[Sidenote: God asks Noah whether all is ready.]
“Now Noe,” q{uod} oure lorde, “art þ{o}u al redy?
Hatȝ þ{o}u closed þy kyst w{i}t{h} clay alle aboute?”
[Sidenote: Noah replies that all is fully prepared.]
“Ȝe lorde w{i}t{h} þy leue,” sayde þe lede þe{n}ne,
“Al is wroȝt at þi worde, as þ{o}u me wyt lanteȝ.” 348
[Sidenote: He is commanded to enter the ark, for God tells him
that he will send a rain to destroy all flesh.]
“Enter in þe{n}n,” q{uod} he, “& haf þi wyf w{i}t{h} þe,
Þy þre su{n}eȝ w{i}t{h}-outen þrep & her þre wyueȝ;
Besteȝ, as I bedene haue, bosk þ{er}-i{n}ne als,
& when ȝe arn staued, styfly stekeȝ yow þ{er}i{n}ne; 352
Fro seuen dayeȝ ben seyed I sende out by-lyue,
Such a rowtande ryge þat rayne schal swyþe,
Þat schal wasch alle þe worlde of werkeȝ of fylþe;
Schal no flesch vpon folde by fonden onlyue; 356
[Sidenote: Noah stows all safely in the ark.]
Out-taken yow aȝt i{n} þis ark staued,
& sed þat I wyl saue of þyse ser besteȝ.”
Now Noe neu{er} stysteȝ[17] (þat niyȝ[t] he bygy{n}neȝ),
Er al wer stawed & stoken, as þe steuen wolde. 360
[Sidenote: [Fol. 62a.]]
[Sidenote: Seven days are passed.]
The{n}ne sone com þe seuenþe day, when samned wern alle,
& alle woned i{n} þe whichche þe wylde & þe tame.
[Sidenote: The deep begins to swell, banks are broken down, and
the clouds burst.]
Þe{n} bolned þe abyme & bonkeȝ con ryse,
Walt{es} out vch walle-heued, i{n} ful wode stremeȝ, 364
Watȝ no bry{m}me þat abod vnbrosten bylyue,
Þe mukel lauande logh{e} to þe lyfte rered.
Mony clust{er}ed clowde clef alle i{n} clowteȝ,
To-rent vch a rayn-ryfte & rusched to þe vrþe; 368
[Sidenote: It rains for forty days, and the flood rises, and
flows over the woods and fields.]
Fon neu{er} i{n} forty dayeȝ, & þe{n} þe flod ryses,
Ou{er}-walteȝ vche a wod & þe wyde feldeȝ;
For when þe wat{er} of þe welkyn w{i}t{h} þe worlde mette,
Alle þat deth moȝt dryȝe drowned þer-i{n}ne; 372
Þer watȝ moon forto make when meschef was cnowen,
[Sidenote: All must drown.]
Þat noȝt dowed bot þe deth in þe depe stremeȝ.
Wat{er} wylger ay wax, woneȝ þat stryede,
Hurled i{n}-to vch ho{us}, hent þat þer dowelled. 376
[Sidenote: The water enters the houses.]
Fyrst feng to þe flyȝt alle þat fle myȝt,
Vuche burde w{i}t{h} her barne þe byggy{n}g þay leueȝ,
[Sidenote: Each woman with her bairns flees to the hills.]
& bowed to þe hyȝ bonk þer brentest hit wern,
& het{er}ly to þe hyȝe hylleȝ þay [h]aled on faste; 380
[Sidenote: The rain never ceases.]
Bot al watȝ nedleȝ her note, for neu{er} cowþe stynt
Þe roȝe raynande ryg [&] þe raykande waweȝ,
[Sidenote: The valleys are filled.]
Er vch boþom watȝ brurd-ful to þe bonkeȝ eggeȝ,
& vche a dale so depe þat de{m}med at þe brynkeȝ. 384
Þe moste mou{n}tay{n}eȝ on mor þe{n}ne watȝ no more dryȝe,
[Sidenote: People flock to the mountains.]
& þ{er}-on flokked þe folke, for ferde of þe wrake,
Syþen þe wylde of þe wode on þe wat{er} flette;
[Sidenote: Some swim for their lives.]
Su{m}me swy{m}med þ{er}-on þat saue hemself trawed, 388
Su{m}me styȝe to a stud & stared to þe heuen,
[Sidenote: Others roar for fear.]
Rwly wyth a loud rurd rored for drede.
[Sidenote: Animals of all kinds run to the hills.]
