From alle wymmen mi love is lent "

And lyht 12 on Aly soun.

On heu 13 hire her is fayr ynoh,

15

Hire browe broune, hire eye blake, With lossum chere 14 he on me loh! 10 With middel 16 smal, and wel ymake.17 Bote 18 he me wolle 19 to hire take, Forte buen 20 hire owen make,21 Longe to lyuen ichulle 22 forsake, And feye 23 fallen adoun.

An hendy hap, etc.

Nihtes-when y

25

26 waxeth won.

wende 24 and wake; Forthi myn wonges Levedi,27 al for thine sake

Longinge is ylent

28 me on.

ΙΟ

20

25

29

In world nis non so wytermon,2 That al hire bounte 30 telle con.31

Hire swyre

32 is whittore then the swon,

And feyrest may 33 in toune.

An hendi, etc.

34

Icham for wowyng al forwake,3 Wery so water in wore,35 Lest eny reve me my make.21 Ychabbe y-yir yore,3

36

37

Betere is tholien whyle sore

Then 39 mournen evermore.

40

Geynest under gore,"

Herkne to my roun! 41

30

Her brows are brown, and black her eyne. She smiled on me with lovesome air; Trim is her waist and neat and fine. Unless thou'lt take me to be thine, Thy own dear love, O lady mine, Of longer living shall I pine,

By death shall be undone.

A blessed fortune is my lot, etc.

Often at night I toss and wake;

For this my cheeks are pale and wan.
Lady, 'tis all for thy dear sake
Longing has fallen me upon.

In world is none so wise a man
That all her goodness tell he can.
Her neck is whiter than the swan;
My heart she has undone.

IC

15

20

25

38

35

Hear my orison!

An hendi, etc.

8 power

9

10

I know

11

18

turn

26

27

A blessed fortune is my lot, etc.

30

31

35

can goodness 29 there is no so wise man 33 maid 34 I am for wooing all worn with watchweary as water in weir 36 take away from ing 35 37 I have heard long ago 38 it is better to endure hurt for a while 39 than 40 most gracious one alive (in clothing)

41

secret

AE

1

shaped, arrayed

2

5 hear 6 but 7 hills 8

3

4

In a summer season when soft was the sunshine,

I got me into a garment that grew on a sheep's back;

In habit like a hermit/unholy in living,

I went wide in this world wonders to seek out.

But on a May morning, side,

on Malvern hill5

I met with a marvel, of magic I thought it. I was weary, forwandered, and went to refresh me

Under a broad bank by the side of a brooklet. And as I lay and leaned there and looked on the waters,

I slumbered in a sleeping, the sound was so soothing.

Then came to my mind's eye

vision,

ΙΟ

a marvellous

That I was in a wilderness, where wist I

never;

And as I looked into the east and up where the sun was,

I saw a tower on a toft trimly constructed; A deep dale beneath a dungeon within it, 15 With deep ditch and dark and dreadful to look on.

A fair field full of folk found I between them, Of all manner of men, the mean and the mighty,

Working and wandering asketh.

as the world

Some put hand to the plow, played very seldom,

20

In setting and sowing sweated they hardly, And won what these wasters with gluttony devour.