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¹ I made couenaunt with myn iyen, that Y schulde not thenke of a virgyn.² For what part schulde God aboue haue in me, and eritage Almyyti God of hiye thingis?³ Whether perdicioun is not to a wickid man, and alienacioun of God is to men worchynge wickidnesse?⁴ Whether he biholdith not my weies, and noumbrith alle my goyngis?⁵ If Y yede in vanyte, and my foot hastide in gile,⁶ God weie me in a iust balaunce, and knowe my symplenesse.⁷ If my step bowide fro the weie; if myn iye suede myn herte, and a spotte cleuede to myn hondis;⁸ sowe Y, and another ete, and my generacioun be drawun out bi the root.

⁹ If myn herte was disseyued on a womman, and if Y settide aspies at the dore of my frend; my wijf be the hoore of anothir man,¹⁰ and othir men be bowid doun on hir.¹¹ For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse.¹² Fier is deourynge `til to wastyng, and drawynge vp bi the roote alle generaciouns.¹³ If Y dispiside to take doom with my seruaunt and myn hand mayde, whanne thei stryueden ayens me.¹⁴ What sotheli schal Y do, whanne God schal rise to deme? and whanne he schal axe, what schal Y answere to hym?¹⁵ Whether he, that wrouyte also hym, made not me in the wombe, and o God formede me in the wombe?

¹⁶ If Y denyede to pore men that, that thei wolden, and if Y made the iyen of a wydewe to abide;¹⁷ if Y aloone eet my mussel, and a faderles child eet not therof;¹⁸ for merciful doyng encreesside with me fro my yong childhed, and yede out of my modris wombe with me;¹⁹ if Y dispiside a man passynge forth, for he hadde not a cloth, and a pore man with out hilyng;²⁰ if hise sidis blessiden not me, and was not maad hoot of the fleeces of my scheep;²¹ if Y reiside myn hond on a fadirles child, yhe, whanne Y siy me the hiyere in the yate;²² my schuldre falle fro his ioynt, and myn arm with hise boonys be al to-brokun.²³ For euere Y dredde God, as wawis wexynge gret on me; and `Y myyte not bere his birthun.

²⁴ If Y gesside gold my strengthe, and if Y seide to purid gold, Thou art my trist;²⁵ if Y was glad on my many ritchessis, and for myn hond foond ful many thingis;²⁶ if Y siy the sunne, whanne it schynede, and the moone goynge clereli;²⁷ and if myn herte was glad in priuyte, and if Y kisside myn hond with my mouth;²⁸ which is the moost wickidnesse, and deniyng ayens hiyeste God;²⁹ if Y hadde ioye at the fallyng of hym, that hatide me, and if Y ioide fulli, that yuel hadde founde hym;³⁰ for Y yaf not my throte to do synne, that Y schulde asaile and curse his soule;³¹ if the men of my tabernacle seiden not, Who yyueth, that we be fillid of hise fleischis? a pilgryme dwellide not with outforth;³² my dore was opyn to a weiegoere;

³³ if Y as man hidde my synne, and helide my wickidnesse in my bosum;³⁴ if Y dredde at ful greet multitude, and if dispisyng of neyyboris made me aferd; and not more Y was stille, and yede not out of the dore;³⁵ who yyueth an helpere to me, that Almyyti God here my desire? that he that demeth,³⁶ write a book, that Y bere it in my schuldre, and cumpasse it as a coroun to me?³⁷ Bi alle my degrees Y schal pronounce it, and Y schal as offre it to the prynce.³⁸ If my lond crieth ayens me, and hise forewis wepen with it;³⁹ if Y eet fruytis therof with out money, and Y turmentide the soule of erthetileris of it;⁴⁰ a brere growe to me for wheete, and a thorn for barli.