Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Anglo-Irish poems of the Middle Ages: The Kildare Poems (Author: [unknown])

Poem 14

Elde

{MS fol 54v}

    1. 1] Elde makith me geld
      And growen al grai,
      When eld me wol feld
      Nykkest ther no nai.
      5] Eld nul meld
      No murthes of Mai,
      When eld me wol aweld
      Mi wele is a-wai.
      Eld wol keld
      10] And cling so the clai,
      With eld I mot held
      And hien to mi dai.
    2. 13] When eld blowith he is bolde,
      His ble is sone abatid.
      Al we wilnith to ben old,
      Wy is eld ihatid?
    3. 17] Moch me anueth
      That mi dribil druith,
      And mi wrot wet;
      Eld me awarpeth,
      That mi schuldren scharpith,
      And youthe me hath let.
    4. 23] Ihc ne mai no more
      Grope vnder gore,
      Thogh mi wil wold yete,
      Y-yoket Ich am of yore
      With last and luther lore,
      And sunne me hath bi-set.
    5. 29] I-set Ic am with sunne
      That I ne mai noght munne
      Non murthes with muthe.
      Eld me hath amarrid,
      Ich wene he be bi-charrid,
      That trusteth to yuthe.
    6. 35] Al thus eld me for-dede.
      Thus he toggith vte mi ted
      And drawith ham on rewe.
      Y ne mai no more of loue done,
      Mi pilkoc pisseth on mi schone,
      Vch schenlon me bi-schrew.
    7. 41] Mine hed is hore and al for-fare,
      Ihewid as a grei mare,
      Mi bodi wexit lewe;
      When I bihold on mi schennen,
      Min dimmith, al for-dwynnen.
      Mi frendis waxith fewe.
    8. 47] Now I pirtle, I pofte, I poute,
      I snurpe, I snobbe, I sneipe on snoute,
      Throgh kund I comble and keld.
      I lench, I len, on lyme I lesse,
      I poke, I pomple, I palle, I passe
      As gallith gome igeld.
    9. 53] I riuele, I roxle, I rake, I rouwe,
      I clyng, I cluche, I croke, I couwe,
      Thus he wol me a-weld.
      I grunt, I grone, I grenne, I gruche,
      I nese, I nappe, I nifle, I nuche.
      And al this wilneth eld.
    10. 59] I stunt, I stomere, I stomble as sledde,
      I blind, I bleri, I bert in bedde,
      Such sond is me sent!
      I spitte, I spatle in spech, I sporne,
      I werne, I lutle, ther-for I murne,
      Thus is mi wel iwent.
    11. 65] Ispend and marrit is mi main,
      And wold wil yuthe ayayn,
      Youth once more,
      As falc I falow and felde.
      I was heordmon, nov am holle,
      Al folk of me beth wel folle.
      {MS fol 62r}
      Such willing is after elde!
    12. 71] Eld me hath so hard ihent,
      Seo, wouw spakly he me spent,
      Vch toth fram other is trent,
      Arerid is of rote.
      The tunge wlaseth, wend ther-with.
      Lostles lowtith in uch a lith.
      I mot be ther eld beth,
      He find me vnder fote. Amen.