La nobla leyczon
Encyclopedia
La nobla leyczon La nòbla leiçon in modern Occitan, The Noble Lesson in English
, is an anonymous text written in Old Occitan. It is the founding document of the Waldensian
creed. Its sixth line, ben ha mil & cent an complí entierament (already eleven hundred years have run their course [since Christ
died]), places it in the early 12th century but modern scholars now date it between 1190 and 1240. However, the very same line varies according to which of the four manuscripts is studied: the Geneva
and Dublin ones say mil e cen (1100) while the Cambridge
ones both state mil e cccc cent (1400). Further discrepancies include various anachronisms and the fact that Old Occitan was not spoken in the Lyon
region. The manuscript was found in the Piedmont
ese valleys.
The 479 lines of the poem can be divided into seven parts according to the themes treated http://www.info-bible.org/livres/Histoire.Eglise.Vaudoise.2/13.htm#repentance: 1-56 deal with the end of the world
; 57-229 retrace the history of the Bible
; 230-265 tell of the new law; 266-333 narrate Jesus's life and works; 334-360 praise the faithful Christian Church
; 361-413 relate the persecutions and the corrupted lives of papist
s and 414-479 explain what true repentance
is.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, is an anonymous text written in Old Occitan. It is the founding document of the Waldensian
Waldensians
Waldensians, Waldenses or Vaudois are names for a Christian movement of the later Middle Ages, descendants of which still exist in various regions, primarily in North-Western Italy. There is considerable uncertainty about the earlier history of the Waldenses because of a lack of extant source...
creed. Its sixth line, ben ha mil & cent an complí entierament (already eleven hundred years have run their course [since Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
died]), places it in the early 12th century but modern scholars now date it between 1190 and 1240. However, the very same line varies according to which of the four manuscripts is studied: the Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and Dublin ones say mil e cen (1100) while the Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
ones both state mil e cccc cent (1400). Further discrepancies include various anachronisms and the fact that Old Occitan was not spoken in the Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
region. The manuscript was found in the Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
ese valleys.
The 479 lines of the poem can be divided into seven parts according to the themes treated http://www.info-bible.org/livres/Histoire.Eglise.Vaudoise.2/13.htm#repentance: 1-56 deal with the end of the world
Eschatology
Eschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
; 57-229 retrace the history of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
; 230-265 tell of the new law; 266-333 narrate Jesus's life and works; 334-360 praise the faithful Christian Church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
; 361-413 relate the persecutions and the corrupted lives of papist
Papist
Papist is a term or an anti-Catholic slur, referring to the Roman Catholic Church, its teachings, practices, or adherents. The term was coined during the English Reformation to denote a person whose loyalties were to the Pope, rather than to the Church of England...
s and 414-479 explain what true repentance
Repentance
Repentance is a change of thought to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live according to religious law...
is.
Opening lines
AYCÍ COMENCZA LA NOBLA LEYCZON O frayre, entendé ma nobla leyczon: Sovent devén velhar e istar en oracion, Car nos veén aquest mont esser pres del chavon; Mot curiós deoriàn ésser de bonas obras far, Car nos veén aquest mont de la fin apropiar. Ben ha mil & cent ancz complí entierament, Que fo scripta l'ora, car sen al derier temp. Poc deoriàn cubitar, car sen al remanent. Tot jorn veén las ensegnas venir a compliment, En acreysament de mal e en amermament de ben. Ayczó son li perilh que l'escriptura di: L'avangeli ho recoynta, e sant Paul atresí, Que neún home que viva, non po saber la fin. Enperczó devén mays temer, car nos non sen certan, Si la mort nos penré enchoy o deman. |
| THUS BEGINTH THE NOBLE LESSON http://books.google.com/books?id=CHwFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA287&dq=noble+lesson&hl=en&ei=jZ9eTOaRB8Ge4AaY85i5Ag&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CFkQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q&f=false O Brethren, give ear to a noble Lesson, We ought always to watch and pray, For we see this world nigh to a conclusion, We ought to strive to do good works, Seeing that the end of this world approacheth. There are already a thousand and one hundred years fully accomplished Since it was written thus, For we are in the last time. We ought to covet little, for we are at the latter end. We see daily the signs to be accomplished In the increase of evil and the decrease of good. These are the perils which the Scripture mentioneth In the Gospels and Saint Paul's writings. No man living can know the end. And therefore we ought the more to fear, for we are not certain Whether we shall die to day or to morrow. |