Robin Hood and þe Monk

This is an Anglish translation of Robin Hood and the Monk, a fifteenth century ballad. I've taken liberties to make it more comprehensible and to keep some of the lines rhyming.

The Writ
In þe summer hƿen þe scaƿs ƿere , and þe leafs ƿere great and long, it ƿas merry in þe fair ƿoods to hear þe fules song.

To see þe draƿ to þe dale, and from þe hige hills flee, to scadoƿ emselfs in green leafs under þe greenƿood tree.

It befell on Hƿitsun early on a morning. Þe fair sun abuf did scine, and þe merry birds did sing.

"Þis is a merry morning," said Littel John, "by him hƿo died on a tree, a more merry man þan I lifs not in Cristianity."

"Pluck up geƿer heart, my dear lord," Littel John said, "and see þat it is a full fair time, þis morning in hƿic ƿe tread."

"Yea, but one þing me," said Robin, "and does my heart muc ƿoe. Þat I may not knoƿ earnest day, to mass nor go."

"It has been a fortnigt and more," he said, "sins my I did see. Today I ƿill go to Nottingham ƿiþ þe migt of mild Mary."

Þen spoke Muc, þe millers son, may for him good þings. "Take tƿelf of geƿer bold geomen, ƿell ƿeaponed, by geƿer side. He hƿo ƿuld haf geƿ slain, ƿuld dare not þose tƿelf ."

"Of all my merry men," said Robin, "I ƿant no utelaƿ, but Littel John to bare my boƿ, until I cees to draƿ."

"Yeƿ scall bare geƿer oƿn," said Littel John, "lord, and I ƿill bare mine, and ƿe ƿill scoot for a penny, under þe greenƿood lind."

"I ƿill not scoot for a penny." said Robin, "Indeed, Littel John, I say to þee, for efery penny þue scootest for, indeed I ƿill stake þee þree."

Þus hy scot forþ, þese tƿo geomen, boþ at busc and stone, til Littel John ƿon of his lord, fife scillings for and.

A  fell betƿeen em, as hy ƿent by þe ƿay. Littel John said he had ƿon fife scillings, and Robin Hood said scortly "nay".

Robin Hood clept Littel John a liar, and smote him ƿiþ his hand. Littel John ƿaxed ƿroþ þereƿiþ, and pulled ute his brigt.

"Ƿere geƿ not my lord," said Littel John, "geƿ ƿuld be hit full sore. Get geƿerself a man hƿere geƿ ƿill, for geƿ haf me no more."

Þen Robin ƿent to Nottingham, himself mourning alone, and Littel John to merry Scerƿood, þe paþs he kneƿ eac one.

Hƿen Robin came to Nottingham, I ƿill tell geƿ hƿat happened þen, he bade to God and mild Mary to bring him ute sundly agen.

He ƿent into Halloƿ Marys circ, and knelt dune before þe. All hƿo ƿere ƿiþin þe circ beheld ƿell Robin Hood.

Beside him stood a great headed monk, I bid to God ƿoe to him be. For cƿickly he Robin, as soon as he did see.

Ute þe door þe monk ran, full sƿift and. All þe gates of Nottingham he made to be eac one.

"Rise up," þe monk said, "geƿ prude sceriff, geƿerself and make geƿerself . I haf spotted þe kings, forsooþ he is in þis tune."

"I haf spotted þe sneaking ƿarry, as he stood þere at mass. It ƿill be geƿer ," said þe monk, "If he scold slip geƿer grasp."

"Þis lordsƿikes name is Robin Hood, under þe greenƿood lind. He ones stole from me a hundred punds, it scall nefer be ute of my mind."

Up þen rose þis prude sceriff, and sƿiftly made himself. Many ƿere þe ƿeaponed men hƿo to þe circ ƿiþ him did fare.

Þe doors hy þorougly sparred, ƿiþ stafes in full good ; "Ƿellaƿay," said Robin Hood, "nue miss I Littel John."

Þen Robin took ute a tƿohanded sƿord, þat hanged dune by his knee. Hƿere þe sceriff and his men stood þickest Þiþerƿard ƿuld he be.

Þrise at em he ran þen, forsooþ as I nue say, and ƿunded many a ƿeaponed man, and tƿelf he sleƿ þat day.

