La ballade des pendus ( François villon)
A translation into medieval English .
-------------------------------------
Human brethren liven while we ben no more.
Ne hardeneth your herte agaynste us .
For it ye shal mercy on us.
God shal erlier shewe mercy on thee
Ye see us bound here by five or sixe.
As for the flesshe we have ful wel fedd.
It is now ete and roted .
And we ben but bones
turnynge to aishe and duste .
Let no man mock our mishap .
bu praye God wold us alle absolve !
-------------------------------
So brethren we plight ye not to dispise us
Albeit by right we werren slain .
Ye knowen wel that all men be of gode
and halesome wit .
Forgive us, for we ben in drede .
That the grace of the sone of the mayden Marie
who might us ,
spare us fram the thundrous fires of hell !
We ben did ,so none should us rebuke.
but praye God wold us alle absoile !
-------------------------------------
The reyne hath dreint and wasshen us .
The sun hath dried and blanched us ;
Pyes and crows have pecked at oure eyen .
And take off oure berd and browses .
Ne ben we nevere sette ;
hider and thider , as the wynd doth
turne and sway .
At its wille ,it swingeth us in stouthen cease .
More pokked marked than thymbils .
So prythee ,join nat oure brotherherde .
But praye God wold alle us absoile !
---------------------------------
Prince Jesus that ruleth over us alle !
Shielde us fram the Lordschipe of helle.
Ne have ne bysinesse nor dette with him .
Men, this not game for laughter ;
But praye God wold alle us absoile !
______________________________________
Nota bene !
This work is not a ''Copy-pasta (!) '' of the IA
but an essay including research ,trial-and- error .
Certain people on this blog compensate
for their lack of creative ability by appealing
to a complacent intelligence .
Concerning me ,even if I sometimes
question the system ,I always interpret
its answers with discernement .
-
Author:
lorenz (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: February 14th, 2026 15:29
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 7
- Users favorite of this poem: Ellen Marsell
Offline)
Comments2
Intriguing you have left the language just modern enough to understand. Old English I can't understand and middle English I understand fair. A most interesting topic hanged men to most grizzly but to others it is patience and wisdom gained by it. Surrender and pause before taking action. Progress requires letting go of control. Good write my friend
This essay took me a long time .It is not easy to choose the right word and capture the spirit of times !
This is a radically anti-romantic text. It shatters the illusion of a “beautiful death.”
Your poem compels the living to feel their own mortality. Magnificent work!
A rather subversive text for the time !
To be able to comment and rate this poem, you must be registered. Register here or if you are already registered, login here.