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.

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

The Writ
In þe summer hwen þe scaws were , and þe leafs were big and long, it was merry in þe fair woods to hear þe fules song.

To see þe draw to þe dale, and from þe hige hills flee, to scadow þemselfs in green leafs under þe greenwood tree.

It befell on Hwitsun 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 hwo died on a tree, a more merry man þan I lifs not in Cristianity."

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

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

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

Þen spoke Muc, þe millers son, may for him good þings. "Take twelf of yewer bold yeomen, well weaponed, by yewer side. He hwo would haf yew slain, would dare not þose twelf ."

"Of all my merry men," said Robin, "I want no utelaw, but Littel John to bare my bow, until I ceoose to draw."

"Yew scall bare yewer own," said Littel John, "lord, and I will bare mine, and we will scoot for a penny, under þe greenwood lind."

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

Þus þey scot forþ, þese two yeomen, boþ at busc and stone, til Littel John won of his lord, fife scillings for and.

A  fell between þem, as þey went by þe way. Littel John said he had won fife scillings, and Robin Hood said scortly "nay".

Robin Hood called Littel John a liar, and smote him wiþ his hand. Littel John waxed wroþ þerewiþ, and pulled ute his brigt.

"Were yew not my lord," said Littel John, "yew would be hit full sore. Get yewerself a man hwere yew will, for yew haf me no more."

Þen Robin went to Nottingham, himself mourning alone, and Littel John to merry Scerwood, þe paþs he knew eac one.

Hwen Robin came to Nottingham, I will tell yew hwat happened þen, he bade to God and mild Mary to bring him ute sundly again.

He went into Hallow Marys circ, and knelt dune before þe. All hwo were wiþin þe circ beheld well Robin Hood.

Beside him stood a big headed monk, I bid to God woe to him be. For cwickly he Robin, as soon as he did see.

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

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

"I haf spotted þe sneaking warry, as he stood þere at mass. It will be yewer ," said þe monk, "If he scould slip yewer grasp."

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

Up þen rose þis prude sceriff, and swiftly made himself. Many were þe weaponed men hwo to þe circ wiþ him did fare.

Þe doors þey þorowly sparred, wiþ stafes in full good ; "Wellaway," said Robin Hood, "nue miss I Littel John."

Þen Robin took ute a twohanded sword, þat hanged dune by his knee. Hwere þe sceriff and his men stood þickest Þiþerward would he be.

Þrise at þem he ran þen, forsooþ as I nue say, and wunded many a weaponed man, and twelf he slew þat day.

His sword upon þe sceriffs head, wissly it broke in two. "Þe smiþ þat made yew," said Robin, "I bid God work him woe."

"For nue am I weaponless," said Robin, "wellaway, against my will. But if I seek to flee hens from, I know þey will me kill."

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

Sum fell in swooning as if þey were dead, and lay still as any stone. None of þem were in þeir mind, none but Littel John.

"Let by yewer wailing," said Littel John, "for his luf, Crist hwo died on a tree. Ye hwo scould be duty men, it is a great scame to see."

"Ure lord was hard bestood and yet ran not away. Pluck up yewer hearts, and leaf þis moaning, and hearken hwat I say."

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

"Þerefore be glad and let þis mourning go by. I scall deal wiþ þat wicked monk, wiþ þe migt of mild Mary, hwen I meet him," said Littel John "we will go but we two".

"Look þat ye keep well ure under þe small leafs, and spare none of þis, þat þrugeute þis dale weafs."

Forþ þen went þese yeomen two, Littel John and Muc on þe fare. And looked on Muc's huse, þe higeway lay full near.

Littel John stood at a window, and looked forþ from an upper room. Þere he saw þe monk cum riding by, and wiþ him a littel.

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

"Hwens cum ye?" said Littel John, "tell us tidings, hwatefer ye can say, of a wicked utelaw, hwo was taken yesterday."

"He stole from me and my fellows boþ, twenty marks he did gain. If þat wicked utelaw be taken, forsooþ we would boþ be ."

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

"I bead to God to þank yew," said Littel John, "and we will hwen we may. We will go wiþ yew, wiþ yewer, and bring yewer on yewer way."

"For Robin Hood has many a wild fellow, I tell yew nue of þat bane. If þey knew ye rode þis way, in leef ye would be slain."

As þey went talking by þe way, 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 could not flee away.

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

Littel John hwo was so gnorny, drew ute his sword in one swoop. Þe monk saw he would be killed, ludely for he did.

"He was my lord," said Littel John, "hwo yew haf brougt suc . Yew will nefer see ure king, nor tell him yewer last tale."

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

Þere þey buried þem 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 yew, my lord, Yesoo nere yew and see."

"God nere yew, my king." To speak John was full bold. He gafe him þe errands in his hand, þe king did þem unfold.

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

"Hwere is þe monk hwo þese scould haf brougt?" þat þe king did say. "By my trewþ," said Littel John, "he died along þe way."

Þe king gafe Muc and Littel John twenty punds and þen, made þem yeomen of þe þrone, and bade þem go again.

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 way.

Hwen John came to Nottingham þe gates were sparred eac one. John called up to þe porter, and he answered back anon.

"Hwat is þe ," asked Littel John, "yew spar þe gates so fast?" " Robin Hood," said þe porter, "nue in deep goal he is cast."

"John and Muc and Will scaþelock, forsooþ as I nue say, þey slew þe men upon þe walls, and fite us here efery day."

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

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

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

Þe sceriff did John , and gafe him wine of þe best. At nigt þey went to þeir beds, and efery man to his rest.

Hwen þe sceriff was asleep, drunken wiþ wine and ale, Littel John and Muc forsooþ fund þe way to þe cwartern.

John called up þe cwarternkeeper, 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 call. Littel John was ready wiþ a sword, and stabbed him þruge þe wall.

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

He gafe Robin a good sword, his head þerewiþ to keep. And þere hwere þe walls were lowest, anon dune did þey leap.

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

He made a roop þrugeute all þe tune, telling boþ yeoman and knafe. Hwoefer brougt him Robin Hood, his he scould haf.

"For I dare nefer," said þe sceriff, "cum before ure king. For if I do I know wissly, þat he will haf me hang."

Þe sceriff sougt þrugeute all Nottingham, boþ by roads and by. But Robin was in merry Scerwood, 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 hwen yew may."

"I haf done yew a good hwarft, forsooþ as I nue say. I haf brougt yew under þe greenwood lind. Farewell, and haf good day."

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

"Nay, by my trewþ," said Littel John, "so scall it nefer be. But let me be yewer fellow, noþing els I care to be."

Þus John got Robin ute of cwartern, indeed from þat bane. Hwen his men saw him hwole and sund, forsooþ þey were full fain.

Þey filled in wine and were glad, under þe leafs of þe dale. And þey ate pasties of hartmeat, hwic were good wiþ þeir ale.

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

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

"Littel John has swiked us boþ, And þat full well I see. Or els þe sceriff of Nottingham higely hung scould he be."

"I made þem yeomen of þe þrone, and gafe þem fee wiþ my hand. I gafe þem ," said þe king, "þrugeute all merry England."

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

"He is trew to his lord, I say, by sweet Hallow 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 swiked us all."

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