Hareȝ, hertteȝ also, to þe hyȝe ru{n}nen,
Bukkeȝ, bauseneȝ & buleȝ to þe bonkkeȝ hyȝed, 392
[Sidenote: All pray for mercy.]
& alle cryed for care to þe ky{n}g of heuen,
Re-cou{er}er of þe creator, þay cryed vchone,
[Sidenote: God’s mercy is passed from them.]
Þat amou{n}ted þe masse, þe mase his mercy watȝ passed,
& alle his pyte departed fro peple þat he hated. 396
[Sidenote: [Fol. 62b.]]
Bi þat þe flod to her fete floȝed & waxed,
[Sidenote: Each sees that he must sink.]
Þen vche a segge seȝ wel þat synk hy{m} byhoued;
Frendeȝ fellen i{n} fere & faþmed togeder
To dryȝ her delful deystyné & dyȝen alle samen; 400
[Sidenote: Friends take leave of one another.]
Luf lokeȝ to luf & his leue takeȝ,
For to ende alle at oneȝ & for eu{er} twy{n}ne.
[Sidenote: Forty days have gone by, and all are destroyed.]
By forty dayeȝ wern faren, on folde no flesch styryed,
Þat þe flod nade al freten w{i}t{h} feȝtande waȝeȝ[18], 404
For hit clam vche a clyffe cubit{es} fyftene,
Ou{er} þe hyȝest hylle þat hurkled on erþe.
[Headnote: ALL ROT IN THE MUD.]
[Sidenote: All rot in the mud, except Noah and his family, who
are safe in the ark.]
Þe{n}ne mo{ur}kne i{n} þe mudde most ful nede
Alle þat spyrakle i{n}-spranc,[19] no sprawly{n}g awayled, 408
Saue þe haþel vnder hach & his here strau{n}ge,
Noe þat ofte neuened þe name of oure lorde,
Hy{m} aȝt-su{m} i{n} þat ark as aþel god lyked,
Þer alle ledeȝ i{n} lome lenged druye, 412
[Sidenote: The ark is lifted as high as the clouds, and is
driven about, without mast, bowline, cables, anchors, or sail to
guide its course.]
Þe arc houen watȝ on hyȝe w{i}t{h} hurlande goteȝ,
Kest to kytheȝ vncouþe þe clowdeȝ ful nere.
Hit walt{er}ed on þe wylde flod, went as hit lyste,
Drof vpon þe depe dam, i{n} dau{n}g{er} hit semed, 416
With-oute{n} mast, oþ{er} myke, oþ{er} myry bawelyne,
Kable, oþ{er} capstan to clyppe to he{r} ankreȝ,
Hurrok, oþ{er} hande-helme hasped on roþ{er},
Oþ{er} any sweande sayl to seche aft{er} hauen, 420
[Sidenote: At the mercy of the winds.]
Bot flote forthe w{i}t{h} þe flyt of þe felle wyndeȝ;
Wheder-warde so þe wat{er} wafte, hit rebou{n}de.
[Sidenote: Oft it rolled around and reared on end.]
Ofte hit roled on-rou{n}de & rered on ende,
Nyf oure lorde hade ben her lodeȝ-mon he{m} had lu{m}pen harde. 424
[Sidenote: The age of the patriarch Noah.]
Of þe lenþe of noe lyf to lay a lel date,
Þe sex hundreth of his age & none odde ȝereȝ,
Of seco{n}de monyth, þe seue{n}þe day ryȝteȝ,
[Sidenote: Duration of the flood.]
To-walten alle þyse welle-hedeȝ & þe wat{er} flowed, 428
& þryeȝ fyfty þe flod of folwande dayeȝ,
Vche hille watȝ þer hidde w{i}t{h} yreȝ[20] ful graye;
[Sidenote: The completeness of the destruction.]
Al watȝ wasted þat þer wonyed þe worlde w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne,
Þer eu{er} flote, oþ{er} flwe, oþ{er} on fote ȝede, 432
[Sidenote: [Fol. 63a.]]
That roȝly watȝ þe remnau{n}t þat þe rac dryueȝ,
Þat alle gendreȝ so ioyst wern ioyned wyth-i{n}ne.
[Sidenote: God remembers those in the ark.]
Bot quen þe lorde of þe lyfte lyked hymseluen
For to my{n}ne on his mon his meth þat abydeȝ, 436
[Sidenote: He causes a wind to blow, and closes the lakes and
wells, and the great deep.]
Þe{n} he wakened a wynde on watt{er}eȝ to blowe;
Þe{n}ne lasned þe llak[21] þat large watȝ are,
Þen he stac vp þe stangeȝ, stoped þo welleȝ,
Bed bly{n}ne of þe rayn, hit batede as fast, 440
Þe{n}ne lasned þe loȝ lowkande to-geder.
