| The Prologe of the Prioresses Tale. |
| Domine dominus noster. |
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| "O lord oure lord, thy name how merveillous |
| Is in this large world ysprad," quod she |
| "For noght oonly thy laude precious |
| Parfourned is by men of dignitee, |
5 | But by the mouth of children thy bountee |
| Parfourned is, for on the brest soukynge |
| Somtyme shewen they thyn heriynge. |
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| Wherfore in laude, as I best kan or may, |
| Of thee, and of the whyte lylye flour |
10 | Which that the bar, and is a mayde alway, |
| To telle a storie I wol do my labour; |
| Nat that I may encressen hir honour, |
| For she hirself is honour, and the roote |
| Of bountee, next hir sone, and soules boote. |
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15 | O mooder Mayde! O mayde Mooder free! |
| O bussh unbrent, brennynge in Moyses sighte, |
| That ravysedest doun fro the deitee |
| Thurgh thyn humblesse, the Goost that in th'alighte, |
| Of whos vertu, whan he thyn herte lighte, |
20 | Conceyved was the Fadres sapience, |
| Help me to telle it in thy reverence. |
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| Lady, thy bountee, thy magnificence, |
| Thy vertu, and thy grete humylitee, |
| Ther may no tonge expresse in no science, |
25 | For somtyme, lady, er men praye to thee, |
| Thou goost biforn of thy benyngnytee |
| And getest us the lyght, thurgh thy preyere, |
| To gyden us unto thy Sone so deere. |
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| My konnyng is so wayk, O blisful Queene, |
30 | For to declare thy grete worthynesse, |
| That I ne may the weighte nat susteene, |
| But as a child of twelf monthe oold, or lesse, |
| That kan unnethes any word expresse, |
| Right so fare I; and therfore I yow preye, |
35 | Gydeth my song that I shal of yow seye." |
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The Prologue to the Prioress’s Tale
Domine dominus noster: O Lord, our Lord (Psalm 8)
‘O Lord, our Lord, your name how marvellous
It is, far spread in this great world!’ quoth she,
‘For not only is your praise, most precious,
Celebrated by men of dignity,
But in the mouths of children your bounty
Is celebrated too; for at the breast sucking
Sometimes they’ll display their thanksgiving.

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