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.

A few words are loanwords: fay is from French; cheap is from Old English from Latin; gramercy and trinity seem to be intentionally French to be fancy, so I did not translate them.

Beware: this article uses spellings which have had foreign influence reverted.

The Writ
 FIT I 

In summer, when þe leaves spring, Þe blossoms on every , So merry do þe birds sing In woods merry

Harken, good yeomen, Comely, kind, and good, One of þe best þat ever bore a bow His name was Robin Hood.

Robin Hood was þe yeoman's name, Þat was boþ kind and free, For þe love of ure lady, All women he.

But as þe good yeoman stood one day, Among his merry men free, He was aware of a prude potter, Who came driving over þe lea.

"Yonder comes a prude potter," said Robin, "Who long has fared by ure feelds, He was never so kind a man One penny for toll to yeeld."

"I met him at Wentbridge," said Littel John, "May evil have wiþ him its way! Þree strokes he me gave, Still to my sides þey.

I stake forty shillings," said Littel John, "I will give it in whole, To any man among us all Who can make him yeeld þe toll."

"Here is forty shillings," said Robin, "And more if dare say, I shall work þat prude potter, A toll to me shall he lay."

Þe shillings were set aside, Under watch of yeomen þey were laid, Robin bade þe potter stand still, When before him Robin.

Hands upon his horse he laid, And bade þe potter stand full still, Þe potter shortly to him said, "Fellow, what is þy will?"

"For þree years and more, potter," Robin said, "Þu hast fared by þis way, Yet þu were never so kind a man, One penny of toll to lay."

"What is þy name," asked þe potter, "For toll þu ask of me?" "Robin Hood is my name, A shall þu leave me."

"A wed I will not leave," said þe potter, "Nor toll will I lay, Away þy hand from my horse! Or I will do þee evil, ."

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

Robin ute wiþ a sword bent, A in tow, Þe potter to Robin went, And said, "Fellow, let my horse go."

Togeþer þen went þese two yeomen, It was a good sight to see, Þereof laughed Robin's men, Þere þey stood under a tree.

Littel John to his fellow he said, "Yond potter will stiffly stand" Þe potter, wiþ an awkward stroke, Smote þe sheeldock ute of his hand.

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

Þat Robin's men did see, As þey stood under a bugh, "Let us help ure lord," said Littel John, "Else his life he may ."

Þese bold yeomen wiþ a , To þeir lord did þey run. Littel John to his lord said, "Who has þe staking won?"

"Shall I have þy forty shillings," asked Littel John, "Or ye, lord, shall have mine?" "If þey were a hundred," said Robin "I say, þey are all þine."

"It is full littel kindness," said þe potter, "As I have heard wise men say, If an yeoman comes driving over þe land And   him of his way."

By my, þu says , said Robin, "Þy words are good yeomanhood, And þu drive forþ every day, Be by me þu never should."

"I will ask þee, good potter, A fellowship will þu have? Give me þy cloþing, and þu shalt have mine, I will go to Nottingham."

"I þereto," said þe potter, "Þu shalt find me a fellow good, But þu can sell my pots well, Come as þu yeed."

"Nay, by my troþ," said Robin, "And þen I my head, If I bring any pots ayen, "And any  will  ."

Þen spake Littel John, And all his fellows , "Lord, be well aware of þe sheriff of Nottingham, For he is littel ure frend."

"Þrugh þe help of ure lady, Fellows, let me alone. " said Robin "To Nottingham will I go.

Robin went to Nottingham, Þese pots for to sell, Þe potter abode wiþ Robin's men, Þere he feared no evil.

Þough Robin drove on his way, So merry over þe land, Here is more, and after is to say, Þe best is behind.

 FIT II 

When Robin came to Nottingham, Þe sooþ if I should say, He set up his horse anon, And gave him oats and hay.

In þe midst of þe tune, Þere he showed his ware; "Pots! Pots!" he shuted full soon, "Have for þe !"

Right against þe sheriff's gate, To sell goods did he dare, Wives and widows abute him drew, And many cheaped fast his ware.

Still "Pots, great cheap!" shuted Robin, "I would hate to leave þese to stand". And all who saw him sell, Said he had been no potter long.

Þe pots þat were worþ pense five, He sold þem for pense þree, said man and wife, "Yonder potter shall never ."

Þose Robin sold full fast, Until he had pots but five, Up he took þem onto his crat And sent þem to the sheriff's wife.

Þereof she was full , "Gramercy," said she, ", þen, When ye come to þis land ayen, I shall buy þe pots, so mot I þee.

Ye shall have of þe best," said Robin, And sware be þe Trinity". Full kindly she began to speak to him, "Come eat wiþ þe sheriff and me."