Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1918/Spring-tide

by Anonymous

c. 1300

LENTEN ys come with love to toune,^[1]
With blosmen and with briddes roune,
    That al this blisse bryngeth;
Dayes-eyes in this dales,
Notes suete of nyhtegales,
    Uch foul song singeth;

The threstelcoc him threteth oo,^[2]

Away is huere^[3] wynter wo,
When woderove^[4] springeth;
Thise foules singeth ferly fele,^[5]
Ant wlyteth on huere wunne wele,^[6]
That al the wode ryngeth.

The rose rayleth hire rode,^[7]
The leves on the lyhte wode
Waxen al with wille;
The mone mandeth hire bleo,^[8]
The lilie is lossom to seo,^[9]
The fenyl and the fille;^[10]
Wowes^[11] thise wilde drakes,
Miles murgeth^[12] huere makes^[13]
Ase strem that striketh^[14] stille.
Mody meneth;^[15] so doth mo^[16]
(Ichot ych am on of tho^[17])
For loue that Jikes ille.

The mone mandeth hire lyht,
So doth the scmly sonne bryht,

When briddes singeth breme,^[18]

Deawes^[19] donketh^[20] the dounes,
Deores^[21] with huere derne rounes^[22]
    Domes for to deme;^[23]
Wormes woweth under cloude,^[24]
Wymmen waxeth wounder proude,
    So wel hit wol hem seme,
Yef me shal wonte wille of on,
This wunne weole^[25] y wole forgon
    Ant wyht in wode be fleme.^[26]

 

1. toune] the dwellings of men.
2. him threteth oo] is aye chiding
3. huere] their.
4. woderove] woodruff.
5. ferly fele] marvellous many.
6. wlyteth etc.] whistle, in their wealth of joy.
7. rayleth hire rode] clothes herself in red.
8. mandeth hire bleo] sends forth her light.
9. lossom to seo] lovesome to see.
10. fille] thyme,
11. wowes] woo.
12. murgeth] make merry.
13. makes] mates.
14. striketh] flows.
15. mody meneth] the passionate man makes moan.
16. so doth mo] so do others.
17. on of tho] one of them.
18. breme] lustily.
19. deawes] dews.
20. donketh] make dank.
21. deores] animals.
22. huere derne rounes] their secret cries.
23. domes for to deme] whereby they converse.
24. cloude] clod.
25. wunne weole] wealth of joy.
26. fleme] fugitive.