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Song lyrics in Middle English (and partly in Latin):
Erthe Upon Erthe (made popular by the Mediaeval Baebes)
Erthe out of erthe is wonderly wroghte
Erthe hase geten one erthe a dignite of noghte
Erthe upon erthe hase sett alle his thoghte
How that erthe upon erthe may be heghe broghte
Erthe upon erthe wolde be a kinge
Bot how erthe to erthe shall thinkes he no thinge
When erthe bredes erthe and his rentes home bringe
Thane shall erthe of erthe have full harde parting
Memento, homo, quad cinis es
Et in cenerem reverentis
Erthe upon erthe winnes castells and towrres
Thane sayse erthe unto erthe, »This es al ourres«
When erthe upon erthe has bigged up his barres
Thane shall erthe for erthe suffere sharpe scowrres
Memento, homo, quad cinis es
Et in cenerem reverentis
Erthe goes upon erthe as molde upon molde
He that gose upon erthe, gleterande as golde
Like erthe never more go to erthe sholde
And yitt shall erthe unto erthe ga rathere than he wolde
Whye erthe lurves erthe, wondere me thinke
Or why erthe for erthe sholde other swete or swinke
For when erthe upon erthe has broughte within brinke
Thane shall erthe of erthe have a foul stinke
Memento, homo, quad cinis es
Et in cenerem reverentis
Memento, homo, quad cinis es
Et in cenerem reverentis
Even though the spelling is similar to contemporary English, the pronunciation is somewhat different. In fact, most of the weird English spellings result from a shift in pronunciation during the Renaissance.
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