“A louerd, merci! get iſ ðor on
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migt he nogt fro his fader gon;
He iſ gungeſt, hoten beniamin,
for we ben alle of ebriſſe kin.” | “One,” the brethren said, “is at home with his father.” |
“Nu, bi ðe feið ic og to king pharaon,
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ſule ge nogt alle eðen gon,
Til ge me bringen beniamin,
ða gungeſte broðer of pore kin.”
For ðo waſ Ioſep ſore for-dred
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ðat he wore oc ðhurg hem for-red;
He dede hem binden, and leden dun, | [Fol. 43.]
Quoth Joseph, “Ye shall not all go hence, until ye bring me Benjamin.” |
And ſperen faſte in his priſun;
ðe ðridde dai he let hem gon,
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Al but ðe ton broðer ſymeon;
ðiſ ſymeon bi-lef ðor in bond,
To wedde under Ioſepes hond.
ðes oðere breðere, ſone on-on,
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Token leue and wenten hom; | He kept them in prison, and on the third day let them all go except Simeon. |
And ſone he weren ðeden went,
Wel ſore he hauen hem bi-ment,
And ſeiden hem ðan ðor bi-twen, | The others bemoaned their ill-luck. |
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“Wrigtful we in ſorwe ben,
for we ſinigeden quilum or
On hure broðer michil mor,
for we werneden him merci,
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Nu drege we ſorge al for-ði.”
Wende here non it on hiſ mod,
Oc Ioſep al it under-ſtod. | They thought of their sin towards Joseph. |
Ioſepes men ðor quiles deden
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Al-ſo Ioſep hem adde beden; | Joseph’s men did, meanwhile, as they were commanded, |
ðo breðere ſeckes hauen he filt,
And in euerilc ðe ſiluer pilt
ðat ðor was paid for ðe coren,
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And bunden ðe muðes ðor bi-foren;
Oc ðe breðere ne wiſten it nogt
Hu ðis dede wurðe wrogt; | [Fol. 43b.]
and filled the brothers’ sacks, and placed in them the money paid for the corn. |