Dødedans i London



	Biskop & godsejer.

Dethe to the Bysshoppe

Mi lorde Sire Bisshop / with 3owre mitre & crose
For al 3owre riches / sotheli I ensure
For al 3owre tresowre / so longe kepte in clos
3owre worldli godes / & godes of nature
And of 3owre shepe / the gostli dredeful cure
With charge comytted / to 3owre [gosteli] prelacie
For to accounte / 3e shul be brow3t to lure
No wight is sure / that clymbeth ouer hye.

Døden til biskoppen

3owre: your
sotheli: truthfully

accounte: regnskab(1), brow3t to lure: kaldt tilbage(2)
wight: mand, person

The Bysshop answereth

Mi herte trewly / is nowether glad ne meri
Of sodeyne tidinges / whiche that 3e bringe
Mi festes turned / in to simple ferie
That for discomforte / me liste no thyng synge
The worlde contrarie / now to me In werkynge
That al folkes / can so disherite
He that al with-halte / allas atte owre partynge
And al shal passe / safe oneli owre merite.

Biskoppen svarer

ferie: [almindelig] ugedag

Dethe to the Squyere

Come forthe Sire Squyer / fight fressh of 3owre arai
That can of daunces / al the newe gyse
Thow3 3e bare armes / fressh horsed 3isterdai
With spere & shelde / atte 3owre vncouthe deuyse
And t[o]ke on 3ow / so many hye Emprise
Daunceth with vs / hit wille no better be
Ther is no sokoure / in no maner wise
For no man mai / fro dethes stroke fle.

Døden til godsejeren

gyse: fashion

hit: it

fro: from

X, The Squyere answereth

Sitthen that dethe / me holdeth in his lace
3itte shal I speke / oo worde or I pace
Adieu al myrthe / adieu [now ] al solace
Adieu my ladyes / somme-tyme so fressh of face
Adieu beaute / plesaun[ce] & solace
Of dethes chaunge / eueri dai is pryme
Thynketh [o]n 3owre sowles / or that deth manace
For al shal rote / & no man wote what tyme.

Godsejeren svarer

Sitthen: siden, efter, lace: snøre
3itte: yet, oo: a, or: before, pace: go

somme-tyme: tidligere

or: before, manace: truer
wote: véd

(1) regnskab...: Den døde forventedes at afgive en rapport over sit liv & levned. Sammenlign med Romerne 14,12: »Altså skal hver af os gøre Gud Regnskab for sig selv« og 1^ste Peter 4,5: »men de skulle gøre ham Regnskab, som er rede til at dømme levende og døde«.

(2) brow3t to lure...: En "lure" var et bundt fjer for enden af en snor, som falkoneren brugte for at kalde høgen hjem. (brow3t = brought).