Robin Hood and þe Potter

This is an Anglish translation of Robin Hood and the Potter, a tale written down around 1500 in the manuscript Cambridge E.e.4.35. I've taken liberties to make it more comprehensible and to keep some of the lines rhyming.

The Writ
 FIT I 

In summer, hƿen þe leafs spring, Þe blossoms on efery , So merry do þe birds sing In ƿoods merry

Harken, good geomen, Cumly, kind, and good, One of þe best þat efer bore a boƿ His name ƿas Robin Hood.

Robin Hood ƿas þe geomans name, Hƿo ƿas boþ kind and free, For þe luf of ure lady, All ƿomen he.

But as þe good geoman stood one day, Among his merry men free, He ƿas aƿare of a potter, Hƿo came drifing ofer þe lea.

"Geonder cums a prude potter," said Robin, "Hƿo long has fared by ure feelds, He ƿas nefer so kind a man Not one penny for toll he'd geeld."

"I met him at Ƿentbricg," said Littel John, "May efil haf ƿiþ him its ƿay! Þree strokes he me gafe, Still to my sides þey.

I stake forty scillings," said Littel John, "I ƿill it in hƿole, To any man among us all Hƿo can make him geeld þe toll."

"Here is forty scillings," said Robin, "And more if dare say, I scall ƿork þat prude potter, A toll to me scall he lay."

Þe scillings ƿere set aside, Under of geomen hy ƿere laid, Robin bade þe potter stand still, Hƿen before him Robin.

Hands upon his hors he laid, And bade þe potter stand full still, Þe potter scortly to him said, "Felloƿ, hƿat is þy ƿill?"

"For þree geres and more, potter," Robin said, "Þu hast fared by þis ƿay, Get þu ƿere nefer so kind a man, One penny of toll to lay."

"Hƿat is þy name," asked þe potter, "For toll þu ask of me?" "Robin Hood is my name, A scall þu leaf me."

"A ƿed I ƿill not leaf," said þe potter, "Nor toll ƿill I lay, Aƿay þy hand from my hors, Or I ƿill do þee efil, ."

Þe potter to his he ƿent, To þe back did he creep, A good tƿohanded staff þere ute he , Before Robin did he leap.

Robin ute ƿiþ a sƿord bent, A in toƿ, Þe potter to Robin ƿent, And said, "Felloƿ, let my hors go."

Togeþer þen ƿent þese tƿo geomen, It ƿas a good sigt to see, Þereof lauged Robins men, Þere hy stood under a tree.

Littel John to his felloƿ he said, "Geond potter ƿill stiffly stand" Þe potter, ƿiþ an aƿkƿard stroke, Smote þe sceeldock ute of his hand.

And Robin migt get it again, His sceeldock at his feet, Þe potter in þe neck him took, To þe grund soon he.

Þat Robins men did see, As hy stood under a bue, "Let us help ure lord," said Littel John, "Els his life he may ."

Þese bold geomen ƿiþ a , To þeir lord did hy run. Littel John to his lord said, "Hƿo has þe staking ƿon?"

"Scall I haf þy forty scillings," asked Littel John, "Or ge, lord, scall haf mine?" "If hy ƿere a hundred," said Robin "I say, hy are all þine."

"It is full littel kindness," said þe potter, "As I haf heard ƿise men say, If an geoman cums drifing ofer þe land And   him of his ƿay."

By my, þu says , said Robin, "Þy ƿords are good geomanhood, And þu drife forþ efery day, Be by me þu nefer sculd."

"I ƿill ask þee, good potter, A felloƿscip ƿill þu haf? Geef me þy cloþing, and þu scalt haf mine, I ƿill go to Nottingham."

"I þereto," said þe potter, "Þu scalt find me a felloƿ good, But þu can sell my pots ƿell, Cum as þu gede."

"Nay, by my troþ," said Robin, "And þen I my head, If I bring any pots agen, "And any  ƿill  bye."

Þen spake Littel John, And all his felloƿs , "Lord, be ƿell aƿare of þe sceriff of Nottingham, For he is littel ure frend."

