Middle English Lyrics: The Agincourt Carol

manuscript illumination of the Battle of Agincourt

The Agincourt Carol

Deo gratias anglia, redde pro victoria.

Owre kynge went forth to Normandy,
With grace and myght of chyvalry;
Ther God for hym wrought mervlusly,
Wherfore Englonde may calle and cry,
Deo gratias,
Deo gratias anglia, redde pro victoria.

He sette a sege, for sothe to say,
To Harflu toune with ryal aray;
That toune he wan and made a fray,
That Fraunce shall rewe tyl domesday.
Deo gratias, &c.

Then went owre kynge, with alle his oste,
Thorowe Fraunce for all the Frenshe boste;
He spared for drede of leste, ne most,
Tyl he come to Agincourt coste;
Deo gratias, &c.

Than for sothe that knyght comely,
In Agincourt feld he faught manly;
Thorow grace of God most myghty
He had bothe the felde, and the victory;
Deo gratias, &c.

Ther dukys, and erlys, lorde and barone,
Were take and slayne, and that wel sone,
And som were ledde in to Lundone
With joye, and merthe, and grete renone;
Deo gratias, &c.

Now gratious God he save owre kynge,
His peple and all his welwyllynge,
Gef him gode lyfe and gode endynge,
That we with merth mowe savely synge;
Deo gratias, &c.

[after 1415]

Deo gratias... - Give thanks to God, England,
for the victory.
sege - siege
Harflu - Harfleur
ryal - royal
rewe - rue, grieve, regret
oste - host
mowe - may
savely - safely

Audio Excerpt from the CD
The Service of Venus And Mars

Jennifer Friedman's page has a .PDF of sheet music.

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