(no subject)

[rymenhild]

In reply to angevin2's poem of the day, the entirely innocent, innuendo-free poem I have a gentil cok, I share this equally non-phallic fifteenth-century lyric. For your reference, "Prenegard" means "beware" or "take care" in Old (Middle?) French, and a "baselard" is a kind of dagger.

Prenegard, Prenegard

Lesteneth, lordinges, I you beseke!
There is none man worth a leke,
But he sturdy, but he meke,
But he bere a baselard.

Mine baselard hath a schede of red,
And a clene loket of led;
Me thinketh I may bere up mine hed,
For I bere mine baselard.

My baselard hath a wrethen hafte.
Whan I am full of ale caught,
It is grete dred of manslaughte,
For then I bere mine baselard.

My baselard hath a silver chape;
Therefore I may both gaspe and gape.
Me thinketh I go like none knape,
For I bere a baselard.

My baselard hath a trencher kene,
Fair as rasour scharp and schene.
Ever me thinketh I may be kene,
For I bere a baselard.

As I yede up in the strete,
With a cartere I gan mete.
‘Felawe,’ he seide, ‘so mote I the
Thou shalt forego thy baselard.’

The cartere his whippe began to take,
And all mine fleich began to quake,
And I was lefe for to ascape;
And there I left mine baselard.

Whan I cam forth unto mine damme,
Mine hed was broken to the panne;
Sche seide I was a praty manne,
And well coude bere mine baselard.

In other news, I am not studying tonight.

It's going to be a long weekend.

Comments

[elettaria.livejournal.com]

And there I left mine baselard.

Was it you or angevin2 who'd been muttering something about a text featuring a detachable penis lately, and either way, is this it?

Nothing like some very obsolute smut for starting the day with, thank you.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

I was not doing the muttering, but nevertheless, I feel sure that if this is not the text referred to, there must be two of them.

awesome userpic of Duke Humfreys!

[vasovagalvegan.livejournal.com]

Hi! Are you in Oxford? I assume you are, as your userpic appears to be Duke Humfrey's library. Can I pilfer it? I love DH and would move in if I could.

I'm doing an MSt in Medieval English and hoping to convert to DPhil in October.

:)

Re: awesome userpic of Duke Humfreys!

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

Alas, no, I am not at Oxford. I'm working towards a PhD in medieval English at a large American university. I did some research at DH last summer, though, and I fell madly in love with the whole damp place.

Yes, you may pilfer, but please credit. :)

[gramarye1971]

I cannot help but fit a jaunty tune to this in my head.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

Feel free to share the jaunty tune, if you can find a way to convey it over the Internet.

[gramarye1971]

*listens carefully to tune-in-head* It appears to be a bastardisation of 'Sir Roger de Coverley'. Or at least that's as near to it as I can explain. I am afraid to make a voice-post of it, because it is verging on becoming an ear-worm and if it settles in my brain I'm doomed.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

I used to know the tune to "Sir Roger", but I can't remember it. Fortunately I'm going to the Victorian ball tonight, so I ought to be reminded!

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

Also, that icon is hilarious.