This scroll was presented last September at Gryphon’s Fest. I wrote it after the Chaucerian style, rhyming couplets iambic pentameter, in the Middle English of the second half of the fourteenth century. The text itself has only 176 words as it was intended to be written as a label on a jar for Emeline’s vinegar and, therefore, had to be short and sweet.
I realized afterwards that I completely missed an iamb in the second stanza, but I’m still proud of my work. (Writing in Middle English is no small fete!) In the near future, I’ll post a recording of how the text is meant to sound in the original pronunciation.
On a personal, nerdy, note, I love Middle English… the words lend themselves to this almost lilting sound and the language’s Germanic roots, while being inundated with French influences, still shine through. Interestingly enough, consonants are also dropped far less in this earlier form of English, as I’ve recently discovered was also the case for Middle French during this period, highlighting how our written language is no more immune to the use of superfluous components than its cousins.
The Tale of Emeline
Whan that Falles harvest was ful and past And bryghte Somers soote and grene gras Hath changed into gold and into broun, The Falcons golde sonne and roial coroun Maken progresse from the North and West Unto the Rivers Baronne hem held best.
Good Kynge Damien as he stond tal
Call’d to hym a Bee that weren small, And Quene Issabell, the Wys and Juste, Heeste that the Silver Hammer muste,
Be gerdoun to a Mayd who hath such skill As wolden sour wyn unto hir will.
Thanne Mageste Knyght and Issabell Called hir Silver Hammers for to knell And brynge into hir rowte a lusty Beaux, Kene and kunne Emeline de Moulineaux. And a’ the prees fayn made goodly chere For everichon held hir most dere.
Eek avowed the Kynge and hise Queen Thre vineyards hir yave to Emeline,
And eek all sour wyn to mak vinegar,
And twenty casks of good to yaf hir chere.
In the 52ND yere, on this Day,
30th, Septembre, and so We Say,
Damien II Isabell II
KYNGE QUENE
My Lady Mother 