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 when þe shaws were , and þe leaves 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 hie hills flee, to shadow þemselves in green leaves under þe greenwood tree.

It befell on Whitsun early on a morning. Þe fair sun above did shine, and þe merry birds did sing.

"Þis is a merry morning," said Littel John, "by him who died on a tree, a more merry man þan I lives 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 which we tread."

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

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

Þen spoke Much, þe miller's son, may for him good þings. "Take twelve of yewer bold yeomen, well weaponed, by yewer side. He who would have yew slain, would dare not þose twelve ."

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

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

"I will not shoot for a penny." said Robin, "Indeed, Littel John, I say to þee, for every penny þue shootest for, indeed I will stake þee þree."

Þus þey shot forþ, þese two yeomen, boþ at bush and stone, til Littel John won of his lord, five shillings for and.

A  fell between þem, as þey went by þe way. Littel John said he had won five shillings, and Robin Hood said shortly "nay".

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

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

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

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

He went into Hallow Mary's church, and knelt dune before þe. All who were wiþin þe church beheld well Robin Hood.

Beside him stood a big headed monk, I bead 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 each one.

"Rise up," þe monk said, "yew prude sheriff, yewerself and make yewerself . I have spotted þe king's, forsooþ he is in þis tune."

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

"Þis lordswike's name is Robin Hood, under þe greenwood lind. He onse stole from me a hundred punds, it shall never be ute of my mind."

Up þen rose þis prude sheriff, and swiftly made himself. Many were þe weaponed men who to þe church wiþ him did fare.

Þe doors þey þorowly sparred, wiþ staves 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. Where þe sheriff 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 twelve he slew þat day.

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

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

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

Some 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 love, Crist who died on a tree. Ye who should be duty men, it is a great shame to see."

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

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

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

"Look þat ye keep well ure under þe small leaves, and spare none of þis, þat þroughute þis dale weaves."

Forþ þen went þese yeomen two, Littel John and Much on þe fare. And looked on Muches huse, þe hieway lay full near.

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

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

"Whense come ye?" said Littel John, "tell us tidings, whatever ye can say, of a wicked utelaw, who 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 when 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 monk's horse by þe head, full soon and anon.

John took þe monk's horse by þe head, forsooþ as I nue say. So did Much 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 who 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, "who yew have brot such . Yew will never see ure king, nor tell him yewer last tale."

John smote off þe monk's head, no longer would he dwell. So did Much þe littel goom, for fear þat he would tell.

Þere þey buried þem boþ, in neiþer moss nor. And Littel John and Much as took þe monk's  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 gave him þe errands in his hand, þe king did þem unfold.

Þe king read þe errands anon, and said, ", þere was never yeoman in merry England I longed so sore to see."

"Where is þe monk who þese should have brot?" þat þe king did say. "By my trewþ," said Littel John, "he died along þe way."

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

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

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

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

"What 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 Much and Will shaþelock, forsooþ as I nue say, þey slew þe men upon þe walls, and fite us here every day."

John after þe sheriff, and soon he him fund; he opened þe king's , and handed it on dune.

When þe sheriff saw þe king's seal, he did off his hood anon. "Where 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 sheriff did John , and gave him wine of þe best. At night þey went to þeir beds, and every man to his rest.

When þe sheriff was asleep, drunken wiþ wine and ale, Littel John and Much 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 þrough 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 gave Robin a good sword, his head þerewiþ to keep. And þere where þe walls were lowest, anon dune did þey leap.

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

He made a roop þroughute all þe tune, telling boþ yeoman and knave. Whoever brot him Robin Hood, his he should have.

"For I dare never," said þe sheriff, "come before ure king. For if I do I know wissly, þat he will have me hang."

Þe sheriff sot þroughute all Nottingham, boþ by roads and by. But Robin was in merry Sherwood, as lite as a leaf on lind.

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

"I have done yew a good wharft, forsooþ as I nue say. I have brot yew under þe greenwood lind. Farewell, and have good day."

"Nay, by my trewþ," said Robin, "so shall it never be. I make yew þe lord of all my men and me."

"Nay, by my trewþ," said Littel John, "so shall it never be. But let me be yewer fellow, noþing else I care to be."

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

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

Þen word came to þe king hue Robin Hood was gone. And hue þe sheriff of Nottingham dared never to look him upon.

Þen bespake þe comely king in an anger hie: "Littel John has þe sheriff, in leef so has he I."

"Littel John has swiked us boþ, And þat full well I see. Or else þe sheriff of Nottingham hiely hung should he be."

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

"I gave þem griþ," þen said þe king, "I say, so mot I þee. such 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 loves better Robin Hood þen he does us each one."

"Robin Hood is ever 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 ever a þroned king, bring us all to his bliss.