Aft{er} harde dayeȝ wern out an hundreth & fyfté,
As þat lyftande lome luged aboute,
Where þe wynde & þe weder warpen hit wolde, 444
Hit saȝtled on a softe day synkande to grou{n}de.
[Headnote: THE ARK RESTS ON MOUNT ARARAT.]
[Sidenote: The ark settles on Mount Ararat.]
On a rasse of a rok, hit rest at þe laste,
On þe mou{n}te of mararach of armene hilles,
Þat oþ{er}-wayeȝ on ebrv hit hat þe thanes. 448
Bot þaȝ þe kyste in þe crageȝ wern closed to byde,
Ȝet fyned not þe flod ne fel to þe boþemeȝ,
[Sidenote: Noah beholds the bare earth.]
Bot þe hyȝest of þe eggeȝ vnhuled wern a lyttel,
Þat þe burne by{n}ne borde byhelde þe bare erþe; 452
[Sidenote: He opens his window and sends out the raven to seek
dry land.]
Þe{n}ne wafte he vpon his wyndowe, & wysed þ{er}-oute
A message fro þat meyny hem moldeȝ to seche,
Þat watȝ þe rauen so ronk þat rebel watȝ eu{er};
He watȝ colored as þe cole, corbyal vn-trwe. 456
& he fongeȝ to þe flyȝt, & fa{n}neȝ on þe wyndeȝ,
Houeȝ hyȝe upon hyȝt to herken tyþy{n}ges.
[Sidenote: The raven “croaks for comfort” on finding carrion.]
He croukeȝ for comfort when carayne he fyndeȝ;
Kast vp on a clyffe þer costese lay drye, 460
He hade þe smelle of þe smach & smolt{es} þeder sone,
[Sidenote: He fills his belly with the foul flesh.]
Falleȝ on þe foule flesch & fylleȝ his wombe,
& sone ȝederly for-ȝete ȝister-day steuen,
How þe cheuetayn hy{m} charged þ{a}t þe kyst ȝemed. 464
Þe rauen raykeȝ hy{m} forth þat reches ful lyttel
How alle fodeȝ þer fare, elleȝ he fynde mete;
[Headnote: NOAH SENDS FORTH A DOVE.]
[Sidenote: The lord of the ark curses the raven, and sends out
the dove.]
Bot þe burne by{n}ne borde[22] þat bod to hys come,
Ba{n}ned hy{m} ful bytt{er}ly w{i}t{h} best{es} alle samen, 468
[Sidenote: [Fol. 63b.]]
He secheȝ an oþ{er} sondeȝmon & setteȝ on þe dou{n}e;[23]
Bry{n}geȝ þat bryȝt vpon borde blessed & sayde,
“Wende worþelych wyȝt v{us} woneȝ to seche,
Dryf ou{er} þis dy{m}me wat{er}; if þ{o}u druye fyndeȝ 472
Bry{n}g bodworde to bot blysse to v{us} alle;
Þaȝ þat fowle be false, fre be þ{o}u euer.”
[Sidenote: The bird wanders about the whole day.]
Ho wyrl{e} out on þe weder o{n} wy{n}geȝ ful scharpe,
Dreȝly alle a longe day þ{a}t dorst neu{er} lyȝt; 476
[Sidenote: Finding no rest, she returns about eventide to Noah.]
& when ho fyndeȝ no folde her fote on to pyche,
Ho vmbe-kesteȝ þe coste & þe kyst secheȝ,
Ho hitteȝ on þe euentyde & on þe ark sitteȝ;
Noe ny{m}mes hir anon & naytly hir staueȝ. 480
[Sidenote: Noah again sends out the dove.]
Noe on anoþ{er} day ny{m}meȝ efte þe dovene,
& byddeȝ hir bowe ou{er} þe borne efte bonkeȝ to seche;
& ho skyrmeȝ vnder skwe & skowteȝ aboute,
Tyl hit watȝ nyȝe at þe naȝt & noe þe{n} secheȝ. 484
[Sidenote 17: _stynteȝ_ (?).]
[Sidenote 18: _waweȝ_ (?).]
[Sidenote 19: _in-sprang_ (?).]
[Sidenote 20: _yþeȝ_ (?).]
[Sidenote 21: So in MS.]
[Sidenote 22: MS. _lorde_.]
[Sidenote 23: _douue_ or _douene_ (?).]
[Headnote: NOAH LEAVES THE ARK.]