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| Chaucer. England,16th century. British Library [CC0] |
‘An A.B.C.', 'la Prière de Nostre Dame', was written by Chaucer in the 1370's. One of his earliest poems, it was based on a French work written by Guillaume de Deguileville (1295 - c1358, a French Cistercian and writer).
Each of the 23 eight-line stanzas begins with a successive letter of the alphabet (but excluding the later letters J, U and W). The metre is iambic pentameter and the rhyming scheme is a-b-a-b-c-d-c-d.
The poem is reproduced below with explanatory notes. Numbers in brackets [ ] refer to footnotes that follow the relevant text. They are not hyperlinked so readers will need to scroll down.
Incipit carmen secundum ordinem litterarum alphabeti.
(Here) beginneth a song according to the order of the letters of the alphabetAlmighty[1] and al merciable[1a] queene,[1] 'Almighty' (see also mighti debonayre in l6) is more traditionally associated with God Himself, as in the opening words of the Nicene Creed (325 AD): Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipoténtem - I believe in one God, the Father almighty. Her power is frequently mentioned in liurgical and other prayers, eg:
To whom that al this world fleeth for socour,[2]
To have relees of sinne, of sorwe, and teene [3], (L3)
Glorious virgine, of alle floures flour [4],
To thee I flee, confounded in errour.
Help and releeve, thou mighti debonayre, [5] (L6)
Have mercy on my perilous langour. [6]
Venquisshed me hath my cruel adversaire.[7]
[15] I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.
Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem, et semen tuum et semen illius : ipsa conteret caput tuum, et tu insidiaberis calcaneo ejus.[Genesis 3]
[9] Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in array?
Quae est ista quae progreditur quasi aurora consurgens, pulchra ut luna, electa ut sol, terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata? [Canticle of Canticles 6]
Virgo potens: Virgin most powerful; (From The Litany of Loreto: composed in or around Paris between the years 1150 and 1200).
[1a] al merciable: all merciful, the 'al' echoing 'Almighty' and anticipating the 'al' and 'alle' in lines 3 & 4. Origin: A borrowing from French merciable. Etymology: < Anglo-Norman and Old French merciable (adjective; early 12th cent. in Old French). Mercy is frequently used in connection with Our Lady, as the mediatrix of all graces: eg, Virgo clemens: Virgin most merciful (Litany of Loreto)
[2] socour: Aid, help, assistance,forces; reinforcements.
[3] To have release from sin, from sorrow and affliction. teene: injury, hurt; affliction, trouble; suffering, grief, sorrow; eg, c1300 St. Thomas Becket:Ȝwane a man is In mest soruwe and teone, Þanne is ore louerdes grace next.
[4] of alle floures flour: of all flowers the flower; the most beautiful and the most fragrant of all flowers. Voiceless labiodental fricative (f) is fourfold in lines four and five.
[5] debonayre: Adj. Of gentle disposition, mild, meek; gracious, kindly; courteous, affable. N: Gracious being or person. Etymology: < Old French debonaire, properly a phrase de bonne aire (11th cent.) of good disposition. Very common in Middle English (ME > c1100-c1500).
[6] langour: in ME: Mental suffering or distress; pining, longing, sorrow, grief. Disease, sickness, illness; Distressed condition, woeful plight.
[7] adversaire: the devil: [8] Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour.
Sobrii estote, et vigilate : quia adversarius vester diabolus tamquam leo rugiens circuit, quaerens quem devoret [1 Pet 5]
Bountee[8] so fix hath in thin herte his tente (L9)[8] Bountee: bounty: Goodness in general, worth, virtue; Warlike prowess, valour; Kindness, beneficence; c1386 Chaucer Parson's Tale ⁋451 Agayn wikked dede of his enemy, he shal doon hym bountee. Goodness shown in giving, gracious liberality, munificence: usually attributed to God.
That wel I wot[9] thou wolt my socour[2] bee;
Thou canst not warne[10] him that with good entente
Axeth thin helpe, thin herte is ay [11] so free.(L12)
Thou art largesse [12] of pleyn [13] felicitee [14],
Haven of refut [15], of quiete, and of reste.
