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Bewnans Ke
The Life of St Kea
By Graham Thomas, Nicholas Williams University of Exeter Press
Copyright © 2006 Graham C. G. Thomas and Nicholas J. A. Williams
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-85989-899-7
CHAPTER 1
Bewnans Ke
f. 1r KELADOCUS surgit
1 Gorthyans thu'm Arluth a nef
a vynnas clowas ow lef.
E weras....
Sa' ban in hanow an Tas
ha'n Mab ker ha'n Spurys Mas
ha ke sa....
TERTIUS PASTOR surgit de dormitione
2 Me re goskas in teffry
ha der hun eth evely
them ow bos degys in ban
ha ny wylyn da na drog.
Kyn fena gorys the grog,
ny won eth e ahanan,
3 saw un voys whek a belder
a-ughaf in uhelder
ow kowsal cler
a leveris pur ylyn:
"Devethys o the dirmyn,
saw lemmyn un marth a wher:
der vyrtu a pyjadow
te a dryl heb faladow,
dyl vyn Du a'th prennas ker."
SECUNDUS PASTOR
4 By God! te a ve marow
ha me avel mordarow
owth ola hag owth owtya.
PRIMUS PASTOR
Dowtya a ren ha crya
ha parugy the fya.
Drog o the gan owth owtya.
Et sic recedunt opiliones sive pastores.
KELADOCUS
5 The Jesu gorthyans ha gras,
eth esaf ynhe tho'm plas
ys del desefsan ow bos.
Et ibit Keladocus super lapidem iterum et manebit sedens.
Gans gras theworth an Dryngys
an men a'm deg desympys
pur own neb e fenna' mos.
6 Tyrhys of quick ha deson.
Nebas e won ow nacion
i'n bys ma. Ple ma ow bos?
Christ, der vertu a'th passyon,
ament thym ow carnacyon,
Du ha den kepar del os.
FORESTARIUS
7 Wel we met, cosyn, forsoth
'barth in forest ow arluth.
The wruthyl pyth o the dowl?
The negys them menag a,
py te a 'fyth edrega,
kyn fes tregys gans an Jowl!
KELADOCUS
8 Ow negys ny wothvethys
na worship te ny 'fethyth.
The gens awos cog-thywys
me a'th syns ge pur harlot,
mar qureta torn mer unsot
dell egys thym ow tewys.
FORESTARIUS
9 The worthyb stowt thym ew bern
Bys in Gooddron the'n myghtern
inter trus ha lappanow
me a'th wor thy heb astal.
Ena ema y gastall
ha Teuthar ew e hanaw.
[forest. Gooddron. gastell]
f. 1v
KELADOCUS
10 .... so
.... tho
gans gras Du, war ow ena!
....r fol
m.... gosal
der reson kin tremena.
FORESTARIUS
11 A, the'th corf ancombryngy!
Dar, fol e reta sengy
Teuthar an arluth gwella?
Gogy pan ves denethys.
The dermyn ew devethys.
Ny'th ues bewa nafella.
Tunc forestarius et Keladocus veniunt coram rege Teutharo.
12 Lowena thys, Syr Teuthar,
abarth y'th towr!
Lowena thys, corf heb par,
ha mer honour
drys peb i'n bys!
An keth gwas ma us gena',
me a'n cafas, ru'm ena!
i'n forest ha'n yet degys.
TEUTHARUS
13 Te javal, ew henna gwyr?
Lavar heb gow!
A bele teta the'n tyr?
Menyk the bow
whath ha'th tyman!
Ho ys thy lord? tel me that!
Ase rusta hager prat!
Gogy dyndyl kimmes blam!
KELADOCUS
14 Yf thow wylt her the clen ryght,
truly, syr kyng,
my Lord ys God of al myght,
that mad al thyng,
both gret and smal,
ha me a vyth gylwys Ke.
Drys moer a Golan i'n dre
nowyth e tof, re Vyhal!
[i'n dre Golan]
15 Ow lester a ve lehan
drys mor pour thown.
Nyng ew repref tho'm ehan
hag awos own,
me a dyrhas
i'n forest a Rosewa.
Ne ren vry pew a's pewa,
kyn fe va arluth mar vras.
[lehan veen. Ke a dyrhas i'n forest a Rosewa.]
TEUTHARUS
16 A, out warnas, traytor puer!
Lader eth oys.
