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a collection of literature from poets, bards, songwriters, and skalds in the SCA

I cast myself before thy shrine

olivier's picture
olivier
Poem (Canso): 

I cast myself before thy shrine
And pray for mercies sweet and fine
Before thy feet I bow and kneel,
In supplication to thy will.
Mine hymn is the larks melodye
By which I swear myself to thee.
Mine idol art thou, who hath rent
This heart, and yet doth it torment.
Mine angel art thou, euer pure
To keep mine eyes toward heauens door.
If thou might not my wish fulfill,
I ask: let me worship thee still.

Documentation / Explanation (Razo): 

This is a a Middle English (well, to be honest it kind of spans Middle English to Early Modern English) translation of my Occitan poem Me giet davan de ton autar. I wrote this ME version for a book I printed and bound for Atlantian Twelfth Night AS XL; while I was more interested in the Occitan songs, I knew the book's reader base would not be - so I wanted to provide facing translations for those who might otherwise feel lost (or at least more lost than if they just read these ME poems). I did not base this on any particular lyric, but rather wanted to imitate the general style of the 15th c. anonymous ME lyric repertoire.