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

Poem 17

Erth

{MS fol 62r}

    1. {English text }
      Whan erth hath erth iwonne with wow,
      Than erth mai of erth nim hir inow.
      Erth vp erth fallith fol frow,
      Erth toward erth delful him drow.
      Of erth thou were makid,
      And mon thou art ilich;
      In on erth awaked
      The pore and the riche.
    2. {Latin text }
      Terram per iniuriam cum terra lucratur,
      Tunc de terra capiam terra sorciatur.
      {MS fol 62v}
      Terra super aream subito frustratur
      Se traxit ad aridam terraque tristatur.
      De terra plasmaris es similis virroni
      Vna terra pauperes ac dites sunt proni.
    3. {English text }
      Erth geth on erth wrikkend in weden,
      Erth toward erth wormes to feden.
      Erth berith to erth al is lif deden.
      When erth is in erthe heo muntid thi meden.
      When erth is in erthe,
      The rof is on the chynne.
      Than schullen an hundred wormes
      Wroten on the skin.
    4. {Latin text }
      Vesta pergit uestibus super uestem vare,
      Artatur et uermibus vesta pastum dare,
      Ac cum gestis omnibus ad uestam migrare;
      Cum uesta sit scrobibus, quis wlt suspirare?
      Cum sit uesta posita doma tangit mentum,
      Tunc in cute candida verrunt uermes centum.
    5. {English text }
      Erth askith erth, and erth hir answerid,
      Whi erth hatid erth and erth erth verrid?
      Erth hath erth, and erth erth terith,
      Erth geeth on erth, and erth erth berrith.
      Of erth thow were bi-gun,
      On erth thou schalt end.
      Al that thou in erth wonne,
      To erth schal hit wend.
    6. {Latin text }
      Humus humum repetit, et responsum datur,
      Humum quare neglegit, et humo fruatur.
      Humus humum porrigit sic et operatur,
      Super humum peragit humo quod portatur.
      Humo sic inciperis ac humo meabis,
      Quod humo quesieris humo totum dabis.
    7. {MS fol 63r}
    8. {English text }
      Erth gethit on erth maistri and might.
      Al we beth erth, to erth we beth i-dighte.
      Erth asketh carayne of king and of knight,
      Whan erth is in erth, so lowgh he be light.
      Whan thi right and thi wowgh
      Wendith the bi-for,
      Bi thou thre night in a through,
      Thi frendschip is ilor.
    9. {Latin text }
      Terra uimque brauivm terra collucratur,
      Totus cetus hominvm de terra patratur
      Ops cadauer militvm que regis scrutatur.
      Cum detur in tumulvm mox terra voratur,
      Cum ius et iusticivm coram te migrabunt,
      Pauci per trinoccivm mortem deplorabunt.
    10. {English text }
      Erth is a palfrei to king and to quene.
      Erth is ar lang wei, thouw we lutil wene,
      That werith grouer and groy and schrud so schene,
      Whan erth makith is liuerei he grauith vs in grene.
      Whan erth hath erth with streinth
      Thus geten,
      Alast he hath is leinth
      Miseislich i-meten.
    11. {Latin text }
      Dic uestam dextrarium regique regine,
      Iter longum marium quod est sine fine,
      Indumentum uarium dans cedit sentine.
      Quando dat corrodium nos tradit ruine.
      Cum per fortitudinem tenet hanc lucratam,
      Capit longitudinem misere metatam.
    12. {English text }
      Erth gette on erth gersom and gold,
      Erth is thi moder, in erth is thi mold.
      Erth uppon erth be thi soule hold.
      Er erthe go to erthe, bild thi long bold!
      {MS fol 63v}
      Erth bilt castles
      And erthe bilt toures.
      Whan erth is on erthe
      Blak beth the boures.
    13. {Latin text }
      Humus querit plurima super humum bona,
      Humus est mater tua, in qua sumas dona.
      Anime sis famula super humum prona,
      Domum dei perpetra munda cum corona
      Ops turres edificat ac castra de petra
      Quando fatum capiat penora sunt tetra.
    14. {English text }
      Thenk, man in lond on thi last ende,
      Whar-of thou com, and whoder schaltou wend!
      Make the wel at on with Him that is so hend,
      And dred the of the dome lest sin the schend.
      For he is King of blis,
      And Mon of moche mede,
      That delith the dai fram night,
      And lenith lif and dede.
    15. {Latin text }
      De fine nouissimo mauors mediteris,
      Huc quo ueneris uico dic quo gradieris.
      Miti prudentissimo concordare deris.
      Hesites iudicio ne noxa dampneris,
      Quia rex est glorie dans mensuram restat,
      Mutat noctem de die, vitam mortem prestat.