Me a wor e lytste sur
abarth o'm coys
ran a'm kyrwas.
Re Syn Jovyn a'n cur loys!
me a vyn gwelas the woys.
Te a verew inter hyrwas.
KELADOCUS
17 Gas cres, rag den melygas
os er the weu.
Ne hevelyth benegas
nag abartu,
heb falladow,
rag me re'th clowas ow ty
the Jovyn plos gweth ys ky,
drog-el ha dyawl casadow.
Teutharus descendit in theatrum
TEUTHARUS
Out, out, out!
18 A! out! pleth af the guthy?
Galsaf in fol!
An Jowl re dueth thu'm cuthy
in mes a'e dol!
By Godys arme!
gans gwas eth of deuwenhys
ha'm du Jovyn eselhys!
Ogh, ponvogyk ew ow garme!
19 Lavor uskys, te jaudyn,
raf casadow,
pan du us gwel ys Jovyn,
an caradow,
thym the gregy,
po te a verew der passyon,
kin fe Soudan Babylon
omma ragas ow pegy.
KELADOCUS
20 Fy the Jovyn, tebel-el!
Henna ew dyowl pur.
Nyng es Du saw onyn lel
thynny in sur,
neb a rug nef
ha mmyns us gwrys
i'n bys warbarth.
A'm dyrryvas
na gemer marth.
Na'n cryssa a'n gevith gref.
f. 2r
TEUTHARUS
Mar quruk the Thew nor ha nef
ha myns us grys,
lavar thym pleth eya ef,
ha me a'th pys,
kyns bos neb tra.
I'n ur na tyller nyns o.
Desympys gorthyb thymmo
ha gas clowas reson da.
[Pyth esa Du kyns bos neb tra?]
KELADOCUS
22 Scon te a vyth gorthybys
heb hyrwyge:
eth ese in e thowgys
Deu ow trega
ha whath ema,
ha'y dengys us recevys
in Du parfyt, me a grys,
a'n Worthyas Ker Marya.
[Five leaves are wanting.]
f. 1r
ST KEA stands up
1 Worship to my Lord of heaven
who wished to hear my voice.
Help him....
Stand up in the name of the Father
and the dear Son and the Holy Spirit
and go....
THIRD SHEPHERD rises from sleep
2 Indeed I have been asleep
and in a dream it seemed
to me that I was lifted up
and I saw neither good nor bad.
Though I were hanged,
I know not whether he has gone hence,
3 but a sweet voice afar
above me in the sky
speaking clearly
said quite distinctly:
"Your time has come,
but now a miracle will happen:
by the power of prayer
you will return indeed,
as God who dearly redeemed you wishes."
SECOND SHEPHERD
4 By God! you were dead
and I like a bull-seal
weeping and yelling.
FIRST SHEPHERD
We were afraid and cried
and prepared to flee.
Ill was your song when you bellowed.
And thus the shepherds or herdsmen withdraw.
ST KEA
5 To Jesus worship and thanks,
I am closer to my place
than I would have thought I was.
And St Kea mounts the stone again and will remain seated.
Through grace from the Trinity
the stone will take me straight
exactly where I wish to go.
6 I have landed quick and sharp.
Little I know my own nation
in this world. Where is my sustenance?
Christ, by the power of your passion,
correct my fleshly nature,
as you are God and man.
FORESTER
7 Well we meet, cousin, indeed
within the forest of my lord.
What was it your intention to do?
Tell me your business,
or you'll regret it,
though you may dwell with the Devil!
ST KEA
8 My business you shall not know
nor will you receive respect.
Rather because of worthless intent
I shall consider you a very rascal,
if you do such an unkind turn
as you are choosing for me.
FORESTER
9 Your insolent answer is cause for concern to me.
Unto Goodern to the king
by your foot and your lapel
I shall carry you there without delay.
There is his castle
and Teudar is his name.
[forest. Goodern. castle]
f. 1v
ST KEA
10 ....
....
with the grace of God, upon my soul!
.... upon a fool
.... quiet
by reason before passing.
FORESTER
11 Oh, confusion on your body!
What! Do you consider Teudar,
the best of lords, to be a fool?
Woe to you that you were born.
Your time has come.
You cannot live any longer.
Then the forester and St Kea come before King Teudar.
12 Hail to you, Sir Teudar,
within your tower!
Hail to you, a person without peer,
and great honour
beyond all men in the world!
