minstrel: The Agincourt Carol

[L Joseph]

Ladies and gentlemen of the list, as promised, here is
the text of "The Agincourt Carol" in 15th century
English as it appears in Noah Greenberg's "An
Anthology Of English And Renaissance Vocal Music" (New
York, The Norton Library, 1961). I have also included
what I hope is a useable phonetic rendering.

Enjoy,
Jehanne
*****************

Deo gracias Anglia (The Agincourt Carol) ANONYMOUS,
15TH century.

Chorus: 
Deo gracias Anglia
Redde pro victoria.

Owre kynge went forth to Normandy
With grace and myght of chivalry;
Ther God for hym wrought marvelously;
Wherfore Englonde may calle and cry, Deo gracias.

Chorus: 
Deo gracias Anglia
Redde pro victoria.

He sette a sege, the sothe for to say,
To Harflu toune with ryal aray; 
That toune he wan and made a fray
That Fraunce shal rywe tyl domesday; Deo gracias.

Chorus: 

Than went oure kynge with alle his oste
Throwe Fraunce , for alle the Freshe boste; 
He spared no drede of lest ne moste
Tyl he come to Agincourt coste; Deo gracias.

Chorus: 

Than, forsoth, that knyght comely,
In Agincourt feld he faught manly;
Throw grace of God most mighty
He had bothe the felde and the victory; Deo gracias.

Chorus: 

There dukys and erlys, lorde and barone
Were take and slayne, and that wel sone,
And summe were ladde into Lundone
With joye and merthe and grete renone; Deo gracias.

Chorus: 

Now gracious God he save oure kynge,
His peple, and alle his wel-wyllynge;
Yef hym gode lyfe and gode endynge, 
That we with mirth mowe savely synge; Deo gracias.

Chorus: 
*****************
Phonetic version:

Oore king-uh wend foorth toh Nohr-mahn-dee
Weth grahss and meecht of chivahlree
There Gohd for hem roht mehrvelooslee
Wherefor-uh Englond-uh my call and cree

Hay set-uh sej the soth toh sy
Toh Harfloo ton-uh weth reeal ary
Thaht ton-uh hay won and mahd a fry
Thaht Fraunss-uh shahl ryoo tel dom-uhz-dy

Thahn went oore king-uh weth all-uh his ost-uh
Throw-uh Fraunss-uh , for all-uh the Fresh-uh bost-uh 
Hay spah-red no dred-uh of lest ne most-uh
Tell hay com toh Ah-jen-coor cost-uh

Thahn, forsoth, thaht nicht com-uh-lee
En Ah-jen-coor feld hay faucht mahn-lee;
Throw grahss of Gohd most meechtee
Hay hahd both-uh the feld-uh and the victory

There dook-uhs and erl-uhs, lord-uh and baronuh
Wehr-uh tahk-uh and slyn-uh, and that wel son-uh,
And summ-uh were lahd-uh into Lundon-uh
Weth joy-uh and mirth-uh and greht-uh renon-uh.

No grahsseeuss Gohd hay sahv-uh oore king-uh,
Hes pepple, and all-uh hes well-willing-uh;
Yef hemm god-uh leaf and god-uh ending-uh, 
That way weth meerth mowe sahvelee sing-uh.



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"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid." --Frank Zappa

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