Project Gutenberg Book of English Verse | Page 5

Windus for poems by Arthur O'Shaughnessy and Dr. George MacDonald, and for confirming Mr. Bret Harte's permission; to Mr. Elkin Mathews for a poem by Mr. Bliss Carman; to Mr. John Lane for two poems by William Brighty Rands; to the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge for two extracts from Christina Rossetti's Verses; and to Mr. Bertram Dobell, who allows me not only to select from James Thomson but to use a poem of Traherne's, a seventeenth-century singer rediscovered by him. To mention all who in other ways have furthered me is not possible in this short Preface; which,?however, must not conclude without a word of special thanks to Dr. W. Robertson Nicoll for many suggestions and some pains kindly bestowed, and to Professor F. York Powell, whose help and wise counsel have been as generously given as they were eagerly sought, adding me to the number of those many who have found his learning to be his friends' good fortune.?October 1900?A.T.Q.C.
Anonymous. c. 1250
1. Cuckoo Song
SUMER is icumen in,?Lhude sing cuccu!?Groweth sed, and bloweth med,?And springth the wude nu--
Sing cuccu!
Awe bleteth after lomb,?Lhouth after calve cu;?Bulluc sterteth, bucke verteth,?Murie sing cuccu!
Cuccu, cuccu, well singes thu, cuccu:?Ne swike thu naver nu;?Sing cuccu, nu, sing cuccu,?Sing cuccu, sing cuccu, nu!
lhude] loud. awe] ewe. lhouth] loweth. sterteth] leaps. swike] cease.
Anonymous. c. 1300
2. Alison
BYTUENE Mershe ant Averil?When spray biginneth to spring,?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,?Icham in hire bandoun.?An hendy hap ichabbe y-hent,?Ichot from hevene it is me sent,?From alle wymmen my love is lent?Ant lyht on Alisoun.
On heu hire her is fayr ynoh,?Hire browe broune, hire eye blake;?With lossum chere he on me loh;?With middel smal ant wel y-make;?Bote he me wolle to hire take?For to buen hire owen make,?Long to lyven ichulle forsake?Ant 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 his non so wyter mon?That al hire bounte telle con;?Hire swyre is whittore than the swon,?Ant feyrest may in toune.?An hendy hap, etc.
Icham 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.
on hyre lud] in her language. ich libbe] I live. semlokest] seemliest. he] she. bandoun] thraldom. hendy] gracious. y-hent] seized, enjoyed. ichot] I wot. lyht] alighted. hire her] her hair. lossum] lovesome. loh] laughed. bote he] unless?she. buen] be. make] mate. feye] like to die. nihtes] at night. wende] turn. for-thi] on that account. wonges waxeth won] cheeks grow wan. levedi] lady. y-lent me on] arrived to me. so wyter mon] so wise a man. swyre] neck. may] maid. for-wake] worn out with vigils. so water in wore] as water in a weir. reve] rob. y-yerned yore] long been distressed. tholien] to?endure. geynest under gore] comeliest under woman's?apparel. roun] tale, lay.
Anonymous. c. 1300
3. Spring-tide
LENTEN ys come with love to toune,?With blosmen ant with briddes roune,?That al this blisse bryngeth;?Dayes-eyes in this dales,?Notes suete of nyhtegales,?Vch foul song singeth;?The threstlecoc him threteth oo,?Away is huere wynter wo,?When woderove springeth;?This foules singeth ferly fele,?Ant wlyteth on huere winter wele,?That al the wode ryngeth.
The rose rayleth hire rode,?The leves on the lyhte wode?Waxen al with wille;?The mone mandeth hire bleo,?The lilie is lossom to seo,?The fenyl ant the fille;?Wowes this wilde drakes,?Miles murgeth huere makes;?Ase strem that striketh stille,?Mody meneth; so doth mo?(Ichot ycham on of tho)?For loue that likes ille.
The mone mandeth hire lyht,?So doth the semly sonne bryht.?When briddes singeth breme;?Deowes donketh the dounes,?Deores with huere derne rounes?Domes forte deme;?Wormes woweth under cloude,?Wymmen waxeth wounder proude,?So wel hit wol hem seme,?Yef me shal wonte wille of on,?This wunne weole y wole forgon?Ant wyht in wode be fleme.
to toune] in its turn. 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. mody meneth] the moody man makes moan. so doth mo] so do many. on of tho] one of them. breme] lustily. deowes] dews. donketh] make dank. deores] dears, lovers. huere derne rounes] their secret tales. domes forte deme] for to give (decide) their decisions. cloude] clod. wunne weole] wealth of joy. y wole forgon] I will forgo. wyht] wight. fleme] banished.
Anonymous. c. 1300
4. Blow, Northern Wind
ICHOT a burde in boure bryht,?That fully semly is on syht,?Menskful maiden of myht;?Feir ant fre to fonde;?In al this wurhliche won?A burde of blod ant of bon?Never yete y nuste non?Lussomore in londe.?Blou northerne wynd!?Send thou me my suetyng!?Blou northerne wynd! blou,