Loth hem warnede, wiſlike and wel,
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Oc he ne troweden him neuere a del. | Lot warned his sons-in-law in vain. |
On morgen quan day cam hem to,
Loth and hiſ dogtres two | The angels led Lot and his family out of Sodom, |
| Ledden ðiſ angeles ut in ſel, | [Fol. 22.] |
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And boden hem and tagten wel,
ðat here non wente agen,
for non ðhing he migte ſen. | and bade them turn not back. |
Loth waſ wanſum, and ðugte long
1100
vp to ðo dunes ðe weie hard and ſtrong; | Lot thought the way to the hills hard and strong. |
“Louerd,” quat he, “gunde under dun,
mot hic ben borgen in ðat tun!”
ðo angeles ſeiden, “we ſulen it ſren,
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ðor quile ðu wilt ðor-inne ben; | He intreated that he might dwell in Segor. |
Ai waſ borgen bala-ſegor
ðor quile ðat loth dwelledde ðor; | This city was safe while Lot abode there; |
Oc ſiðen loth wente ut of hine,
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brende it ðhunder, ſanc it erðe-dine.
Sone ſo loth ut of ſodome cam, | when he left it, it was destroyed. |
brend-fier-rein ðe burge bi-nam;
Hardere wreche ðor waſ cumen
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ðan ear was vnder flode numen; | Sodom was destroyed by fire, |
for men ðor ſinne un-kinde deden,
ſo for-ſanc and brente ðat ſteden;
So bitter-like iſ it for-don,
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Ne mai non dain waſſen ðor-on;
So for-ſanc ðat folc ſinful ðor,
ſwilc ſinful ſinne wex ðer nunmor. | for sin and “unkind deeds.” |
Ðo lotes wif wente hire a-gon,
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Sone ghe ſtod, wente in to a ſton; | Lot’s wife turned back, and “went into a stone.” |
So iſt nu forwent mirie dale
In to dririhed and in to bale,
ðe ſwarte flum, ðe dede ſe,
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Non fiſ, non fuel ðor-inne mai be.
ðat water iſ ſo deades driuen, | [Fol. 22b.]
Thus is this merry dale turned into a swarthy lake. |
| Non ðing ne mai ðor-inne liuen; | Nothing may live therein. |