His sƿord upon þe sceriffs head, ƿissly it broke in tƿo. "Þe smiþ þat made geƿ," said Robin, "I bid God ƿork him ƿoe."

"For nue am I ƿeaponless," said Robin, "ƿellaƿay, agenst my ƿill. But if I seek to flee hens from, I knoƿ hy ƿill me kill."

(leaf missing, Robin is caugt, þe merry men hear þe neƿs)

Sum fell in sƿooning as if hy ƿere dead, and lay still as any stone. None of em ƿere in hir mind, none but Littel John.

"Let by geƿer ƿailing," said Littel John, "for his luf, Crist hƿo died on a tree. Ye hƿo scold be duty men, it is a great scame to see."

"Ure lord ƿas hard bestood and get ran not aƿay. Pluck up geƿer hearts, and leaf þis moaning, and hearken hƿat I say."

"He has Ure Lady many a day, and ƿill agen, þe time is nige. Þerefore I trust in her, no ƿicked deaþ scall he die."

"Þerefore be glad and let þis mourning go by. I scall deal ƿiþ þat ƿicked monk, ƿiþ þe migt of mild Mary, hƿen I meet him," said Littel John "ƿe ƿill go but ƿe tƿo".

"Look þat ge keep ƿell ure under þe small leafs, and spare none of þis, þat þrugeute þis dale ƿeafs."

Forþ þen ƿent þese geomen tƿo, Littel John and Muc on þe fare. And looked on Muc's huse, þe higeƿay lay full near.

Littel John stood at a ƿindoƿ, and looked forþ from an upper room. Þere he saƿ þe monk cum riding by, and ƿiþ him a littel.

"By my ," said Littel John to Muc, "I can tell þis tiding is good. I see hƿere þe monk cums riding, I knoƿ him by his ƿide hood."

"Hƿens cum ge?" said Littel John, "tell us tidings, hƿatefer ge can say, of a ƿicked utelaƿ, hƿo ƿas taken gesterday."

"He stole from me and my felloƿs boþ, tƿenty marks he did gain. If þat ƿicked utelaƿ be taken, forsooþ ƿe ƿuld boþ be ."

"So did he me," said þe monk, "of a hundred punds and more. I laid þe first hand upon him, ge may þank me þerefore."

"I bead to God to þank geƿ," said Littel John, "and ƿe ƿill hƿen ƿe may. Ƿe ƿill go ƿiþ geƿ, ƿiþ geƿer, and bring geƿer on geƿer ƿay."

"For Robin Hood has many a ƿild felloƿ, I tell geƿ nue of þat bane. If hy kneƿ ge rode þis ƿay, in leef ge ƿuld be slain."

As hy ƿent talking by þe ƿay, þe monk and Littel John, John took þe monks hors by þe head, full soon and anon.

John took þe monks hors by þe head, forsooþ as I nue say. So did Muc þe littel goom, so he cud not flee aƿay.

By þe þroat of þe hood John pulled þe monk dune. John ƿas not of him agast, he let him fall on his crune.

Littel John hƿo ƿas so gnorny, dreƿ ute his sƿord in one sƿoop. Þe monk saƿ he ƿuld be killed, ludely for he did.

"He ƿas my lord," said Littel John, "hƿo geƿ haf brougt suc . Yeƿ ƿill nefer see ure king, nor tell him geƿer last tale."

John smote off þe monks head, no longer ƿuld he dƿell. So did Muc þe littel goom, for fear þat he ƿuld tell.

Þere hy buried em boþ, in neiþer moss nor. And Littel John and Muc as took þe monks  to þe king.

Littel John came unto þe king, he knelt dune upon his knee. "God geƿ, my lord, Yesoo nere geƿ and see."

"God nere geƿ, my king." To speak John ƿas full bold. He gafe him þe errands in his hand, þe king did em unfold.

Þe king read þe errands anon, and said, ", þere ƿas nefer geoman in merry England I longed so sore to see."

"Hƿere is þe monk hƿo þese scold haf brougt?" þat þe king did say. "By my treƿþ," said Littel John, "he died along þe ƿay."

Þe king gafe Muc and Littel John tƿenty punds and þen, made em geomen of þe þrone, and bade em go agen.

He gafe John þe seal in hand, to þe sceriff for him to bare, to bring Robin Hood to him, and no man do him.

