Of the Sacrifice of the Mass

Del sacrificio de la misa by Gonzalo de Berceo is a religious poem of a doctrinal nature. The author begins by talking about the sacrifices in the Old Testament, then moves on to the advent of Christ, ponders the value of the new sacrifice and describes each of the parts of the Mass.
Finally Berceo says goodbye asking the faithful to pray for him:

“Sennores e amigos quantos aquí seedes,
Merget I ask everyone for the law you have
of two pater nostres that you help me:
to me faredes something, you nothing non perdredes.”

Edition based on the manuscript of the year 1533 of the National Library of Spain and manuscript 93 of the Archive of the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos.

Del sacrifiçio de la missa

1. In the name of the king who rules by nature,
That end and beginning of every creature,
Be guided by me would like your holy moderation
In his honor I would like a scripture.

2. From the test vieio I want to then fablar,
E commo sacrificed, and on which altar,
Desent to turn to the new, by serious walk,
Agree them in one, fazerlos greet.

3. When Moysén’s law is won.
Of the çielo of God misme escripa e notada,
On an altar of earth, not of hewn stone,
Fazie sos sacrifiçios la hebrea mesnada.

4. When by the lords that the people commanded,
Ouerien fer sacrifiçio, bull sacrificed:
For the people often scumbags slaughtered,
Ram for the bispo, and those who ministered.

5. But in the bastards fazien departimiento,
Adoçien dos al timen, avien such commandment,
They slaughtered one by fer their sagramiento,
They sent the other to the mountains to the wind.

6. The house of the clergy avien to wait
In whom these cattle are usually slaughtered:
Departiela a veil that used to hang and hang
Between the largest house and the holy altar.

7. The house ant the veil essa avien by choro,
Hy offreçien el cabron, e carnero e toro,
Doves and palombas, breads, silver and gold,
In the one behind the veil iazie another thesoro.

8. In the first house there is a candlestick,
Of pure gold was, no other tree,
Siete braços avie, quisque with his vase,
The sexes were of slope, the other medianero.

9. Hy sedie a well-carved copper table,
In it XII, breads of bruted farina,
Non comie dellos otri sola una bocaça
Sinon los saçerdotes e la gent ordena.

10. More than a week the breads did not last,
Incoming from the other other loaves changed,
The lend these loaves for holy tasted,
The sammana passada then translauded them.

Fragment of the work