William Langland, from “The Vision of Piers Plowman”

1  In a somur sesoun whan softe was the sonne
2  I shope me into shroudes as I a shep were –
3  In abite as an heremite unholy of werkes
4  Wente forth in the world wondres to here,
5  And say many sellies and selkouthe thynges.
6  Ac on a May mornyng on Malverne hulles
7  Me biful for to slepe, for werynesse of-walked;
8  And in a launde as I lay, lened I and slepte,
9  And merveylousliche me mette, as I may telle.
10  Al the welthe of the world and the wo bothe
11  Wynkyng, as hit were, witterliche I seigh hit;
12  Of treuthe and tricherye, tresoun and gyle,
13  Al I say slepynge, as I shal telle.
14        Estward I beheld aftir the sonne
15  And say a tour – as I trowed, Treuthe was there-ynne;
16        Westward I waytede in a while aftir
17  And seigh a depe dale – Deth, as I leue,
18  Woned in tho wones, and wikkede spirites.
19  A fair feld ful of folk fond I ther bytwene
20  Of alle manere men, the mene and the pore,
21  Worchyng and wandryng as this world asketh.
22        Somme putte hem to the plogh, playde ful selde,
23  In settynge and in sowynge swonken ful harde
24  And wonne that this wastors with glotony destrueth.
25  And summe putte hem to pruyde and parayled hem ther-aftir
26  In continance of clothyng in many kyne gyse.
27  In preiers and penaunces putten hem mony,
28  Al for love of oure lord lyveden swythe harde
29  In hope to have a good ende and hevenriche blisse,
30  As ankeres and eremites that holdeth hem in here selles,
31  Coveyten noght in contreys to cayren aboute
32  For no likerous liflode here lycame to plese.
33        And summe chesen chaffare – thei cheveth the bettre,
34  As it semeth to oure sighte that suche men ythruveth;
35  And summe murthes to make as mynstrels conneth,
36  Wolleth neyther swynke ne swete, bote sweren grete othes,
37  Fyndeth out foule fantasyes and foles hem maketh
38  And hath wytt at wille to worche yf thei wolde.
39  That Poule prechede of hem preve hit I myhte:
40  Qui turpiloquium loquitur is Luciferes knave.
41        Bidders and beggers fast aboute yede
42  Til here bagge and here bely was bretful ycrammed,
43  Fayteden for here fode and foughten at the ale.
44  In glotonye tho gomes goth thei to bedde
45  And ryseth with rybaudrye tho Robardes knaves;
46  Slep and also slewthe sueth suche ever.
47        Pilgrymes and palmers plighten hem togyderes
48  To seke seynt Jame and seyntes of Rome,
49   Wenten forth on here way with many wyse tales
50  And hadde leve to lye aftir, al here lyf-tyme.
51  Eremites on an hep with hokede staves
52  Wenten to Walsyngham, and here wenches aftir;
53  Grete lobies and longe that loth were to swynke
54  Clothed hem in copis to be knowe fram othere
55  And made hemself heremites, here ese to have.
56        I fonde ther of freris alle the foure ordres,
57  Prechyng the peple for profyt of the wombe,
58  And glosede the gospel as hem good likede;
59  For coveytise of copis contraryed somme doctours.
60  Mony of thise maistres of mendenant freres
61  Here moneye and marchandise marchen togyderes.
62  Ac sith charite hath be chapman and chief to shryve lordes
63  Mony ferlyes han falle in a fewe yeres,
64  And but holi chirche and charite choppe adoun suche shryvars
65  The moste meschief on molde mounteth up faste.

2 shope me – dressed; shroudes – rough garments; shep – shepherd;
3 ‘in the habit of a hermit, but not one dedicated to holy works’;
4 here – hear;
5 say – saw; sellies – marvels; selkouthe – extraordinary;
6 hulles – hills;
7 of-walked – of walking;
8 launde – grassy clearing; lened – reclined;
9 me mette – I dreamed;
11 witterliche – truly; seigh – saw;
14 aftir – in the direction of;
16 waytede – looked;
17 leue – believe;
18 woned – dwelt; wones – regions;
22 ful selde – seldom;
23 swonken – worked;
24 that – what;
25 pruyde – pride; parayled – dressed;
26 continance of clothyng – outward show; kyne gyse – kinds of way;
27 mony – many (other people);
30 ankeres – anchorites; selles – cells;
31 cayren – wander;
32 likerous – liflode dainty living; lykame – bodies;
33 chaffare – trade; cheveth – succeeded;
35 murthes – entertainments; conneth – know how to;
36 swynke – labour; swete – sweat; othes – oaths;
37 foles hem maketh – behave like fools;
39 Poule – Saint Paul;
40 ‘he who speaks filth…’;
41 yede – went;
42 bretful – brimful;
43 fayteden – begged falsely;
44 gomes – men;
45 Robardes – knaves robbers;
46 slep – sleep; slewthe – sloth; sueth – follows;
47 plighten – bound;
49 tales – speeches;
50 leve – leave; lye – tell lies;
51 on an hep – in a crowd; hokede – crooked;
53 lobies – lubbers; longe tall; swynke – labour;
54 copis – long gowns; to be knowe – to be distinguished (as different);
57 wombe – belly;
58 glosede – expounded; as hem good likede – at will;
59 doctours – doctors of theology;
60 maistres – masters;
61 marchen – go hand in hand;
62 chapman merchant; shryve shrive, confess;
63 ferlyes – strange events;
64 and but – unless;
65 moste meschief – greatest misfortune; molde – earth

William Langland, 1332-1386 – from Piers Plowman