Your ugly token

My mind hath broken

From worldly lust;

For I have discussed,

We are but dust

And die we must.

It is general

To be mortal;

I have well espied

No man may him hide

From Death hollow-eyed

With sinews wyderéd

With bones shyderéd,

With his worm-eaten maw

And his ghastly jaw

Gaping aside,

Naked of hide,

Neither flesh nor fell!

Then, by my counsel

Look that ye spell!

Well this gospel,

For whereso we dwell

Death will us quell

And with us mell!

For all our pampered paunches

There may no fraunchis!

Nor worldly bliss

Redeem us from this:

Our days be dated

To be checkmated

With draughtes of death

Stopping our breath;

Our eyen sinking,

Our bodies stinking,

Our gummes grinning,

Our soules brinning.

To whom, then, shall we sue

For to have rescue

But to sweet Jesu

On us then for to rue?

O goodly child

Of Mary mild

Then be our shield,

That we be not exiled

To the dyne dale

Of bootless bale

Nor to the lake

Of fiendes black.

But grant us grace

To see thy face

And to purchase

Thine heavenly place

And thy palace

Full of solace

Above the sky

That is so high,

Eternally

To behold and see

The Trinity.

Amen.