Holy Week | Hours of the Cross

For Holy Week, the York Hours of the Cross, in their original Middle English; find a modern English translation here.


Matins
lord iesu cryste, I pray þe here my steuenen.
for þi swete modyr sak, þat es qwhen of heuen;
þi wysdome of þe fadyr, þe god ryghtwensnes.
God and man, at morne tyde, taken he es,
for-sakyne of hys frendes & left – withouten les.
Betrayede to þe jewys and dampnyde sackles.
lord for þat ylk payn þu suffyrde at morne tyde
lat neuer my saule on domis day be forlorne.

Prime
At prime led was iesu unto Pilate
yai band hym as a thefe, and sor hym smate;
many fals witness, þai wryed hym many gate,
þai spytted iesuys face, þe light of heuens yate.
lord for þat ilke shame þu soffird at prime,
lat neuer my saul on domesday mystime.

Tierce
At þe tyme of oundron þai gun cry & call,
For hethyng þai hym cled in purper & in pall,
þai set on his heyde a cron of thorn wit-all,
and gerte hym bere on his bak þe cros to þe pynstall.
lord for þat ilk shame, þu sofyrd in þat place,
of deydly synne me to shryue, þu gyue grace.

Sext
At þe tyme of myd-day þai dyd hym on þe rode
Betwix two theuves þat had spylt manys blode;
for þe panys he threysted il þai gaue him drynk ungod,
Bytter gall [.....] he wald noght of þat fod.
lord for þat ilk shame þat was þi body neghe
Scheld me fro my il fays, þe world, fend & fleshe.

Nones
At þe tyme of none iesu gun cry'
he wytte his saul to his fadyr, [Eli]
A knyght smat him to þe hert, had he no mercy;
þe sone be-gane to wax myrk qwen iesu gun dy.
lord out of þi syd ran a ful fayre flude
As clere as well water our rannsom be þi blode.

Evensong
At þe tyme of euen-sang þai tok hym fro þe rod
his myght was in his godhede, so gracius and god,
þe meydcyne of his paynes, þe schedyng his blod,
Be noryschyng to us of or gastly fod.
lord for þat ilk schame þat þu doun was tane
lat neuer my saul wit deydly syn be sclayne.

Compline
At our of comepely, thei leiden hym in graue,
The noble bodi of Iesu, that mankind schal saue:
With spicerie he was biried, hooli writ to fulfille,
Thenke we sadli on his deeth, that schal saue us from helle.


O blessed chryst, these houres canonycall,
To thee I offer with meke deuocyon:
For us thou hast suffered those paynes all,
In thy greuous agony by lyke reason,
So by the remembraunce of thy passyon,
Make me according to my busyness,
Partaker of thy crowne and glory endless.

Detail from the Passion and Resurrection sequence (14th century stained glass), All Saints Pavement, York