| Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900. |
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| Anonymous. c. 1300 |
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| 3. Spring-tide |
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| LENTEN ys come with love to toune, | |
| With blosmen ant with briddes roune, | |
| That al this blisse bryngeth; | |
| Dayes-eyes in this dales, | |
| Notes suete of nyhtegales, | 5 |
| Vch foul song singeth; | |
| The threstlecoc him threteth oo, | |
| Away is huere wynter wo, | |
| When woderove springeth; | |
| This foules singeth ferly fele, | 10 |
| Ant wlyteth on huere winter wele, | |
| That al the wode ryngeth. | |
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| The rose rayleth hire rode, | |
| The leves on the lyhte wode | |
| Waxen al with wille; | 15 |
| The mone mandeth hire bleo, | |
| The lilie is lossom to seo, | |
| The fenyl ant the fille; | |
| Wowes this wilde drakes, | |
| Miles murgeth huere makes; | 20 |
| Ase strem that striketh stille, | |
| Mody meneth; so doth mo | |
| (Ichot ycham on of tho) | |
| For loue that likes ille. | |
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| The mone mandeth hire lyht, | 25 |
| So doth the semly sonne bryht. | |
| When briddes singeth breme; | |
| Deowes donketh the dounes, | |
| Deores with huere derne rounes | |
| Domes forte deme; | 30 |
| Wormes woweth under cloude, | |
| Wymmen waxeth wounder proude, | |
| So wel hit wol hem seme, | |
| Yef me shal wonte wille of on, | |
| This wunne weole y wole forgon | 35 |
| Ant wyht in wode be fleme. | |
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GLOSS: to toune] in its turn. him threteth oo] is aye chiding them. huere] their. woderove] woodruff. ferly fele] marvellous many. wlyteth] whistle, or look. rayleth hire rode] clothes herself in red. mandeth hire bleo] sends forth her light. lossom to seo] lovesome to see. fille] thyme. wowes] woo. miles] males. murgeth] make merry. makes] mates. striketh] flows, trickles. mody meneth] the moody man makes moan. so doth mo] so do many. on of tho] one of them. breme] lustily. deowes] dews. donketh] make dank. deores] dears, lovers. huere derne rounes] their secret tales. domes forte deme] for to give (decide) their decisions. cloude] clod. wunne weole] wealth of joy. y wole forgon] I will forgo. wyht] wight. fleme] banished. |
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