The threstlecoc him threteth oo,

Away is huere wynter wo,

When woderove springeth;
This foules singeth ferly fele,
Ant wlyteth on huere winter wele,
That al the wode ryngeth.

The rose rayleth hire rode,
The leves on the lyhte wode
Waxen al with wille;

The mone mandeth hire bleo,
The lilie is lossom to seo,
The fenyl ant the fille;
Wowes this wilde drakes,
Miles murgeth huere makes;

Ase strem that striketh stille,
Mody meneth; so doth mo
(Ichot ycham on of tho)

For loue that likes ille.

The mone mandeth hire lyht,
So doth the semly sonne bryht.
When briddes singeth breme;
Deowes donketh the dounes,
Deores with huere derne rounes
Domes forte deme;

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. thyme. wowes] woo. miles] males. striketh] flows, trickles.

makes] mates

moody man makes moan.

fille

murgeth] make merry. mody meneth] the on of tho

so doth mo] so do many.

deowes] dews.

donketh] make

one of them. breme] lustily dank. deores] dears, lovers.

tales.

huere derne rounes] their secret

domes forte deme] for to give (decide) their decisions.

4.

Wo

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
Ant wyht in wode be fleme.

Blow, Northern Wind

ICHOT a burde in boure bryht,
That fully semly is on syht,
Menskful maiden of myht;

Feir ant fre to fonde;
In al this wurhliche won

A burde of blod ant of bon

Never yete y nuste non

Lussomore in londe.

Blou northerne wynd!

Send thou me my suetyng!

C. 1300

Blou northerne wynd! blou, blou, blou !

With lokkes lefliche ant longe,

With frount ant face feir to fonge,

With murthes monie mote heo monge,
That brid so breme in boure.

y nuste] I knew not.

suetyng] sweetheart.

y wole forgon]

menskful] worshipful.

fleme] banished.

wurhliche] noble.

won]

lussomore in londe] lovelier

lefliche] lovely. fonge]

take between hands. murthes] mirths, joys. mote heo monge]

may she mingle. brid] bird.

breme] full of life.

With lossom eye grete ant gode,
With browen blysfol under hode,
He that reste him on the Rode,
That leflych lyf honoure.
Blou northerne wynd, etc.

Hire lure lumes liht,

Ase a launterne a nyht,

Hire bleo blykyeth so bryht,

So feyr heo is ant fyn.

A suetly swyre heo hath to holde,
With armes shuldre ase mon wolde,

Ant fingres feyre forte folde,
God wolde hue were myn!

Blou northerne wynd, etc.

Heo is coral of godnesse,
Heo is rubie of ryhtfulnesse,
Heo is cristal of clannesse,

Ant baner of bealtè.

Heo is lilie of largesse,
Heo is parvenke of prouesse,

Heo is solsecle of suetnesse,
Ant lady of lealtè.

For hire love y carke ant care,
For hire love y droupne ant dare,

For hire love my blisse is bare
Ant al ich waxe won,

For hire love in slep y slake,
For hire love al nyht ich wake,
For hire love mournynge y make
More then eny mon.

Blou northerne wynd!

Send thou me my suetyng!

Blou northerne wynd! blou, blou, blou !

5.

WYNTE

This World's Joy

WYNTER wakeneth al my care,
Nou this leves waxeth bare;

Ofte I sike ant mourne sare
When hit cometh in my thoht

Of this worldes joie, hou hit goth al to noht.

Nou hit is, and nou hit nys,

Al so hit ner nere, ywys;

That moni mon seith, soth hit ys:

Al goth bote Godes wille:

Alle we shule deye, thah us like ylle.

Al that gren me graueth grene,

Nou hit faleweth albydene:

Jesu, help that hit be sene

Ant shild us from helle !

C. 1300

For y not whider y shal, ne hou longe her duelle.

5. this leves] these leaves. sike] sigh.

nys] is not. al so hit ner nere] as though it had never been. soth] sooth. bote] but, except. thah] though. faleweth] fadeth. albydene] altogether. y not whider] I know not whither. her duelle] here dwell.

With lossom eye grete ant gode,
With browen blysfol under hode,
He that reste him on the Rode,
That leflych lyf honoure.

Blou northerne wynd, etc.

Hire lure lumes liht,

Ase a launterne a nyht,

Hire bleo blykyeth so bryht,

So feyr heo is ant fyn.

A suetly swyre heo hath to holde,
With armes shuldre ase mon wolde,
Ant fingres feyre forte folde,
God wolde hue were myn!
Blou northerne wynd, etc.

Heo is coral of godnesse,
Heo is rubie of ryhtfulnesse,
Heo is cristal of clannesse,

Ant baner of bealtè.

Heo is lilie of largesse,

Heo is parvenke of prouesse,

Heo is solsecle of suetnesse,

Ant lady of lealtè.

For hire love y

carke ant care,

For hire love y droupne ant dare,

For hire love my blisse is bare

Ant al ich waxe won,