"Þro þe help of ure lady, Felloƿs, let me alone. " said Robin "To Nottingham ƿill I go.

Robin ƿent to Nottingham, Þese pots for to sell, Þe potter abode ƿiþ Robins men, Þere he feared no efil.

Þo Robin drofe on his ƿay, So merry ofer þe land, Here is more, and after is to say, Þe best is behind.

 FIT II 

Hƿen Robin came to Nottingham, Þe sooþ if I sculd say, He set up his hors anon, And gafe him oats and hay.

In þe midst of þe tune, Þere he scoƿed his ƿare; "Pots! Pots!" he scuted full soon, "Haf for þe !"

Rigt against þe sceriffs gate, To sell goods did he dare, Ƿifes and ƿidoƿs abute him dreƿ, And many bougt fast his ƿare.

Still "Pots, great !" scuted Robin, "I ƿuld hate to leaf þese to stand". And all hƿo saƿ him sell, Said he had been no potter long.

Þe pots þat ƿere ƿorþ pens fife, He sold þem for pens þree, said man and ƿife, "Geonder potter scall nefer ."

Þose Robin sold full fast, Until he had pots but fife, Up he took þem onto his And sent þem to þe sceriffs ƿife.

Þereof sce ƿas full , "Gramercy," said sce, ", þen, Hƿen ge cum to þis land agen, I scall bye þe pots, so mot I þee.

Ge scall haf of þe best," said Robin, And sƿare be þe Trinity". Full kindly sce began to speak to him, "Cum eat ƿiþ þe sceriff and me."

"God, mercy" said Robin, "Geƿer bidding scall be done." A maiden bore þe pots in, Robin and þe sceriffs ƿife folloƿed.

Hƿen Robin into þe hall came, Þe sceriff soon he met. Þe potter kneƿ of , And soon þe sceriff he gret.

"Lo, ƿie, hƿat þis potter haþ geefen geƿ and me, Fife pots small and great!" "He is full ƿelcum," said þe sceriff, "Let us ƿasc, and to meat."

As hy sat at þeir meat, In an aþel and glad mood, Tƿo of þe sceriffs men began to speak Of a great stake.

Of a scooting mac, good and fair, Þat ƿas laid ute þe oþer day, Of forty scillings, þe sooþ to say, Hƿo sculd þis stake gain.

Still sat þis prude potter, Þus þen þout he, As I am a treƿ Cristen man, Þis scooting ƿill I see.

Hƿen hy had fared of þe best, Ƿiþ bread and ale and ƿine, To þe hy made þem prest, Ƿiþ boƿs and bolts full fain.

Þe sceriffs men scot full fast, As boƿmen þat ƿere proƿ, Þere came none near þeir marks, By half a good scooters boƿ.

Still þen stood þe prude potter, Þus þen said he, "If I had a boƿ, by þe rood, A treƿ scot ƿuld geƿ see."

"Þu scall haf a boƿ," said þe sceriff, "Þe best þat þu ƿill cees of þree, Þu seemst stalƿard and strong, scall þu be."

Þe sceriff bade a geoman þat stood em by, After boƿs to bring, Þe best boƿ þat þe geoman brougt, Robin set on a string.

"Nu scall I knoƿ if þu be any good, And pull it up to þy ear." said þe sceriff. "So god me help," said þe prude potter, "Þis is but rigt ƿeak gear."

To a Roben ƿent, A good bolt ute he took, So nie on to þe mark he ƿent, He missed not a foot.

Hy all scot a boƿ again, Þe sceriffs men and he, Off þe mark he ƿuld not miss, He cleft þe into þree.

Þe sceriffs men felt great scame Þe potter þe scooting ƿon Þe sceriff lauged and made good game And said, "Potter, þu art a man. Þu art ƿorþy to bear a boƿ In any stead þat þu go."

"In my crat I haf a boƿ, For sooþ," he said, "one þat is good. In my crat is þe boƿ Þat gafe me Robin Hood."

