N-Town Cycle, Play 16 [The Annunciation to and Visitation of the Shepherds] Angelus ad pastores dicit “Gloria in excelsis Deo.” 1 ANGELUS Joye to God țat sytt in hevyn, 2 And pes to man on erthe grownde. 3 A chylde is born benethe țe levyn, 4 Thurwe hym many folke xul be vnbownde! 5 Sacramentys țer xul be vij 6 Wonnyn țo[r]we țat childys wounde. 7 Therfore I synge a joyful stevene. 8 țe flowre of frenchep now is founde, 9 God țat wonyght on hy3! 10 He is gloryed mannys gost to wynne, 11 He hath sent salue to mannys synne; 12 Pes is comyn to mannys kynne 13 Thorwe Goddys sleytys sly3. 14 PRIMUS PASTOR Maunfras, Maunfras, felawe myne, 15 I saw a gret lyght with shene shyne! 16 3it saw I nevyr so selkowth syne 17 Shapyn vpon țe skyes. 18 It is bryghtere țan be sunnebem, 19 It comyth ryght ouyr all țis rem, 20 Evyn above Bedleem. 21 I saw it brenne thryes. 22 SECUNDUS PASTOR Thu art my brother, Boosras. 23 I haue beholdyn țe same pas! 24 I trowe it is tokenynge of gras 25 țat shynynge shewyght beforn. 26 Balaam spak in prophesye 27 A lyght xuld shyne vpon țe skye 28 Whan a sone of a mayd Marye 29 In Bedleem were iborn. 30 TERCIUS PASTOR Thow I make lyty[l] noyse, 31 I am an herde țat hattyht Moyse. 32 I herde carpynge of a croyse 33 Of Moyses in his lawe. 34 Of a mayd a barne born, 35 On a tre he xulde be torn; 36 Delyver folkys țat arn forlorn, 37 The chylde xulde be slawe. 38 PRIMUS PASTOR Balaam spak in prophecie 39 Out of Jacob xuld shyne a skye. 40 Many folke he xulde bye 41 With his bryght blood. 42 Be țat bryght blod țat he xulde blede 43 He xal us brynge fro țe develys drede, 44 As a duke most dowty in dede, 45 Thorwe his deth on rode. 46 SECUNDUS PASTOR Amos spak with mylde meth, 47 A frute swettere than bawmys breth, 48 His deth xulde slen oure sowlys deth 49 And drawe us all from helle. 50 Therfore such lyght goth beforn 51 In tokyn țat țe childe is born 52 Whiche xal saue țat is forlorn, 53 As prophetys gonne spelle. 54 TERCIUS PASTOR Danyel țe prophete țus gan speke: 55 “Wyse God, from woo us wreke, 56 ți bryght hevyn țu to-breke 57 And medele țe with a mayde.” 58 This prophecye is now spad: 59 Cryst in oure kende is clad. 60 țerfore mankend may be glad, 61 As prophetys beforn han seyd. “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” cantent. 62 PRIMUS PASTOR Ey! Ey! țis was a wondyr note 63 țat was now songyn above țe sky. 64 I haue țat voys ful wele I wote, 65 ței songe “Gle, glo glory.” 66 SECUNDUS PASTOR Nay, so moty the, so was it nowth. 67 I haue țat songe ful wele invm. 68 In my wyt weyl it is wrought, 69 It was “Gle, glo, glas, glum.” 70 TERCIUS PASTOR The songe methought it was “Glory.” 71 And aftyrwarde he seyd us to, 72 țer is a chybde born xal be a prynce myghty. 73 For to seke țat chylde I rede we go. 74 PRIMUS PASTOR The prophecye of Boosdras is spedly sped, 75 Now leyke we hens as țat lyght us lede. 76 Myght we se onys țat bryght on bed, 77 Oure bale it wolde vnbynde. 78 We xulde shodyr for no shoure. 79 Buske we us hens to Bedleem boure 80 To se țat fayr fresch flowre, 81 The mayde mylde in mynde. 82 SECUNDUS PASTOR Lete us folwe with all oure myght. 83 With songe and myrth we xul us dyght, 84 And wurchep with joye țat wurthy wyght 85 țat Lord is of mankynne. 86 Lete us go forthe fast on hye 87 And honowre țat babe wurthylye, 88 With merthe, songe, and melodye. 89 Haue do! țis songe begynne. Tunc pastores cantabunt “Stella celi extirpauit,” quo facto ibunt ad querendum Christum. 90 PRIMUS PASTOR Heyle, floure of flourys, fayrest ifownde! 91 Heyle, perle peerles, prime rose of prise! 92 Heyl, blorne on bedde, we xul be vnbownde 93 With ți blody woundys and werkys full wyse! 94 Heyl, God grettest, I grete țe on grownde! 95 țe gredy devyl xal grone grysly as a gryse 96 Whan țu wynnyst țis worlde with ți wyde wounde 97 And puttyst man to paradys with plenty of prys. 98 To loue țe is my delyte. 99 Heyl, floure fayr and fre, 100 Lyght from țe Trynyté! 101 Heyl, blyssyd mote țu be! 102 Heyl, mayde fayrest in syght! 103 [SECUNDUS] PASTOR Heyl, floure ovyr flourys fowndyn in fryght! 104 Heyl, Cryst, kynde in oure kyth! 105 Heyl, werker of wele to wonyn us wyth! 106 Heyl, wynnere, iwys! 107 Heyl, formere and frende! 108 Heyl, fellere of țe fende! 109 Heyl, clad in oure kende! 110 Heyl, Prince of Paradys! 111 TERCIUS PASTOR Heyl, lord ouyr lomdys, țat lyggyst ful lowe! 112 Heyl, kynge ovyr kyngys, ți kynrede to knowe! 113 Heyl, comely knyth, țe deuyl to ouyrthrowe! 114 Heyl, flowre of alle! 115 Heyl, werkere to wynne 116 Bodyes bowndyn in synne! 117 Heyl, in a bestys bynne, 118 Bestad in a stable! 119 JOSEPH Herdys on hylle, 120 Beth not stylle, 121 But seyth 3oure wylle 122 To many a man: 123 How God is born 124 țis mery morn; 125 țat is forlorn 126 Fyndyn he can. 127 PRIMUS PASTOR We xull telle 128 Be dale and hylle 129 How Harwere of Helle 130 Was born țis nyght, 131 Myrthis to melle 132 And fendys to quelle 133 țat were so felle 134 A3ens his ryght. 135 SECUNDUS PASTOR Farewel, babe and barne of blys! 136 Farewel, Lord țat lovely is! 137 țe to wurchep ți feet I kys, 138 On knes to țe I falle. 139 țe to wurchepe I falle on kne. 140 All țis werd may joye of țe, 141 Now farewel, Lorde of grett pousté! 142 3a, farewel, kynge of alle! 143 TERCIUS PASTOR Thow I be țe last țat take my leve, 144 3it, fayre mullynge, take it nat at no greve. 145 Now, fayre babe, wele mut țu cheve; 146 Fayr chylde, now haue good day! 147 Fareweyl, myn owyn dere derlyng! 148 Iwys, țu art a ryght fayr thyng. 149 Farewel, my Lorde and my swetyng! 150 Farewel, born in pore aray! 151 MARIA Now, 3e herdmen, wel mote 3e be. 152 For 3oure omage and 3ourd syngynge, 153 My sone xal aqwyte 3ow in hefne se 154 And 3eue 3ow all ryght good hendynge. 155 Amen