The Ireland Prophecy
By Unknown
S m[u]sid in [m]i[n]des [a]n[d] merk[e] [ther] a
The tothe correctid [ther] tides mikel tene
S sett by hymself in set an I.
With [t]rayn they be tynt trowe [þ]ow non oþer
Þese liouns bees lusked and lased on sondir
And thair landes [l]ost for longe tyme
Thair men shal be mangled and mordred with moode
Without any mercy robbed on rowe
Thair wodys shal be wasted wit thow it wele
The donne dere in thaire denne be dryven to þe dethe
Þair fforestes be foreyd þair flockes awey ffett
Þair stedys shal be stroyed and stoln fro þayr steddes
Þair castells shal be cnocked thair knyghtes cast in care
Þair tresore shal be trussed and trilled with trayne
With brybory and with bragge bost shal men blow
And mykyl tor[vell]e and tene shal tyde in þat tyme
But þis bale and þis boste blowyn til an ende.
Many a wy shal than wary þat þis wo wrowghte
This liouns shal be leyd lowe and þair lyf lost
Saf a lymme shal be left in Alban[y] lande:
Many traynes shal be ta[l]d hym for to tryne
And cast shal they queyntise to cache hym in care
Gold gliterand shal go þat g[o]m[e] to bigile
And clatter of a cosinage to couer þeir cast.
Ȝit shal they mote of a mariage if þat it myghte amende
And sette seeris selye the sekerer for to seme.
Be þe li[s]pand lurdan has lappid wele his lyes
Þair craft and thair quayntys shal be kyd and knowe
For Y shal never 7 monethes se so I þe sure
Or ful bolde bernes shal blede on a bent:
Ther shal a wardeyn of werre wyght for to welde
Fare to a fforest with a fair fflocke
Agayn hym a gay man with gliterand gere
With iii thousand and feler I trowe;
Vn[nethes] shal he shyne [for sha]de of þe mone
And he shal be logged on a la[u]nd[es] ende
The Saxouns shal sike sore whan þat syr comys
They shal banne þat hym bredde bastardes [or] other.
B[o]t[he] h[o]nde [and] hewer hew[enne] be[s] do[w]ne
The rooke and þe ragged tre þe rede baner vnder
The fox and þe wyt rat sore shal they whyne
The bere shal be baitid þe schip shal be shent
The ratoun shal be raysed and reft fro his rout
The stiroup shal be stroied in his stronge stede
When a fawkoun shal flye northe with his fair fax
The bale of þe bestes shal byde [with] þemself
They shal be [m]angled with metil þat mercy non had
Their falshed and þair forcast fully shal be fonden
Steppys [monne] be sta[f]ful stondynge [of] blode
And furrows [monne] flow many [a] felde over
[W]allys [monne] be wasted of þe wyde townes
And woners in þe wonys wyghtlye [monne] dye.
Whan Cadwall[is] name call[ed is] þe corsed may drede
And Albany and Ermo[r]y erlis vphale.
Þanne [b]ees rorrynge and rouþe in þ[e] rich townes
To all [S]axons seede sorow for ever
And the Scottes traytoures þat þis tale made
But dye as doggys in a dyke by the sandes isprad;
Therfor non [m]ake bost but prese well þe ende.
When þis fawkoun flies northe with his fair fax
Bryght-breneyd bernys blythlye [monne] ryse
And weltyr ouer wa[w]es [riche wede v]nder
Þe horned [bes] hewyn for all hys hye helpe
The northe schal haue noye but newe it shal sone.
There shal a dede man [a]ryse dukys to deme
He schal seese oure sorowe and righte shal he ripe;
Than shal no [iorne]man [iou]ke in ioye for þe [s]o[n]ne
[But] he schal crepe into crybbe for þe clere shad[e].
The Saxon hund shal eete þe deseit þat he sewe
And all hys kyn shal be stroyed in a lytel stounde
Hys helperys shal be thro[wne downe] i[n] þarldom for euer
And þay þat in þat tyde offys of hym bare
Shal be treted as traytours with tray and with tene.
Aftere [B]rut be ye bolde bes þis reaume called
Bretayn as Merlyn melis in hys sawe.
And þan þe sonne shal seke ouer þe southe see
And wynne þat was[ted was] remes
And seþen [shal he] conuerte [þ]e cursed hethen:
Hys hand bes holy I highte yow þe soothe.
And þane þe lely and þe lime li[ng] shal togeþer
The dragon bees derworþe wha[n] þat [day] comyth.
Of I R and L m[onne] þat hend sprynge
A N and D eethe [it] ys to [we]te;
Of all cristyn crowne m[onne] he bere
And hethenesse m[onne] hooly hoold a[t] h[is] wille.
Notes:
Original text dates c. 1450, by an unknown medieval author. Source language text is public domain.
Copyright Credit: “The Ireland Prophecy: Text and Metrical Context.” edited by Eric Weiskott. Studies in Philology 114, no. 2, 2017.