"Knoƿest þu Robin Hood?" asked þe sceriff, "Potter, I bid geƿ tell me." "A hundred I haf scot ƿiþ him, Under his trysting tree." "I had a hundred punds," said þe sceriff, And sƿare by þe trinity, Þat þe ƿicked utelaƿ stood by me."

"And geƿ ƿill folloƿ my ," said þe potter, "And boldly go ƿiþ me, And tomorroƿ, before ƿe eat bread, Robin Hood ƿill ƿe see."

"I ƿill þee, said þe sceriff, "I sƿear by God my lord." Scooting hy stopped, and home hy ƿent,  day's last meal ƿas on þe.

 FIT III 

Upon þe morroƿ, hƿen it ƿas day, He busked himself forþ to ride, Þe potter his crat began to ready, And ƿuld not leaf behind.

He took leaf of þe sceriffs ƿife, And þanked her for eferyþing. "Goodƿife, for my luf if geƿ ƿill þis ƿear, I geef geƿ here a golden ring."

"Gramarsey," said þe ƿife, "Ƿie, God meed þee." Þe sceriffs heart ƿas nefer so ligt, Þe fair to see.

And hƿen he came in to þe ƿold, Under þe leafs green, Birds þere sang on bues bold, It ƿas great to see.

"Here it is merry to be," said Robin, "For a man þat had augt to spend, By my horn geƿ scall If Robin Hood be here."

Robin set his horn to his muþe, And bleƿ a blast þat ƿas full good, Þat heard his men þat þere stood, For dune in þe ƿold. "I hear my lord bloƿ," said Littel John, Hy ran as if hy ƿere.

Hƿen hy to þeir lord came, Littel John ƿuld not. "Lord, hu haf geƿ fared in Nottingham? Hu haf geƿ sold geƿer ƿare?"

"Geƿ, by my troþ, Littel John, Look þu, take no care, I haf brougt þe sceriff of Nottingham For all ure ."

"He is full ƿelcum," said Littel John, "Þis tiding is full good." Þe sceriff had lefer nar a hundred punds He had nefer seen Robin Hood.

"Had I knoƿn þat before, At Nottingham hƿen ƿe ƿere, Þu sculd not cum in fair ƿold Of all þese þusand geres."

"Þat kneƿ I ƿell," said Robin, "I þank God þat geƿ be here, Þerefore scall geƿ leaf geƿer hors ƿiþ us, And all geƿer oþer gear."

"Þat feend may God forbid," "So to lose my goods." said þe sceriff, "Eiþer geƿ cum on hors full hige, And home scall geƿ go on foot, And great ƿell þy ƿife at home, Þe ƿoman is full good."

"I scall her send a hƿite palfrey, It treads as þe ƿind, Ƿere it not for þe luf of geƿer ƿife Of more sorroƿ sculd geƿ sing."

Þus fared aƿay Robin Hood and þe sceriff, To Nottingham he took þe ƿay, His ƿife fair ƿelcummed him home, And to him began to say:

"Ƿie, hu haf geƿ fared in green ƿold? Hafe geƿ brougt Robin home?" "Goodƿife, þe defil take him, boþ body and bone, I haf had a full great skorn."

"Of all þe goods þat I haf lade to green ƿold, He haþ taken it from me, All but þese fair palfreys, Þat he haþ sent to þee."

Ƿiþ þat sce took up a lude lauging, And sƿore by him þat died on a tree. "Nu haf geƿ geelded for all þe pots Þat Robin gafe to me.

"Nu geƿ haf cum home to Nottingham. Geƿ scall haf good enue." Nu speak ƿe of Robin Hood, And of þe potter under þe green bue.

"Potter, hƿat ƿere þy pots ƿorþ To Nottingham þat I laid ƿiþ me?" "Hy ƿere ƿorþ þirteen scillings," said he, "So mot I þrife or þee, So muc culd I haf had for þem, If I had been þere.

"Þu scall haf ten punds," said Robin, "Of fair and free, And hƿenefer þu cumest to green ƿold, Ƿelcum, potter, to me."

Þus fared off Robin, þe sceriff, and þe potter, Underneaþ þe greenƿood tree. God scoƿ to Robin Hoods soul, And all good geomanry.