EARLY LYRICS: ANONYMOUS

CUCKOO SONG

c. 1250

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!

SPRING-TIDE

c. 1300

LENTEN ys come with loue to toune,
With blosmen and with briddes roune,
That al this blisse bryngeth.
Dayes-eyes in this dales,

Notes suete of nyhtegales,

Vch foul song singeth.

The threstelcoc him threteth oo,

Away is huere wynter wo,

B

When woderoue springeth.
This foules singeth ferly fele,
And whyteth 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 and 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.
Deawes donketh the dounes ;
Deores with huere derne rounes,
Domes for te deme;

ferly fele] marvellous many.

rayleth hire rode] clothes

mandeth hire bleo] sends forth her

herself in red.

wowes] woo.

makes] mates.

light. lossom to seo] lovesome to see. fille] thyme.

miles] males. murgeth] make merry. striketh] flows, trickles.

mody

meneth] the moody man makes moan. so doth mo]

so do many.

on of tho] one of them.

deawes] dews.

lustily.
deores] deares, lovers.

secret tales.

breme]

donketh] make dank. huere derne rounes] their

domes for te deme] for to give their

decisions.

Wormes woweth vnder cloude;
Wymmen waxeth wounder proude,
So wel hit wol hem seme.
Yef me shal wonte wille of on,
This wunne weole y wole forgon,
And wyht in wode be fleme.

ALISON

c. 1300

BYTUENE Mersh and Aueril,
When spray biginneth to springe,
The lutel foul hath hire wyl
On hyre lud to synge.
Ich libbe in loue-longinge
For semlokest of alle thynge;
He may me blisse bringe-
Icham in hire baurdoun.
An hendy hap ichabbe yhent;
Ichot from hevene it is me sent;
From alle wymmen mi loue is lent,
And lyht on Alysoun.

On heu hire her is fayr ynoh,

Hire browe broune, hire eye blake;
With lossum chere he on me loh,
With middel smal and wel ymake.

Bote he me wolle to hire take,
For to buen hire owen make,
Longe to lyuen ichulle forsake,
And feye fallen adoun.
An hendy hap, etc.

Nihtes when y wende and wake,
Forthi myn wonges waxeth won,
Leuedi, al for thine sake

Longinge is ylent me on.
In world nis non so wyter mon
That al hire bountè telle con ;
Hire swyre is whittore then the swon,
And feyrest may in toune.

An hendy hap, etc.

Icham for wowyng al forwake,
Wery so water in wore,
Lest eny reue me my make,
Ychabbe y-yerned yore.
Betere is tholien whyle sore
Then mournen euermore.
Geynest under gore,

Herkne to my roun.

An hendy hap, etc.

bote he] unless she.

buen] be.

feye] like to die.

nihtes] at night.

me.

make] mate. wende] turn.

forthi] on that account. wonges waxeth won] cheeks grow wan. leuedi] lady. ylent me on] arrived to so wyter mon] so wise a man. swyre] neck. may] maid. forwake] worn out with vigils. water in wore] as water in a weir. reue] rob. yore] long been distressed.

SO

y-yerned

tholien] to endure.

geynest under gore] comeliest under woman's apparel. roun] tale, lay.