From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama
The York Cycle, Play 39 - Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection
Wyne-drawers
001 Mary Magdalene. Allas, in this worlde was neuere no wight
002 Walkand with so mekill woo.
003 Thou dredfull dede, drawe hythir and dight
004 And marre me as thou haste done moo.
005 In lame is it loken, all my light,
006 Forthy on grounde onglad I goo;
007 Jesus of Nazareth he hight,
008 The false Jewes slewe hym me froo.
009 Mi witte is waste nowe in wede.
010 I walowe, I walke, nowe woo is me,
011 For laide nowe is that lufsome in lede,
012 The Jewes hym nayled vntill a tree.
013 My doulfull herte is euere in drede,
014 To grounde nowe gone is all my glee.
015 I sporne ther I was wonte to spede,
016 Nowe helpe me God in persones three.
017 Thou lufsome lede in ilke a lande,
018 As thou schope both day and nyght,
019 Sonne and mone both bright schynand,
020 þou graunte me grace to haue a sight
021 Of my lorde, or ellis his sande.
022 Jesus. Thou wilfull woman in this waye,
023 Why wepis thou soo als thou wolde wede,
024 Als thou on felde wolde falle doune faie?
025 Do way, and do no more that dede.
026 Whome sekist thou this longe daye?
027 Say me the sothe, als Criste the rede.
028 Mary Magdalene. Mi lorde Jesu and God verray,
029 þat suffered for synnes his sides bleede.
030 Jesus. I schall the saie, will thou me here,
031 þe soth of hym that thou hast sought:
032 Withowten drede, thou faithfull fere,
033 He is full nere that mankynde bought.
034 Mary Magdalene. Sir, I wolde loke both ferre and nere
035 To fynde my lorde-I se hym noght.
036 Jesus. Womane, wepe noght, but mende thy chere,
037 I wotte wele whedir that he was brought.
038 Mary Magdalene. Swete sir, yf thou hym bare awaye,
039 Saie me the sothe and thedir me leede
040 Where thou hym didde, withouten delay
041 I schall hym seke agayne goode speede.
042 Therfore, goode gardener, saie thou me,
043 I praye the for the prophetis sake,
044 Of thez tythyngis that I aske the.
045 For it wolde do my sorowe to slake
046 When Goddis body founden myght be,
047 þat Joseph of the crosse gonne take.
048 Might I hym fange vnto my fee,
049 Of all my woo he wolde me wrake.
050 Jesus. What wolde thou doo with that body bare
051 þat beried was with balefull chere?
052 þou may noght salue hym of his sare,
053 His peynes were so sadde and seere.
054 But he schall cover mankynde of care,
055 þat clowded was he schall make clere,
056 And the folke wele for to fare
057 þat fyled were all in feere.
058 Mary Magdalene. A, myght I euere with that man mete,
059 þe whiche that is so mekill of myght,
060 Drye schulde I wype that nowe is wete;
061 I am but sorowe of worldly sight.
062 Jesus. Marie, of mournyng amende thy moode,
063 And beholde my woundes wyde.
064 þus for mannys synnes I schedde my bloode
065 And all this bittir bale gonne bide.
066 þus was I rased on the roode
067 With spere and nayles that were vnride.
068 Trowe it wele, it turnes to goode
069 Whanne men in erthe ther flessh schall hyde.
070 Mary Magdalene. A, Rabony, I haue the sought,
071 Mi maistir dere, full faste this day.
072 Jesus. Goo awaye Marie, and touche me noyot,
073 But take goode kepe what I schall saie:
074 I ame hee that all thyng wroght,
075 þat thou callis thi lorde and God verraye.
076 With bittir dede I mankynde boght,
077 And I am resen as thou se may.
078 And therfore, Marie, speke nowe with me,
079 And latte thou nowe be thy grette.
080 Mary Magdalene. Mi lorde Jesu, I knowe nowe the,
081 þi woundes thai are nowe wette.
082 Jesus. Negh me noght, my loue, latte be
083 Marie my doughtir swete.
084 To my fadir in Trinité
085 Forthe I stigh noyot yette.
086 Mary Magdalene. A, mercy, comely conquerour,
087 Thurgh thi myght thou haste ouercome dede.
088 Mercy, Jesu, man and saueour,
089 Thi loue is swetter thanne the mede.
090 Mercy, myghty confortour,
091 For are I was full wille of rede.
092 Welcome lorde, all myn honnoure,
093 Mi joie, my luffe, in ilke a stede.
094 Jesus. Marie, in thyne harte thou write
095 Myne armoure riche and goode:
096 Myne actone couered all with white
097 Als cors of man behewede,
098 With stuffe goode and parfite
099 Of maydenes flessh and bloode;
100 Whan thei ganne thirle and smyte
101 Mi heede for hawberke stoode.
102 Mi plates wer spredde all on brede,
103 þat was my body vppon a tree;
104 Myne helme couered all with manhede,
105 þe strengh therof may no man see;
106 þe croune of thorne that garte me blede,
107 Itt bemenes my dignité
108 Mi diademe sais, withouten drede,
109 þat dede schall I neuere be.
110 Mary Magdalene. A, blessid body that bale wolde beete,
111 Dere haste thou bought mankynne.
112 Thy woundes hath made thi body wete
113 With bloode that was the withinne.
114 Nayled thou was thurgh hande and feete,
115 And all was for oure synne.
116 Full grissely muste we caitiffis grete-
117 Of bale howe schulde I blynne?
118 To se this ferly foode
119 þus ruffully dight,
120 Rugged and rente on a roode,
121 þis is a rewfull sight;
122 And all is for oure goode,
123 And nothyng for his plight.
124 Spilte thus is his bloode,
125 For ilke a synfull wight.
126 Jesus. To my God and my fadir dere,
127 To hym als-swithe I schall assende,
128 For I schall nowe noyot longe dwelle here,
129 I haue done als my fadir me kende;
130 And therfore loke that ilke man lere
131 Howe that in erthe ther liffe may mende.
132 All that me loues I schall drawe nere
133 Mi fadirs blisse that neuere schall ende.
134 Mary Magdalene. Alle for joie me likes to synge,
135 Myne herte is gladder thanne the glee,
136 And all for joie of thy risyng
137 That suffered dede vpponne a tree.
138 Of luffe nowe is thou crouned kyng,
139 Is none so trewe levand more free.
140 Thy loue passis all erthely thyng,
141 Lorde, blissed motte thou euere bee.
142 Jesus. To Galiléschall thou wende
143 Marie, my doghtir dere,
144 Vnto my brethir hende,
145 þer thei are all in fere.
146 Telle thame ilke worde to ende
147 þat thou spake with me here.
148 Mi blissing on the lende,
149 And all that we leffe here.
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Proper Citation: NeCastro, Gerard. The York Cycle, Play 39 - Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection. From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama. http:www.umm.maine.edu/faculty/necastro/drama. Date Visited.