A.B.C. A prayer to Our Lady by Geoffrey Chaucer (Q > S)

Chaucer. England,16th century.
Notice his beads. British Library [CC0]

This is the fifth in a series of posts publishing a remarkable English poem written in the 14th century in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

‘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 line numbers are indicated by [L-]. 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.

Queen of comfort,[1] yit whan I me bithinke
That I agilt[2] have bothe him and thee,
And that my soule is worthi for to sinke,[3] [123]
Allas, I caityf,[4] whider[5] may I flee?
Who shal unto thi Sone my mene[6] bee?
Who, but thiself, that art of pitee welle?[7] [L126]
Thou hast more reuthe[8] on oure adversitee
Than in this world might any tonge telle.

[1] Queen of comfort: Cf Consolatrix afflictorum, Comforter of the afflicted. From the Litany of Loreto. Composed in or around Paris between the years 1150 and 1200. It gets its name from the Italian shrine (Loreto) were it was adopted in 1558.
[2] agilt: v transitive. To sin against; to offend, wrong. c1410  (▸c1390)    Chaucer Parson's Tale (Harl. 7334) (1885) §984   He haþ agultid his god and defoulid his soule. I have offended God and you, dear Lady.
[3] sinke: To go down, to descend, into hell. OED cites: c1366   Chaucer A.B.C. 123   Whan j me bithinke Þat j agilt haue boþe him and þee And þat my soule is wurthi for to sinke.
[4] caityf: Originally: A captive, a prisoner. A wretched miserable person, a poor wretch, one in a piteous case. A base, mean, despicable ‘wretch’, a villain. ‘it often implies a mixture of wickedness and misery’ (Johnson) c1386   Chaucer Knight's Tale 859   Tuo woful wrecches been we, and kaytyves.
[5] whider: whither
[6] mene: A person (as a saint, priest, etc.) who mediates or who acts as a channel of communication between God and mankind.c1400  (▸a1376)    Langland Piers Plowman (Trin. Cambr. R.3.14) (1960) A. viii. 180 (MED)   I counseil alle cristene criȝe god mercy, And marie his modir to be mene betwene.
[7] welle: a spring of water supposed to be of miraculous origin or to have supernatural healing powers; a miraculous spring of water. c1300   St. Kenelm (Harl.) 297 in F. J. Furnivall Early Eng. Poems & Lives Saints (1862) 55   A wil spring vp þere stod..Þat me clepeþ seint kenelmes welle: þat menie men haþ isoȝt.
[8] reuthe: ruth:  to have ruth; usually with †of, on, upon, or for. The quality of being compassionate; the feeling of sorrow for another; compassion, pity.a1413  (▸c1385)    Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1881) ii. l. 349   And þerwith-al in you þere be no rouþe Than is it harm þat ye lyuen by my trouþe.

Redresse me, mooder, and me chastise, [L129]
For certeynly my Faderes chastisinge,
That dar I nouht abiden [2] in no wise,
So hidous is his rightful rekenynge.[3] [L132]
Mooder, of whom oure merci gan to springe,
Beth ye my juge and eek my soules leche;[4]
For evere in you is pitee haboundinge [5] [L135]
To ech that wole of pitee you biseeche.

[1] Redresse: To correct, reform, or abolish (a fault or an undesirable state of affairs). c1405  (▸c1395)    Chaucer Wife of Bath's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) Prol. l. 674   They wolde han writen of men moore wikkednesse Than al the mark of Adam may redresse.
[2] abiden: to encounter, withstand, or sustain; to face; To await submissively or patiently; to await (the decree or judgement of); to submit to; OED cites: c1450  Chaucer A.B.C (Cambr. Ff.5.30) (1878) l. 131   My faderes chastisinge Þat dar i nouht abiden in no wise. 
[3] rekenynge:The action or an act of accounting to God after death for (one's) conduct in life; an account so given; the occasion of giving such an account, the Last Judgement. Also: God's judgement on or penalty for a person's actions. ?1387   T. Wimbledon Serm. (Corpus Cambr.) (1967) 66 (MED)   Þe day of his rekenyng comeþ, þat is þe ende of þis lif.
[4] A physician; one who practises the healing art. c1386   Chaucer Summoner's Tale 248   What nedeth hym þat hath a parfit leche To sechen othere leches in the toun?
[5] haboundinge: abounding.

Soth[1] is that God ne granteth no pitee
Withoute thee; for God of his goodnesse [L138]
Foryiveth noon, but it like unto thee.[2]
He hath thee maked vicaire[3] and maistresse
Of al this world, and eek[4] governouresse [L141]
Of hevene, and he represseth[5] his justise
After thi wil; and therfore in witnesse
He hath thee corowned in so rial wise.[6]  [L144]

[1] Soth > sooth:A true thing or saying; a truth.c1386   Chaucer Squire's Tale 166   This is a verray sooth withouten glose.
[2] but it like unto thee: unless it is pleasing unto thee.
[3] vicaire > vicar: Applied to persons, etc., as earthly representatives of God or Christ; also to Christ or the Holy Ghost as representing the Father. OED cites  c1366   Chaucer A.B.C. 140   God..hath þee maked vicair & maistresse Of al þe world.
[4] eek: also.
[5] represseth:  repress > To restrain or suppress (one's desires, feelings, etc.) by an act of self-control; to refrain from (an act or expression); a1393   Gower
Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) vii. 2410 (MED)   Themperour..scholde his vanite represse With suche wordes as he herde.
[6] corowned in so rial wise: crowned in so royal a manner.