Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A MIRACLE OF OUR LADY, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A MIRACLE OF OUR LADY, by                    
First Line: Whoso loves our lady aye / she his love will well repay
Last Line: "mary maid, by this, thy might, / bring us safe to heaven so bright!"
Subject(s): Mary. Mother Of Jesus;women - Bible; Virgin Mary


WHOSO loves Our Lady aye
She his love will well repay,
Whether life or death his share;
Gracious is she, e'en as fair
As this tale doth truly tell
Which in Paris once befell.

In that city, long ago,
A poor child went to and fro;
As a beggar, would he win
Food and drink for this, his kin,
Father, mother, up and down
Begged his way throughout the town.

With his mouth his bread he won,
Other craft the boy had none,
Save his voice so sweet and clear,
All men joyed his song to hear;
With his notes that rang so sweet
He gat food from street to street,
All men hearkened readily
The Antiphon of Our Ladie.

And men called the song, I wis,
"Alma Mater Redemptoris."
Would ye now its meaning hear,
"Hail the Saviour's Mother dear!
Gate of Heaven, Star of the Sea,
Save the souls that trust in thee."
On that song men set great store
As he sang from door to door.

But so sweetly rang the song
All the Jews waxed wroth ere long;
Till it chanced, one Saturday,
That his road thro' Jewry lay,
Loud he sang the song, and clear,
Well he loved the words to hear,
To the Jews 't was loath alway --
So they thought the child to slay.

One, on evil purpose bent,
Bade him enter, well content;
Seized the child, and with a knife,
Cut his throat, and took his life.
Ill the deed, and foul the wrong,
Yet it might not stay the song,
Even when that deed was done
Way to silence him was none!

Then the Jew, full sore afraid
Lest his malice be displayed,
Down a sewer-hole, full nigh,
Thrust the corpse right secretly;
Down the hole the child he threw,
Yet the song burst forth anew;
Lustily it rang, the cry
Of a boy's voice, clear and high.
All men heard, both far and near,
Piercing rang the notes, and clear.

The child's mother, patiently,
Till the noontide sun was high,
Waited, that he homeward bare
Food and drink, with them to share.
Noontide came, and noontide passed,
And the mother, sore aghast,
In dismay, thro' every street
Sought, where she her boy might meet.

When she came to Jewery
Lo! his voice rang sweet and high,
Clearer as she nigher drew --
Where he was right well she knew.
Then she prayed her child to see --
But the Jew spake, verily,
No such child was there alway --
Yet she ceased not to pray --
Quoth her boy was there indeed --
Still the Jew denied her rede.

Said the woman: "Thou art wrong,
He is here, I hear his song."
Still the Jew he steadfast sware
No such child had passed by there.
None the less all men might hear
How the song rang loud and clear,
And the longer, louder grew,
Far and near his voice they knew.

On her way she went anon,
Hath to mayor and bailiff gone,
Saith: the Jew he did her wrong,
Stole her child for this his song.
Prayeth of them law and right,
That her son be brought to sight;
Prays the mayor, of Charitie
From his bonds her boy to free.

Then she tells, the folk among,
How she lived by this, his song --
The mayor pitied her withal,
Did the folk together call,
Told them of the mother's plight,
Quoth, he would do law and right,
Bade the folk with him to wend
To bring the matter to an end.

They came with clamour loud and noise,
Yet o'er all they heard the voice,
As an angel's, to their ear
Loud it rang, so sweet and clear,
The mayor forced the door forthright
Bade them bring the boy to sight.
No more might the Jew refuse,
Otherwise himself excuse,
But confessed his deed of wrong --
Brought to judgment by a song!

The mayor to seek the boy was bound --
In the sewer the corpse they found,
Drowned deep in filth -- straightway
Forth 't was drawn to light of day.
Filth and grime the corpse besmear,
Slit the throat from ear to ear, --
Ere the folk would wend their way
For his crime the Jew must pay.

Then the Bishop, verily,
Came, this wonder fain to see,
In his presence, loud and clear,
Sang the child, for all to hear.
With his hand the Bishop sought
To the throat, and forth he brought
A lily flower, so glistening white
Fairer none had seen with sight,
On its leaves, in gold, I wis,
"Alma Mater Redemptoris!"

As the lily forth they take
Of that song an end they make,
These sweet notes are heard no more,
'T was a dumb, dead corpse they bore.
Then in guise most solemn, all
As the Bishop bade, withal,
Through the town the corpse they bare
(He himself would with them fare,)
With priest and clerk, who well could sing,
While the bells he bade them ring;
With lighted torch, and incense sweet
To that corpse do honour meet.
To the Minster came they then,
Did as meet for all dead men,
Sang a Mass of Requiem fair --
Soon they stood astonied there
Rose the corpse the clerks among,
"Salve Sancta Parens, sung.

The child, as men right well might see,
Well had loved Our Sweet Ladie,
Here she honoured him, I wis,
And his soul she brought to bliss.
So I rede that every man
Do her service, as he can,
Yield her love, as best he may,
She that love will well repay,
Mary Maid, by this, thy might,
Bring us safe to Heaven so bright!





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