More Sir Degare in Translation

The hermit takes Degare to be fostered by his sister in the city for the more nurturing environment but takes him back after ten years to provide him ten years of solid grounding in unmarketable knowledge. Degare, in the meantime, has grown up into a comely young lad who is strong of arm. All is revealed to Degare about his past.

The heremite held up bothe his honde An thonked God of al His sonde, And bar that child in to his chapel, And for joie he rong his bel. He dede up the gloven and the tresour And cristned the child with gret honour: In the name of the Trinité, He hit nemnede Degarre, Degarre nowt elles ne is But thing that not never what hit is, Other thing that is neggh forlorn also; Forthi the schild he nemnede thous tho. The heremite that was holi of lif Hadde a soster that was a wif; A riche marchaunt of that countré Hadde hire ispoused into that cité. To hire that schild he sente tho Bi his knave, and the silver also, And bad here take gode hede Hit to foster and to fede, And yif God Almighti wolde Ten yer his lif holde, Ayen to him hi scholde hit wise: He hit wolde tech of clergise. The litel child Degarre Was ibrout into that cité. The wif and hire loverd ifere Kept his ase hit here owen were. Bi that hit was ten yer old, Hit was a fair child and a bold, Wel inorissched, god and hende; Was non betere in al that ende. He wende wel that the gode man Had ben his fader that him wan, And the wif his moder also, And the hermite his unkel bo; And whan the ten yer was ispent, To the hermitage he was sent, And he was glad him to se, He was so feir and so fre. He taughte him of clerkes lore Other ten wynter other more; And when he was of twenti yer, Staleworth he was, of swich pouer That ther ne wan man in that lond That o breid him might astond. Tho the hermite seth, withouten les, Man for himself that he wes, Staleworht to don ech werk, And of his elde so god a clerk, He tok him his florines and his gloves That he had kept to hise bihoves. Ac the ten pound of starlings Were ispended in his fostrings. He tok him the letter to rede, And biheld al the dede. "O leve hem, par charité, Was this letter mad for me?" Ye, bi oure Lord, us helpe sschal! Thus hit was," and told him al.

Both his hands he did raise The hermit, thanking God with praise, Into the chapel bore the boy, And rang the holy bells for joy. Putting the gloves and treasure away, He christened with child without delay: In the name of the Three-in-One "Degare" he named this son, For "Degare," this name of his, Means "One who knows not who he is" Or "Something that was almost lost"; Thus, with this name the child was crossed. A holy life the hermit led. He had a sister who was wed To a merchant and they did dwell In a city where they lived quite well. Shortly the child to her was sent With the silver that was meant To care for it. He told her there To feed and raise the child with care, And if God the child allowed Ten years of life, the hermit vowed That he himself the child would raise, Instructing him in holy ways. Brought into the city with care Degare now grew up there. The hermit's sister with her loved one Brought him up as their own son. By the time he was ten-years old, He was a child fair and bold, Courteous, kind, and nourished well; The best that did in that region dwell. He well believed, that his father Was the merchant and his mother The merchant's wife, the hermit too He assumed to be his uncle true. For ten years he with them sojourned, Then to the hermit's house returned, Who received the child with joy, For fair and noble was the boy. As ten more winters passed them by, The hermit taught him doctrine high; And when the boy reached twenty years Stronger he was than all his peers, Indeed, no one in all the land, Against his blows could make a stand. Then the hermit, the truth did speak That the boy might his fortune seek: For strong of arm and a sage Scholar he was for his age. The hermit returned the gloves and gold That he had guarded in his household Except for the sum of ten pounds sterling Which had been spent on the fostering. The letter he gave the boy to read And thus he found out all, indeed. "For the sake of charity, Dear uncle, was this letter for me?" "Yes, by our Lord, who helps us so!" All he told so the boy would know.