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The Clerk and the Nightingale I

	In a mornyng of may,
	as I lay on slepyng,
	To here a song of a fowle
4	I had gret likyng.
	I herd a nyghtyngale syng -
	I likyd hir full welle;
	She seid to me, 'a wonder thyng
8	I shall tell the euery delle.
	[Nightingale]
	'Thynk, man, for thi curtesy
	& for thine owne gode,
	Stonde a while and sey me
12	why thou mornyst in thi mode?'
	[Clerk]
	'Nyghtyngale, wel I may
	& wele I wot & wene,
	I morne nyght and day
16	for on that is so schene.'
	[Nightingale]
	'Now, clerk, for-soth thou art a fole
	that thou mournys so depe:
	that now is hot shalbe cole;
20	that now lawgh oft may wepe.'
	[Clerk]
	'Nyghtyngale, she is so gode
	that no thyng may telle,
	ffayre and trwe, mylde of mode,
24	she may me gif & sell.'
	[Nightingale]
	'Be waere, clerk, I warne the:
	luf thou not so depe;
	When thou levyst in luf to be,
28	nede thou hase to wepe.
	'A woman is a wonder thyng,
	thow sho be fayre & stille,
	She nys trwe to knyght nor kyng;
32	clerke, to the she nylle.'
	[Clerk]
	'Nyghtyngale, why seyst thou so?
	thou gabbust in thi tale.
	Wymmen bryng men owt of woo;
36	she is bote of alle bale.'
	[Nightingale]
	'Ne art thou not to lore sete,
	and wist of olde & newe;
	treue thi luf & lockyt bothe
40	that word is not trwe.
	'Alle woo a woman began;
	she was begynyng:
	Wyttenesse adam the formast man -
44	that is no lesyng.'
	[Clerk]
	'Nyghtyngale, that wot I wele:
	a woman wroght a shame.
	A-nother, I telle the euery dell,
48	broght us alle to game.'
	[Nightingale]
	'Be stille, clerk, thou art vn-wyse;
	thou spekist of a mayde
	that bare the lord of paradyse,
52	that oure foo-men frayed.
	'Name hir to no woman,
	to mayden nor to wyfe;
	ffor thou knowist, nor I ne kan,
56	non so trwe of life.
	'I take wyttenesse of dauyd kyng,
	& at salamon the wyse,
	that a woman for a litull thyng
60	ofte change hir seruyse.
	'Luf a woman as thi lyfe,
	and kepe hir all with wynne,
	ffor a purse or for a knyfe,
64	when on is owt another is in.'
	[Clerk]
	'Nightyngale, thou gabbust me,
	wymmen be fayre & hende,
	fful of game and of glee
68	wher-so thei wende.
	'were a man in sorow broght,
	wymmen myght out hym bryng;
	with a lokyng turne his thoght,
72	and with a kysse turne his mournyng.'
	[Nightingale]
	'Clerke, if thou wil right begynne,
	rede and vndurstonde,
	Mannes thoght chaungis with synne,
76	wel oft thou turnyd fonde;
	'kysse of women wyrkyth wo,
	with synne mony folde;
	Iudas kissed god also
80	and to the iewes he hym solde.
	'Clerk, as thou art wyse,
	thou louyst wel hir lokyng;
	When thi purse shakyn is,
84	fare-wel, clerk, thi cossyng!'
	[Clerk]
	'Nyghtyngale, thou spekist noght,
	late be alle thi fare.
	How sholde men be forth broght
88	ne wymmen ware?'
	[Nightingale]
	'Ther-to onswer I can
	With-out any stodying:
	Wymmen was for man-
92	Kynd forth to bryng'
	She was made to helpe man,
	And no-thyng for to leve.
	thou myghtes that wete at Adam,
96	but thou ne wilt me leve;
	'I sey alle wymmen are mysse-went,
	on gode is not in londe.
	Men thrugh wymmen be shent
100	And ofte broght in bonde;
	'ffor I fynde non so gode,
	be way nor be strete,
	but a man may change hir mote
104	if his purse wey grete.'
	[Clerk]
	'Nyghtyngale, thou gabbist me,
	and that is shame thyn ...'

Secular Lyrics of the XIV and XV Centuries, ed. by R.H. Robbins. 2nd ed. Oxford 1968:172-176)

The Clerk and the Nightingale II

	[Philom]ena
	[...]
	And a woman off hauntyng mood
	Blythly sche wyll be swyuyd
	But in a lytyll whyl
4	Hur wyll wyll a-way wende
	Be thow I-ware off gyl
	Euer at the last ende
	ffor whan a woman wepyt most
8	And sorowyth all her fyl
	Than myght thou be soryst a-gast
	Leste that sche be-gyle the wyl
	Clericus
	Doe wey, fole, thi blamyng
12	And ffle a-way owt of this lond
	ffor a woman ys a wel fayre thyn
	And trew for to fend
	Bryght & schene, myld of mode
16	off dedys good & hend
	Nyghtyngale, I telle the, my fod
	That thou darst women a-schend
	Philomena
	Be styl, clerk, & hold thi mowth
20	And let gabbyng a throwe
	This lesyng ys wel wyde cowde
	That may al folk know
	Clerk, be a appyl thou myght se
24	Sownd with-owtte and grene,
	And in the core rotyd be
	So faryth a woman, I wene.
	thou seyth thei be all hend & good,
28	To doe al mannes wyll
	[...]
	And ther-for, clerke, be styl
	Clericus
	Whan thou wylt al master be
32	And thy wyl al-wey haue
	O thyng I be-seche the -
	As I scall be thy knaue
	And as thou art hend and ffre
36	And Comyn off good blode
	How schall I, tell thow me
	To know the trew and the good
	Philomena
	Clerk, ylk trew woman hath vpon
40	With-owt any lesyng
	A robbe of grey marbyl ston
	And of gret cumpasyng
	Ylk a woman that ys go
44	May doe gret merveyle
	A-reche the sky with hur fot
	With-owtyn any fayle
	And yyt sche do, the lady good
48	With her rokkes gor
	Sche may spred al ynglonde -
	Schyp, sayle, & eke ore
	They schul be god wan god ys dede
52	And afterward maad all new
	Now take, clerk, thi best rede,
	ffor women schul neuer be trewe
	Clericus
	Alas, nyghtyngale, alas
56	Me rewyth that ilke stownde
	Thow hast I-broght me on a cas;
	I wene I fal to grownde
	My hert wyll be berst
60	Alas my lyf ys to long
	The to smyte I ame prest
	Hens, but that thou be goyng
	Ne blame thou women ne more
64	ffor-soth I rede the
	Thow shalt aby yt fful dere
	Hennys, but that thow ffle!
	Philomena
	Nay, clerk, for thi curtesy
68	Mys-doe thow me ryght noght
	I wold theym preyse by & by,
	Y wyle chaunge my thoght
	I preyse women that be good
72	What afterward be-fall
	They be full of curtesy & mood
	In boure & eke in hall
	Haue good day, clerk ffre
76	ffro the wyll y wende
	Take hede what that I haue seyd th
	ffro the bygynnyng to the ende.
	Loue where thy ert may be-happe
80	What-so-euer sche be
	And sche schal make a glasyn cappe,
	And to skorn lawth the
	ffare-wel, clerk, & haue goodday
84	No more wyl I spute.
	Now wyl I fare in my way
	I rede thou to my wordys take hede
	Explicit disputacio inter Clericum et Philomenam etc

Secular Lyrics of the XIV and XV Centuries, ed. by R.H. Robbins. 2nd ed. Oxford 1968:176-179.)