John took his leaf of þe king, forsooþ as I nue say, Þe next day to Nottingham To take he þe ƿay.

Hƿen John came to Nottingham þe gates ƿere sparred eac one. John clept up to þe porter, and he ansƿered back anon.

"Hƿat is þe ," asked Littel John, "geƿ spar þe gates so fast?" " Robin Hood," said þe porter, "nue in deep {{over|imprisonment|haft} he is þroƿn."

"John and Muc and Ƿill scaþelock, forsooþ as I nue say, hy sleƿ þe men upon þe ƿalls, and fite us here efery day."

John after þe sceriff, and soon he him fund; he opened þe kings , and handed it on dune.

Hƿen þe sceriff saƿ þe kings seal, he did off his hood anon. "Hƿere is þe monk þat bore þe errands?" He asked of Littel John.

"Þe king is so ƿiþ him," said Littel John, "forsooþ as I nue say, he has made him abbot of Ƿestminster, A lord of þat abbey."

Þe sceriff did John , and gafe him ƿine of þe best. At nigt hy ƿent to hir beds, and efery man to his rest.

Hƿen þe sceriff ƿas asleep, drunken ƿiþ ƿine and ale, Littel John and Muc forsooþ fund þe ƿay to þe cƿartern.

John clept up þe cƿarternkeeper, and bade him rise anon. "Robin Hood has broken ute, and from it he is gone."

Þe porter rose anon, as soon as he heard John clepe. Littel John ƿas ready ƿiþ a sƿord, and stabbed him þruge þe ƿall.

"Nue I am cƿarternkeeper," said John, and took þe keys in his hands. He tread þe ƿay to Robin Hood, and freed him from his bands.

He gafe Robin a good sƿord, his head þereƿiþ to keep. And þere hƿere þe ƿalls ƿere loƿest, anon dune did hy leap.

By þen þe cock began to croƿ, þe day began to spring. Þe sceriff fund þe cƿarternkeeper dead, so þe tune bell he did ring.

He made a roop þrugeute all þe tune, telling boþ geoman and knafe. Hƿoefer brougt him Robin Hood, his he scold haf.

"For I dare nefer," said þe sceriff, "cum before ure king. For if I do I knoƿ ƿissly, þat he ƿill haf me hang."

Þe sceriff sougt þrugeute all Nottingham, boþ by roads and by. But Robin ƿas in merry Scerƿood, as lite as a leaf on lind.

Þen bespake good Littel John, to Robin Hood did he say: "I haf done þee a good from ill, Meed me hƿen geƿ may."

"I haf done geƿ a good hƿarft, forsooþ as I nue say. I haf brougt geƿ under þe greenƿood lind. Fareƿell, and haf good day."

"Nay, by my treƿþ," said Robin, "so scall it nefer be. I make geƿ þe lord of all my men and me."

"Nay, by my treƿþ," said Littel John, "so scall it nefer be. But let me be geƿer felloƿ, noþing els I care to be."

Þus John got Robin ute of cƿartern, indeed from þat bane. Hƿen his men saƿ him hƿole and sund, forsooþ hy ƿere full fain.

Hy filled in ƿine and ƿere glad, under þe leafs of þe dale. And hy ate pasties of hartmeat, hƿic ƿere good ƿiþ hir ale.

Þen ƿord came to þe king hue Robin Hood ƿas gone. And hue þe sceriff of Nottingham dared nefer to look him upon.

Þen bespake þe cumly king in a ƿraþ hige: "Littel John has þe sceriff, in leef so has he I."

"Littel John has sƿiked us boþ, And þat full ƿell I see. Or els þe sceriff of Nottingham higely hung scold he be."

"I made em geomen of þe kinsettel, and gafe em fee ƿiþ my hand. I gafe em ," said þe king, "þrugeute all merry England."

"I gafe em griþ," þen said þe king, "I say, so mot I þee. suc a geoman as he is one, in all England are not þree."

"He is treƿ to his lord, I say, by sƿeet Halloƿ John. He lufs better Robin Hood þen he does us eac one."

"Robin Hood is efer bund to him, boþ in street and stall. Speak no more of þis business, but John has sƿiked us all."

Þus ends þe tale of þe monk and Robin Hood. God, þat is efer a king, bring us all to his bliss.