Alison

Bytuene Mershe and Averil
When spray biginneth to springe,
The lutel foul hath hire wyl
On hyre lud to synge:
Ich libbe in love-longinge
For semlokest of alle thynge,
He may me blisse bringe,
Ich am in hire baundoun.

An hendy hap ichabbe y-hent,
Ichot from hevene it is me sent,
From alle wummen my love is lent
And lyht on Alysoun.

On heu hire her is fayr ynoh,
Hire browe broune, hire eye blake;
With lossum chere he on me loh;
With middel smal and wel y-make;
Bote he me wolle to hire take
For to buen hire owen make,
Long to lyven ichulle forsake
And feye fallen adoun.

An hendy hap, etc.

Nihtes when I wende and wake,
For-thi myn wonges waxeth won,
Levedi, al for thine sake
Longinge is y-lent me on.
In world nis non so wyter mon
That al hire bounte telle con;
Hire swyre is whittore than the swon,
And feyrest may in toune.

And hendy hap, etc.

Ich am for wowyng al for-wake,
Wery so water in wore;
Lest eny reve me my make
Ichabbe y-yerned yore.
Betere is tholien whyle sore
Then mournen evermore.
Geynest under gore,
Herkne to my roun.

An hendy hap, etc.

--Anonymous-- c. 1300

Taken from the Oxfod Book of English Verse, second ed., chosen and editted by the late, great Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch.


If you want full glosses, you'll have to read the book, but I'll give you a few hints, courtesy of Q.:

lud - language
baundoun - thraldom
hendy - gracious
y-hent - received
wonges waxeth won - cheeks grow wan
swyre - neck
so water in wore - as water in a weir
tholien - to endure
roun - voice
he - often means 'she'

Have fun!

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.