1. Cuckoo Song UMER is icumen in, SUMER Lhude sing cuccu! Groweth sed, and bloweth med, And springth the wude nu- Awe bleteth after lomb, Lhouth after calve cu; Bulluc sterteth, bucke verteth, Murie sing cucu! Cuccu, cuccu, well singes thu, cuccu: Ne swike thu naver nu; Sing cuccu, nu, sing cuccu, C. 1250 Thude] loud. swike] cease. awe] ewe. Ihouth] loweth, sterteth] leaps. BYTUENE Mershe ant Averil When spray biginneth to spring, Icham in hire bandoun. From alle wymmen my love is lent On heu hire her is fayr ynoh, Hire browe broune, hire eye blake; With middel smal ant wel y-make; Bote he me wolle to hire take Long to lyven ichulle forsake An hendy hap, etc. Nihtes when I wende and wake, For-thi myn wonges waxeth won; on hyre lud] in her language. ich libbe] I live. C. 1300 semlokest] seem liest. he] she. bandoun] thraldom. y-hent] seized, enjoyed. ichot] I wot. hire her] her hair. lossom] lovesome. bote he] unless she. make] mate. at night. wende] turn. waxeth won] cheeks grow wan. hendy] gracious. lyht] alighted. loh] laughed. feye] like to die. for-thi] on that account. nihtes] wonges 3. Levedi, al for thine sake In world his non so wyter mon Hire swyre is whittore than the swon, An hendy hap, etc. Icham for wowyng al for-wake, Betere is tholien whyle sore Herkne to my roun An hendy hap, etc. Spring-tide LENTEN ys come with love to toune, Dayes-eyes in this dales, Notes suete of nyhtegales, Vch foul song singeth; 2. levedi] lady. wise a man. with vigils. y-lent me on] arrived to me. swyre] neck. may] maid. c. 1300 so wyter mon] so for-wake] worn out so water in wore] as water in a weir. reve] rob. y-yerned yore] long been distressed. tholien] to endure. geynest der gore] comeliest under woman's apparel. roun] tale, lay. 3. to toune] in its turn. The threstlecoc him threteth oo, Away is huere wynter wo, When woderove springeth; The rose rayleth hire rode, For loue that likes ille. The mone mandeth hire lyht, 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. moody man makes moan. mody meneth] the so doth mo] so do many. on of tho] breme] lustily. deawes] dews. donketh] make dank. deores] dears, lovers. huere derne rounes] their secret tales. domes forte deme] for to give (decide) their decisions. one of them. 4. Wormes woweth under cloude, Blow, Northern Wind [CHOT a burde in boure bryht, Menskful maiden of myht; Feir ant fre to fonde; A burde of blod ant of bon, 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. 3. cloude] clod. wunne weole] wealth of joy. y wole forgon] I will forgo. wyht] wight. 4. Ichot] I know. burde] maiden. feir] fair. multitude. on earth. fonde] take, prove. fleme] banished. menskful] worshipful. lussomore in londe] lovelier suetyng] sweetheart. lefliche] lovely. fonge] take between hands. murthes] mirths, joys. mote heo monge] may she mingle. y nuste] I knew not. brid] bird. breme] full of life. |