Hi,

I'm working on Child 1-3 and will be covering all Child ballads (mainly British versions)- eventually- with Carpenter versions.

I need help with this old English transcription of Child 1, I briefly did this but I don't understand all the words:

Inter Diabolus Et Virgo c. 1445
Talk [between] Devil and Virgin (Maid)

1   Wol ye here a wonder thynge
Betwyxt a mayd and the fovle fende?
[Narrator:] "Will you hear a wondrous story,
Between a maid and the foul fiend (Devil)?"

2   Thys spake the fend to the mayd:
'Beleue on me, mayd, to day.
Thus spoke the fiend (Devil) to the maid:
"Believe on me, maid, today."

3   'Mayd, mote y thi leman be,
Wyssedom y wolle teche the:
"Maid, if I thy lover be,
Wisdom I will teach thee."

4   'All the wyssedom off the world,
Hyf thou wolt be true and forward holde.
"All the wisdom of the world (will be yours),
If you wilt be true and mine henceforward.."

5   'What ys hyer than ys [the] tre?
What ys dypper than ys the see?
"What is higher than is the tree?
What is deeper than is the sea?"

6   'What ys scharpper than ys the thorne?
What ys loder than ys the horne?
"What is sharper than is the thorn?
What is louder than is the horn?"

7   'What [ys] longger than ys the way?
What is rader than ys the day?
"What is longer(broader) than is the way?
What is redder than is the day?

8   'What [ys] bether than ys the bred?
What ys scharpper than ys the dede?
"What is better than is the bread?
What is sharper than is death?

9   'What ys grenner than ys the wode?
What ys sweetter than ys the note?
"What is greener than is the woods?
What is sweeter than is the nut?

10   'What ys swifter than ys the wynd?
What ys recher than ys the kynge?
"What is swifter than is the wind?
What is richer than is the king?

11   'What ys yeluer than ys the wex?
What [ys] softer than ys the flex?
"What is yellower than is the wax?
What is softer than is the flax?

12   'But thou now answery me,
Thu schalt for sothe my leman be.'
"But you now answer me,
Thou shall truly my lover be."

13   'Ihesu, for thy myld myyth,
As thu art kynge and knyyt,
"Jesus, [I ask] for thy mild might,
As you are king and knight,

14   'Lene me wisdome to answere here ryyth,
And schylde me fram the fovle wyyth!
"Lend me wisdom to answer here right,
And shield me from the foul being!.

15   'Hewene ys heyer than ys the tre,
Helle ys dypper than ys the see.
"Heaven is higher than is the tree
Hell is deeper than is the sea.

16   'Hongyr ys scharpper than [ys] the thorne,
Thonder ys lodder than ys the horne.
"Hunger is sharper than is the thorn,
Thunder is louder than is the horn.

17   'Loukynge ys longer than ys the way,
Syn ys rader than ys the day.
Looking[1] is longer(broader) than is the way,
Sin is redder than is the day.

18   'Godys flesse ys better than ys the brede,
Payne ys strenger than ys the dede.
"God's flesh[2] is better than is the bread,
Pain is stronger than is death.

19   'Gras ys grenner than ys the wode.
Loue ys swetter than ys the notte.
"Grass is greener than is the woods,
Love is sweeter than is the nut.

20   'Thowt ys swifter than ys the wynde,
Ihesus ys recher than ys the kynge.
"Thought is swifter than the wind,
Jesus is richer than is the king.

21   'Safer is yelner than ys the wexs,
Selke ys softer than ys the flex.
"Saffron is yellower than is the wax,
Silk is softer than the flax.

22   'Now, thu fende, styl thu be;
Nelle ich speke no more with the!'
"Now thou fiend (devil), still thou be,
I will speak no more with thee!"
______________________

1. "Sight" or "Seeing"
2. The Host, or Holy sacrament
3. Barry and others have "Sulfur"

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Corrections made to this original, ty.

Richie