Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
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, | 5 |
Vch foul song singeth; | |
The threstlecoc him threteth oo, | |
Away is huere wynter wo, | |
When woderove springeth; | |
This foules singeth ferly fele, | 10 |
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; | 15 |
The mone mandeth hire bleo, | |
The lilie is lossom to seo, | |
The fenyl ant the fille; | |
Wowes this wilde drakes, | |
Miles murgeth huere makes; | 20 |
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, | 25 |
So doth the semly sonne bryht. | |
When briddes singeth breme; | |
Deowes donketh the dounes, | |
Deores with huere derne rounes | |
Domes forte deme; | 30 |
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 | 35 |
Ant wyht in wode be fleme. | |