Loo, how that theeves sevene [16] chasen mee. (L15)
Help, lady bright [17], er that my ship tobreste [18].
[9] wot: from wit: To have cognizance or knowledge of; to be aware of; to know (as a fact or an existing thing). Pres. tense (Sc. and north. dial.) wot, (Sc. and north. dial.) wat; pa. tense and pple. wist; c1405 (▸c1387–95) Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. For aught I woot he was of Dertemouthe.
[10] warne: To refuse or deny (a thing to a person); to refuse to grant (a boon, request, etc.). c1384 Chaucer Hous of Fame 1539 They..seyde, Graunte vs..of thy grace a bone. And somme of hem she graunted sone And somme she werned wel and faire, and some she graunted the contraire Of her axyng.
[11] ay: (a) Ever, always, continually; (b) at all times, on all occasions.c1386 Chaucer Monk's Tale 197 An ydolaster was he ay.
[12] largesse: The willingness to spend freely; (the virtue of) generosity; liberality, munificence. Also: this virtue personified. 1390; Chaucer Parson's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) §210 Ihu crist yeueth vs thise yiftes of his largesse & of his souereyn bountee.
pleyn
[13] pleyn: Of non-material things, as power, justice, etc.: full, complete, entire; perfect, absolute.
[14] felicitee: The state of being happy; happiness (in modern use with stronger sense, intense happiness, bliss); a particular instance or kind of this.c1386 Chaucer Clerk's Tale 53 We mighten live in more felicitee. That which causes or promotes happiness; a source of happiness, a blessing. c1385 Chaucer Legend Good Women Hypermnestra. 2588 This thought her was felicité.
[15] refut: Shelter or protection from trouble or danger. Cf. refuge. A person who or thing which provides shelter, aid, or protection; A place of safety or security; c1385 Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde .Allas þat he [sc. jealousy].Shuld haue his refuyt in so digne a place.
[16] theeves sevene: the seven deadly or capital sins that enable Satan to steal a person's soul: anger, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, pride, and sloth.
[17] bright: Shining; emitting, reflecting, or pervaded by much light. a. said of luminaries.1391: Chaucer Treat. Astrolabe (Cambr. Dd.3.53) (1872) ii. §2. 15 The altitude of the Mone, or of brihte sterres.Our Lady is traditionally compared to a bright star, eg in her title Stella Maris.
[18] tobreste: Middle English, < Old Norse brestr burst, crack, want, loss, < bresta = Old English berstan to burst. Damage, injury, harm, wrong. c1325 Cursor Mundi (Trin. Cambr.) l. 4283 What is more herte brest þen want of þing þat men loue best.
Comfort is noon but in yow, ladi deere; [19][19] (l17) 'Comfort is (there) none except in you, dear Lady;'
For loo [20] , my sinne and my confusioun, (L18)
Which oughten not in thi presence appeere,
Han take on me a greevous accioun [21]
Of verrey right and desperacioun [23]; (L21)
And as hi right thei mighten wel susteene
That I were wurthi my dampnacioun,
Nere merci of you, blisful hevene queene. (L24)
[20] loo: lo, behold.
[21] confusioun: Discomfiture, overthrow, ruin, destruction, perdition. A cause of overthrow or ruin. c1385 Chaucer Legend Good Women Hypsipyle. 1365 Thow sly deuourere & confusioun Of tendere wemen.
[22] accioun: action: A legal process, a lawsuit. (figurative in quot. c1430.) OED: 1370 Chaucer A.B.C. (Cambr. Gg.4.27) (1878) l. 20 Myn synne & myn confusioun..Han takyn on me a g[r]euous accioun.
[23] desperacioun: The action of despairing or losing all hope (of anything); the condition of having utterly lost hope; despair, hopelessness. OED c1366 Chaucer A.B.C. 20 A greevous accioun Of verrey riht and desperacioun.
[24] hi: Some versions have 'by'. One sense may be: My sin and ruin,which have no place appearing before you, form the basis of a serious accusation and charge against me, true in justice and for me desperation; and by justice they might well support (a guilty verdict) that I would deserve my (eternal) damnation.
[25] Nere: were it not, unless; unless, through your intercession, you can obtain mercy for me.
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