BACK NEXT ORIGINAL TRANSLATION






605




610





615




620
XI

'Of rnore and lasse in Godes ryche,'
That gentyl sayde, 'lys no joparde,
For ther is uch mon payed inlyche,
Whether lyttel other much be hys rewarde.
For the gentyl Cheventayn is no chyche,
Qhether-so-ever he dele nesch other harde:
He laves hys gyftes as water of dyche,
Other gotes of golf that never charde.
Hys fraunchyse is large that ever dard
To Hym that mas in synne resoghe.
No blysse bes fro hem reparde,
For the grace of God is gret inoghe.

'Bot now thou motes, me for to mate,
That I my peny haf wrang tan here;
Thou says that I that come to late
Am not worthy so gret fere.
Where wystes thou ever any bourne abate
Ever so holy in hys prayere
That he ne forfeted by sumkyn gate
The mede sumtyme of hevenes clere ?
And ay the ofter, the alder thay were,
Thay laften ryght and wroghten woghe.
Mercy and grace moste hem then stere,
For the grace of God is gret innoghe.





605




610





615




620
XI

'Of more and less in God's domain,'
That lady said, 'there is no doubt,
For every man is paid the same
'Though less or more is handed out.
Our Chieftain kind will none disclaim
Whether good or ill should come about;
His gifts are poured as though they came
As streams from out a chasm spout
His gifts no hindrance e'er can flout
In rescuing man from sin's embrace.
Such bliss no man need be without
For great indeed is God's good grace.

But now my cause you denigrate
To say my payment was unfair;
You say that I came much too late
And merit no such generous share.
Where were there ever men so great
And ever fervent in their prayer,
Who have not sometimes marred their fate
And forfeited Heaven's bounty fair ?
And often the older such men were
They left the good and wrong would chase.
Mercy and grace must guide them there,
But great enough is God's good grace.



Of more and less in God's kingdom,' that lady said, 'there is no question, for there each man is paid alike, whether his reward is little or much. For the noble Chieftain is no niggard, whether he metes out a soft or hard fate. He pours out his gifts like water from a dyke, or streams from a gulf whose flow never ceases. His favours are abundant to those who have always feared Nim who rescues those in sin. No joy is withheld from them, for the grace of God is great indeed.

But now you argue, to shame me, that I have received my penny unfairly; you say that I eame too late, and do not deserve such generous treatment. But where have you ever known of any man who had always lived a holy and prayerful life and never once forfeited in some way Heaven's bright bounty ? And the older they were, the more often they forsook the right and did the wrong. Mercy and grace must then guide them, for the grace of God is sufficiently great.

BACK NEXT ORIGINAL TRANSLATION