1 Erthe apon erthe ys waxyne and wrought{e},
And erthe apon erthe hathe ysette all{e} hys thought{e}
Howe that erth{e} apon erth{e} hye myght be brought{e},
But how that erth{e} scal to the erth{e}
thyngketh{e} he noht{e}. 4
2 Erthe apon erth{e} wolde be a kyng,
Butte how that erth{e} schal to erth{e} thynketh he no thynge,
Ffor when erth{e} byddyth{e} erth{e} hys rente home[1] brynge,
Than hath{e} erth{e} apon erth{e} heuy partyng. 8
3 Eerthe apon erth{e} wynnyth castells and touris,
And erth{e} sayth{e} to the erth{e}: 'Thys ys all{e} ourys'.
Wanne erth{e} apon erth{e} syttyth{e} wyth-in hys bovrys,
Ye[gh]t schall{e} erth{e}[2] for the erthe
suffre scharpe schourys. 12
4 Erth{e} goyth{e} on erth{e} as mowlde apon{ne} mowlde,
And erth{e} goyth on erth{e} gletterant as golde,
Like as erth{e} apon erth{e} neuer dye schoulde.
[Gh]yt schall erth{e} to the erth{e} rather than he wolde. 16
5 Why that erth{e} louyth erth{e} wond{er} me thynke,
Or why that erth{e} apon erth{e} swete or swynke,
Ffor whan{ne} erth{e} apon erth{e} ys brought wyth-in the brynke,
Than ys erth{e} apon erth{e} botte a fowle stynke. 20
6 Erth{e} apon erth{e} knoweth{e} eche day
Howe erth{e} cometh to the erth{e} naked all{e} waye.
Why schulde erth{e} apon erth{e} go stowte or gay,
Syth erth{e} apon erth{e} schal passe in pore aray? 24
7 I cowncell{e} erth{e} apon erth{e} that wonderly hath wrought{e}
Whyles that erth{e} ys apon erth{e} to turne all hys thought{e},
And y pray to God apon erth{e}
that all{e} erth{e} hath wrought{e},
That erth{e} out of erth{e} to blysse may be brought{e}. Amen. 28
[3]Whanne lyf ys moste louyd,
And dethe ys most hatyd,
Dethe drawyth hys drawghte
And maketh a man ful naked. 32
De t{er}ra plasmasti me.
[Footnote 1: MS. _hime_ crossed out, and _home_ written in same
line.]
[Footnote 2: MS. _erht{e}_.]
[Footnote 3: written parallel with the poem in the right-hand
column. A signature apparently follows, but is indecipherable.]
6.