1977; Ha: Halliwell; Hal: Hall; Hol: Holthausen; Hor1: Horstmann 1878; Hor2: Horstmann 1896; Hu: Hulme; JL: Jeffrey and Levy; Ju: Jubinal; Kel: Keller; Ken: Kennedy; Le: Lerer 2008; Mc: McKnight; Mi: Millett; MR: Michelant and Raynaud; Mo: Morris and Skeat; MS: MS Harley 2253; Mu: H. M. R. Murray; Pa: Patterson; Pr: Pringle 2009; Rei: Reichl 1973; Rev1: Revard 2004; Rev2: Revard 2005b; Ri1: Ritson 1877; Ri2: Ritson 1885; Ro: Robbins 1959; Sa: Saupe; Si: Silverstein; St: Stemmler 1970; Tr: Treharne; Tu: Turville-Petre 1989; Ul: Ulrich; W1: Wright 1839; W2: Wright 1841; W3: Wright 1842; W4: Wright 1844; WH: Wright and Halliwell.
3 Hedy hath. So MS, W3, B13, Br. Bö: hendy hap.
14 I telle. So MS, B13, Br. W3, Bö: itelle.
18 liveth. So MS, Bö, B13, Br. W3: livith.
19 hete. MS, W3, B13, Br. Bö: hede.
21 thrivene. MS, W3, B13, Br. Bö: vn þriuene.
25 brotherli. So B13, Br. MS: broerli. W3, Bö: broerh.
26 best. So MS, W3, B13, Br. Bö: beþ.
28 Is. So MS, W3, B13, Br. Bö: ist.
29 Fyth. So MS, W3, B13. Bö, Br: fyht.
darth. So MS (darþ), W3, Bö, B13. Br: darf.
fleo. So Bö, W3, B13. MS, Br: floe.
30 faunyng. So MS, W3, Bö, Br. B13: fannyng.
foreode. So MS, W3, Bö, Br. B13: fortode.
37 belde. So MS, Bö, B13, Br. W3: bel.
38 Y sugge. So MS, W3, B13, Br. Bö: ysugge.
39 beeth. So MS. W3, Bö, Br, B13: beoth.
48 Y tolde. So MS, W3, B13, Br. Bö: ytolde.
57 sully. So MS, Br. W3, Bö, B13: fully.
58 meint. So MS, W3, Bö, B13, Br: meind.
70 lustes. So MS, W3, B13, Br. Bö: lastes.
74 bonnyng. So MS, Br. W3, Bö, B13: bounyng.
him. So MS, W3, B13, Br. Bö: hem.
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Go To Art. 28, Ichot a burde in a bour ase beryl so bryht, introduction
Go To Art. 28, Ichot a burde in a bour ase beryl so bryht, text