This same fellow who is with me,
I caught him, upon my soul!
in the forest with the gate shut.
TEUDAR
13 You scoundrel, is this true?
Speak without lie!
From whence do you come to the region?
Declare your country
and further your domain!
Who is your lord? tell me that!
What an evil trick you have done!
Woe to you for deserving so much blame!
ST KEA
14 If you will hear the clean right,
truly, sir king,
my lord is God of all might,
that made everything,
both great and small,
and I am called Kea.
Over the sea from Colan to the dwelling-place
I am newly come, by St Michael!
[into the town from Colan]
15 My vessel was a slab of stone
over deepest sea.
There is no rebuke to my kindred
and, because I was afraid,
I landed
in the forest of Rosewa.
I cared not who owned it,
be he a lord never so great.
[stone slab. Ke landed in the forest of Rosewa.]
TEUDAR
16 Oh, out with you, very traitor!
You are a robber.
I know indeed that you have stolen
within my wood
some of my stags.
By Saint Jovyn of the holy court!
I will see your blood.
You will die between harrows.
ST KEA
17 Shut up! For an accursed man
you are to your detriment.
You do not seem blessed
nor upon the side of God,
without fail,
for I heard you swearing
to filthy Jovyn worse than a cur,
an evil angel and a detestable demon.
Teudar comes down in the theatre.
TEUDAR
Out, out, out!
18 Oh! out! where can I go to hide?
I have gone mad!
The Devil has come to torment me
out of his hole!
By God's arm!
by a fellow I am afflicted
and Jovyn, my god, despised!
Oh, woeful is my cry!
19 Say quickly, you rascal,
loathsome rubbish,
which god is better than Jovyn,
the beloved,
for me to believe,
or you will die by torment,
though the Sultan of Babylon were
here interceding for you.
ST KEA
20 Fie upon the devil Jovyn!
He is a very devil.
There is no God but one indeed
for us surely,
who made heaven
and all that is created
in the world together.
Of what I say
be not astounded.
Who believes it not will suffer grief.
f. 2r
TEUDAR
21 If your God made earth and heaven
and all that is created,
tell me where was he,
and I beseech you,
before anything was.
At that point there was nowhere.
Answer me immediately
and let good sense be heard.
[Where was God before anything existed?]
ST KEA
22 Soon you will be answered
without long delay:
God was in his godhead
certainly residing
and he still is,
and his manhood is received
as perfect God, I believe,
from the Blessed Virgin Mary.
f. 1r
Kela [top of leaf eaten by mice] surgit [top of leaf eaten by mice]
1 Gorthyans thum arluth anef / a vynnas clowas ow lef / e weras [top of leaf eaten by mice] / saf in ban in hanow an tas / han mab ker han spuryssans [spurys mas written above spuryssans] / ha ke sa [top of leaf eaten by mice]
IIJ PASTOR surgit de dormitione
2 me regoskas in teffry / ha der hvn ethevely / them ow bos degys in ban / Ha ny wylyn da na drog / kyn fena gorys the grog / nywon ethe A hanan
3 Saw vn voys whek A belder / A vghaf in vhelder / ow kowsal cler / A leveris pur ylyn / Devethys o the dirmyn / saw lemmyn vn marth A wher / Der vyrtu A pyjadow / te a dryl heb faladow / dyl vyn dv ath prennas ker
IJUS PASTOR
4 By god te a ve marow / Ha me avel mordarow / ow thola hag owthowtya
JUS PASTOR
owtya aren ha crya / ha parugy the fya / drog e the gan ow towtya et sic recederunt opilion [edge of leaf torn] siue pastores
Keladocus
5 The Iesu gorthyans ha gras / e thesaf ynhe thom plas / ys del desefsan ow bos & ibit Keladocus super lapide iter [edge of leaf torn] et moniebat loens gans gras the worth an dryngys / an men am deg desympys / pur own neb e fenna mos
6 Tyrhys of quick ha deson / nebas e won ow nacion / in bysma plema ow bos / Christ der vertu ath passyon /
Ament ow carnacyon / dv ha den kep delos
FORESTRANI FORESTRARIUS
