Notes

1] Lenten: spring.

2] blosmen: flowers. briddes roune: birdsong.

4] Dayeseyes: daisies. dales: valleys.

5] suete: sweet.

6] Vch: each. foul: fowl, bird.

7] threstelcoc: throstle cock; the male thrush or mavis. threteth oo: quarrels with another one.

8] huere: their.

9] woderoue: woodruff, a sweet-smelling ground herb with clusters of small white flowers.

10] ferly fele: amazingly many.

11] Ant: and. wlyteth on huere wynter wele: chirp (onomatopoeic verb) well about their winter (?).

13] rayleth hire rode: puts on her face.

15] wylle: desire.

16] mandeth hire bleo: shows her face ("shines").

17] lossom: lovesome.

18] fenyl: fennel, a sweet yellow-flowered herb. fille: a garden herb, chervil or possibly thyme.

19] Wowes: woo. drakes: male ducks.

20] Miles: possibly mullets, a kind of fish. murgeth: cheer up. huere makes: their mates (i.e., "ducks").

21] striketh stille: runs quietly.

22] Mody: the high-spirited, the proud. meneth: "make plans". doh: do. mo: "more," others.

23] Ichot: I know. ycham: I am. tho: those.

24] who are ill-pleasing because of love (?).

27] breme: loudly.

28] The dews moisten the hills.

29] derne rounes: secret cries.

30] Domes forte deme: decide things ("render their judgments").

31] Wormes: serpents.

33] "So well does it [spring] seem to them."

34] Yef: if. wonte wille of: be undesired by ("lack the desire of").

35] wunne weole: happy well-being.

36] wyht: fellow. be fleme: take flight.

Other poems by ANONYMOUS