5.

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 !

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

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.

ner nere] as though it had never been.

except.

thah] though. faleweth] fadeth.

albydene] altogether.

y not whider] I know not whither. her duelle] here dwell.

6. A Hymn to the Virgin

Ο

OF

F on that is so fayr and bright
Velut maris stella,

Brighter than the day is light,

Parens et puella :

Ic crie to the, thou see to me,
Levedy, preye thi Sone for me,
Tam pia,

That ic mote come to thee
Maria.

Al this world was for-lore
Eva peccatrice,

Tyl our Lord was y-bore
De te genetrice.

With ave it went away

Thuster nyth and comz the day
Salutis ;

The welle springeth ut of the,
Virtutis.

Levedy, flour of alle thing,
Rosa sine spina,

Thu bere Jhesu, hevene king,
Gratia divina:

Of alle thu ber'st the pris,
Levedy, quene of paradys

Electa:

Mayde milde, moder es

C. 1300

Effecta.

on] one.

levedy] lady.

thuster] dark.

pris] prize.

7.

Of a rose, a lovely rose,
Of a rose is al myn song.

LESTENYT, lordynges, both elde and yinge,

How this rose began to sprynge;
Swych a rose to myn lykynge

In al this word ne knowe I non.

The Aungil came fro hevene tour,
To grete Marye with gret honour,
And seyde sche xuld bere the flour
That xulde breke the fyndes bond.

The flour sprong in heye Bedlem,
That is bothe bryht and schen :
The rose is Mary hevene qwyn,

Out of here bosum the blosme sprong.

The ferste braunche is ful of myht,
That sprang on Cyrstemesse nyht,
The sterre schon over Bedlem bryht
That is bothe brod and long.

The secunde braunche sprong to helle,
The fendys power doun to felle :
Therein myht non sowle dwelle;

Blyssid be the time the rose sprong!

The thredde braunche is good and swote,
It sprang to hevene crop and rote,
Therein to dwellyn and ben our bote;

Every day it schewit in prystes hond.

C. 1350

lestenyt] listen. word] world. xuld] should. schen] beautiful. hevene qwyn] heaven's queen.

bote] salvation.

6.

A Hymn to the Virgin

F on that is so fayr and bright

Velut maris stella,

Brighter than the day is light,
Parens et puella :

Ic crie to the, thou see to me,
Levedy, preye thi Sone for me,
Tam pia,

That ic mote come to thee
Maria.

Al this world was for-lore
Eva peccatrice,

Tyl our Lord was y-bore

De te genetrice.

With ave it went away

Thuster nyth and comz the day
Salutis ;

The welle springeth ut of the,
Virtutis.

Levedy, flour of alle thing,
Rosa sine spina,

Thu bere Jhesu, hevene king,
Gratia divina:

Of alle thu ber❜st the pris,
Levedy, quene of paradys

Electa:

Mayde milde, moder es

C. 1300

Effecta.

on] one.

levedy] lady.

thuster] dark.

pris] prize.

7.

Of a rose, a lovely rose,
Of a rose is al myn song

LESTENYT, lordynges, both elde and yinge,

How this rose began to sprynge ;

Swych a rose to myn lykynge

In al this word ne knowe I non.

The Aungil came fro hevene tour,
To grete Marye with gret honour,
And seyde sche xuld bere the flour
That xulde breke the fyndes bond.

The flour sprong in heye Bedlem,
That is bothe bryht and schen :
The rose is Mary hevene qwyn,

Out of here bosum the blosme sprong.

The ferste braunche is ful of myht,
That sprang on Cyrstemesse nyht,
The sterre schon over Bedlem bryht
That is bothe brod and long.

The secunde braunche sprong to helle,
The fendys power doun to felle:
Therein myht non sowle dwelle;

Blyssid be the time the rose sprong!

The thredde braunche is good and swote,
It sprang to hevene crop and rote,
Therein to dwellyn and ben our bote;
Every day it schewit in prystes hond.

lestenyt] listen.

C. 1350

word] world. xuld] should. schen] beautiful. hevene qwyn] heaven's queen. bote] salvation.