7 Wele met cosyn forsoth / barth in forest ow arluth / the wruthyl pytho the dowl / the negys them menaga / py tea fyth e drega / kyn fes tregys gans an Iowl
Keladocus
8 ow negys ny wothvethys / na worship te ny fethyth / the gens awos gog thywys / me ath syns pur harlot / mar qvreta torn mervnsort / dellegys thym ow tewys
FORESTARIUS
9 The worthyb stowt thym ew bern / bys in Gooddron then myghtern / in [bottom of leaf eaten by mice] trush ye lappanow / me ath worthy heb astal / ena ema y gastall / [bottom of leaf eaten by mice] r ew e hanaw [in left-hand margin: forest Gooddron gastell]
f.1v
[bottom of leaf eaten by mice] DOCUS
10 [top of leaf eaten by mice]so / [top of leaf eaten by mice] tho / gans gras dv war ow ena / [top of leaf eaten by mice] r fol / m [top of leaf eaten by mice] gosal / der Reson kintremena
[top of leaf eaten by mice] EUS
11 A theth corf Ancombryngy / Dar fol e reta sengy / Tethar an arluth gwella / gogy pan ves denethys / the dermyn ew devethys / nythues bewa nafella
Tunc forestarius et Keladocus veniunt coram rege Tetharo
12 lowena thys syr Tethar / A barth yth towr / lowena thys corf heb parow / ha mer honour / drys peb in bys / An kerth gwas ma vs gena / me An cafas rum ena / in forest han yet degys
Tetharus
13 Te Iaval ew henna gwyr / lavar heb gow / A bel eta then tyr / menyk the bow / what hath thy man [what hath thy mam written above what hath thy man] / ho ys thy lord tel me that / A serusta hager prot / gogy dyndyl kimmes blam
Keladocus
14 yf thow wylt her the clen ryght / truly syr kyng / my lord ys god of al myght / that mad al thyngs / both gret & smal / ha me a vyth gylwys ke / drys voer A Golan in dre / nowyth etof re vyhal [left-hand margin: in dre Golan]
15 ow lester a ve lehan / drys mor pour thown / nyngew repref thom ehan / hag awos own / me a dyrhas / In forest A Rosewa / ne ren vry pewas pewa / kynfeva arluth mar vras [left-hand margin: lehan veen, Ke a dyrhas in forest a Rosewa]
Tetharus
16 A out warnas traytor puer / lader athoys / me a wor elytste sur / a barth om coys / ran am kyrwas / re syn Iovyn an crir loys / me a vyn gwelas the woys / te a verew inter hyrwas
[edge of leaf torn] ADOCUS
17 Gas cres rag den melygas / os er the wev / ne hevelyth benegas / nag a bartv / heb falladow / Rag me reih clowas ow ty / The lovyn plos gweth ys ky / drog elha dyawl casadow
Tetharus Discendit theatro
Tethasius
ot. ot. ot.
18 A out plethaf the guthy / galsaf in fol / An Iowl rodueth thum cvthy / in mes e dol / by godf arme / gans gwas ethof devwenhys / ham dv Iovyn eselhys / ogh ponvogyk ewow garne
19 lavor vskys te Iavdyn / raf casadow / pan dv vs gwel ys Iovyn / An caradow / thym the gregy / po te A verew der passyon / kinfe Iovdan babylon / omma ragas ow pegy
Keladocus
20 ffy the Iovyn te b]bottom of leaf eaten by mice, the b only partially presentjel / henna ew dyow pur / nynges dv saw ony [bottom of leaf eaten by micejel / thynny in sur / neb a rug nof / hammyns vs gwry [bottom of leaf eaten by mice] / [bottom of leaf eaten by mice] barth / Am dyrryvas / [bottom of leaf eaten by mice] rth / nan cryssa an gevith gwef
f. 2r
Tetharius
21 Mar quruk the thew nor ha nef / ha myns vs grys [y altered from e] / lavar thym pletheya ef / ha me ath pys / kyns bos neb tra / in vrna tyrler nynso / desympys gorthyb thymmo / ha gas clowas reson da [left-hand margin: py thesa dv kyns bos nebtra]
Keladocus
22 Scon te a vyth gorthybys / heb hyrvyge / etheso dv in e thowgys / suer ow trega / ha whath ema / ha gengys vs recevys / in dv parfyt me a grys / An worthyas ker marya [left-hand margin: eth ese in e thowgys Dev ow trega]
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Bewnans Ke by Graham Thomas, Nicholas Williams. Copyright © 2006 Graham C. G. Thomas and Nicholas J. A. Williams. Excerpted by permission of University of Exeter Press.
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