Lenten is Come with Loue to Toune

Lenten is Come with Loue to Toune

Original Text
British Library MS Harley 2253, fol. 71v; Carleton Brown, ed., English Lyrics of the XIIIth Century (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1932): no. 81, pp. 145-46, 230. Carleton Brown and Rossell Hope Robbins, The Index of Middle English Verse (New York, 1943): no. 1861. Z 2012 B86 General Reference Robarts Library.
1Lenten is come with loue to toune,
2With blosmen and with briddes roune
3        That al this blisse bryngeth.
4Dayeseyes in this dales,
5Notes suete of nyhtegales,
6        Vch foul song syngeth.
7The threstelcoc him threteth oo.
8Away is huere wynter woo
9        When woderoue springeth.
10This foules syngeth ferly fele
11Ant wlyteth on huere wynter wele
12        That al the wode ryngeth.
13The rose rayleth hire rode.
14The leues on the lyhte wode
15        Waxen al wyth wylle.
16The mone mandeth hire bleo.
17The lilie is lossom to seo,
18        The fenyl and the fille.
19Wowes this wilde drakes.
20Miles murgeth huere makes,
21        Ase strem that striketh stille
22Mody meneth, so doh mo.
23Ichot ycham on of tho,
24        For loue that likes ille.
25The mone mandeth hire lyht,
26So doth the semly sonne bryht,
27        When briddes syngeth breme.
28Deawes donketh the dounes.
29Deores with huere derne rounes
30        Domes forte deme.
31Wormes woweth vnder cloude.
32Wymmen waxeth wounder proude,
33        So wel hit wol hem seme.
34Yef me shal wonte wille of on
35This wunne weole Y wole forgon
36        Ant wyht in wode be fleme.

Notes

1] Lenten: spring. Back to Line
2] blosmen: flowers. briddes roune: birdsong. Back to Line
4] Dayeseyes: daisies. dales: valleys. Back to Line
5] suete: sweet. Back to Line
6] Vch: each. foul: fowl, bird. Back to Line
7] threstelcoc: throstle cock; the male thrush or mavis. threteth oo: quarrels with another one. Back to Line
8] huere: their. Back to Line
9] woderoue: woodruff, a sweet-smelling ground herb with clusters of small white flowers. Back to Line
10] ferly fele: amazingly many. Back to Line
11] Ant: and. wlyteth on huere wynter wele: chirp (onomatopoeic verb) well about their winter (?). Back to Line
13] rayleth hire rode: puts on her face. Back to Line
15] wylle: desire. Back to Line
16] mandeth hire bleo: shows her face ("shines"). Back to Line
17] lossom: lovesome. Back to Line
18] fenyl: fennel, a sweet yellow-flowered herb. fille: a garden herb, chervil or possibly thyme. Back to Line
19] Wowes: woo. drakes: male ducks. Back to Line
20] Miles: possibly mullets, a kind of fish. murgeth: cheer up. huere makes: their mates (i.e., "ducks"). Back to Line
21] striketh stille: runs quietly. Back to Line
22] Mody: the high-spirited, the proud. meneth: "make plans". doh: do. mo: "more," others. Back to Line
23] Ichot: I know. ycham: I am. tho: those. Back to Line
24] who are ill-pleasing because of love (?). Back to Line
27] breme: loudly. Back to Line
28] The dews moisten the hills. Back to Line
29] derne rounes: secret cries. Back to Line
30] Domes forte deme: decide things ("render their judgments"). Back to Line
31] Wormes: serpents. Back to Line
33] "So well does it [spring] seem to them." Back to Line
34] Yef: if. wonte wille of: be undesired by ("lack the desire of"). Back to Line
35] wunne weole: happy well-being. Back to Line
36] wyht: fellow. be fleme: take flight. Back to Line
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
2002
Rhyme
aabccbddbeeb